Can it being brighter be attributed to it being a 88mm scope vs a 80 or 65mm scope or because its better optically?
I could not tell you for sure, but it is noticeably brighter than the 80mm Swarovski. I haven't tried the 77mm Kowa myself, but is supposedly more than a match for the 80mmSwarovski.
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.topoptics.biz/Technique/Bras-de-fer/KowaTSN773-vs-ATS80HD.htm&ei=osC0TtG4I-WViQKt8711&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEQQ7gEwBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkowa%2B773%2Bvs%2Bswarovski%2B80%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3D4EZ%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Dimvnsfd
Have you compared it to a Leica or just Swarovski?
Just Swarovski, but in all of the tests that I could find, the Leica was always third.
In fact the Kowa 773 was a match for the larger APO.
http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.topoptics.biz/Technique/Bras-de-fer/KowaTSN773-vs-APOTelevid82.htm&ei=fsO0TsKoLqHYiAKFqJ2BAQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ7gEwADgK&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkowa%2Btsn883%2Bvs%2Bleica%2Bapo%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1016%26bih%3D561%26prmd%3Dimvns
