@@BackwoodsPursuit My gosh, just to get that many together was a monumental task. not to say putting together this video. Thanks. still haven't decided. which would you buy if you had $4000 budget? I just sold my thermal Rifle scope so have some extra $$. live in Idaho lots of mountains. also I need to see bullet shots at over 1000 yards.
@@yanliliu4558 yes, it sure was! Took a couple years to put together! Check out the review over on the website as well...more detailed reviews over there on most of these in the review! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/ With that kind of budget, can't go wrong with the Kowa 88 or the Swaro. The Zeiss Harpia is also supposed to be amazing, but that's one of the few I couldn't round up for this project. Let me know what you decide and thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks man. Im leaning towards the Zeiss. although your review of the kowa has me wondering. I just wish i could take them out to try for myself.
@@yanliliu4558 any time! I'm sure the Zeiss is a fantastic spotter as well, but dang that Kowa is top notch, especially given it's lesser price point. Let me know what you end up getting!
Haven't had a chance to test if it holds zero, but mounts just fine and has nice clear glass. Centered vertically true to a plumb line with the crosshairs which is always a plus!It's a great th-cam.com/users/postUgkxc4K63Fd5LglDMObu7-Bgapxp_ef0W8hE scope. There's no parallax adjustment or focus ring, so may be limited to 3-7x, have to see how it is on the range. Also be aware that the rings are "look through" so you can still use irons, but they are really tall if you only intend to use the optics. On a 22LR no biggie since I'm not shooting competitions or worried about a hard cheek press. Will boresight and range test, if all goes well, I'll leave it at that!
So glad it was helpful for you! Let us know if you have any follow up questions as well. There's a ton of info over on the website as well, so definitely check that out too! Thanks for watching!
@@stephencadwallader5401 great question! Really the only category the Maven CS.1 topped the Athlon Ares was the weight. That would be the only reason I'd pick the Maven CS.1 over the Athlon Ares. Otherwise the Athlon was significantly better optically and about the same in build quality, focus wheel and eye cup functionality. My opinion anyways...take it for what it's worth 😁
This video was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone review so many scopes at once so I applaud you for that. My only question is why didn’t you add in a zeiss.? Again great video you all did awesome!
Thank you! I was a huge project! We tried to get some Zeiss in there, but unfortunately weren't able to. Currently working on testing the Gavia and Harpia though...stay tuned!
Thanks for the great comparison test. Most reviews on optics are so subjective, you've made this as objective as possible and by having that many scope and that many testers you eliminate a lot of name brand bias.
I bought a Kowa 553 off the recommendation of this review, I had never heard of Kowa before, I am very pleased with it. It is a excellent compromise between weight and features. Thanks
This was a great review. Wondering if you could do a complete 15-18x Bono review for those of us who prefer these to a spotter. Hopefully include the Vortex UHD with other Alphas. If Maven and others are available that would be great. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Thank you, Michael! Glad it was helpful. Yes, a bino review of the 15x -18x type of binos is definitely on the radar for the near future! We are finishing up a rangefinder bino review right now, and possibly after that 😁. Thanks for watching!
Well put together, non-biased review of current spotting scopes on the market. I also checked your channel and website and you're doing amazing job! Subscribed.
@@BackwoodsPursuit one question im very curios about, so im planning to buy a spotting scope online and i gotta ask, if these did come from online websites how was the packaging? excellent? i dont want mine to have minor dents or damage considering these cost alot so im kinda curios how they packaged most of these.
@@BackwoodsPursuit thank god, have you ever had a situation where it got broken or knocked the lens out a little and became blurry or any damages at all in the shipping process of the box in your whole experience of handling spotting scopes?
Excellent video covering the basics of what is needed to narrow down to a few choices for more in-depth research. I didn’t see any Nikons or Zeiss in that line up.
Thanks! Yeah, this video was meant to cover the basics with the article going into more detail. We tried to get as many brands as possible, but certainly had some missing from the lineup. Hopefully next time! Thanks for watching.
Good review ! I have the Kowa 884 and am happy with it . 5 years ago I lost the front lense cover and I called them they shipped me a new one for free ! Excellent warranty coverage. Also I tested the swaro atx and found it to "color " the image a bit - like turning up the color on your tv. To me it seemed artificial . The Kowa is neutral - more to my liking . JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH . The more the better is generally the rule in all optics . That extra little bit on the top end is expensive .
