Mini Spotters, Worth it?

[jjschuh]

Seeing all the "mini" spotters from various brands and not having any experience with them, I'm curious. You guys find that the weight and size savings of these smaller spotting scopes are worth it over even say a 65mm spotter? Is it worth it for say a back packing trip?

How does optic quality compare? Say Vortex for example, how does glass compare between the mini's and the regular spotters? In a situation where you aren't worried about weight or size of optic do the mini's hold their own? I wouldn't think they would be as good but not entirely sure.

If you already have a spotting scope is it worth adding another to the line up? Or even selling the larger optic for the smaller?

 

[BBob]

Swaro or mby Kowa. I haven’t looked through a little Kowa in a long time but the new small format Swaro is great. My 65 is my most used and I’d say most versatile. I highly doubt I’ll sell it anytime soon. I sold my 80 a few years ago and I don’t really miss it. It all comes down to your specific use as to what size you are going to want to pack.

 

[handwerk]

I still have my Swaro STS 65 HD but last year used my STC and it gives up very little to it’s big brother and is so packable it is always with me on western hunts.

 

[Ckat]

I have a little compact Leupold Gold Ring spotter. Admittedly, it doesn’t have the best glass, but it is certainly functional/usable enough to save lots of walking…. with that, it it is so light/handy that it goes with me ALWAYS. It’s comparable to CC pistols in my eyes, the one that you have with you is better than the one you left at the house due to size/weight/etc.

 

[Willie IV]

I just sold my Vortex 65mm spotter and got the Kowa TSN 55 compact for Christmas. I'm loving it so far but haven't really put it thru the paces yet. I'm on the north side of 50 now so I'm focusing on quality gear that saves me some weight. This Kowa does just that.

 

[Pistolpete28]

I was going to buy a swaro STC but i figure the only time I’ll pack the mini spotter will be for specific situations where i plan to sit on a specific scouted animal in a hole somewhere. So I saved some money and bought the baby razor instead. If I’m scouting or hunting a new area 95% of the time the kowa 99 will get the backpack ride. This is coming from a guy that primarily hunts mule deer. I think the mini spotter are worth it for backpack hunting.

 

[jjschuh]

I just sold my Vortex 65mm spotter and got the Kowa TSN 55 compact for Christmas. I'm loving it so far but haven't really put it thru the paces yet. I'm on the north side of 50 now so I'm focusing on quality gear that saves me some weight. This Kowa does just that.

Would be interesting to hear some feed back after you get some more time with it

 

[jjschuh]

I was going to buy a swaro STC but i figure the only time I’ll pack the mini spotter will be for specific situations where i plan to sit on a specific scouted animal in a hole somewhere. So I saved some money and bought the baby razor instead. If I’m scouting or hunting a new area 95% of the time the kowa 99 will get the backpack ride. This is coming from a guy that primarily hunts mule deer. I think the mini spotter are worth it for backpack hunting.

yeah that makes sense, my 65 wasn't crazy big in the pack by any means but always have the curiosity if something smaller that fit better would worth the change

 

[Stinky Coyote]

I just sold my Vortex 65mm spotter and got the Kowa TSN 55 compact for Christmas. I'm loving it so far but haven't really put it thru the paces yet. I'm on the north side of 50 now so I'm focusing on quality gear that saves me some weight. This Kowa does just that.

in same boat and that kowa and little Swaro (and I'm not a Swaro guy, but definitely a kowa guy) made to top of my wishlist, for if I get some of my cabal money back one day, some stuff about the Swaro imaging I saw in shadows etc. swayed me to put the little Swaro at top of list by a c-hair but I know I'd be happy with either,

having my little ed50 13-40 and kowa 65 and how little I use them now I prolly won't make the leap as they still produce awesome images, still researched it a year or two back because my mind gets bored so could be some other options to look at since but I doubt it, I just got some ollins stuff and decent tripod so I can roll everything off the tripod clickity click including bino's ect., usually use the 65 for range work, either works for scouting and if I pack one always the Nikon, love that little booger, image still makes me smile after all this time, and even more when you have it in hand