Kowa eyepiece 27xW vs 30xW (1 Viewer)

Hi!

I have an old Kowa TS-611 that I'm thinking of upgrading (can't afford a new scope at the moment, and I have long been wanting a bit higher magnification than my current 20xW eyepiece).

So, I'm thinking of either the old 27xW, or the new 30xW (TE-14WD). Does anybody know if there are any significant difference in optics between them? Because the 27xW is less then half the price of the 30xW (160$ vs 400$).

Maybe (maybe!) I'll look for a used TS-613 sometime soon, is there a noticeable difference in optics between them?

I'll only use the scope for birdwatching, not digiscoping.

Best regards,

Adam Ocarson

Hi Adam,

I think that the 27x eyepiece is either an older 27x that is compatible with the 611-series, but is definitely optically inferior to the 30x. I'd go with the 30x WA every time.

There is also an imcompatible 27x eyepiece that is for the discontinued 820-series of scopes, which won't fit on a 611 without the use of an adapter (see my other thread). In any case, it isn't as good as the 30x.
The 20x WA Kowa eyepieces are my personal favourites, but they're very hard to come by, particularly the new (discontinued) twist-up version.

A 613 is optically better than the 611 due to the glass used, particularly if you notice chromatic aberation, or use the scope in poorer light conditions. However, the differences aren't massive - it might be an idea to hang onto your 611 to use a lightweight travel scope, and then see if you can pick up a larger TSN-3, which you can pick up quite cheaply sometimes, as a larger and brighter alternative. Or a 660-series, though they're still quite expensive.