Love it. Page 1 of 2 - Kowa 12x56 XD Prominar initial thoughts (disappointing) - posted in Binoculars: I finally received my 12x56 XD Kowa Prominar yesterday. The 774 is a definite improvement across the board vs the 664 to my eyes. Click here to go to the home page and find out more. As a birder, hunter or nature observer, you know that it takes time to find that rare, crystal clear image of your subject. Brilliantly designed technical details in these scopes will be appreciated by the most extreme perfectionists. Here is my two spotters side by side. You are most welcome to register for an account, which allows you to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more. The cups are pretty rigid but soft enough to not cause ring marks around your eyes. In its entirety, Kowa offers 20 spotting scope models, but most are sold as body only.. For convenience, each size forms part of a series and you can choose either angled or straight body designs. Let’s take an indepth look at the latter…, Join 70,000 Readers For Our Weekly Discounts. Eye cups work amazingly. Multi-coated optical surfaces help to consistently max light transmission and sharpness as well as color constancy.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'gunnewsdaily_com-box-4','ezslot_9',113,'0','0'])); As long as this eyepiece mount is not open, this scope can withstand transitory immersion. If you’re looking for a fantastic light-gathering power via a 66mm objective lens, this model may be a great choice for your next spotting scope. and it's eyepiece have been discontinued by Kowa. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. You often pay for the name and with Swaro’s, whilst they are certainly amazing optics (and the really are) I always got the sense there is an extra price premium just so you can dangle them around your neck and show the world (if you have ever been to the Rutland bird-fair you will know what I mean). The 883 edged out my previous favourite scope (the now outdated Kowa TSN-823), both in looks and build and most importantly in absolute performance. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. https://www.juelich-bonn.com/jForum/read.php?9,445263,445309#msg-445309. With incomparable light throughput and extremely bright images, this scope also comes with Kowa’s signature Prominar XC low-dispersion fluorite glass. Other cookies, which increase the comfort when using this website, are used for direct advertising or to facilitate interaction with other websites and social networks, are only set with your consent. Over the years, spotting scope technology  have vastly  improved. This is possibly the highest score I have given a piece of gear. BirdForum is the net's largest birding community, dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE! Testing was carried out just after sunrise on a dull and overcast day. So that pretty much ruined my love affair with the Vortex Razor 65mm (although … The result is quite satisfactory, in particular since it comes with a very nice finish and build quality and with impeccable mechanics. There is very little, if anything to dislike about them and I am pretty sure they will become my main pair of larger binoculars for many years to come. A micro-comparison (in german) with the Vixen SG 6.5×32 (see separate post) can be found here: https://binocular.ch/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Kowa-BD-II-32-a.jpg, https://binocular.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/WEBLOGO.png. Kowa TSN-773 77mm Spotting Scope. The TSN-883 scopes weigh just under 54 ounces and are made with Kowa’s environmentally-friendly Eco-Glass. You are most welcome to register for an account, which allows you to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more. There was a time when widefield 6x or 7x binoculars had a fair share of the market. As always, the 770 series is made with Kowa’s metal-free Eco Glass process. The series features a dual focus mechanism as well as an eyepiece locking system. So firstly thanks to Kowa for the lend on my recent Africa trip. The TSN-600 spotting scopes are extremely compact and come with 60mm objective lenses. The TSN-500 is 50mm of ultra compactness and a weight as light as a feather. Whether the arrival of binoculars such as the 6.5×32 Kowa BD II in 2019 represents the proverbial “silver lining on the horizon” is unknown. Followers of me and my gear know I am a big fan of the 10×25 compacts from Kowa. The fluorite crystal objective lens is multicoated in a polycarbonate body and with an eye relief of 16.5mm at 15x and 16mm at 45x, they’re completely eyeglass-wearer friendly! The Swarovskis were a touch brighter, but they are the bigger x42 model with a brighter spec so that is to be expected. The TSN-773/774 coatings allow for a higher reflectivity than with silver or aluminum glaze. There are most definitely some that may be a fraction better but you will page a huge premium for that last 2% improvement, especially with what are classically called the ‘alpha’ brands. If I am spending this kind of money on binoculars I expect them to be well made, perform very well and last me practically a lifetime. In 1952, the electronics and optics division of Kowa commenced the production of their line of high quality spotting instruments. Good CA control, good image brightness, with distortion characteristics that cause a bit of a globe effect but not too bad, the little Kowa is a pleasure to use. Kowa Sporting Optics - 20001 S Vermont Ave, Torrance, CA 90502 - Rated 4.7 based on 10 Reviews "Dropped my 20 yr old scope; it broke in half. It was not a night conducive to astronomical observation; it was completely clouded over, just like any night over the last two weeks. