Thought I’d update this thread.Hi there!
Long-time lurker, first-time poster
I’m in the market for my first scope. I’m currently deliberating between the Kowa TSN 66A and 88A. I’ve also found a 773 on ebay at a good price. There isn’t a Kowa dealer nearby so I can’t try them out in person to compare. I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this dilemma.
I’m not an early riser and bird mostly during daylight hours, with the occasional dawn and dusk outings. It’s often cloudy and rainy where I live; I’m not sure if this counts as low-light conditions. I go on a lot of bird walks and hope to eventually do some guiding. As I’ve never had a scope before, I’m not sure how noticeable the weight difference will be over the course of a day in the field. I’m told by backpackers that an extra 0.4 kg (the difference between the 66 and 88) may not sound like a lot of weight but it makes itself felt the longer you have to carry it. The 88 is longer, too, so perhaps this makes it more awkward or cumbersome to carry?
The 88A will be better during lowlight conditions, but I’ve read the 66A still performs well, and that the 88A will at most get you a few more minutes of good viewing as the sun goes down.
I was thinking that the 773 may be the sweet spot between the two, but I’ve also read that the fluorite crystal in the 66A makes it just as bright and crisp as the 773. The fluorite is apparently also better with chromatic aberration.
I’m interested in digiscoping but it’s not a big factor in my decision.
I’m leaning towards the 66 because of its portability. I’m small and not very strong. My hesitation is whether there will be occasions in low light in which I’ll wish I’d got a bigger objective lens.
The last thing I’ll note is that I wear glasses and have often struggled to get a good view through scopes others have brought on trips, mainly Vortex, Swarovski, and Vanguard. I didn’t spend any time fiddling with the eyecup, though, because others were also using it. Perhaps some adjustment would have improved my view. I did have an amazing view once through a Nikon Fieldscope ED III; it was a revelation. But they are hard to find where I live (Canada). I would love to hear how other glasses-wearers have found the eye relief on their Kowas.
After trying both the Kowa Prominar TSN 66A and 88A, I decided to keep the 88A, mainly due to its greater brightness. I also got a Sirui ST-224 tripod and a VA-5 video head.
7 months on, I’m happy to report I’m very pleased with my purchase. The Kowa is a pleasure to look through. Colours are vivid, images are crisp and clear. It can frequently pick out details on sea birds at long distances that other birders’ scopes cannot. I have not found the whole kit to be too onerous or heavy a carry on longer bird walks, something I was worried about.
I have not used it in very high winds so can’t speak to the stability if the tripod in adverse conditions, but I’ve not noticed any problems on somewhat windy days.
My only issue, which is not specific to the brand of scope, is my fumbling to put the kit down from my shoulder so I can grab my binoculars to see a bird that has just flown by whilst walking between destinations. I often miss the bird. Hopefully this will become easier with practice. Or I’ll invest in one of those backpacks.
I posted several times in these forums requesting assistance with my decision and evaluation of these scopes. Thank you everyone, you were very helpful.
Shout-out also to staff at PeleeWings in Leamington, ON for their excellent customer service, deep knowledge of a range of products, and generous return policy.