@@BackwoodsPursuit I kind of envy you - you were able to see and pick a "best " among $30,000 + worth of top end glass. I feel fortunate to have picked what I did. I did compare scopes from some top manufacturers before picking. Unfortunately the 100 mil. PENTAX is no longer available.
@@erniestoner8266 haha.....yeah, definitely fortunate to get to put this together. I didn't hate it😁. It was a fun project.... extremely time time consuming, but fun.
Hey there Joe. We didn't have the chance to include the Meopro in this review, but Meopta makes some great optics and they are a great value. The Meopta has a Fluoride objective lense (not sure they the eye piece glass, but I don't believe that it). None the less, from everything I've heard, it's a great spotter. Thanks for watching!
Talked you on New Years eve. You have no nonsense videos. I am looking at spotting scopes and tripods now. Wouldn't you know your video pops up. Keep em coming. Do you have any videos on tripods only. It would be super helpful.
Thanks for the feedback Dakota! Glad you've found the videos helpful! Check out the website for more in-depth reviews on all these spotters! backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/ Here's a review we did on tripods a while back. Might be helpful. backwoodspursuit.com/hunting-tripod-review/ Thanks and let me know if you have any other questions!
I am trying to decide between the sirui va-5 head and st-124 tripod or the slick cf-733 or similar with the field optics research fvh 300 or new 320. Which do you think would better suit my new 85mm razor? First time using any tripod or head for glassing. Any help or guidance appreciated!
Hey there William and thanks for watching! That Sirui VA5 is a great option! Would say it's the best of the ones you mentioned there. Slik makes a great tripod, just depends on if you want something packable and lightweight or more full size for glassing while standing. The FVH 300 is great too...I've got both that and the VA5, but I prefer the VA5 personally. Thanks for watching!
Hey there Matthew! Yeah, we tried to get as many as we could, but certainly didn't have all models in the review. The ATS is lighter than the ATX, but doesn't have quite the performance. It would likely fall somewhere in the area of the Maven S1.A as far as performance, but we'd have to put them side by side to really be sure. Thanks for watching!
Hey there! Thank you for the kind words. That would depend on your budget of course, but the Kowa 883 is tough to beat all the way around if the price tag is doable. The Maven is quite impressive as well in it's respective price category, or if you can step up to the Kowa 773, that's an amazing spotter. I'm also testing the Tract Toric and the new Athlon Cronus UHD Gen 2 right now, both of which are quite good for each of their respective price points. Thanks for watching!
How does the maven CS.1 compare to the ARES g2 15-45x65 and Razor HD 22-48x65? Glass quality and light transition are the most important factors. I can get a deal on a razor to bring it down closer to price of the cs2 so that’s why I’m curious on direct comparison. You didn’t mention the razor.
nice overview of the models ! however I was disappointed the review doesn't say a word about the field of view for each model. Which one are the widest with not much of a "tunnel" effect when looking into it ?
Hey there! Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback. Yeah, there are a lot of features and details I wasn't able to cover on these given that we 19 models to look over. We did put together a comprehensive review on the test results, which is published over on our website. Here is that link if you are interested! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Most of these have a similar magnification, so it really comes down to image clarity. Check out our in-depth article with rankings and more details here! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/ Generally the more you spend the better the image clarity gets. Then it comes down to budget and heat you'll be using not for. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I have not had a chance to try that one. Of the ones here in the video, that Kowa 553 is right along those lines at 27oz. It's incredible glass. Thanks for watching!
Thanks man! Glad the video was helpful. Yeah, definitely a lot of $ in glass right there! It was awesome to be able to put them all side by side for the testing. Thanks for watching!
Great video and good info. I’ve got a few additional questions. I’m mostly a whitetail hunter, but get back home to Texas to hunt a range of things. I will still need a spotting scope in some scenarios, up to 1000 yards. Should I save money for a top end 80 power scope? Is should I go with something smaller like a Maven S2 and a higher quality bino (right now I’ve got the Maven c.1 10x42 but would upgrade to a b series)? Have you checked out the new spotting scope by Tract Optics? Thanks
Hey there and thank you! Glad it was helpful. For only out to 1,000yds, I think you'd be just fine with one at 45x for a top end range. The high end glass is always gonna be better, but that Maven S2 is awesome. That Athlon Ares is dang good for the money as well(if you 2amt to save a bit). We did have Tract Optics in our bino rev(their spotter wasn't out when we did this review). Here's that link! Tract makes some great glass at a great price! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit have you been able to try out the S2? I can’t find any videos of it. Trying to find a comparison between sit and the CS.1. The price and magnification of the CS.1 is appealing, but the better glass of the S2 is as well.
