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Kowa TSN-1 and TSN-3 (1 Viewer)

Elmer Fudd

Well-known member
Is anyone here who has one or even both scopes (TSN-1 and TSN-3) or it's counterpart with a straight eyepiece in use and would like to provide some pictures taken through these scope to show any difference in quality.

As far as I understand is that the TSN-3 is the upgrade version of the TSN-1 with fluorid coated lenses.
 
Hi,

I own a TSN-3 and have met a fellow birder with the TSN-1 so we could try both side by side with the same eyepieces (The old Kowa 20-60 zoom from the 80s - best avoided, the great Kowa 30 wide - mine is current but the old ones are also very good and an Opticron SDLv2 zoom which happens to fit and in my opinion is a bit better than the current Kowa 20-60 I have also tried).

Both instruments performed quite equally up to 40x or so with a bit off axis colour in the TSN-1. Past that the image visibly degraded in the TSN-1 due to axial chromatic aberration while the TSN-3 with a calcium fluorite element is still very sharp at the maximum magnification of the opticron zoom at 52x and was so up to 60x with the current Kowa 20-60x zoom when I tried it. I'm currently looking for a fixed mag EP giving around 70x which I suspect to be useful too.

I should have some images at high magnification which I could post next week since I'm going to be away this weekend.

TLDR: TSN-3 is recommended, TSN-1 too with the 30x wide and visual only. The old Kowa 20-60 zoom with teh fold-up rubber eyecup should be replaced.

Joachim
 
Hi,

here's two pictures of the herons across the river at 150m or so through my TSN-3 and SDLv2 at 36x and 52. Sorry, no priceworthy closeups from the feeder as I don't have anything closer from my balcony and don't usually take pictures.

Joachim
 

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And some more pictures of a cooperative crow at non-absurd range (8-10m) - zoom at 36x and 50 to 80mm objective on the camera (well, actually half of that due to crop factor of 2).

Joachim
 

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And a nice black kite at 150m with the scope at 52x and the objective at 32mm (or rather 64 due to crop factor).
 

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