If I"m spending $1300 or so, I'm getting something with a warranty myself. For the cost of a Leica product they do a poor job with their non transferrable warranty. They may fix a problem anyway out of goodwill, but I'm not taking a chance with a Leica. Even their demo stuff has a sorry 10 yr warranty. Piss poor image from a maker that commands a premium price.
Kowa knows how to make spotters. They do it right. That Leupold HD you refer to is very good also, and is probably the toughest spotter on the planet. The Kowa is not rubber armored but their are protective cases available. The 664 is superior to the NIkon and Pentax 65mm class spotters.
