Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Swarovski or Kowa spotter?

I know what the Swarovski can do and their customer service is top notch but I've been reading/hearing a lot of good things about Kowa but don't know much about them. Not that concerned about weight but it has to be a straight body spotter that can take a beating, of course customer service has to be very good (which is why I'm leaning Swaro) also. How good is the Kowa compared to Swarovski, all things being equal?

Ak,
A few years ago, I compared a Swarovski STX 95mm with a Kowa 884 (straight 88mm) at 1000 yards. I spent about 2 hrs. alternately looking through each scope. To my eye, the Swarovski was slightly sharper with a better depth of field (depth of focus). Yes, I know 95mm vs 88mm. I was not impressed with the dual focus on the Kowa. It just didn't seem as smooth as it should on this scope. Overall optical performance between the two is so close that it is virtually a toss- up. A consideration for hard usage would be the way that the Kowa focus knob protrudes from the scope whereas the Swaro's focus ring blends smoothly with the body of the scope. As has been stated often, the best way to make this decision is through your own eyes but that is not always practical. I've been a bit long winded! I kept the Swarovski and sent the Kowa down the road.
Good luck with your decision.

For many years when I would go watch the benchrest and cross the course shooters at the gun range, everyone had Kowa spotters at the line. You hardly ever saw anything else on the range . That told me a lot about what guys valued for spotting tiny holes at long distances. Of course, there are a lot of great choices now and it would be hard to complain about the Swarovski, but I've looked through the Zeiss big spotters and they are absolutely excellent also, along with the NIkon Field Scopes... regardless of what you get I'm pretty sure you won't be unhappy with it....

Kowa 88 is better than every Swarovski up to the 95, at a lower cost. Don't sweat the focus knob on the Kowa, I've hauled one just like it around the mountains for the last 10 years with zero issues.

There's NO fhuqking way I'd buy a Spotter without either a Fixed or FFP Milscale reticle. Hint...............

As a backup system to a failed laser rangefinder, or do you manually range your targets?

It will do that happily and still in 1st fhuqking gear. Hint.

More importantly,as Critters go,it will tell you EXACTLY how big sumptin' is. A tape measure works a LOT better,with a scale set upon it,as opposed to just bare steel. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!................

Hell, I got one with a built-in B&C scoring system.

I sold my Swarovski and bought the Kowa. I’m pleased with that decision, yet I did like the focusing system of the Swaro better

As a 'ring turner' Swaro guy, I could never turn myself into a 'knob twiddler'.....

Never played with either spotter but in that price range, it's personal preference and ergonomics as the deciding factor. Not performance.
On a duck hunt we use binoculars to spot and identify ducks. Also to read posted sign info without getting out of the truck. The big three was represented along with a pair of Steiners. Passing around and trying all the binoculars for a week was a good test. Of the big three, Zeiss Victory and Swarovski EL, there was no practical difference. Guys on these two were able to identify ducks faster and pick up distant groups better.
Leica lost light just a little faster than the top two and not by much. In daylight held it's own.
Steiner was servicable but definitely lagging behind.
Moral of my story is, buying good optics makes a difference. But in the top teir, that difference is usually personal. Try to play with the scopes to see what you like.

The center focus ring on the Swaro is sometimes a bit hard to turn and will move the whole thing requiring repositioning.

The focus knob on the Kowa is more subtle and will not move anything.

How is Kowa's customer service, do they offer cleaning services for their optics? I've been sending my Swarovski bino's in for cleanings and repairs ever since I bought them back in '98 and they've never cost me more than the price of shipping, save for this year where they had to send them to Austria to have the lenses replaced and that was only $155, hard to beat customer service like that.

I wouldn’t trade my Swaro for anything.

meopta s82, the nightforce spotter is a rebadged meopta with some spikey things on the controls. kowa may be awesome but they have never been sold in any store around me. I have never seen one.

Why would you brag on a product that needs to be sent in every year?

I’ve got one of these and it’s amazing.

https://tractoptics.com/spotting-scopes/toric-uhd-22x80-angled-spotting-scope-with-mrad-prs-reticle

John

Seeing we used them to size targets like vehicles and personnel, then calculated the range to target it makes perfect sense to size up game with same in one step.
Great recommendation. Makes you think about getting the most use from your gear.

I traded my Zeiss 65mm Spotter away,just to eek a FFP Reupold Gen2 Milscale. It was certainly an optical hit,but having a Ruler more than offset same. I scoured the fhuqking Planet for a Zeiss fixed milscale eyepiece(which they did make),but no joy. Hint.












Tract has nuttin' in stock,but given The World,that's not a "surprise" or a slight. Hint.................

Did I say it needed to be sent it in every year? I send them in to get cleaned and they do a once over on it while it's in their possession, I don't send them in every year though. Reading comprehension seems to be a big problem around these parts.