Just received my Kowa 660 Prominar spotting scope and took it to the local lake for a view test. The Kowa 660 came with the 25x LER eyepiece, ordered separately. The eyepiece rubber is removable and is a l-o-n-g piece of attachment, but, true to LER, it has no vignetting. Sharpness is edge to edge (I wear glasses) with no apparent distortion and color is crisp, not on the warm side as described in some other (German) scopes.
Fit and finish is very good, with the retractable lens hood sliding smoothly back and forth, while the focusing knob is smooth and precise. I would have preferred a rubberized coating for the scope as it would give it a better non-slip grip, but Kowa claims that it is waterproof to a high standard (JIS class 6 or 7). The eyepiece has a bayonet mount for quick attachment to the scope body, and the o-ring ensures dust and moisture protection. The 660 is surprisingly light (36 oz. not including the eyepiece) and compact in size.
At a distance of approximately 300 yds across the lake I could easily make out letters on a person's T-shirt, and all indications are that the 25x EP power plus the zoom of the camera should give me plenty magnification for telephoto shots.
As my Canon Powershot 590IS has not yet arrived, I was not able to do a digiscope test, but will follow this up when all equipment is in.
I was pleasantly rewarded for my outing when I saw a leucistic Canada Goose: this one was all white, unlike the half-white ones I have seen at other people's posting in other forums. I had to rush home and return with my 20D camera + 400mm/5.6L lens for some shots. Here are two:
Fit and finish is very good, with the retractable lens hood sliding smoothly back and forth, while the focusing knob is smooth and precise. I would have preferred a rubberized coating for the scope as it would give it a better non-slip grip, but Kowa claims that it is waterproof to a high standard (JIS class 6 or 7). The eyepiece has a bayonet mount for quick attachment to the scope body, and the o-ring ensures dust and moisture protection. The 660 is surprisingly light (36 oz. not including the eyepiece) and compact in size.
At a distance of approximately 300 yds across the lake I could easily make out letters on a person's T-shirt, and all indications are that the 25x EP power plus the zoom of the camera should give me plenty magnification for telephoto shots.
As my Canon Powershot 590IS has not yet arrived, I was not able to do a digiscope test, but will follow this up when all equipment is in.
I was pleasantly rewarded for my outing when I saw a leucistic Canada Goose: this one was all white, unlike the half-white ones I have seen at other people's posting in other forums. I had to rush home and return with my 20D camera + 400mm/5.6L lens for some shots. Here are two:
