Kowa 883 25-60x vs Opticron HR80ED (APO) (1 Viewer)

[KBHC73]

Hi, I know the above title will seem quite laughable to some but i'm genuinely trying to find out if there's a serious amount of difference between the 2 scopes. I've no way of trying a used 883 so if i took the plunge it would be a blind gamble. I've always been very happy with my 2019 HR80 with SDL & fixed mag eyepieces but always wondered how much better the likes of the 883 or even a Swaro ATS80HD would be. I also want the best out of Phonescoping too.

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Tringa45]

The latest Kowa 88A is just about optically identical to the 883 with very minor coating improvements, so I suggest taking your Opticron along to a dealer and making some comparisons under calm air conditions, i.e. no direct sunlight to cause mirage.
I have an 883 and would be surprised if an 88A did not show noticeable improvements over the Opticron, or indeed the ATS80 HD.
Try for instance using newsprint as a target at about 40 m and full magnification.

John

 

[KBHC73]

Thanks chap. Unfortunately there's nothing near where i live so i always have to buy blind online.

Thanks

 

[Hermann]

Unfortunately there's nothing near where i live so i always have to buy blind online.

You should never buy optics blind, especially not a scope. There are too many lemons about. If I were you I'd make the effort and first of all try to find a way of looking at different scopes, ideally in the field. See if you can visit a place where there are a lot of birders around and look through their scopes. And if that takes some time until you have the opportunity, well, so be it. It's still much better than to buy a scope that doesn't suit you or isn't really up to scratch optically.

Hermann

 

[KBHC73]

Thanks chap 😉