Is the Razor 13-39x56 really that subpar?

[gooberfish]

For anyone else comparing the Kowa 553/554 to other compact spotters, it's worth noting that their FOV is quite narrow:

Kowa 553/554: 2.5-1.3 degrees from 15-45x
Vortex Razor 56mm: 3.2-1.7 degrees from 13-39x
Kowa 55a/55s: 3.6-2.0 degrees from 17-40x
Swarovski ATC/STC: 3.5-1.9 degrees from 17-40x

Obviously there's a whole other conversation about usable FOV and edge to edge clarity, as well as $1k+ separating the 550 and Razor from the most recent alpha glass, but definitely still a factor worth considering. It seems like the 550s are the best glass you're going to get in that range by far, but might be a headache if you plan on doing a lot of scanning with your scope.

I'm personally struggling with whether to pick up a 56mm Razor or spend the extra money for the new Kowa or Swaro... I have no reason to think the Vortex wouldn't meet my needs, but I'm worried that I'll just be wasting money if/when I inevitably want to upgrade to alpha glass.

 

[Tahoe1305]

For anyone else comparing the Kowa 553/554 to other compact spotters, it's worth noting that their FOV is quite narrow:

Kowa 553/554: 2.5-1.3 degrees from 15-45x
Vortex Razor 56mm: 3.2-1.7 degrees from 13-39x
Kowa 55a/55s: 3.6-2.0 degrees from 17-40x
Swarovski ATC/STC: 3.5-1.9 degrees from 17-40x

Obviously there's a whole other conversation about usable FOV and edge to edge clarity, as well as $1k+ separating the 550 and Razor from the most recent alpha glass, but definitely still a factor worth considering. It seems like the 550s are the best glass you're going to get in that range by far, but might be a headache if you plan on doing a lot of scanning with your scope.

I'm personally struggling with whether to pick up a 56mm Razor or spend the extra money for the new Kowa or Swaro... I have no reason to think the Vortex wouldn't meet my needs, but I'm worried that I'll just be wasting money if/when I inevitably want to upgrade to alpha glass.

Buy used on here. Minimal money wasted.

If you only want one spotter you’ll likely always wonder if you should have got the alpha. If you want more than one spotter it’s perfect.

 

[gooberfish]

Buy used on here. Minimal money wasted.

If you only want one spotter you’ll likely always wonder if you should have got the alpha. If you want more than one spotter it’s perfect.

Used definitely seems the way to go. The compact would be a backup, but my main is a Kowa 883 and I fear I may have spoiled my eyes with alpha glass... I used to be perfectly content with my Gen 1 Razor but the view feels so cramped now

 

[Buglebrush]

What kind of a warranty do the Kowas have when you buy used? That would impact my thinking quite a bit if they aren't similar to Vortex Warranty. I am extremely hard on gear and a bulletproof warranty gives me great peace of mind. I have watched a pack horse rolling down the hill with my optics on him, and had a lot more peace of mind than my buddy who had Swaro on him. I'm also very happy with my mini Razor.

 

[sendero7]

I have a mini razor and my buddy has a swaro mini and we compared them mule deer hunting. We had deer at 1500 yards and for most part the razor was just as clear as the swaros but the difference was the edge-to-edge clarity and the bigger pupil were about the only difference we could tell. But that's comparing a $1k spotter to a $3k spotter like stated above. So, for the price and lifetime warranty that's why I went with the razor.

 

[longjoshr]

I have had the Razor 13-39x56 for a few seasons now, and I find I use it more than my Gen 1 85mm, which I prefer to glass with. The obvious reason is size/weight.

My 85mm is angled, and I don't know that I'd do a large spotter with the straight configuration, but my 56mm is straight. In a box blind or out of my 4Runner's window, it's perfect for whitetail hunting (I've built a small adapter that clamps a fluid head on the shelves in Redneck blinds), and great for ID'ing a buck in a corn or bean field several hundred yards away. I don't think it would get the same mileage in an angled config, as the straight model just packs better and in more places on a pack, and makes digiscoping better as well.

My only gripe with the 56mm is that the focus wheel is a bit stiff. I love the dual focus knobs on the Gen 1 razors as well as the new 50mm Vipers, but I don't find myself spending a lot of time on the focus wheel with that scope anyway.

I'm running Meopta binos that are better glass, but for the same reason I'm not glassing with a 56mm scope, so I'm not as concerned about edge clarity, CA, etc. on the spotter.

 

[Djs22]

The mini Razor is awesome. The focus wheel is stiff for sure but damn that’s nit picking. You won’t be disappointed unless you’re comparing it to swaro’s. Imo vortex razor line is the best bang for your buck right now. My 12*50 razor UHD binoculars are neck and neck with my older pair of swaro binos fwiw.

 

[trickyrabbit]

Expertvoice has a flash sale on the Razor HD 13-39x56 Angled Spotting Scope for $580. Is it worth it at that price?

 

[Tahoe1305]

Expertvoice has a flash sale on the Razor HD 13-39x56 Angled Spotting Scope for $580. Is it worth it at that price?

100% if you want a compact spotter

 

[CodeMonkey]

Yes, yes it is.

 

[dkim]

I bought a first gen Razor 13-39 and have been very happy with it. Super easy to pack and seems great optically, but I have never tried one of the premium brands/models. Being ignorant may save me some $s.

 

[4th_point]

I did a quick comparison of the Razor 13-39x56, Viper 11-33x50, and Crossfire 12-36x50 at the SLC expo last month. It was a side by side comparison at the Vortex booth using their tripods. IIRC, Crossfire and Viper were straight and the Razor was angled.

First, some might dismiss such a comparison indoors, which does have its limitations. However, you can still evaluate resolution near, and across the expo center. I've done these types of comparisons many times, and feel comfortable reporting my findings. I didn't compare FOV, color, glare, edge quality, etc. Only resolution in the center.

Anyway, the Viper had the best resolution. The Razor was very close, but not quite as good. The Crossfire was a step down. IIRC, I used 33x or 30x on all three, whichever was easy to set on each.

My takeaway was that the Viper was the best bang for the buck. However, if expectations are reasonable, the Crossfire was pretty good for $200 street price!

After the expo, I went to a local sporting goods store and saw an angled Crossfire. I told the sales guy my findings from SLC and he said that all the customers that he helped with the Razor and Viper, all bought the Viper. He said that he didn't know anything about optics, but found it interesting that his customers prefered the Viper too.

All that stated, I'd be concerned with sample variation with any spotter. Especially these "budget" models.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little Maven? Are they not that popular?

 

[4th_point]

Side tangent:

I also checked each Kowa 55A/55S and STC/ATC on display at the SLC expo. Except in most cases there wasn't a similar scope handy for a side-by-side. The Kowa was the latest and not the 553/554.

Every STC/ATC could achieve sharp focus at max zoom and had an overall nice image. I was really surprised as all seemed much better than I recall when that series first came out, but that's going off of memory. None of the Kowas appeared as sharp at max. The Swaros were easy to get sharp focus even with the helical focuser, while the Kowas had a fairly wide band of best focus requiring hunting and never achieving similar sharpness even with the dual focusing knob.

The Kowa 66 was excellent though, and could achieve sharp focus with ease.