Was a Swaro Spotter worth it?

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I sold my Razor spotter. I am saving up for a Swaro. All you Swarovski guys out there, was it worth it? Would you do it again?

 

[Mtnmilsurp]

I bought a 20-year old non-hd swaro spotter from the Rokslide classifieds and I think it beats comparably priced new spotters from other companies.

 

[PathFinder]

Yes. My used STS 65 was only $1350. The $1000 Razor and $600 Viper HD I had before it were useless paperweights in comparison.
Having compared 85+mm X series spotters and BTX to my STS...those will be worth another bump up in price too.

 

[JNDEER]

I have a gen1 razor 65 and and STM HD 65.

Unless you are looking at the last 5-10 minutes of light or the first 5-10 minutes of light OR you need to have the edge of the FOV as crisp as the middle (glassing with a spotter) I am comfortable saying the jump between my two spotters is NOT as significant as you may read on forums.

IF you want to count the inches on eye gaurd's or tine lengths then you need the BEST spotters money can buy, however if you want a good image of an animal the razor works just fine for me.

 

[snowymtnwolf]

Yes it’s worth it but every situation is diff

Sometimes for long distance low light the swaro absolutely shines. Other times in clear daylight. Not too far off. You can get away with using many different brands of glass.

For me - swaro is my insurance policy when I’m not in ideally conditions - looking far off - and the stakes are high with giant elk or mule deer in the area


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[handwerk]

yes, I moved from and old Leica 65 which was good, to a STS 65 HD w/25-50 and saw a noticeable improvement.

 

[Maverick1]

I sold my Razor spotter. I am saving up for a Swaro. All you Swarovski guys out there, was it worth it? Would you do it again?

Depends. On several variables.

 

[Steve O]

Unless you are coming from a Zeiss or Leica, yes it is worth it.

 

[dreamingWest]

I enjoy all my Swaro glass, ATX included. They all have remarkable contrast in low light which I think is why hunters gravitate towards Swarovski. The cost of ownership also seems quite low considering resale.

 

[Brian Fahs]

Swaro resale value is at the top of the heap. Wait for a good deal in the classifieds, your investment will probably outperform your 401k

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Change it from "Swaro" to "alpha".

I am happy that I bought my STX 65/95 and it has served me very well. But I'm also happy that I bought my Kowa 554.

I'd look at all alpha spotters and see which one(s) work best for you. I could do all Kowa flourite spotters and be good to go.

 

[CCooper]

IMO this is the one category where the cost is worth it if you use your spotter a lot. For instance, most times my buddies Razor UHD bin's don't give up much to my EL's especially handheld. His Razor spotter on the other hand is a whole other story in comparison to my STX 85. There are very noticeable differences in resolution, color contrast, and low-light useability on game at distance. Sometimes the difference may be " I think it's a buck" versus "It's a 4x3".
In addition, I see many people buy a high-end spotter and throw it on a cheap tripod. I didn't know what I was missing until I hooked mine on a RRS 34L.

 

[dapesche]

Just posted in the kowa thread. Don't rule of kowa. Top notch.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?url=https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/287081/#post-3274477&share_tid=287081&share_pid=3274477&share_fid=45046&share_type=t&link_source=app

some pics of our 2023 sheep with the kowa 883. Some were with the extended and some were not.
then a couple close ups of the horns.

Sent from my SM-S901W using Tapatalk

 

[willidru]

Yes, worth it all day

 

[5MilesBack]

If you're talking about the X series spotters, then I would have to say yes. But was it worth it to me to replace my STS HD 65 with the Meopta S2? Yes, that was a bump up in clarity at all power levels.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I went from a Vortex (middle of the road, not the Razor) to STX before my moose hunt. I had to judge 50" or 4 brow tines and wanted every advantage I could get. I would do it again ten times out of ten. Even on a rifle range at 100 yards in normal daylight the difference in the image is significant. I realize I am sort of comparing apples to poverty with these two scopes, but I'm learning as I age that I could have had really nice stuff earlier in life if I didn't try to incrementally improve my optics multiple times.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Swaro - buy once, cry once. Great glass and great investment.

 

[HuntCrazy]

all day everyday....

 

[ND_Hooligan]

I run a Kowa but not here to debate brands. To me it is well worth it to buy premium glass on the spotter. Yes, you may only gain 10-15 minutes during the beginning and 10-15 minutes during the end of the day but I'd say a high percentage of the animals I spot are during those crucial first and end of light moments when my hunting partner has already put his "good enough" glass away because he can no longer see.

 

[6.5x284]

Depends how much disposable income you have and how much you use it. I love watching animals but if I’m honest I think my Meopta Meostar S2 was every bit as good as my STX, APO, and 88S. Once you get to a quality spotter, you’re don’t even see the differences until the last minute or two of light. If I have the money alpha all day. If I’m just starting out in life or have a new family, etc I’m buying a used STS or new Meostar and killing shit. I would 1000000% spend the money for alpha binos and a quality tripod before an alpha spotter (or any spotter). But a pretty great spotter doesn’t leave much off the table.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk