small spotter and binos??

[Farmerlentz]

wondering your guys thoughts on the small spotters. Specifically the little kowa. Is it worth carrying a small spotter and good binos I run off a tripod. I have never run a spotter before and just started running my binos on a tripod. Wondering if you are gaining enough to justify the extra weight of the spotter in the pack.
Thanks

 

[tdhanses]

Yes yes and yes

 

[Mt Al]

I can't comment on the little Kowa, but I had a Nikon ED50 for a few years. Frankly, with the lack of clarity in lower light and at longer ranges, I switched to a Swaro 65 and am glad I did. The Kowa might be better, don't know. If I'm going light I just use the binos off the tripod. My 2 cents.

 

[JohnyRingo]

Packing a lightweight spotter in big country will save you miles of hiking. 10x binos will find the game, but a 30x spotter will tell you if you are looking at a shooter. I love my little angled Vortex. Plus, I use the tripod for the spotter and I also shoot off of it.

 

[Maverick940]

I agree with Ringo, except for the angled eyepiece part of his post. But anyway, I carry a 10x binocular and a 20x binocular, and a 20-60x spotting scope, plus two tripods; a tripod for the 20x binos and a tripod for the spotting scope. Yes, optics are heavy, but well worth carrying.

 

[idahohikker]

Yes, worth it for a spotter in big country.

 

[jmden]

Packing a lightweight spotter in big country will save you miles of hiking. 10x binos will find the game, but a 30x spotter will tell you if you are looking at a shooter. I love my little angled Vortex. Plus, I use the tripod for the spotter and I also shoot off of it.

What he said.

I've run the Kowa 664 and Swaro EL Range 10x binos for years on a Sirui T-025x tripod. Great combo, but recently picked up the Kowa 554. It's not quite as good as the Kowa 664, but for the bulk and weight savings on steep, x-country, designated wilderness area hunting, the 554 makes sense.

 

[willfrye027]

What he said.

I've run the Kowa 664 and Swaro EL Range 10x binos for years on a Sirui T-025x tripod. Great combo, but recently picked up the Kowa 554. It's not quite as good as the Kowa 664, but for the bulk and weight savings on steep, x-country, designated wilderness area hunting, the 554 makes sense.

Im very curious about your comparison between the two kowas if you wouldn't mind elaborating a bit--I think it is also relevant to the OPs question of the utility of a small spotter in the first place.

 

[jmden]

Im very curious about your comparison between the two kowas if you wouldn't mind elaborating a bit--I think it is also relevant to the OPs question of the utility of a small spotter in the first place.

Have only had the 554 for a few weeks but spent quite a bit of time squinting through both when right next to each other looking at the exact same thing (several times in different situations) at same a magnification and different magnifications.

The 664 gets the nod for light gathering and resolution and top end magnification, not a big surprise there. I've been a bit surprised to see how many times I've really used the 50-60x on the 664. I'd hoped for the 554 to be a little better than it seemed to me. Even with the pure fluorite crystal objective lens on the 554, the 55mm objective just, I guess, can't quite run with the light gathering and resolution a larger objective lens allows. The 664 was still just a bit better pretty much all around. But, like quite a few guys have said, for the size/weight/optics of the 553/554, if you are a backpack hunter, it is really hard to beat. So small and lightweight. It will be my first choice for steep, off trail wilderness hunts for sure.

I'm not any optical expert, so keep that in mind. I've got a buddy with the Swaro 65mm HD that I'm still waiting to get together with so we can compare all three side to side...

 

[Braaap]

Yes, absolutely worth it. I have the very little Kowa 501 which isn't fancy glass but still very useful. I will glass up deer at long distance I know are bucks with my Nikon HG 10×42's but it isn't until using the little spotter that I can see what they are exactly.