@@rogerwalker3409 yes sir! We were able to test out that S2 alongside all these others! The S1.A is leaps and bounds better than the CS.1, but you'd expect that given the price difference m. If you can swing the S1.A, it's definitely worth it! Here is that review... backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/ Also, here is our review on the Maven S1.A which goes into even more details:. backwoodspursuit.com/s1-a-maven-spotting-scope-review/
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks. So the S2 is essentially the S1.A but in a smaller package? I know they describe them as all being in the S line, but wasn’t sure how close they are.
@@rogerwalker3409 oh shoot...I thought you meant the S1.A....not the S2. My mistake. I have not tried the S2 yet....but they say it is supposed to be the same glass as the S1.A. I can't say from experience though if it's as good. Sorry!
@KevinWood44 hey there! Thanks for the insight. I guess the thought behind that is given that the Kowa has a larger objective (88mm vs the 86mm of the Athlon), and given that the Kowa was much lighter than the others in its price and performance class, we considered that weight a "Pro". Optical performance is largely affected by the glass, and most of the time, the best performing optics are simply heavier because the extra performance requires additional glass to make that happen. Thanks for watching!
@@Дмитрий-э9ь9щ I've not tried the STR, but the body looks to be the same as the ATX. I'd have to call Swaro and see if there is any difference in the glass. Sorry!
Thanks Dillon! Yeah, that was a lot of fun testing them all out! If you can swing the extra for the Kowa 773, it's worth it, but if not, the Athlon is very very impressive!
Looks like the brand I'm waiting for isn't available yet, sir? 😟 namely visonking 30-90x100. When can I see a review of this Visionking brand, sir? please 🙏🙏🙏😟😟
Pretty sure the original zeiss diascopes still can match or beat anything available today. Wish you had the chance to test it. Only 51 oz too. Especially the 65mm diascope is incredibly good resolution and still better light transmission than any kowa, meopta, leica or swaro made today (slightly). But zeiss coatings allow so much blue light through that in low light 65mm scopes from zeiss match 80-85mm scopes from other brands. Meopta actually made the diascopes for zeiss under contract (they say made in Czech Republic on the bottom) but with zeiss coatings. The new meopta s2 is killer especially with the ultra wide 30-60 eyepiece. I can't imagine a kowa out resolving that s2 but could be wrong. Still it's clear even the wide angle kowa 25-60 eyepiece it doesn't have near the 66 degree afov of the meopta. Probably all the high end brands rock. Thanks for doing the work of the reviews
It's very hard to find extensive spotting scope comparison videos like this anywhere so thank you for this! Quick question, with the high end top performers was their a difference in digiscoping quality (either through phone or DSLR)? Would you recommend one of those to someone heavily interested in photography more than the other?
Hey there Mert! Thanks for watching. It was a pleasure putting this project together. As far as digiscoping, I only did a little bit of that with some of them with a phone Skope, so not really the same thing as a DSLR. Sorry I can't be more help that way, but I'd imagine you'd get great digiscoping results with any of the top performers!
I don't know why I watch all these glass reviews, when I already know I'm gonna buy another Vortex. Hard to beat the "buy one once, have it for the life of the company, no matter what happens to your glass" warranty. Sold me for life 10 years ago.
That's how all companies should be. I know I'm curious to see the other scopes but you're right, I'm getting a Vortex. I bought a Vortex Diamondback and it rivals my Hawke Frontier 30 FFP Scope for half the price. Can't imagine their other products aren't bad either.
Completely agree. Can’t beat the Vortex warranty. No questions asked and covers the optic regardless of the original owner. My Steiner scope has the same warranty. Others though say that they have a heritage type warranty but there is definitely fine print on what is covered. Whereas the Vortex can be passed down to your grandkid who bangs it against a rock, and they will replace it with the most recent model. Such low risk to go Vortex.
i know nothing about these but I'm looking for one. Thanks for going to all that effort giving us a rundown. Not sure of the prices yet but a just want a decant not too expensive one!!!
