Kowa 553 vs. Razor HD 11-33x50

[kong]

I sold my Swaro STM65 and now run the Kowa 554. I agree with the others, field of view is about the only thing I gave up. I bought the Kowa stay on case for mine to protect my investment, and it weighs 33oz with the case and the Outdoorsmans adapter on it.

What case do you run on it? The C554 is it neoprene or cordura?

 

[mcseal2]

My case is from Kowa and made of nylon. Adds a little weight but worth it to me.

 

[fatrascal]

I have the Swarovski atx 65 and the Kowa 553. I find the color rendition and field of view and clarity of the Swarovski better. But the Kowa is not far behind. If I was in my 20's I would carry the 65mm but since I'm in my upper 50's I will carry the Kowa 553. Fatrascal.

 

[BjornF16]

Any good reason not to run the Kowa straight vs angled?

 

[jackmarshall28]

Nice

 

[eaglemountainman]

Any good reason not to run the Kowa straight vs angled?

Only reason I could think of is if the majority of your glassing is looking steeply uphill. Most of my glassing, by far, is slightly uphill, level or downhill, so I find the 554 perfect for me. Plus, it's much easier for me to jump back and forth between binos and scope with a straight tube.

 

[Pitt]

I really appreciate all this info! It sounds like the Kowa is better but is it 1k better? Also has anyone compared the Kowa to the Leupold GR 12-40x60?

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[CougarBlue]

I really appreciate all this info! It sounds like the Kowa is better but is it 1k better? Also has anyone compared the Kowa to the Leupold GR 12-40x60?

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Yes. It's $1K better. I know that's the opinion of one. But if you spend some time researching (particularly on birding forums) you'll get a better understanding of how much better the optical quality of the Kowa scopes are over the Razor HDs.

I've also played with the Leupold. It's also a long ways off from the Kowa glass. There's nothing besides the Swaro that I'd compare the Kowa's to. They are very comparable. I'd lean Swaro for the smaller objective but when you get up into the 77 and 88mm, I personally prefer the Kowa glass.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

The thing to understand about the Kowa 553/554 is it can be nearly as good as a much larger alpha spotter or marginally better than the Razor 11-33, depending on the available light. I’ve had both my 553 and 883 out at the same time in bright summer midday and at dusk. In bright light, I can’t help but wonder why I pack the 883 as, to me, the image quality difference mostly comes down to whichever is more stabilized. But there is no comparison when the light is limited.

I’ve used the little Razor and it’s a sweet package for the money and weight. It pairs nicely with a low power binocular. So if you’re that kind of person who likes a low power binocular but wanting to add a lot of view for not a lot of burden, it might be a really good option.

 

[WRM]

You wanna see an optic pecked to death--go to the birder forum foh sho!

But, you won't regret the Kowa.

 

[Eli80]

I have never been impressed by the vortex 11-33. I think it’s really over rated IMHO. Compared one side by side with a leupold ventana (yes, not apples to apples) but the ventana blew it away. Kowa gets my vote of those two. If weight was that big of an issue, I’d also look at something like the maven 12-27.

 

[Pitt]

Thanks for the replies! I ended up getting the Kowa 553. I found one slightly used from a rental shop, saved me a few $$$. After looking through it I knew it was the right one. I would have paid full price for a new one if the used one wasn't in such great shape.

 

[eaglemountainman]

I think you'll be very pleased with that TSN-553. Spectacular optics in a 28 oz package is hard to beat. I have the 554 for the last 4 years and have never regretted the purchase.

 

[Lwing]

Little late to the party, I have a Nikon ed50 with the 11-40 eye piece and ended up selling my razor which I am a big fan of. Couldnt believe how much clearer it was over 1000yds. The Kowa 553 is on the list, but out of the budget for now,
just something worth considering if you have kids, wife, trucks, house, pet, guns ect