Swarovski ATC 17-40x56mm Review, By Court Gordon

[WRO]

The RRS strap attachment works as well for the ATC/STC.

 

[loadsandlattes]

Just got ahold of an ATC. Good grief, this little guy is incredible. It will be a while before I can get it out west in the mountains and big country, but I have really enjoyed glassing across large agriculture fields with it here locally.

 

[Dirtriding4life]

Today I had an opportunity to spend a solid glassing session side by side with my STC and Kowa 774 at full daylight and again from evening till dusk. I only have the means to keep one scope so deciphering the positives and negatives of the spotters despite them being in different categories has been a challenge. I apologize I do not have a digiscoping setup for either yet to compare my findings.

Positives for the 774: Phenomenal light gathering allowing the 60x to be usable at full daylight, very comfortable eyepiece combined with the larger exit pupil makes for a comfortable viewing experience, the coarse and fine focus adjustment is easer to use without moving the scope,

Positives for the STC: FOV equally as wide as the 774 at comparable magnification, 1.5lbs lighter means I will be more likely to always bring it with me, fine details like rubberized armor and objective lens cover fitting inside the eyepiece cover are well thought out,

Overall I was very impressed with the STC when you compare the weight and form factor to the 774. However, even in perfect light the 77 outperforms the clarity and color of the STC at every magnification I would estimate by 20%. The 77 is so much more pleasant to spend time behind with less fatigue.

One note that I found interesting was that it was more fair to compare them at percentage of magnification range rather than putting both spotters at the same magnification. For example with both scopes at 30x the Kowa clearly showed more detail than the Swaro and was much brighter. If you compared the Kowa at 45x and the Swaro at 30x I found the clarity of the Swaro glass with larger exit pupil to help make up the difference providing a better image than at 40x even at full daylight.

I suppose I need to decide if the superior view is worth the extra 1.5lbs in my pack. I use a heavy tripod for shooting off of so there is no additional tripod weight to be saved with the lighter spotter for me. I think in most situations the STC would be sufficient considering I do most my glassing with binos, but I can imagine especially on a mule deer hunt the extra weight of the Kowa being worthwhile. Just thought I’d share my thoughts in case anyone else was thinking about the little ATC/STC.

 

[Dirtriding4life]

I wanted to add to my notes from yesterday that when you consider the weight to performance ratio the ATC/STC has a strong advantage over the Kowa 77. Say my subjective observation was that the Swaro has 80% of the performance of the Kowa at 40x and below yet the weight of the STC is only ~58% of the Kowa, it makes a strong argument for the little Swaro.

Most of this is me writing out my notes to compile my thoughts and decide which spotter to keep. If it helps someone else make a similar decision that’s great, but your eyes might see differently than mine.

 

[wyosteve]

Guess I'll throw this out for whatever it's worth, Picked up an ATC on Black Friday. I also have an STX 95. Took both of them on an aoudad hunt the end of January so I could compare a bit. Most of the glassing was a mile or less so can't comment on longer distances. But I found myself grabbing the ATC more often than the 95. Using them in daylight, meaning more than 1/2 hr. after dawn and 1/2 hour before dark, I found very little difference in light gathering. The field of view of the ATC is excellent despite the smaller objective. Eye relief is about the same on both. The ATC is just a joy to handle compared to the big 95. So, whether it's worth it for someone will depend on intended use as mentioned above. Both have their advantages, but I haven't found a disadvantage of the ATC yet. I imagine on a longer distance glassing situation or trying to count points or growth rings, the 95 would be better.

 

[loadsandlattes]

I got a phonescope in today, so figured I’d post some of the images for you guys to look at. The pictures were taken from inside my home, looking out the back windows. (You’ll probably see reflection, that’s what it is. Also my windows aren’t very clean, so keep that in mind.) I’ll try and get out this week to get some more pictures if anyone is interested.


This is at 17x and the home is 247 yds away


This is the roof of that home, 40x and same yardage


17x and 40x. This play house measured at 287 yds


These very dead potted plant is at 40x, and about 40 yds away. The tree is 51 yds, 40x.

 

[HuntWyld]

Marsupial gear made a mini spotting scope case for the ATC/STC line.

Angled Spotting Scope Case

Padded zippered case for your large angled spotting scope. Protect your investment during transportation with our rugged padded case to ensure your optics do not get damaged. MOLLE panels on both sides allow universal attachment and lash points. Medium fits most 65mm and 85mm scopes. Large...

www.marsupialgear.com

 

[wyosteve]

Thanks HuntWyld. I've been looking for one. Sure beats my old Crown Royal bag that I've been using!! lol.

