Swarovski ATC or STC feedback

[schmidty3]

My opinion is likely contrary to most. I'm also not a super seasoned spotter guy.

I used the stc on a mule deer hunt 2 seasons ago. I found the eyebox to be shit. Unusable past 25x with a magview on. I had to remove it so I could get my eye closer into the optic....to wit the large eyepiece would hit my brow. So I had to contort my head in a strange way which was very uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just a Neanderthal.

Over 30-35x it was difficult to use (eyebox/face issues as well).

I found my maven b2 11x binos way easier to use for finding critters at all ranges when compared to the 17x.

And the deer I was watching were at 1-2 miles. Which the stc wouldn't quite give me enough juice to really analyze the racks...not that I really care...but the one I ended up shooting I thought was a giant 2 point...turned out to be a 5x5 (lots of lil crabs).

So I sold it and got a kowa 66 to distinguish the optical use further from the binos and to try a different eye piece.


Now my unit may have been weird. Don't know. It's the only swaro I've ever looked through. If it was standard, and your current Swarovski eyepiece works with your face shape then your experience may be much better then mine. But damned that thing just felt like it was fighting me the whole time.

 

[littlewood75]

My opinion is likely contrary to most. I'm also not a super seasoned spotter guy.

I used the stc on a mule deer hunt 2 seasons ago. I found the eyebox to be shit. Unusable past 25x with a magview on. I had to remove it so I could get my eye closer into the optic....to wit the large eyepiece would hit my brow. So I had to contort my head in a strange way which was very uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just a Neanderthal.

Over 30-35x it was difficult to use (eyebox/face issues as well).

I found my maven b2 11x binos way easier to use for finding critters at all ranges when compared to the 17x.

And the deer I was watching were at 1-2 miles. Which the stc wouldn't quite give me enough juice to really analyze the racks...not that I really care...but the one I ended up shooting I thought was a giant 2 point...turned out to be a 5x5 (lots of lil crabs).

So I sold it and got a kowa 66 to distinguish the optical use further from the binos and to try a different eye piece.


Now my unit may have been weird. Don't know. It's the only swaro I've ever looked through. If it was standard, and your current Swarovski eyepiece works with your face shape then your experience may be much better then mine. But damned that thing just felt like it was fighting me the whole time.

I appreciate the opinion. Thanks for commenting.

 

[schmidty3]

I appreciate the opinion. Thanks for commenting.

If the eyepiece and eyebox worked for you...

I could see the stc being very useful for detail griding the shadows from 1000 yards to 1 mile.

 

[littlewood75]

If the eyepiece and eyebox worked for you...

I could see the stc being very useful for detail griding the shadows from 1000 yards to 1 mile.

I have the STX 95. The eye box works fine for me on that. Supposedly the eye box is the same as the STC. I use 14s for the gridding and the a spotter for confirming when I see something. For what I want this spotter for it will be fine. I'll always grab the 95 when I need to get serious about judging animals. The STC will be more for spring time outings.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Grab either one that works best for you; if you are open to it, also look at the new Kowa 55x (better eye piece than the 553/554 which was still really good). Note: I only use spotting scopes for confirmations and not "glassing".

These mini alpha scopes are money for their intended use. They'll give you 90%+ of a 65 at a fraction of the weight; my 554 is 1/2 the weight of my STX 65. Since I bought a Kowa 554, my STX 65 rarely comes out of the safe. My friend whose ATC I used for comparison (next paragraph) has parted ways with his STS 65 as he no longer needs it.

I was able to compare the ATC with my 554 for a week in Mexico last year while chasing Coues and javelina. For my eyes, it was a toss up on which one was "better". We had some nasty weather and the ATC and 554 were still fully functional while the larger spotters (BTX 95 and STX 95) vibrated too much from the high winds to be of use.