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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Questions for BTX owners (1 Viewer)

andrea86bert

Well-known member
Hi,
Does anyone uses the BTX as "main spotting"? How do you feel with it?
Do you miss the zoom?
Do you use the swaro ME 1.7x? Is there a significant loss in sharpness? What about focusing with ME 1.7x?
Does the size of the BTX module complicate the transportation of the spotting on the field?

Sorry for my bad English.

Andrea

Inviato dal mio LG-D855 utilizzando Tapatalk
 
1. Yes, I like it.
2. No.
3. No. I didn't buy the extender, so I can not give any experience,sorry.
4. Yes, a little, but still very transportable.
I think BTX is a combination of portability(weight) and ease of use(CF, WP, closest focus etc.) of spotting scope, and comfort(using both eyes) of binoculars.
Best regards!
Kun
 
Yeah I like it so much especially for waterbirds because the ease in scanning with both eyes throughout the day without feeling tired.

The 1. 7x is excellent too and sharp all the way. I used it when I really need high power for critical identification on 65 and 95mm scopes.

The view through the BTX especially if you used it in the rainforest will show some 3D effect on the overlapping foliages etc. You will get used with it soon.

Overall for me, the BTX module is awesome!
 

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Hi,

not an owner here but I know one and could use the BTX with the 95mm objective and 1.7x extender on a few occasions (he usually has the extender on and scans with bins). So here's some observations which hopefully answer some of your questions:

- sharpness with extender was very good on that example, brightness ok on a gray day - the 95mm objective certainly helps.. At last light during dawn or dusk you might want to remove the extender.

- focusing was comparable to other good scopes at 60x - that means the depth of field is not very deep but if the scope is good you can see a distinct point of best focus while carefully tuning the wheel. I like Kowa style focus drives better, but that's just me.

- the binocular view is spectacular and without the necessity to close one eye, using the scope for a longer time is very relaxed. Also it even has a headrest - although a very sturdy support is strongly recommended to actually use it.

- Speaking of which, a good tripod is recommended at 60x in general, even more so with a fairly heavy and long spotting scope like the BTX95 combo. The example I know resides on a very sturdy aluminum tripod with crank center column and a very heavy fluid head with long plate for proper balance. Nice and stable even in wind but the weight of the whole package is 7kg or so...

- And one real downside as compared to a regular scope - the BTX is best used alone, just like a binocular. You absolutely need to set the IPD and the diopter before use just like with bins (and since it's a bit different it might even take a bit longer the first few times). So if you plan to use the scope in a group to provide close-up views for everybody, the monocular ATX eyepiece module is recommended.

Joachim
 
Hi,
Yes, Got one since last week (BTX85).
I have not tried with my other 65/95 modules yet or with 1.7 extender.
It is very pleasant and VERY comfortable to use! The 30x fixed magnification appeared higher in comparison to ATX at same mag. My wife loves it!!!
I had a look on the moon yesterday night: awesome!
As Joachim said, it take some time to adjust to your eyes morphology.
I bought a package with Swaro tripod PCT and head PTH. It is a very nice set but a bit to heavy for her. I may switch to a smaller tripod and 128RC2 head.
Regards
Yves
 
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Hi,
Yes, Got one since last week (BTX85).
I have not tried with my other 65/95 modules yet or with 1.7 extender.
It is very pleasant and VERY comfortable to use! The 30x fixed magnification appeared higher in comparison to ATX at same mag. My wife loves it!!!
I had a look on the moon yesterday night: awesome!
As Joachim said, it take some time to adjust to your eyes morphology.
I bought a package with Swaro tripod PCT and head PTH. It is a very nice set but a bit to heavy for her. I may switch to a smaller tripod and 128RC2 head.
Regards
Yves

Glad you like it! ;)
 
identical story here. Recent BTX owner with no regrets so far....

I purchased my first spotting scope a couple of years ago and the optical collection expanded with telescopes etc.

I then purchased an APM 100 ED binocular (takes astro pieces) and i was hooked on two eye viewing. I subsequently purchased the Kowa Highlander Flourite with all the associated eyepieces and used it for both terrestrial and astro viewing...

The added benefit here was the with two eye viewing my kids also enjoyed the experience as they could adjust the eyepieces to suit themselves and didnt have to squint or try keep an eye closed (pretty difficult for young kids)

slowly the utilisation of the spotting scopes fell away and the telescopes were used with binoviewers exclusively. I subsequently sold most of my spotting scopes except for my Swaro ATS 80 HD.

