Scopes

[Dave]

Fellow birders,

I need a scope. I had a Celestron Ultima ($300), but it was a long-term lease from my father which has now expired. My brother, working in China, has requested it, and I must admit I was using the scope 500x more than my siblings.

Although the Celestron lets you see images at 20x power, it really could not do anything more than that. We are looking at getting something better to share as family as scope #2...with a long term lease to me , since I plan to foot a good chunk of the bill this time

I have been checking on line, and am interested in the good reviews of the KOWA TSN-824 ($1,170 from OpticsPlanet with free shipping - I have a US address as well ). It is not the newest model, as the KOWA TSN-883 has taken over for $2,100+.

Anyway, here are the specs of the TSN-824

82mm Objective Lens Diameter
20x-60x Eyepiece
Waterproof
56.4 ounces
19" long

I am interested in any and all advice. How about the Carl Zeiss fans? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[Lynn Miller]

Hi Dave,

I have both a Kowa Prominar TSN3 and a Zeiss Dialyte FL scope. The TSN3 has a 77mm flourite objective lens which I use with 20X fixed wide-angle and 40X standard eyepieces. The Zeiss has an 85mm flouride objective lens and the zoom 20X - 60X eyepiece. The larger objective lens of the Zeiss makes the 60X useable in just about any lighting. I decided on the Zeiss precisely because of its noticably brighter image when compared with other high end scopes available at the time, most notably the new Swarovski. I would imagine that the new Kowa with the 88mm flourite objective lens would be at least as bright, however, I have not looked through one yet, so I cannot comment on other traits such as colour neutrality, contrast, etc. I can say that I have had no problems with my Kowa scope in the 16 years that I have owned it and would certainly have considered the new Kowa if it had been available at the time I purchased my Zeiss. I have owned the Zeiss for less than a year with no problems, however, I expect a lifetime of trouble free service from it as with most high end optics. As far as the TSN824 goes, it should also be an excellent choice. However, after the initial TSN series of scopes, Kowa began using a composite material for the bodies of later models which proved to be not as durable as the metal bodies used in the earlier TSN1-4 series. If the TSN824 utilizes the composite material and you decide to purchase that scope, be aware that it requires more careful handling.

Good luck on your decision.

Lynn

[b1schmor]

Dave, I've had a Kowa TSN 1 for about 12 years now and have been happy with it. The thing I am most impressed with is its durability. It has taken a number of bad falls and lived through bouncing around many a rough road. My only complaint is the scope came with a 30X eye piece with no ability to zoom closer which has cost me a number of good shorebird sightings.

Brent

[tmanson]

Hi Dave: I use the Pentax 80mm with a 20x-60x zoom lens. Other birders, on this listserve that, I believe, also use this equipment are John Vooys, and Brian Stech. Chris Charlesworth, of Avcocet Tours in Kelowna, also uses this scope. My model is the straight through view, but it also comes with the angled viewpiece. I like the straight through method, as I can adjust the Manfrotto tripod to my height, and I don't have to bend down to scope. It is waterproof, and I have never had a fogging problem. It has also been dropped too many times, without damage.
I believe this scope is known for its brightness. The eyepiece is colloquially known as a soupcan, because of its size, and it certainly gathers in the available light.
My only complaint, which may be a similar concern with other scopes, is that, at 60x, conditions almost have to be perfect to get decent views. Usually, wind, heat shimmer, or poor light make using this power challenging.
If you are going mail order, you may also want to check out Pelee Wings Nature Store, in Pt. Pelee, Ontario. They are on-line, and carry an assortment of scopes. You save the PST, but of course, have to pay the shipping: ( no duties, brokerage fees, if applicable ). They have excellent service. Cheers, Thor

Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.

[cwjury]

Hi Dave
Had alook at the new TSN-883 scope today at eaglefest. I was quite impressed with it and thought it stacked up well against other top end scopes. I should point out that the $2100 on line did not include an eyepiece. The best price online for the 20-60X zoom eye pc was $540. I picked up the dealer pricelist and catalogue from Ron today and all the eye pcs for all models are sold seperatly. I will let you know that based on the pricelist I received I will be able to match any online dealer price for kowa products. As I told you yesterday, they have a high dealer min. order that I have to meet. If a few birders are interested in Kowa- I would then beat any quoted prices, to help me reach the min. order level. Then I would be able to bring in for you and extra stock for my stores. If you come by the store I have the full current cat. for kowa. I will be in Chill Thur-Sat. My E-mail is [e-mail] if you need to contact me.
Thanks
Cliff Jury
Backyard Birding Stores

[Gord]

Top end scopes are certainly out of my league so I cant help with any suggestions, I can put in a good word for Kowa scopes. I looked through Brent's and was very impressed with it!

I would certainly get a zoom eyepiece though. Well worth the extra money, as Brent commented on, for the times extra zoom is needed. I might even say that the zoom ability is crucial on what ever scope you end up choosing.

[Dave]

Greetings all,

Just to bring up a result from a discussion a few months ago, I have not bought a scope yet. In my searches I learned that you either pay under $600 for something "OK" or over $2000 for something great. Just a couple of scopes fall between the two, and these have all kinds of reviews on them.

I figured I would save up some more for something good and hope to have something by the summer.

Thanks again for the input,

Dave