 

[Corbin99]

Great review! I’ve been back and forth debating on a 65mm or the new ATC. This just gives me more reason to go take a good long look before buying.

 

[loadsandlattes]

Great review! I’ve been back and forth debating on a 65mm or the new ATC. This just gives me more reason to go take a good long look before buying.

I went back and forth a million times. I'd love to have the extra zoom on the ATC and they are priced so closely together - but when it comes to weight and bulk, the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze.

 

[Corbin99]

I got a phonescope in today, so figured I’d post some of the images for you guys to look at. The pictures were taken from inside my home, looking out the back windows. (You’ll probably see reflection, that’s what it is. Also my windows aren’t very clean, so keep that in mind.) I’ll try and get out this week to get some more pictures if anyone is interested.


View attachment 532205View attachment 532205This is at 17x and the home is 247 yds away

View attachment 532208View attachment 532210
This is the roof of that home, 40x and same yardage

View attachment 532213View attachment 532214
17x and 40x. This play house measured at 287 yds

View attachment 532217View attachment 532218
These very dead potted plant is at 40x, and about 40 yds away. The tree is 51 yds, 40x.

I’d love to see some more pictures when you get a chance to take it out some more. I currently run an old Leupold GR 12-40x60 HD and I’m not to impressed with it. It doesn’t hold clarity very well and the focus mechanism is way to stiff.

 

[loadsandlattes]

I'll see what I can do, Corbin. I would say that the little ATC does a very good job with clarity, even in lower light. It's a smaller objective, so you will still be outperformed by say - an ATX 65 or larger - but for my purposes it does just fine. I also am a pretty big fan of the focusing wheels. They operate smoothly and are easy to adjust for accuracy.

That said, I have peeped through a buddy's Kowa and the dual-knob focusing mechanism on those are slick as goose shit. Might be worth a look!

 

[Fun Guy]

I mentioned in another thread that I spent some time with the STC yesterday and thought it was outstanding . Besides the awesome glass and compact size, I was able to stand and hold it steady enough, with no bracing whatsoever, and read small font on a bank that was four hunderd yards away. I think the Swaro eyepiece makes all the difference as you don't have to be lined up perfectly to get a great picture. I'm going to pull the trigger on the STC for a bunch of reasons, including the fact that I could rip it out of my pack and be on an animal in two seconds without a tripod set up. On bow hunts I run a KDC tripod that weighs just eight ounces but I might just brace it off my pack sometimes as I think that would work well for short periods.

 

[Flatlander06]

View attachment 496156

Court Gordon cut his teeth as a young boy hunting backcountry wilderness areas utilizing horses. The lifestyle he was born into ignited his passion for wild places and it's now a major part of his life. He's a fireman by trade and runs a guiding and outfitting business in southern Oregon called Live Wild Outfitters. That allows him to spend about 100 days per year in the field across the West. Court is a husband, father, and a God-fearing man who is inspired by helping people enjoy wild places. You may have seen him posting in the forums as @HuntWyld

Please give him a warm Rokslide welcome and check out his first Rokslide review.

Swarovski ATC 17-40x56mm Spotting Scope Review

Great review. I am so torn on what spotter to go with! It's good to have options though! If anyone would suggest going with one of these over the other please let me know! I am looking at the Kowa 553, Swaro ATC, Swaro ATS 65, Kowa 773 and Kowa 883....I will also be packing Swaro EL 8.5x42 on my chest and 15x56 SLC's in my pack! Leaning pretty heavily towards the ATS just because of the Pros: weight and added magnification and cost relative to the other options I have listed...

 

[khuber84]

Man if swaro would make a decent mil grid ranging reticle for this new mini spotter they'd sell like mad. I'd have one for sure.

 

[TyBuck28]

Thanks for your detailed input, my little Razor spotter has definitely had me wanting more clarity. Might be time for a switch.

 

[Angel Haven Alaska]

Robby or Justin- WHAT IS THE BEST TRIPOD for the ATC. I am headed on a backpack stone sheep hunt. I really want the lightest and most sturdy for digiscoping. Thanks!

 

[Vinmate]

Awesome review thankyou

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

The RRS strap attachment works as well for the ATC/STC.

Are you referencing the RRS Cinch bino adapter? If so, that’s sweet!

 

[WRO]

Are you referencing the RRS Cinch bino adapter? If so, that’s sweet!

Yup, I just put a little plate on mine.


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