Athlon Cronus G2 Spotter vs Kowa 773

[Buzby]

Well you sir are correct. Apparently it is ONLY the Cronus BTR that is manufactured in Japan.

You might be correct. They do have 2 scopes that they have made in Japan

 

[BLJ]

Maybe @gr8fuldoug will chime in to verify, but I'm 99% that the Cronus scopes are the only Japanese offerings from Athlon.

 

[Buzby]

Maybe @gr8fuldoug will chime in to verify, but I'm 99% that the Cronus scopes are the only Japanese offerings from Athlon.

That’s correct for scopes. I’m not sure if it applies to the whole Cronus line, binos, spotters..

 

[Spiral Horn]

While I‘m confident the Athlon Cronus G2 will impress for its ~$1k price, and if $1k is the budget limit it’s great that the G2 is an option. But folks need to temper their expectations. The theme of the thread was how does it compare to the Kowa 773? Is it fair to compare it to the 773 or Meopta MeoStar — not really, but that was the question.

Someone already said it will have 90% of the optical performance of the Meopta or Kowa, but that is yet to be seen. Even so, let’s stay with the 90% theme. If it is 90% optically, 90% handling, 90% focuser, 90% build quality (very questionable), but it cannot be 90% of the eyepiece as it is non-removable. If a 773 or MeoStar is 10% better across the board, the whole package adds up to a much more refined optical device with noticeably better performance. I’m not saying the Cronus G2 is junk (heck, I might even buy one for range work), but most guys buying the G2 will eventually look to upgrade much more often than the owners of the Kowa or MeoStar.

Where an optic is made is ever-decreasing in impact on quality. Yes, in general, European made optics still offer the highest overall build quality but they are increasingly challenged in remaining price competitive while doing so. Conversely, Chinese optical manufacture capabilities get better every year. Today, Zeiss makes optical glass in over 30 countries, including China.

 

[BLJ]

That’s correct for scopes. I’m not sure if it applies to the whole Cronus line, binos, spotters..

To my knowledge it was only the scopes. I would definitely verify with Athlon if COO is a big factor before purchasing.

 

[RussDXT]

All athlon spotters are Chinese

 

[Huntin_GI]

Update: Received the spotter a couple days ago. It is in fact Made in China. Threw it on the tripod for a whole 5 minutes at sunrise to see how she did at first light. Optical clarity remained consistent from 20-50ish without much drop off. Edge to edge looked good with limited chromatic abirritation and that was with a snow backdrop. Colors looked more accurate/true than the Razors I have used in the past. The advertised eye-relief is 20mm-17mm. I didn't feel the eye relief lived up to expectations. Even full zoomed out, I thought the eye-relief left some to be desired. This was with the eye cup fully extended. Even then I felt I need to float off of the eyepiece to avoid the moving black ring effect. That being said, the most recent spotter I was behind was a Swarovski so I may be a bit over-critical.

 

[UpTop]

Mad at myself for not getting the G2 when camera land had them in the 850 price range.

 

[fmyth]

I am intrested to hear your opinion between the Razor and Ares. I have a few hunts behind a Razor and wasn't blown away.

I returned the 85mm Athlon Ares G2UHD after comparing it side by side to my 65mm Razor 1st gen. There was not enough difference for me to justify the extra size and weight of the Athlon.

 

[bdloftin]

I've compared both the Kowa 773 and the Athlon Cronus. The 773 has a better, wide angle eyepiece. The eyepiece is also less finicky than the Cronus', requiring less precise eye placement to avoid blackouts. The focuser knobs are better, causing less vibration/disruption to the image when focusing. The colors are warmer (not necessarily better, just different). The edge to edge clarity is great, whereas the Cronus gets slightly fuzzy at the edges. The 773 is smaller and lighter than the Cronus.

All that said, the Cronus has surprisingly good image resolution/sharpness in the sweet spot, very similar to the 773. I almost wondered if the Cronus somehow "cut through the mirage" a bit better, if that's even possible.

Not being a hunter or birder, and glassing only infrequently, I actually decided to keep the Cronus. The 773 is a better scope overall. But with the surprising central sharpness of the Cronus being on par with the 773, it was hard to justify keeping a scope that cost about twice as much (and used, at that) than the Cronus. Especially with my limited glassing and limited budget.