Swaro ATS vs ATX

[Doc Holliday]

Looking for my first spotter and wanting some advice

1. Is the difference in the ATS vs ATX kind of like the difference in SLC (awesome) vs. El Range (awesomer)? I don't personally care about the modular feature of the ATX.....is there anything night and day better about ATX over ATS? The price difference seems to suggest there is, but I'd like advice from folks who know more.

2. 65 vs 80?

TIA

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I spent about 3 months looking through and trying out different spotters last year. To my eye, there is a lot of difference between the two, more so than the SLC vs EL. I had the ATS 80 and the ATX 65 side by side for a few days and preferred the ATX, even with the smaller objective it was noticeably clearer. Now whether it’s worth the extra money and weight is another question, but it is a better scope by quite a bit. All that being said, I went with the Kowa 883.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

That Kowa is mighty impressive

 

[tdot]

I thought I read somewhere that the EL range has the same glass as the SLC? I know my EL's are certainly better then the Range's that I have looked through.

To my eye the ATX is definitely better then the ATS, but I really prefer the field flattening lenses. But to be honest, I'm not sure the weight and price difference is justified, if you aren't planning on using the modularity of the system. The Kowa is definitely worth looking at. I chose Kowa over the ATS series, until I looked through a BTX and that brought me over to Swaro.

65 if weight is a concern. 80 if you are digiscoping or concerned about first/last light.

 

[AKborn87]

I thought I read somewhere that the EL range has the same glass as the SLC? I know my EL's are certainly better then the Range's that I have looked through.

To my eye the ATX is definitely better then the ATS, but I really prefer the field flattening lenses. But to be honest, I'm not sure the weight and price difference is justified, if you aren't planning on using the modularity of the system. The Kowa is definitely worth looking at. I chose Kowa over the ATS series, until I looked through a BTX and that brought me over to Swaro.

65 if weight is a concern. 80 if you are digiscoping or concerned about first/last light.

Or the Kowa 77 over the ATS/ATX if you don't need the modularity?

 

[tdot]

Or the Kowa 77 over the ATS/ATX if you don't need the modularity?

I know there is alot of love for the 77 around here. Its been a few years since I've looked at them, but at the time I would have taken the 66 or 88 series, the 77's optics were too close to the 66 and the weight/size was too close to the 88. So for me it ended up an odd duck that did nothing well. I would have taken the 66 or 88 over the comparable ATS 65 or 80, no doubt. I'm not sure on the 77, but it would have been a tougher choice between that and the ATS80.

 

[tdhanses]

I would say the ATX is the number one spotter, maybe a tie with the Kowa 88 but the ATS isn’t in the top 3 or 4 for choices for me after having owned one.