Kowa Prominar TSN-3 : Value/ Info? (10 Viewers)

[biowizard]

18 months and half a pandemic on since my last post, and I still have my TSN-3 with original 30x Wide eyepiece. Currently on vacation in St Lucia, I still marvel at the incredible sharpness and colour rendition of this scope, which I bought new in South London in the mid 1980s! Martinique, the next island north of me, is 21 miles away across the sea. I can clearly watch individual cars driving about, not to mention the myriad sailboats that make the crossing daily at this time of year!
Jupiter looked weird the other evening - because this near the equator, its moons appear to be arranged vertically! And I should add, there are many lovely tropical birds to watch at closer distances!

 

[z-ben]

18 months and half a pandemic on since my last post, and I still have my TSN-3 with original 30x Wide eyepiece. Currently on vacation in St Lucia, I still marvel at the incredible sharpness and colour rendition of this scope, which I bought new in South London in the mid 1980s! Martinique, the next island north of me, is 21 miles away across the sea. I can clearly watch individual cars driving about, not to mention the myriad sailboats that make the crossing daily at this time of year!
Jupiter looked weird the other evening - because this near the equator, its moons appear to be arranged vertically! And I should add, there are many lovely tropical birds to watch at closer distances!

A well cared for tsn3 is undoubtedly comparable to most of today's scopes and better than many I recently tried a new TE 14WD eyepiece on mine and ended up buying one.In most bird watching situations 30x is enough for me.

 

[biowizard]

A well cared for tsn3 is undoubtedly comparable to most of today's scopes and better than many I recently tried a new TE 14WD eyepiece on mine and ended up buying one.In most bird watching situations 30x is enough for me.

I agree that 30x is plenty for most bird watching and other semi-close up nature observation, especially when combined with relatively close focus ability. Mind you, here in St Lucia, more than a few common birds come and sit on your breakfast plate, or accept pieces of fruit directly from your hand, and no scope is required! Apart from the ubiquitous Antillean Bullfinches (which the locals call "Robins"), which literally pester you, the gorgeous Zeneida Dove, Grey Trembler, Tropical Mocking Bird and pretty little Banaquits are among the birds for which all you need is to wait until they come to your hand to say hello!

 

[Trilogy82]

Martinique, the next island north of me, is 21 miles away across the sea. I can clearly watch individual cars driving about, not to mention the myriad sailboats that make the crossing daily at this time of year!

That's the sort of image that it seems like it would look good through most scopes!

 

[biowizard]

That's the sort of image that it seems like it would look good through most scopes!

To be fair, it looks pretty darn good though my Swaro 10x50 EL bins, which of course are much newer than my nearly 40-year-old scope. But I've also seen this view through others' assorted telescopes, telephoto lenses and so on, and the Kowa TSN-3 blasts them all out of the water - 21 miles of water, as it happens! ;-)

 

[Trilogy82]

I managed to pick up a TSN-4 in excellent for condition in the last few weeks for a great price.

It came with the original 20-60 zoom which is really not a pleasant eyepiece to use. I'm looking at swapping for either the Kowa 30x TE-14WD or Opticron 28x 40831.

Does anyone here have an opinion on which is the better eyepiece on a TSN-3/4?

 

[z-ben]

I managed to pick up a TSN-4 in excellent for condition in the last few weeks for a great price.

It came with the original 20-60 zoom which is really not a pleasant eyepiece to use. I'm looking at swapping for either the Kowa 30x TE-14WD or Opticron 28x 40831.

Does anyone here have an opinion on which is the better eyepiece on a TSN-3/4?

The Kowa is more expensive but is a really good eyepiece.

 

[Trilogy82]

The Kowa is more expensive but is a really good eyepiece.

Better than the Opticron? I'd get over the extra expense if it was a better eyepiece.

 

[z-ben]

Better than the Opticron? I'd get over the extra expense if it was a better eyepiece.

Yes I'd definitely say it's much better than the opticron on my scope.

 

[Trilogy82]

Yes I'd definitely say it's much better than the opticron on my scope.

Excellent, thats exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you.

I picked the scope up for €160 which I think is a great bargain so I can afford to spend a little extra on a good eyepiece.