More recently I found myself doing a bit more hiking and long walks as the kids are old enough to enjoy this. I started using my Swaro ATS but wasn't happy with the eye placement sensitivity on the 25-50x WA eyepiece of the Swaro so purchased a Kowa TSN-883...

I should have thought that through a bit better because in actual fact the kids also struggled with viewing with one eye so they didn't really get a lot enjoyment out of it either... and i didnt realise it till AFTER i pulled the trigger on the Kowa.

All up, I used it for about a fortnight before (probably had 6-8hrs with it total) really missing the two eye viewing so last week took delivery of a Swaro BTX 95 after some deliberation.

My decision making process was a follows:

1) I was used to fixed Mag eyepieces via the bino-scopes so never missed the zoom function.

2) My most commonly used eyepiece on the Kowa Highlanders was 32x. Occasionally i used the 21x. I've NEVER touched the 50x eyepieces...

3) kids had a much better time with the BTX with its single focusing ring than the bino-scopes where each eyepiece had to be focused individually...

In the couple of hours that I've used the BTX i'm extremely happy with its performance. In most day time situations i cant tell it apart from the Kowa spotter. There are instances where CA is visible in the BTX over the Kowa however i'm actively trying to look for this as i'm still comparing the two instruments. Ergonomically though, its chalk and cheese between any spotting scope and the BTX - i'm so much more relaxed viewing the BTX and actually enjoying the experience...

i guess that's all that really matters because if i'm not enjoying it, chances are i'm not going to keep doing it.

cheers
Jeelan
 

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I've used my buddies BTX/95mm in Arizona as he is a hunting guide.

the stuff he was spotting over me with my Zeiss 15x60's was crazy...so I had to wrestle them away for a stretch.

Unbelievable the view. I spotted a 6 point bull elk 7 miles away [GPS verified]

My buddy says you don't want to go below the 85mm...he tried the 65mm with the BTX and says you really lose a lot of light.....negating the BTX advantage.

The BTX/95 needs a pretty significant tripod....and I can see where carting them around for long distances would get to be a drag.
 
Finally I have bought a BTX 85. Compared, outside the shop, side by side with 2 ATX modules and a Kowa 883 25-60x, the BTX wins (both at 30x and at 50x with 1.7x magnifier) in terms of sharpness.
Great scope!
 
Hi,
Does anyone uses the BTX as "main spotting"? How do you feel with it?
Do you miss the zoom?
Do you use the swaro ME 1.7x? Is there a significant loss in sharpness? What about focusing with ME 1.7x?
Does the size of the BTX module complicate the transportation of the spotting on the field?

Sorry for my bad English.

Andrea

Inviato dal mio LG-D855 utilizzando Tapatalk

I don't have the ME 1.7x, but, after owning the BTW (with 95mm) for a week, I can happily report that this is not heavy at all. Especially since you can remove the objective module from the eye piece. Heck, I keep it together and, using the shoulder strap on my Swarovski carbon tripod, have walked almost two miles in the hot sun - no issues. When I arrived at my spotting location, I simply spread the legs of the tripod out, locked everything in, and started observing.

The carbon fiber tripod is a small difference over aluminum. With everything on the tripod, it's about 8 pounds total for the whole set up. But, using the shoulder strap, it's very easy to transport this way. Otherwise, each piece (Objective, Eye Piece, and tripod) is 1 KG (or less) so you could spread the weight out between friends (one person carries one of the three pieces) so no issues there
 
andrea86bert congrads on the purchase of the BTX 85 Great scope! I love mine! When I got the BTX and mounted it on my module, I have never gone back to the zoom.
 
I have had a BTX 85 for a few months and I really like it.

Some of my answers to these questions are not really relevant because this is the first scope I have ever owned, but I will answer them anyway.

Q. Does anyone uses the BTX as "main spotting"? How do you feel with it?
A. The BTX is my 'main' and only spotting scope. I feel great with it, it is a very capable optic. It reminds me very much of the Swarovski SLC 15x56 binoculars, but double the magnification. It is comfortable, it is packable, and it can really reach out there. I bought it (over a different scope) because of the binocular eyepiece and I am happy with my decision.

Q. Do you miss the zoom?
A. I can say that in general, I don't ever feel the need to zoom when I am using my BTX. Maybe this comes from my background as strictly a binocular user. Also, I do think there is value in the fixed magnification in that there is one less adjustment to make, which makes using the BTX pretty quick and easy.

