MT_Chad
Well-known member
I'm in the same boat as mtmuley, I keep coming back to the 66mm prominar kowa and a fixed 30x eyepiece to start anyway. About a $1300 package with the fixed 30.
Lightweight Spotting Scope
- Thread starter tomengineer
- Start date
One of these days. mtmuley
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ntodwild
Guest
So what is your idea of lightweight? What would be your threshold for ounces???? This may help you narrow things down. Personally I have found that any scope of real quality is gonna have some heft to it for the most part.
ida homer
Well-known member
Kowa or Ed 50.
I liked the 11-33x razor quite a bit. But inferior glass than those two IMO.
I liked the 11-33x razor quite a bit. But inferior glass than those two IMO.
tomengineer
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- Jan 14, 2019
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I'm glad you said this. I just purchased an ED50 with a fixed 27x eyepiece. I wasn't impressed with the Vortex Razor 11-33 in terms of optical performance. We'll see. I may try the Leupold if I can find one to look through.
tomengineer
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The ED50 I just bought is 20.1 ounces with the eyepiece. I'm not sure what the other models come in at but I'm not sure they get much lighter.
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ntodwild
Guest
If weight savings is what you are after then yep, that is pretty light.
Something I have thought might work is to find an old non working Wild theodolite (working ones run about $500 to $600 so non working should be pretty cheap) tear it apart and mount a tripod bracket on the scope. It would be 30 power, weigh less than pound, take up almost no room in your pack and it is some of the finest optics ever made.
std7mag
Well-known member
While my Celestron may not be the absolute top tier glass, it flat out works for me.
And at a little under $200, for the price of your top tier glass it would allow me put in for a tag in Wyoming and still give me about $400 for gas, food and such.
I'd rather be able to actually do the hunt, instead of equiping for a hunt that i can't afford afterwards.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
Someone had a compact Leupold spotter selling in the classifieds the other day for an amazing price. It might be something you'd be interested in.
I had an Nikon ED 50 and used it for Idaho mule deer and other animals. Excellent glass.
However, you’re going to want glass with better magnification. Idaho is big country. I currently used a Swaro. 65 ATS. The ED 50 continually left me straining to try to see details.
When you want to go even further glassing, you’ll want a Swaro 15x56 too.
However, you’re going to want glass with better magnification. Idaho is big country. I currently used a Swaro. 65 ATS. The ED 50 continually left me straining to try to see details.
When you want to go even further glassing, you’ll want a Swaro 15x56 too.
The Kowa would be a good choice, I haven't look through Nikon. Both get very good reviews. I was tempted by the lightweight option, but my first need was a sheep hunt, so I opted for the Kowa 774 with 25-50x. I have 12x bins, so starting at 25x with the spotter seems to work well for me, but the range on the 550 eyepiece (15-45x) isn't bad at all.
Watch different classified sites. I got into a 664 with a variable eyepiece for under half of what you’re listed new cost is. The glass is in perfect shape. I’m thinking about going to the fixed 30x. I’m sure I could do it for little to no cost if I sell the variable eyepiece.
tomengineer
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Ok good to know. My ED50 setup is on the way. I think I'll try it this trip and make adjustments as needed.
MT_Chad
Well-known member
I don't have the kowa, it is simply the scope on the top of my list. My current scope is a bushnell elite, not a bad scope for what I paid (nothing), but it has its limitations, most notably the poor eye relief and poor low light performance at any power. Hence the reason for the "top tier" glass on my list.
I'm looking at a used ED50 for $450. Seems like a great deal but I'm wondering if there were different generations of the ED50s. I was also looking at the Leopold and Vortex scopes with 50mm objectives. I already have a scope with an 85mm objective lens, but I want something lightweight for range shooting and digi-scoping. I have not worked with scopes and binos much but I'm a pro photographer and I want some good glass. I mounted a red dot on the side of my big scope for target acquisition and it really helps. I have it on a small carbon fiber tripod with a small fluid head that's made for video work. It's a nice combo: he fluid head makes it easy to smoothly glass an area and the red dot really speeds things up. Where are all the Vibration Reduction (VR) / stabilized scopes and binos. Thats the big thing in photographic lenses and you would think it would be built into all new spotting scopes.
VOLhunter
Well-known member
Kowa 554 for straight eyepiece or 553 for angles. I've used Kowa for about 10-12 years and there is truly none better.
kiwi hunter
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- Jul 21, 2013
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- 1,187
i have the 20-40,,light as n it goes most places with me in tahr country,,from memory its only 500 grms
