Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics best compact spotter?

I'm trying to find a premium compact spotting scope, about 15-35 power, 50 or so mm objective. I wear glasses so the ones I have found with 15-16 mm eye relief won't work well, I'd like closer to 19 mm. Thanks.

The kowa tsn-554 is your huckleberry ...

Just re - read your eye relief specs. Not sure what will get you to 19mm. I think my kowa is 16-17mm.

I’ve used the TSN-554 quite a bit... in general, I find 50mm spotters totally unsatisfactory. I’d spend 1/2 or less for a Nikon or other 50mm spotter rather than putting 554 money into, what for me, is a serious compromise.

In the compact arena I find the kowa superior to both the nikon and the vortex I used to run. And, for the $$$ - as you point out - it should be. Whether it is worth the compromise over a larger spotter is a question everyone must decide for themselves. I will be running a swaro sts 65 again this year for sheep, as I have decided the 2 pound penalty is worth it. For just about everything else, the kowa will get the nod.

Apologies for not answering your question, but have you considered a pair of 15x or higher power binoculars on a tripod for this role? I recently picked up some great 15x glass and I'll be sending my compact spotter down the road. There's something about using both eyes that enables the brain to process so much more detail. The first time was astounding. I'd say the first second behind them was nothing special, then the image came alive in my brain and I was noticing much much more.

One way to experience the difference is to try reading small font with both eyes vs large font with one eye covered and see which way you can read faster.

I'll keep my large 88mm spotter for when I really need to use 45+ magnification to determine the legality of an animal, but I've come to realize that the binoculars will do anything that would want a compact spotter for, better. To top it off, I wouldn't have the eye strain and I'd glass more and find more.

It's a sweet optic

I have had had just limited looks at this one, but it is small, image stabilized and offers an eye piece with your desired eye relief. From what I have seen, I was favorably impressed.

https://opticronusa.com/Pages/mms_travelscope.html

For packing, I've always liked the older Leupold 25x or 30X straight compact spotter. You can still find them in the $175-$250 price range regularly and they are really great glass IMO. If you are patient, you can find them with the original cover that protects them in the pack and can stay on while using on a tripod...

However, it would be hard to beat the Kowa for your uses if it is in your budget....

Bob

I went angled with TSN-553 and paired it with a ManF BeFree CF stand. Great backpack glass for my hunting. 😎

https://www.kowaproducts.com/Kowa-TSN-550-Series-Spotting-Scope/Kowa-TSN-553-Spotting-Scope/

That is a nice tripod. I have found that I can go even lighter and still be pretty happy. Im at 3 pounds on the nose for spotter AND tripod.

Leupold spotters tend to have decent eye relief. The older fixed 20 or 25 are good, if a bit dated if you can find one.

I've owned Leica, Zeiss, and Swaro spotters. None of them had as much eye relief as the 12-40x60 Leupold I used to have.

^This in spades - the synergy of binocular vision beats squinting through a lesser monocular !!

I have a pair of Pentax 8x56s that are amazing at dusk. I’d love to have the magnification modified to 12x, or 15X.
Anyone know of a source for such a tweak ?

Leica Duovid. 8-12x42 or 10-15x50

Sorry, not what I was looking to do, but I get your point about the DuoVids.

The 8x56 Pentaxes that I have, don’t owe me anything. But I have 8x42s & 7x35s with better glass
With that much weight, they woul be ideal with 12 x or 15 x magnification
I could handhold 12 x, but probably woul need a monopod or tripod for 15x

Just noodling really. Easier to buy what you want, and sell these older 8x56s to someone that does want them

FYI, We have a spotless demo Leica Duovid 8 + 12x42 Binocular, #40400 for $1,699.99

Last year I did a bit of side by side by side testing of spotters that I had on hand. It was mostly old glass to see how they held up to the newer glass. I got to look critically at a couple of scope mentioned here. I will say this. The Leupold Compact Spotting scope (rubber armored ones) doesn't hold up. They didn't hold up well 30 years ago when I did a side by side with an old B&L Balscope Sr, and they definitely don't resolve as well as today's decent glass.

The 50mm Nikon usually comes up when folks talk about a compact packable scope. My experience is that it is full of compromises and doesn't keep up with a good 66mm scope. I upgraded the eyepiece to what everyone says makes this scope pop. Still didn't allow this scope to match up. I've been tempted to pop for a 55mm Kowa, but for my expectations I've decided it's a fools errand. I won't buy one unless I get to try one first. For now I decided I'll pay the weight (not much) and space (significant) toll and pack the 661.

There was one scope in the 50mm class that was amazing. Ironically it was probably the oldest scope that I was comparing and it's vintage and unobtanium today (it was unobtanium 30 years ago too). The Unertal 54mm MgFl scope isn't something you'd throw in your pack, but it's proof to me that a small objective can deliver excellent resolution in spite of my experiences with the other 50's.

I have tried a few, I sold the Nikon to buy the Vortex I have now. The Nikon fieldscope failed and was sent for repair previously.
With my hunting I carry a 8 x 20 Swaro compact, a Minox 10 x 43 HPO, and a spotting scope.
These go with me on every trip. Sheep hunting is like that. Can't hunt what you can't see or find

A midget with Binoculars, I had to.