Light weight spotter suggestions

[zwickeyman]

I have a 80MM Swaro and a 88MM Kowa but lm looking for a lighter weight spotter for under 1000.00

Any first hand experience would be great. Trying to stay under 1000.00 and under 40 oz and of course decent glass

Thanks

[haftard]

i have a vortex razor 22x48x65. it gets the job done and i pack it around. the way i look at it all spotting scopes are gonna be frustratingly expensive and frustratingly fuzzy. but when conditions are prefect the razor has a really sharp image 

[b23]

It's been a few years ago so there may be others out there that are much better but I used a little Nikon ED50 for awhile and was pretty impressed with its optical quality.

[Stein]

Well, you have the Kowa 553 or the Razor 50, the former is better, the latter is under your $1k price.

[D-Rock425]

I have the maven c1 it's pretty small and decent glass for the price.

[highside74]

Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60mm only 2lbs 5oz. I've been using my non HD for many years and it has been great. 

[zwickeyman]

All great suggestions guys and I have owned or researched all of them

 I havnt looked through the Nikon or Maven or Leupold. I have a 30 year old fixed Leopold 30x50 but its just not quite clear enough for me

[Magnum_Willys]

Im looking at the new swarovski 17-40 35oz one but double ur budget - maybe trade the 65 for it is what Im considering.

[hughjorgan]

Maven s2 12-27x56 is a nice little compact spotter with fluoride glass that weighs 34oz.

If your interested I sell you the one I have for 900.

[Magnum_Willys]

I did compare the Maven CS2 - 80mm vs my Swaro 65mm and it blew my swaro away for light gain - could see 10 mins longer at night with the Maven.  Clarity was a tossup, Maven maybe a hair better but tough to say. 

[zwickeyman]

Maven s2 12-27x56 is a nice little compact spotter with fluoride glass that weighs 34oz.

If your interested I sell you the one I have for 900.
[/quote

Please tell me your opinion on it , comparable optically to what other optics you have owned

Thanks

[zwickeyman]

Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60mm only 2lbs 5oz. I've been using my non HD for many years and it has been great.

I have heard good things about the HD but I think they are 1400

[hughjorgan]

Maven s2 12-27x56 is a nice little compact spotter with fluoride glass that weighs 34oz.

If your interested I sell you the one I have for 900.
[/quote

Please tell me your opinion on it , comparable optically to what other optics you have owned

Thanks

Comparing it to an angled swaro hd 65 mm spotter I have it’s image is crisp and bright, the focus knob has a lot more resistance compared to the swaro which is very smooth. It has a 3 position eye piece and it is much more compact being a straight spotter: it fits nicely in my pack. I feel they went really basic on the eye piece and objective cover and the cover that comes with it, the stiff focus knob and the straight eye piece are ergonomically something I don’t care for. But overall the glass is very nice to look through in a compact package at affordable price for many folks.

[zwickeyman]

Maven s2 12-27x56 is a nice little compact spotter with fluoride glass that weighs 34oz.

If your interested I sell you the one I have for 900.
[/quote

Please tell me your opinion on it , comparable optically to what other optics you have owned

Thanks

Great info thank you

Comparing it to an angled swaro hd 65 mm spotter I have it’s image is crisp and bright, the focus knob has a lot more resistance compared to the swaro which is very smooth. It has a 3 position eye piece and it is much more compact being a straight spotter: it fits nicely in my pack. I feel they went really basic on the eye piece and objective cover and the cover that comes with it, the stiff focus knob and the straight eye piece are ergonomically something I don’t care for. But overall the glass is very nice to look through in a compact package at affordable price for many folks.

[Magnum_Willys]

Im sure the eyepiece cover is better than the swaros - mines a joke.

[zwickeyman]

Im sure the eyepiece cover is better than the swaros - mines a joke.

No kidding, does any one make a decent eye piece cap?

[Gettin Birdie]

Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60mm only 2lbs 5oz. I've been using my non HD for many years and it has been great.

I have heard good things about the HD but I think they are 1400

I have one, that I'd give you a good deal on, close to your limit.  I've been tossing around getting rid of it for awhile now.  Hardly used it, in great shape, had the cover on always.  It is nice and I like it, but I think I'm going to go to binocs, this is my first spotter and I just don't care for them that much, prefer bigger binos instead.  Funny, was going to list it on here for awhile, just haven't gotten around to it.  Love it at the range, though.  Let me know, I can send pics or whatever.     

[mburrows]

I’ve got a zeiss dialyt 60mm that I like. 42oz. They are north of 1,000 but it’s a nice little light weight spotter.

