Kowa 554 DVOR

[Greenbelt]

I’ve found the Tricer LP head ($189 on Gohunt) and Slik 150 ($59 on Amazon) to be ideal for the 50 mm class spotter. Don’t have an ounce scale but the head weighs 4.5 ounces and the tripod/ball head weighs 2.3, the ball head I removed feels several ounces heavier the the lp panhead so I think the combined comes under 2lbs I’m almost certain. The LP is just comes with an arca Swiss clamp so you’ll need a small generic arca swiss compatable plate for 554 if you go that route.


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I agree with you on the tricer head. It's super nice (my buddies running it). I'm currently running a small rig at 9 oz but would really like to go to that tricer with my slik 634.

 

[Greenbelt]

At 2x-3x the price I wonder if the benefit is worth the cost? I’m still not sure my SLC 15x are +-$600 better than other 15x or 18x


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I've heard someone on here say he traded his 15 slc's for Meopta 15's straight up.

 

[ofl0926]

I’m still looking for the a pair of 15x binos and maybe a Kowa 553 spotter


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[TimberHunter]

I’m still looking for the a pair of 15x binos and maybe a Kowa 553 spotter


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I wasn’t planning on selling my like new swaro 15x but feel free to PM me a price if you’re looking for a like new pair with everything they come with including the box. Happy to send you pictures


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[aftriathlete]

My binos are Kowa Genesis 10.5 x 44. Now I’m adding the Kowa 554. I’m hoping that’s everything I need. I have a buddy here with NL Pures that I’m afraid to look through.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

The Meopta 15's are stellar. To think the SLC's are notably better is to split frog hairs. Just a bit on the heavy side and I never brought them along so I let them go.

I had the Razor 50 for a bit too. I thought it was a real sweetheart. Then, I realized the real value of the set up was simply looking through something stabilized well on a tripod; which, the little Razor didn't need much tripod to accomplish that. I encourage anyone considering the Razor 50 to put those funds towards better binos and putting them on a tripod. About as good of detail and a heck of a lot better enjoyment and field of view.

The Kowa 55 fills that niche of needing to resolve fine detail at minimal weight cost but not needing much field of view nor low light use.

 

[TimberHunter]

My binos are Kowa Genesis 10.5 x 44. Now I’m adding the Kowa 554. I’m hoping that’s everything I need. I have a buddy here with NL Pures that I’m afraid to look through.

Don’t be afraid, while they are very nice, my hunting buddy and I both agree that they’re no where near worth the extra $ for the working class people when comparing to near alpha glass like meopta, high end vortex, maven, Nikon, mid range ZEISS. For people with large, expandable sums of money that want the best, I could see why they buy them

After years of lusting at swaro stuff, when I finally bought one of their product or looked through other’s binos, swaro left something to be desired. Even though they are the best of the best, they don’t give me the euphoric experience I thought they would. Maybe it’s my eyes…


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[aftriathlete]

Don’t be afraid, while they are very nice, my hunting buddy and I both agree that they’re no where near worth the extra $ for the working class people when comparing to near alpha glass like meopta, high end vortex, maven, Nikon, mid range ZEISS. For people with large, expandable sums of money that want the best, I could see why they buy them

After years of lusting at swaro stuff, when I finally bought one of their product or looked through other’s binos, swaro left something to be desired. Even though they are the best of the best, they don’t give me the euphoric experience I thought they would. Maybe it’s my eyes…


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I quite like the Kowa binos, so I’m being a little facetious. But I still assume the Swaros must be very nice. But like you I’m a working man, and these two Kowa optics were a HUGE stretch to buy. (Wife is gonna be surprised when she sees this new spotter show up…) I do think the Kowa binos are a lot for the money, and the mag and objective size is a nice compromise on both (between 10s and 12, between a 42 and 50 objective.) so I think I’ll be plenty happy with these. Next purchase will be a lighter tripod, I like the ideas I’m getting in this thread and the other one (I think it’s literally called Lightweight Tripod Options or something close.)

 

[ofl0926]

I wasn’t planning on selling my like new swaro 15x but feel free to PM me a price if you’re looking for a like new pair with everything they come with including the box. Happy to send you pictures


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Swaro is probably out of my budget for 15x binos. Probably leaning more towards Meopta
But I bet you won’t have an issue selling them


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[DenimChicken]

I considered this, but went with the baby razor instead. It helps I don't know what I'm missing out on

Keep it that way unless you want to drop the coin on the Kowa. I have the baby Razor and recently looked through the Kowa 554. I immediately started saving for the Kowa. It won't happen this year, but it's gonna happen.

 

[chutinlead]

Keep it that way unless you want to drop the coin on the Kowa. I have the baby Razor and recently looked through the Kowa 554. I immediately started saving for the Kowa. It won't happen this year, but it's gonna happen.

I saw this deal before I sent the guy the money for the razor and still got the razor. Ignorance truly is bliss

 

[TimberHunter]

At 2x-3x the price I wonder if the benefit is worth the cost? I’m still not sure my SLC 15x are +-$600 better than other 15x or 18x


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Wanted to follow up since I did the swaro 15s a bit of a disservice.

I was glassing at last light at .8 miles. The 15s were just so nice to look through and detail was great, including on a horizon. My viper gen 2 65mm spotter just didn’t cut the mustard, it is just fine during normal light conditions. Also compared to my 8x42 meoptas meostar B1 and at that distance at low light it was no contest with the 15s.

But the meoptas are just such a treat to glass behind with their eye relief and field of view. They are forsure my go to when I first sit down and glass under 1 mile. Especially in the .5 miles and under territory

This year the spotter will likely stay in the truck while I carry the 8s on my chest and the 15s in the pack. But I’m not an inch counter guy, just is it big enough, yup, let’s shoot it. I hunt 95% very open terrain where glassing distance can be counted in miles not yards


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