New 56mm Swaro spotter

[antlerz]

Primary use of my 554 is to clarify what I see in my binos. How will the ATC at 40 compare to Kowa at 45? Its nice to have the extra 5x option. Depends how good the ATC is at 40x.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I hope you’re right. I’ve been using it for the last 4 days watching whitetails and I’m pretty disappointed in the zoom in mornings and evenings. This is my first high end spotter and maybe I’m expecting too much but it seems to need quite a bit of light to see what you want at 3/4 to full zoom. I was better off zoomed all the way out. So if the swaro is better in those times I’ll have a very lightly used 554 to sell you.

Glassing or only confirmations?

 

[MightyWhitey]

Confirmations for the most part.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

We just got our first delivery of the Swarovski OptikATC 17-40x56 Spotting Scope for those of you who are interested

 

[TheGDog]

No STC's came in?

 

[wyosteve]

Thanks Doug. Will give you a call tomorrow.

 

[MightyWhitey]

Did any of you guys get a stc/atc yet? Thoughts? I can’t find any around my area.

 

[wyosteve]

I've had an ATC for about a month now. Very pleased with it.

 

[Trial153]

Still waiting on mine

 

[wyosteve]

Figured I'd expand my thoughts on the Swaro 56. I have a STX 95 and wanted a smaller spotter for easier packing around, use at the range, etc. I contemplated the Kowa 553, but to me, it's not aesthetically pleasing with the focus knobs kind of 'stuck' on the front. I also wondered about the sturdiness of those knobs if the scope bounces around, gets banged on, etc.
For me, the little Swaro looks better, especially in the ATC version. So far I've just used it at home, but the clarity, ease of focus and eye relief has been outstanding. Heading to the range as soon as we get a day without 40 mph wind so will test it's ability to see bullet holes at up to 500 yds. After that I'll decide whether to take it or the big Swaro on a scheduled aoudad hunt the end of January.

 

[John Havard]

I have both the Swaro ATC and STC 56mm spotters, as well as a Kowa 554 and a Swaro STX 85. I recently sold a Kowa 884 spotter. The optics on the Kowa spotters are amazingly good, especially at their price point. The ATC and STC spotters compared with the Kowa 554 are a few ounces heavier but their eye relief is head and shoulders better than the 554. You cannot go wrong with any of these spotters, but for general use and digiscoping I prefer the Swaro ATC/STC. Still trying to decide if I'm going to keep both and ditch the 554 (we use two spotting scopes on our ridge top each year for moose and caribou). Generally I prefer straight versus angled spotting scopes but the angled ATC is awfully nice.

To summarize, the optics on all of these scopes is excellent. The tipping point for me in favor of the ATC/STC scopes vs the 554 is the larger and more forgiving eye relief. I chose to keep the STX 85 and sell the Kowa 884 mainly because I like the ability to mate up different-size fronts on the big Swaro, in spite of the weight advantage in favor of the 884.

 

[MightyWhitey]

I have both the Swaro ATC and STC 56mm spotters, as well as a Kowa 554 and a Swaro STX 85. I recently sold a Kowa 884 spotter. The optics on the Kowa spotters are amazingly good, especially at their price point. The ATC and STC spotters compared with the Kowa 554 are a few ounces heavier but their eye relief is head and shoulders better than the 554. You cannot go wrong with any of these spotters, but for general use and digiscoping I prefer the Swaro ATC/STC. Still trying to decide if I'm going to keep both and ditch the 554 (we use two spotting scopes on our ridge top each year for moose and caribou). Generally I prefer straight versus angled spotting scopes but the angled ATC is awfully nice.

To summarize, the optics on all of these scopes is excellent. The tipping point for me in favor of the ATC/STC scopes vs the 554 is the larger and more forgiving eye relief. I chose to keep the STX 85 and sell the Kowa 884 mainly because I like the ability to mate up different-size fronts on the big Swaro, in spite of the weight advantage in favor of the 884.

Thanks, I was hoping some guys with 554s would chime in. What’s your option between the stc and 554 at the top half of magnification in low light?

 

[John Havard]

I'm not sure I have parsed the comparison that finely. I can say that at highest magnification on both I can see every knob on a small doug fir cone at 400 yards in dull mid-winter light. My home view stretches almost 5 miles due east across Puget Sound to Whidbey Island and I can see window and door details on houses clearly enough when compared with the STX 85 I have. Both the ATC/STC and the 554 are wonderfully clear, it's just that the 554 allows very little off-center viewing. The little Swaros would be much more comfortable and user friendly if you're having to spend a lot of time behind one vs the 554.

 

[Unoboats]

The one thing I hate about my kowa is the fov is dogshit. I also have the little vortex razor and I feal like the fov is at least 1/3 larger then the kowa. So I am thinking purge both and get the swaro if it is as good as they are claiming.

It’s impressive. Neck and neck with my STX 65

 

[TheGDog]

Do you see an issue with an eyeglass wearer being able to make use of the STC while keeping their eyeglasses on? Even while zoomed out to max magnification?

I'm asking this because with my little vortex razor spotter, when it's all the way maxed out the glass of the eyeglasses has to touch the glass of the objective piece, in order for my eye to not see the black ring of vignetting from not being properly close enough to the objective. I'm hoping to avoid that issue in a future replacement such as the STC.

Hoping a fellow eyeglass wearer with experience can offer their observations here in that regard.

 

[Unoboats]

I have used glasses on my ATC with no issues

 

[Steve O]

Very good eye relief on the ATC, from a 40+ year 100% eyeglass wearer here.

 

[TheGDog]

I have used glasses on my ATC with no issues

Thank you for the feedback sir.

 

[TheGDog]

Very good eye relief on the ATC, from a 40+ year 100% eyeglass wearer here.

Thank-you gentleman! That helps reduce the anxiety about committing to the price. So thank you.