If you have the old rubber version, you can email their customer support and they'll send you an updated version for free. I did that a month or so ago and the current rev is much better; it doesn't fall off easily. Probably the same as what's on the 99mm, since it has the same indentions on the eyepiece (I don't have any concerns about that).
My little kowa 66 with the 30x fixed wide angle eyepiece is astoundingly sharp and bright with great edge to edge clarity. I can't imagine how amazing the new 40x fixed on the Kowa 99 is.
Thank you. Finally got around to emailing them about the eye piece. I received in the mail today and it fits alot better then the soft rubber cover. Also has a whole for a tether.
The 554 is a badass little scope, but that's kinda like bringing a pocket knife to a sword fight! Not that the 554 is going to disappoint, but the 99's image will be significantly brighter especially at first and last light. Probably 15 - 20 minutes difference per day in usable glassing light. Backed down to 15 though, you would get some of that light back. You'll also notice immediately much better resolution throughout the frame in the 99 allowing you to discern things like individual pine needles, and small cheaters on an antler vs. just seeing a pine bough and a 4-point frame at 1/2 mile.
