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I like the Kowa TSN-55x - am I alone? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter WRL
- Start date
Must admit to also having made curiosity purchases in the past and have not always been disappointed.
In view of a going price here around €1800, I can understand that temptation won out.
John
I was sorely tempted, but got a TSN-503 as a stocking stuffer impulse buy a month ago, so I was able to resist.
For heads, I think a gimbal head makes most sense for a spotting scope. You can balance the scope's center of gravity precisely and make turning it effortless, they are designed for heavy camera telephoto lenses. I myself use a ProMediaGear Katana Jr mounted on Gitzo Traveler legs with my Meopta Meostar S2 82 HD scope, it's at least as stable as my Gitzo 2 Series systematic with a Manfrotto 128RC fluid pan-tilt head.
Couldn't find anything on the Katana Jr. and I'm reluctant to use the word "overkill" for tripods or heads, but isn't that a lot of bulk and weight for an 810 g Kowa 553?
John
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Kowa TSN-553: It's no ATS 65.
The Kowa TSN-553 is definitely a cool little scope, but I'm hard pressed to say I would give up my Swarovski ATS 20-60x65mm (2021). Aside from the Kowa feeling less robust, I can just plain see things more easily at a distance with the Swarovski ATS at the same magnification.
Now if you start talking about using lighter weight heads and tripods, that's a different story.
I am going to investigate using an Outdoorsmans Pan Head vs the Swarovski CTH head that I have now, and will report back.
Still evaluating for now...
The Kowa TSN-553 is definitely a cool little scope, but I'm hard pressed to say I would give up my Swarovski ATS 20-60x65mm (2021). Aside from the Kowa feeling less robust, I can just plain see things more easily at a distance with the Swarovski ATS at the same magnification.
Now if you start talking about using lighter weight heads and tripods, that's a different story.
I am going to investigate using an Outdoorsmans Pan Head vs the Swarovski CTH head that I have now, and will report back.
Still evaluating for now...
MMcD
Active member
I’ve been eying the 553, and I’m curious how this played out in the months since you made this post… Still a fan? Second thoughts? I’d love to know.
Ah yes I forgot to update this one. I ended up sending back the TSN-553 without trying a second copy. After further evaluation, I believe it was not defective and just not as good as my ATS-65 and more noticeable with certain targets, such as a Great Egret. Either way, I didn't care for the ergonomics, and I didn't think the trade-offs regarding size and ease of use vs the Swarovski made it worth keeping. The lack of armor was also an issue. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't wow me like I hoped it would. The new smaller Swarovski is tempting, but since I personally don't use a scope much, the ATS-65 does the job for me. I also felt that getting lighter made vibration more of an issue, which is bothersome for me.