Q. Do you use the swaro ME 1.7x? Is there a significant loss in sharpness? What about focusing with ME 1.7x?
A. I haven't tried the 1.7x booster yet. I may get around to it sometime in the future, but I am in no hurry.

Q. Does the size of the BTX module complicate the transportation of the spotting on the field?
A. I don't think the size complicates anything too much. I do carry a backpack that is mostly dedicated to carrying the scope and the tripod, but I wouldn't say it is complicated beyond what I imagine carrying a smaller scope would be like. Bigger scope = bigger backpack. Either way, its going on my back.

As I have said, I really like the BTX. It's a very cool optic that I hope to have for a couple of decades at least. The binocular eyepiece is similarly as comfortable as a pair of binoculars.
 
I have had a BTX 85 for a few months and I really like it.

Some of my answers to these questions are not really relevant because this is the first scope I have ever owned, but I will answer them anyway.

Q. Does anyone uses the BTX as "main spotting"? How do you feel with it?
A. The BTX is my 'main' and only spotting scope. I feel great with it, it is a very capable optic. It reminds me very much of the Swarovski SLC 15x56 binoculars, but double the magnification. It is comfortable, it is packable, and it can really reach out there. I bought it (over a different scope) because of the binocular eyepiece and I am happy with my decision.

Q. Do you miss the zoom?
A. I can say that in general, I don't ever feel the need to zoom when I am using my BTX. Maybe this comes from my background as strictly a binocular user. Also, I do think there is value in the fixed magnification in that there is one less adjustment to make, which makes using the BTX pretty quick and easy.

Q. Do you use the swaro ME 1.7x? Is there a significant loss in sharpness? What about focusing with ME 1.7x?
A. I haven't tried the 1.7x booster yet. I may get around to it sometime in the future, but I am in no hurry.

Q. Does the size of the BTX module complicate the transportation of the spotting on the field?
A. I don't think the size complicates anything too much. I do carry a backpack that is mostly dedicated to carrying the scope and the tripod, but I wouldn't say it is complicated beyond what I imagine carrying a smaller scope would be like. Bigger scope = bigger backpack. Either way, its going on my back.

As I have said, I really like the BTX. It's a very cool optic that I hope to have for a couple of decades at least. The binocular eyepiece is similarly as comfortable as a pair of binoculars.

Excellent write up. I feels the same too each time using the BTX. There were a few occasions when I put the 1. 7x extender to ID very far away birds, sharpness still remained the same without loss of quality plus the 3D effect is awesome!
 
Lest we forget that this is a bird forum attached are a few photos of birds taken through the BTX during spring migration this year.
I have a crappy, old iPhone SE and the proprietary Swarovski phone adapter and eyepiece ring for the BTX. I also use a Bluetooth shutter button so that I don't have to touch anything to take a photo.
Nothing spectacular as far as photography goes, but it is pretty fun. And, hopefully, gives you an idea of how much reach the BTX has.
 

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I just bought the 1.7x booster, and so far I like it. The additional magnification is pretty fun.

It does exactly what I would expect, which is to increase the magnification and to darken the image. The darkening is slight but noticeable.
The apparent field of view seems about the same to me and I don't notice a drop in clarity.

I am not sure how much I will use it, but I am relatively confident that I will not be putting it on and taking it off in the field. I have the Outdoorsman's Arca-Swiss balance rail for my scope, and that needs to be removed before I can take apart or put together the scope.

I've got the BTX 85, which results in 50x magnification with the 1.7x booster (why it isn't 51x magnification is a mystery to me: 30 x 1.7 = 51, oh well). I have been enjoying the added magnification so far. Pretty cool to get that much closer.

In response to Andrea86Bert's question that I was previously unable to answer:
Q. Do you use the swaro ME 1.7x? Is there a significant loss in sharpness? What about focusing with ME 1.7x?
A. Yes, just got one. Any loss in sharpness is insignificant enough to go unnoticed by me. Focusing with the booster is the exact same as without in my experience.

A good accessory for a great scope.
 
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A little considerati in regarding Swarovski quality control; some months ago, i have tried another BTX 85 for a brief comparison with my BTX 85. I have noticed that the other BTX showed a drop in sharpness starting from 30-40 % of the right half of the FOV. My BTX is perfect in the entire FOV.
The owner of the BTX have shipped the spotting scope to Swarovski, describing the situation clearly, but the BTX have returned with the same problem. In fact, for Swarovski technicians, the performance of the spotting scope was normal.
Remember to try in depth every optical instruments before buying it, because what is "normal" for the manufacturer, could not be normal for you.
 
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