Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best overall spotter you have owned/used ?

my experience is very limited..have had less then 6 and all were older jap production model scopes.. figured out right away i prefer the straight eye piece, but hated having my eyelashes hitting the glass to get a full view...thinking i would only buy used to avoid depreciation..always thought maybe a fujinon or a different kowa might fit the bill, but no one in my area has anything to look through

IMHO the finest spotting scope money can buy us the kowa prominar 88mm hd....simply stunning

hows the eye relief/ feild of view ?
thats alittle over a grand new, isnt it ?
if so, probably dont hit the used market much ?

I've had a leica 62, the zeiss 65, swaro 65 and now the swaro 80mm HD, with the last being the best for my eyes/ hunting needs.

At the range the Konus Spot 80 has the best resolution over the smaller 60 mm's.

Konus 80mm

A friend accompanying me on a sheep hunt 15 years ago brought his great, heavy Leica spotting scope. Optics are better today and excellent glass is easier to get. My new Leupold binos are about as good as my 1993 Leicas, and I just got a 15-30x50 Leupold spotter. As I get older I find that heavy stuff tends to stay in the truck--I need to take the optics out into the field!

My 12-40-60 Gold Ring is the best I've owned as of this moment

I've owned the Nikon 82 ED, Kowa 884 Prominar, Meopta S2, and had extensive use and time behind a Zeiss 85 T FL. The Meopta has proven to me to be the best.

Meopta MeoStar S2 HD 82mm (the Cabela's or Nightforce badged versions).

I like the Meopta S2. Good bang for the buck.

Meopta S2 82 HD Straight Spotting Scope

Our Price: $1,999.99

Price of $1999

That $1999.99 price is way too high.

The new Konus 80 mm spotter I have now has far superior resolution to the older spotters 60 mm I have.

They are only $230!

Konuspot 80

DumbassDon can't even run Google properly.

Not only does he NOT at least link to a sponsor of the Campfire, he even points out a HIGHER price than offered by said site sponsor.

See here to support the Campfire, Cameralandny (really good folks), have excellent customer support, and save some money.

Meopta S2 82 for $1899, via Cameralandny

Konus 80 only $230!

Konus 80 mm

Yeah and I'm pretty sure that one can be found blister-packed in yer local Walmart; no need to wait for the brown truck!

Good thinking Don! I'd really like to hear what your extensive side by side in the field comparisons yielded when you decided upon that model.

I have Leupold's 50mm mentioned above but am saving for a 60mm HD model. It just doesn't have the resolution I'm seeking for judging animals at distance.

He has this field where he goes "hunting" that he can drive his Cadillac right up to, and that is where he does his "glassing".

best I've used, Swarovski ATX 95mm (shown with 65mm objective that swaps with the big one like a camera lens). it's like being there, only better



I had a Konus 100mm as a range spotter for a while. it worked ok until it didn't. upside, I gave it to a buddy who sent it in, and they sent him a new one. but there is no way I'd call it 'the best I've owned/used'

Depends on the application. I have alpha glass for the range and bird watching. To bump around in the field I prefer the old school Leupold HD 60mm. You have to decide on weight, durability, cost, and optical clarity.

I haven't owned a lot of different ones, but Swaro is the best I've owned.

www.betterviewdesired.com is a bit dated, but what those birdwatchers recommend is still excellent. Swaro has the best zoom eyepiece, but use a fixed magnification eyepiece and Pentax is as good as any (kind of like their binoculars).
I wanted a factory camera mount so I bought an 80mm Pentax scope and adapter and a K5 camera.

Depends on use. I'm not an "optics" guy, but I've used some spotting scopes that work well for me.

For gun range use at 200 yards and beyond, I've found the Kowa 88 Prominar is hard to beat, but it's not cheap. For game spotting, it's much too bulky and heavy for daypack carry, at least for me.

For short gun range use, my 30+ year-old Bushnell Spacemaster 15x-45x is fine, and, as long as conditions are okay, is adequate for 200 yard spotting. I haven't shopped lately, but would guess there are many scopes in the $500.00 (or less) category that are optically superior to the old Spacemaster.