[zwickeyman]

I’ve got a zeiss dialyt 60mm that I like. 42oz. They are north of 1,000 but it’s a nice little light weight spotter.

Ive heard these are pretty good optically

[Wanttohuntmore]

Nikon ED50.  Clarity is perfect.   Light gathering is what you'd expect from a 50mm.

[zwickeyman]

Nikon ED50.  Clarity is perfect.   Light gathering is what you'd expect from a 50mm.

I keep hearing good things about these. I need to get behind some

[mburrows]

I’ve got a zeiss dialyt 60mm that I like. 42oz. They are north of 1,000 but it’s a nice little light weight spotter.

Ive heard these are pretty good optically

I think it’s a good spotter for the money. My one complaint is edge clarity at high magnification isn’t great. It is sleek and super easy to tote around the hills though.

[snake]

Leupold Gold Ring 12-40x60mm only 2lbs 5oz. I've been using my non HD for many years and it has been great.

I have heard good things about the HD but I think they are 1400

I have one I am willing to sell.  I've used it less than 10 times in 10 years. its in great shape. id let it go for $850

[craigapphunt]

The little maven does pretty well my only real complaint and it's a minor one is focusing can be a little on the touchy side but I assume for its size and weight you have to sacrifice something.

[zwickeyman]

The little maven does pretty well my only real complaint and it's a minor one is focusing can be a little on the touchy side but I assume for its size and weight you have to sacrifice something.

Hughjorgan said the same thing about the focus

You are correct about sacrifice. there is no perfect spotter. Not a scope made that has all 5 qualities

FOV, Eye Relief, Superior Optics, Light weight and Low Price. You can get 3 out of 5

Probably the best light weight one right now has 4 of 5 but the one its missing is price and they wat 2400 for them and thats the Swaro ATC

[zwickeyman]

I ended up getting a really good deal on a Maven S 2

If anyone is interested on how it performs I can do a short review. If I get by next Tuesday Ill compare it to the new Swaro ATC and the Kowa 554 on Wednesday

Thanks to every one for the input

[Magnum_Willys]

Yea share your thoughts.   
Vs Maven it looks like the kowa is 6 oz lighter but narrow field of view.   
The Leupold is 3 oz heavier but goes to 40 power.
The Swaro is same weight - 34 oz - and goes to 40 power  but over $1000 more than any of them !

I us my spotter to scan for game so kowa is ruled out.   I wish the Maven went to 40 but must saw I do all my scanning at 25 pretty much. 

[zwickeyman]

Yea share your thoughts.   
Vs Maven it looks like the kowa is 6 oz lighter but narrow field of view.   
The Leupold is 3 oz heavier but goes to 40 power.
The Swaro is same weight - 34 oz - and goes to 40 power  but over $1000 more than any of them !

I us my spotter to scan for game so kowa is ruled out.   I wish the Maven went to 40 but must saw I do all my scanning at 25 pretty much. 

Thats what I see too. Supposedly the glass is pretty good but the 27 zoom is the draw back. Wish it went to at least 35

[BeerBugler]

Why the 2 80’s? Keep the kowa, sell the swaro, buy the 553. Best spotter combo out there and $1000+ in your pocket? Or sell the big kowa and buy the new swaro?

[zwickeyman]

Why the 2 80’s? Keep the kowa, sell the swaro, buy the 553. Best spotter combo out there and $1000+ in your pocket? Or sell the big kowa and buy the new swaro?

Yep. The ATS 80 will go up for sale after I get it back from Swarovski in January. Typical once over and cleaning. I put the 884 up against the ATX95 side by side and they are equal and I got the 884 for 2000.00 less. They both have their pros and cons Im hopefully comparing the S 2 with the ATC56 and the 554 next week. If they are leaps and bounds better than the Maven I will probably buck up

[BeerBugler]

Good plan, you will love the 554, havent looked through new swaro but I’m sure it’s great also. S&S had the 554 for $1350, not sure if it’s still available at that price but it will be at some point.

[zwickeyman]

Good plan, you will love the 554, havent looked through new swaro but I’m sure it’s great also. S&S had the 554 for $1350, not sure if it’s still available at that price but it will be at some point.

They are 1499 now but I wouldnprobably buy used

[zwickeyman]

I ended up buying a Kowa, Maven and Nikon
Maven 56mm
Nikon ed 50mm
Kowa 55mm
And my old leupold 30x60 fixed

The Kowa won out and will be my light weight spotter. All 4 have their pros and cons but for ne the Kowa will work the best

Thanks for all the input guys

[Wanttohuntmore]

Good info!  That kowa suppose to be tops!