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Which 80mm+ - top of the line? (1 Viewer)

F

fyamin

Member
Hi, I am new on this forum and hope you can all help me decide.

I am looking for a 80mm+ scope, best optics money can buy.

So far I am thinking of the following but can't decide which is better of these.

1- Swarovski ATS80HD - I like the scope cover too :)
2 - Kowa TSN-883 Prominar PFC - I own a 661 with a 20x60 eyepiece not impressed a lot. I get a brighter image with my 40mm leupold gold ring.
3 - carl zeiss 85 T* FL

Please help me figure it out.
 
Get a pentax 80 pf ed or a nikon 82 fieldscope & spend all the money you saved on some nikon mc or pentax xw eye pieces.
Brian.
 
I use a Pentax PF80A with a XW20 eyepiece and I'm very happy with it. This is the way I see it:
Swaro ATS89HD...$2100 + Swaro 30X eyepiece...$375. Total..2475
Pentax PF80A...$800 + XW20 eyepiece..$340. Total 1240.
With the 1000 dolars left, I would go for a week to do birding in Ecuador. But thet is me.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice and I know what you are saying.

But I was really looking for comparison between these scopes and best available optics.

I have not been able to find a direct unbiased comparison between these scopes and I don't know of any better.
 
fyamin said:
I have not been able to find a direct unbiased comparison between these scopes and I don't know of any better.
Click to expand...

Given how new the Kowa is I think it will be some while before the comparison reviews are out there. I recently tested the Kowa and the Swarovski side by side and there was very little between them. They both resolve fine detail incredibly well and work excellently across the full range of the zoom. There is a distinct difference in colour cast and focus systems between the two. Optically both are great, the only way to see which is best for you is to try them for yourself.
 
No bias here, I've owned a Swaro and seen the others, but now have the Nikon ED82A and wouldn't change it for the world, in my inexpert opinion it is optically the equal of anything out there (also, it seems, in the opinion of more experienced and technical folk than me!). There are lots of reviews and comparisons out there, check the Equipment Reviews section. The Nikon ED82A also costs a thousand euro less than the European top-end equivalents.
 
fyamin said:
Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice and I know what you are saying.

But I was really looking for comparison between these scopes and best available optics.

I have not been able to find a direct unbiased comparison between these scopes and I don't know of any better.
Click to expand...

nikon 82A + 30WA very hard to beat. while we're at it, anybody else out there suffer with yellow 'flare' with the 10x42 ultravid series?
 
Paul Jarvis said:
If you want the best money can buy, go for the kowa!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I hope the new 883 is better then the 661 I have. Plus their customer service is not the best in the world. takes for ever to get in touch with any one.
 
fyamin said:
But I was really looking for comparison between these scopes and best available optics.

I have not been able to find a direct unbiased comparison between these scopes and I don't know of any better.
Click to expand...

Many of us think the Alula's reviews (by Kimmo Absetz) are the most thorough and unbiased ones http://www.alula.fi/gb/optics.htm. I think the Swaro, Zeiss and Nikon 82ED are optically more or less equal and your personal choice may very well be based on focusing mechanisms, customer service, field-of-view, eye-relief or scope covers ;). Alula has not yet tested the Kowa 883, but here is a highly regarded Dutch test by Jan Meijerink http://www.tvwg.nl/testrapporten/telescoop/kowa tsn-773+883.htm (unfortunately only in Dutch). I don't think you could go wrong even if you tossed a coin.

Best regards, :t:

Ilkka
 
Last edited:
good links, anyone what this means

"De TSN-883 scoort het hoogst maar ook de TSN-773 vormt een grote bedreiging voor o.a. de Swarovski ATS 80 HD die ca. €1000.= duurder is."
 
fyamin said:
good links, anyone what this means
"De TSN-883 scoort het hoogst maar ook de TSN-773 vormt een grote bedreiging voor o.a. de Swarovski ATS 80 HD die ca. €1000.= duurder is."
Click to expand...

Translated:
"The TSN-883 scores the highest, but also the TSN-773 creates a big threath to among others the Swarovski ATS 80 HD which is about €1000.= more expensive."
 
Apart from the already mentioned value offered by the Nikon ED82 (which with the 30xW is surely unsurpassed by anything available), you might like to consider the uniquely wide angle view offered by the Zeiss Vario 20-60x zoom.
 
I wouldn't forget about the 820 series Kowas. They are quite probably the cheapest now out of the big hitters (£659 body only from warehouseexpress) and are still very good.

Jaff
 
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