Lightweight Spotter?

[Huntingpreacher]

Hey I'm looking to try out a spotter. I've narrowed it to the following:
Vortex Razor 11-33 x 50 ($450 for refurbished model)
Athlon Cronus 12-36 x 50 ($630)
Kowa 15-45 x 55 ($1430)
I've read the pros and cons of each. My main use will be elk and mule deer hunting in Colorado and other western states as I have opportunity to draw. The reason for these spotters in particular is I like to stay mobile and as lightweight as possible. I'm not in a hurry to buy so if I need to save up for the Kowa I can. I just need someone to convince me it's worth the extra cost. Thanks in advance.

 

[zeroforhire]

Check out the hawke Ed 50mm spotter. I like mine a lot and I think it compares well to the razor. Way cheaper though.

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[Huntingpreacher]

Check out the hawke Ed 50mm spotter. I like mine a lot and I think it compares well to the razor. Way cheaper though.

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Will do! Thanks.

 

[EasilyExcited]

the kowa is money well spent. its light weight and awesome image quality. i had a rzr and it always seemed blurry. sold it and got the 55mm kowa

 

[Huntingpreacher]

the kowa is money well spent. its light weight and awesome image quality. i had a rzr and it always seemed blurry. sold it and got the 55mm kowa

Seems like that's the consensus of all the reviews. In practical hunting applications, what will the Kowa do that one of others won't? Appreciate the help.

 

[EasilyExcited]

it will give you a crisp clear image vs a shitty blurry one. i have not used mine much to compare the low light performance as the spot we hunt alot has tons of timber so cant see to far.

 

[Huntingpreacher]

it will give you a crisp clear image vs a shitty blurry one. i have not used mine much to compare the low light performance as the spot we hunt alot has tons of timber so cant see to far.

Gotcha. I read some guys talking about eye fatigue with lower quality spotters. Does the poor resolution contribute to that? Trying to piece together an understanding of how all this works.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I don’t even like the razor 85. I can’t imagine the razor 50 being much good. And you’re going to want more than 33x

 

[WRO]

My buddy won't sell the little razor because he says it's a pile of shit.

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[Huntingpreacher]

My buddy won't sell the little razor because he says it's a pile of shit.

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Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Blockcaver]

Nikon ED50 is (was?) a good option in that class too. I like the 13-30X zoom on mine better than my 27X wide angle lens. That said, the Swaro 20-60X65mm goes hunting more than the Nikon does, and especially scouting. Good luck!

 

[1760yds]

I had the Razor a few years ago and sold it after one week in the field. I didn't think it was worth carrying. I had the Opticron MM3 and thought it was pretty good. I have the Kowa now and love it. I take it everywhere. The image is amazing. It weighs less than my EL 10x42s. The only cons are the eye relief isn't as good as I think it should be and the field of view isn't great. I have the straight version which helps find stuff in the smaller field of view. I know of nothing better for the weight.

 

[Huntingpreacher]

I had the Razor a few years ago and sold it after one week in the field. I didn't think it was worth carrying. I had the Opticron MM3 and thought it was pretty good. I have the Kowa now and love it. I take it everywhere. The image is amazing. It weighs less than my EL 10x42s. The only cons are the eye relief isn't as good as I think it should be and the field of view isn't great. I have the straight version which helps find stuff in the smaller field of view. I know of nothing better for the weight.

Roger that. Thanks!

 

[tdhanses]

As with everything you get what you pay for.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

While the Razor may not give a picture like the Kowa, only you can decide if that difference is meaningful to you. My opinion on my little Razor is that it’s probably part of the most cost effective and lightest weight optic system to make some moderate level game distinctions; which could be all you need. On the other hand, if you really want another 12x with great picture, or a 28 oz scope that comes close to the best in the 65mm class in performance, the Kowa will be the ticket. Then again, if you want to count points from far away or do some great digiscoping just go up to a high quality 80+mm like a Meopta Meostar S2 for just a few hundred dollars more than the little Kowa. Going up to an 80mm+ set up is only about 3 lbs more including a better tripod. I’ve chosen the little Razor for caribou and any bull moose hunts, which helps me save for a Kowa 88mm for when I need to count moose brow tines and judging sheep.

 

[FlyGuy]

I'm not an expert on glass, but I love that little vortex. I am certain that the small Kowa is an improvement over the vortex 50, but for me it just had too many shortcomings to justify the premium price point (fov, no rotating collar). I'm hoping the "gen 2" model will come out in a few years but until then I'm happy with the razor.

I had the big 85 razor for a few years but upgraded it to a Kowa 77 (which is super awesome btw). But, for archey elk hunting the little vortex ends up being the one that makes it into my pack and the larger Kowa stays at the truck.



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[Huntingpreacher]

Very helpful feedback fellas. I'll probably see how I like one of the lower end models then check out the Kowa at some point in the future. If they stood behind their product with a lifetime warranty I'd be more inclined to buy one, but after making some comparisons their ten year warranty makes me a little nervous especially for 2-3 times the money as the others.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

There's lots of disagreement about the Razor 50 (shocker, right?) so here's some digiscoping photos I took when I had one. I took all these pictures freehand through an iPhone without a digiscoping adapter.

Spike elk at roughly 850 yards. About 45 minutes after the sun was up.

Coues deer does at around 400 yards. Midday.

OTC desert muley buck at 600 yards or so. Right at sunrise. This is actually a video still and my freehanding wasn't great here.

Target shooting at 100 yards with a 22LR with my wife. About 9:00 AM.

Personally I found the Razor 50 to be worth carrying and showed me detail that my $1k 12x50 binoculars couldn't. For as long as I had it I never did have to send it in for maintenance, but I baby my gear more than most even though I get out quite a bit. Perhaps I just got a nicer item than some other people did, or Vortex's QC has gone downhill? There's way better glass out there for sure. I eventually moved on to a 65mm scope, but used the Razor 50 for a few years and only ultimately spent $50 (bought for $550, sold for $500).

To answer the OP's original question I would buy the Kowa if you have the funds. It's in a class of its own when you factor in optical quality and weight. It's honestly unfair to compare $600ish 50mm scopes to a $1500ish 55mm scope. Better to compare the Kowa to alpha 65mm.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

The Kowa 55 is an amazing quality scope, probably one of the finest available today. The Hwake Endurance ED 12-36x50, for the money, is tough to beat in the under $500.00 range

 

[nrh6.7]

I'm not a glassing expert, but from what I have gleaned from others is the Kowa might be better used for looking more closely at something you already found with binos, as the fov can make it difficult to glass larger areas or for longer time periods. I can comment on Kowa's quality having owned the 773. Sold it last year but I'll be buying another Kowa before next season.