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It. The lack of chromatic aberration is certainly the best I have seen, that is to say virtually non existent even when looking for it. Compact at 12.5 inches long the 773/774 models feature a focus knob system for precise focusing and an added lock eyepiece. That doesn’t happen often. Top binocular manufacturers consistently offer the best optical instruments on the market and generally sell their own line of spotting scopes. Fixed-magnification Kowa Eyepieces for Kowa 82 mm Spotting Scopes are smaller and sharper than zooms and make a great compliment to your repertoire. Known by birders as one of the best birding scopes, they feature a large 88mm objective lens that delivers the most precise light to one’s eye. Not cheap and certainly in the pricey range, but they at least keep up with and sometimes surpass the alpha brands costing much more. I rated those the joint best from all the brand’s compact models I tried and I tried all the brands. The 774 is the last spotting scope I’ll purchase, no need for anything else. I’ve not looked through the larger kowa. “Spot on” for beginners, The TSN-600 scopes are adaptable for digiscoping. To my eye, in comparison to the far more expensive Swarovskis the Kowas actually surpassed them in pretty much every way and still leave some change in your pocket. if you don’t like green your are out of luck. Let us hope so! Waterproof: yes At any rate, the new little Kowa would be a good starting point for the revival of widefield, low magnification binoculars. • In short: Binomania will receive,directly from Japan, some units of the new Kowa BDII Prominar to be tested. You are paying more for the quality but not an additional premium for the name. GND is community supported. But despite the large 77mm lens, the TSN-770 scopes are still on the small size at 12.0-12.5 inches long. Click here to go to the home page and find out more. The glass is spectacular with best in class chromatic aberration control, outdoing binoculars much more expensive. to spec): 17 mm No need to grip them with an iron fist as they won’t slip from the hand and more importantly they stay put on the dashboard as Patrick (good friend and guide in the Mara) does his best to eject me and my gear out the side of the car when we spot a Leopard in the distance. Kowa’s Prominar line includes models utilizing pure fluorite crystal to achieve optical components elusive with glass. BirdForum - The net's largest birding community, dedicated to wild birds, BirdForum is the net's largest birding community, dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE! Useful eye relief (measured from rim of eyecup): 14.5mm This is hands down, the best focus ring I have ever used. There have been no flash embellishments to attempt to look high tech or stylish for the sake of it. Kowa BDXDII 6.5x32 vs Vixen Atrek 6x30, Nikon AE 7x35, Zeiss FL 7x42, Kowa BD 8x42 with XD real compared Zeiss Conquest HD and Nikon Monarch 7, Kowa BD XD Prominar 8x32... for reading texts. Eye relief (acc. Measured at 12.3 inches in length and made of magnesium alloy, this reliable and durable scope can offer you a wide or versatile viewing angle. Crystal clear, bright and after pulling out all the sneaky tricks to see some chromatic aberration (the distracting colour fringing along the edges of high contrast edges that you don’t want) I could see literally none. That scope should have no problem with bullet holes to 250 yards at all. There are many brands that may offer slightly better value in terms of nearing the performance of these and being cheaper. Besides being lightweight, it features a lower price which may appeal to a broader customer range. You are most welcome to, Binoculars, Photography, Digiscoping, Art & Equipment. I tested Kowa at high power 270x. The TSN-501 is less than 10 inches in length and weighs just under a pound. Well how did they do, especially against the big hitters? Bright and clear high-contrast images are delivered to you by an impressive zoom range which also draws your subject in for more detailed observation. All TSN-880 scopes are made with Kowa’s heavy metal-free Eco-Glass process. Followers of me and my gear know I am a big fan of the 10×25 compacts from Kowa. These truly unique spotting scopes from Kowa are the first models smaller than the TSN-880 scopes and feature pure fluoride crystal objective lenses. Kowa Optical has done it again–the Kowa TSN-502 spotting scope is so small and light, you’ll be able to carry it anywhere, at anytime. Spotting scopes have incredible magnification built within a light construction. Are you seeking close up views of your next nature sighting? Very comfortable and perfect eye relief for me (this is a very personal opinion as everyone’s face is different). Both produce excellent lunar/planet image. Extremely bright at twilight, only bested by larger pairs of similar quality. Your IP: 172.105.113.172 Well due to some missed sightings in very poor light on one of my trips I decided to accept the bigger size and weight and get a pair of larger bins. Water/fog proof, great field of view and the like. Shorter one (Kowa TSN-883) yields 40x-96x with Kowa TE-11WZ zoom eyepiece and 1.6x extender. No one seems to do this so perhaps it doesn’t work well? As well built as any binocular you will find. The Kowa Genesis 33 the best kept secret in premium midsize binoculars. Established in 1894, Kowa has produced state of the art optical equipment. Both scopes are completely waterproof and fogproof and weigh in at around 26 ounces and 11.8 inches in length. I’ve owned both the kowa 664 & 774. Kowa BDII XD 6.5x32 OR The Maven B.3 6x30 ?? https://www.juelich-bonn.com/jForum/read.php?9,445263,445309#msg-445309, Your email address will not be published. This time of the Kowa 8×33 Genesis binoculars. Choose your eyepiece in wide, long eye relief scopes and zoom. Just like the TSN-883, the TSN-884 uses PFC (Pure Fluorite Crystal) glass, which significantly minimizes chromatic aberration.