Swaro ATX 95 to the new Kowa 88A

[Pronghunter]

I’ll get pics up this weekend.
I figured I’d throw out some info for some “on the fence” for the upcoming scouting/ hunting season that may be torn between the two. I know there are other in-depth reviews so I’ll keep my observations short and to the point.
I spent 6 years with my Swaro 95. Been all over North America. I’ve compared it in depth to my Leica APO and Zeiss Harpia 95.
Each spotter had something over the other in some way or another.
Zeiss….optically became considerably darker as the mag was increased, but extremely bright in low light on lower mag range.
Leica had by far the most noticeable color pop. But edge resolution couldn’t compete with Zeiss or Swaro.
I’ve also compared with lesser models such as Meopta, Vortex, NF etc.
My only real complaint with my Swaro was the focus wheel. Without a fine focus, it made getting a pin sharp image difficult at times. Especially on a lighter weight tripod. Frustrating to say the least.

A few months prior to selling my Swaro 95, I picked up the new version of Kowas 88A along with the Neoprene case and the 1.6 extender.
Lots of worries from some about Kowa not having an Armored body. It’s definitely a non issue. Saves weight and the case completely takes care of that.
To get to the point here….
Optically, I noticed “almost” no difference no matter how hard I looked under any conditions. (Except a slight resolution difference in favor of the Kowa). a My hunting and shooting friends who spent considerable time behind the two along side me would agree.
Being the Swaro was 30-70 and the Kowa 25-60, the two were kept on the same mag when compared.
The two spotters matched in edge resolution, edge brightness throughout the zoom range.
Low light ability was a tie which says a lot with the surface or size difference between the 95 and 88. This was a little bit of a surprise for us.
It didn’t matter the conditions.
Also noticed no chromatic aberration whatsoever between the two. Even on the highest magnifications.
I mentioned earlier, there was a slight resolution difference. I believe it’s due to the fact the Kowa has the dual focus adjustment. Achieving the tack sharp image was a breeze with the Kowa. Not so much with the Swaro.
The biggest difference was weight, physical size, price, the and the ability to achieve a much sharper image faster with the Kowa.
All this at a smaller objective.
For me, the Kowa is a huge win.
I can’t see myself going back to a Swaro any time soon.

 

[Highlands Hunter]

Thank you for sharing your experience with these two spotters.

 

[dwhicker]

I had a very similar experience and ended up with the Kowa 88A as well and it is incredible. I’m not sure why Kowa hasn’t taken over the hunting industry at this point. They are better priced, the dual focus is heads and shoulders above any other barel focus on the market, and the clarity is as good if not better then the big 3 (Ziess, Swaro, Leica).


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[Brian Fahs]

Kowa does not disappoint in the spotter market.

 

[6.5x284]

Same here. Sold my STX for a 88S. I’d only run a Swaro if I needed modularity between obj or the BTX eyepiece now.


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[TriIceS]

Thank you very much for the detailed comparison. I am deciding between these two spotters and planning to make a purchase during the memorial day sale. This is very helpful.

Also, does anyone have any opinion about kowa 99 vs 88. How much optical improvement do we get for the weight and money?

 

[dwhicker]

Thank you very much for the detailed comparison. I am deciding between these two spotters and planning to make a purchase during the memorial day sale. This is very helpful.

Also, does anyone have any opinion about kowa 99 vs 88. How much optical improvement do we get for the weight and money?

If you’re just using the spotter from your truck or short hikes then the 99 may be worth it to you. For the type of hunting that I do the 88 is plenty big and already takes up enough room in my pack. When comparing side by side I found the 99 to be considerably bigger. You will get slightly better light transmission with the 99 but for me it wasn’t worth the extra size.

All of these have been taken in the last couple weeks through my 88A. The pictures don’t do the scope justice.


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[Pronghunter]

I actually was able to compare the 99 and the 88. The only difference I could personally see with the 99 was light at dusk but ever so slightly. Like I mean I had to go back-and-forth 10 or 15 times to see if I could even tell a difference. Other than that, I just can’t justify buying a 99 when the 88 is so much smaller and to my eye, almost no difference.

And I did forget to mention in the original post, the difference in the Kowa eye piece and Swarovskis is SUBSTANTIAL. It made me realize how much I did not care for the Swarovski eye pieces. The eye relief was horrible after getting behind the Kowa. I’d absolutely never go back.

 

[TriIceS]

I actually was able to compare the 99 and the 88. The only difference I could personally see with the 99 was light at dusk but ever so slightly. Like I mean I had to go back-and-forth 10 or 15 times to see if I could even tell a difference. Other than that, I just can’t justify buying a 99 when the 88 is so much smaller and to my eye, almost no difference.

And I did forget to mention in the original post, the difference in the Kowa eye piece and Swarovskis is SUBSTANTIAL. It made me realize how much I did not care for the Swarovski eye pieces. The eye relief was horrible after getting behind the Kowa. I’d absolutely never go back.

If you’re just using the spotter from your truck or short hikes then the 99 may be worth it to you. For the type of hunting that I do the 88 is plenty big and already takes up enough room in my pack. When comparing side by side I found the 99 to be considerably bigger. You will get slightly better light transmission with the 99 but for me it wasn’t worth the extra size.

All of these have been taken in the last couple weeks through my 88A. The pictures don’t do the scope justice.


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Thank you both for the inputs! The pictures from the 88 look so crisp and clear. I plan to use it mostly for from car and short hiking but I will have some overnight trips. I was thinking about sacrificing some space on overnight trips in order to have better optics in short hikes. (which I do a lot more often) But if it takes 10-15 times to figure out the difference between an 88 and a 99, it is not worth it for all the headaches of bringing a big optic on longer hikes.