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Recognice this old Kowa? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter keithdrengen
- Start date
mooreorless
Well-known member
Hi Keith, The old Kowa looks in excellent shape. Keith you would just have to hit the edit button and there will be four "boxes" to the right on bottom with [Save] [Go Advanced] [Delete] and [Cancel] or maybe just a glitch on BF right now that you can't delete. Interesting post, I have never seen a spotter like that.
Regards,Steve
Regards,Steve
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A nice looking scope & one of the original angled scopes. I also have one in good condition but mine has a 25x EP, not sure what EP you have on yours. I'm not sure how old mine is as I bought it second hand 20 years ago but I think they first came out in the late 70s.
Neil.
Neil.
keithdrengen
Well-known member
There is a zoom eyepiece on it, but its not mine, I just saw it, used, where I live. If it had been a ED model with a fixed eyepiece, it would have appealed more to my needs. But it is a nice design in some way.
henry link
Well-known member
I've always been curious about the prisms on this scope. The only scheme I've imagined that seems to fit the pendulous housing with an eyepiece offset and a focusing system that works by moving a prism would be a Schmidt prism (without roof) first in line diverting the light 45 degrees down to a corner prism (Porro) which moves back and forth for focusing and offsets the light cone to the left and back up to a diagonal prism just below the eyepiece. That would be a very complex system with 6 internal reflections and 6 glass to air surfaces, but it would achieve correct image reversal and total internal reflection for each reflecting face.
I can add a little more information from some old Kowa promotional material. The focal length was the same 420mm as the TSN-1-4 and the other TS models. The eyepiece screw mount will also accept old Bushnell, Mirador and probably many other Japanese made scope eyepieces from the 70's and 80's. No ED glass or multi-coating on the TS models.
I can add a little more information from some old Kowa promotional material. The focal length was the same 420mm as the TSN-1-4 and the other TS models. The eyepiece screw mount will also accept old Bushnell, Mirador and probably many other Japanese made scope eyepieces from the 70's and 80's. No ED glass or multi-coating on the TS models.
Enji
Well-known member
Ah, the old TS-1... it's still very much in use here in Sweden by some people. I think everyone owned one back in the 70's or so (at least according to pictures, I wasn't even born back then!). Nowadays I've only seen older men with it, guess they're attached to their old scope.
It's known here as the "blykowa" (lead Kowa), which I guess kinda describes it... it does look as if made by lead.
It's known here as the "blykowa" (lead Kowa), which I guess kinda describes it... it does look as if made by lead.
woodhornbirder
Well-known member
that thing looks more like it was used on easter island during the bomb tests! Sure the casing isnt lead lined?
get ur geiger out and see if its giving off any readings!!
get ur geiger out and see if its giving off any readings!!
G Anderson
Registered User
A great thread / scope !
These TS models seem to have been really good, and still fair well against much more expensive scopes. I have been using a TS - 2, for 22 years (my second) and still love it, battleship grey and all!
I remember being impressed by raptor experts using this model (TS - 1) in the 80's, mainly Scandanavians and Dutch, I think. Also, people only seemed to use scopes 'when they needed to' then, and kept them packed when 'normal birding', unlike now, so old Kowas should and do last years...!
Cheers G
These TS models seem to have been really good, and still fair well against much more expensive scopes. I have been using a TS - 2, for 22 years (my second) and still love it, battleship grey and all!
I remember being impressed by raptor experts using this model (TS - 1) in the 80's, mainly Scandanavians and Dutch, I think. Also, people only seemed to use scopes 'when they needed to' then, and kept them packed when 'normal birding', unlike now, so old Kowas should and do last years...!
Cheers G
In their day these were great scopes, they are built to last forever you can literally knock nails in with them. I doubt they are up to much optically these days but I remember them having a 27x eyepeice when most 60 mm scopes used to have 20x or 22x. Many people used the 27x on the cheap Opticron Picollo scope which transformed it into a really good bit of kit.
G
G
The TS1 is still an excellent scope that can in fact compete in many respects (e.g. sharpness) with more recent alpha scopes, only AFOV and eye relief to concede. AFAIK it was the first spotting scope with an angled view available for birdwatchers. Much to my surprise I found that a sample in good condition of these can actually be a better performer than a bad sample coming from newest production. Note: Accurate craftsmanship in production of optics is something that never get outdated.
Steve
Steve
This scope was a much prized acquisition of the Plymouth Polytechnic (as it was then), Bird Club paid for by Student Union funds. It was '77 or '78 when we got it and it with a 25wide and 40x eyepiece I think. I wonder what happened to it. Ah - it certainly takes me back.
It must have been highly regarded at the time as there were some keen twitchers using it.
A few years later I found the Warden at Fairburn Ings RSPB using one.
Nev
It must have been highly regarded at the time as there were some keen twitchers using it.
A few years later I found the Warden at Fairburn Ings RSPB using one.
Nev
