Kowa TS613 Primary ED (1 Viewer)

[Sancho]

Hi, does anyone have an opinion on this scope? I'm thinking if making am offer on a used one. Unfortunately it has the 20-60 eyepiece rather than the 30x. I'm wondering if it's considered good optically, and if it can go on a lightweight tripod.
(Obviously title should read 'Prominar', not 'Primary', trying to type on a phone with autocorrect)

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Hiya Sancho,

The Kowa is a very competent scope even by modern standards - the only "issues" are lack of waterproofing, and a lack of rotating tripod mount.

A friend of mine compared my old ATS 65HD against a 613, the results are perhaps surprising given the cost to performance ratio...

 

[Sancho]

Thanks Dwatsonbirder!

 

[Blincodave]

Suggest you get the newer generation of 30X Wide if you proceed as the original TSN is decidedly inferior IMHO

 

[Sancho]

Suggest you get the newer generation of 30X Wide if you proceed as the original TSN is decidedly inferior IMHO

Thanks Blincodave!

 

[jring]

Hi,

I have a 613 which is good but not a real cherry. It's used (too rarely) with the 30x wide and extender at 48x - good image, but the cherry TSN-3 at 56x is better. It really depends on sample variation what you get, I have another TSN-3 body which is only ok...

The weight is a bit more than half of the TSN-3 (which is fairly light at 1250g or so for body only), but with SOC, a sufficiently stable tripod (for around 50x - at 30x things are a bit less wobbly) and mulepack, the difference is not big enough for me to bother most of the time...

Joachim

 

[Sancho]

Thanks for all the advice on this thread, my friends. I bought a secondhand 30x wide eyepiece, and on the 613 it makes a cracking, lightweight scope for walks and cycles.

 

[Steve Babbs]

It is great scope but do avoid rain and dust. Mine was great but filled with dust eventually or I'd still use it as a travel scope.

 

[Sancho]

Will do, Steve. It came with a carry-bag, seems like a great fair-weather companion, outperforms my beloved ED50 without adding much weight. Now I need a lightweight tripod for cycling, like Slik Videosprint or whatever.