Thanks Chris! Yeah, lots of options here for sure! From what you stated, it sounds like that Athlon Ares 65mm would work really well for you! It's a great spotter for a great price! Thanks for watching.
Thanks! It was a lot of fun putting together! Personally, I'd take the Cronus UHD over the Razor HD after having them side by side. I thought the Cronus was clearer, better edge to edge, and better low light. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit btw can you send a picture of 1x zoom on any object far away and then use any of the high end 80+ mm spotting scope and zoom it 60x on that same object far away? i really need this information.
@@BackwoodsPursuit ill put my mail address and i will have to spell it weirdly or else youtube will mark my comment as spam and delete it, the adress is gg00gl mail and it's randylisbo.
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 hey there! You can jump on our website and check out article reviews of each of these spotters. There are phone skope pics through most of them on there already! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit i have a question, I've heard that the kowa tsn 773 is good when it's only 20 power or 30 or 40 power but once you zoom all the way to 60 power it starts to get dimmer and weaker?
Man, I don't know who the presenter is but man is he good at talking. I've made my own videos before and it's not easy trying to think and talk and cover everything a viewer is looking for. Nice job covering all of these. Have you guys noticed the eye piece or zoom getting easier to adjust after being used several times?
Thank you very much for those kind words Michael! Sometimes words come out better and more fluently than others lol! 3 years a experience has helped as well I suppose 😁 I haven't noticed the zoom mechanisms loosen with use on any of them. The eye pieces did tend to loosen with use though on a few of them.
@@BackwoodsPursuit honestly, is bushnell forge great for its price? and what do you think about razor HD vs bushnell forge? should i swing the extra cash?
@@captainmarshy223 thanks for watching! We all thought the Forge was good but not great. The Athlon Ares definitely scored better in our testing. The Razor HD Definitely has the edge over the Forge as well....better optical performance all the way around, but also more expensive. Hope that helps.
very detailed review, love it. For the Leupold SX-5, what type of tripod attachment did you use? I run a Sirui VA-5 head and came with a plate, but I'm not sure if it'd be compatible with the SX-5 spotting scope, which is arriving tomorrow.
Hey there Cole! That's a good question. We'd have to compare side by side to be 100% sure, but my guess would be somewhere around the Kowa 77. Thanks for watching!
I'm between the Leupold SX-5 Santiam 27-55x80 and the Vortex Razor 27-60x85. In the video the Leupold is ahead of the Vortex in the lineup (sitting next to it) but you did mention it's a few oz heavier. Is the extra 5 power zoom and extra 5mm in lens not an advantage at all for the Vortex? Better clarity with the Leupold? If you have a moment, could you explain the differences between the two and which you'd prefer. I don't have the opportunity around me to go see one in person so I'm buying blind and doing all the research I can!
Hey they're and great question David! I'd give the Santiam the edge in optical performance as well as build quality. The Leupold performed better in low light as well even though it has a smaller objective. I'll always take less zoom in exchange for more clarity personally too. Shoot me an email at backwoodspursuit.info@gmail.com if you want dive deeper into it as well! Thanks for watching!
Unfortunately the Toric spotter wasn't out just yet when we started this project, so we haven't had a chance to compare it. Need to though! Looks like a great spotter!
Hey there! Glad it was helpful. If you can swing the extra cash for the Kowa 773, I think it's worth it, but if not, the Athlon Cronus is fantastic. Thanks for watching!
@@xxzenooniixx3199 yeah, 27x is on the higher side for a low magnification, but it's not bad at all. Others like the Kowa ad Swaro ATX are 25-60, so very similar. I wouldn't worry about 27x as a low magnification personally. Thanks for watching!
Does anyone in your crew use the ATX 85mm for hunting? Do they backpack in? I have an old kowa and it's fantastic but it gets dark at 60x. I need a better oe and I have the 65mm stx and I'd not leaps and bounds better than my 663ED. So I need to go up to either the 773, 883 or the 85 atx. Weight and size is a consideration for me, but it's also a buy once, cry once situation ... What are you thoughts? thank you.
Yeah man...that's the tension for sure. The weight of an 85mm+ for the extra light gathering vs the weight savings of a 55mm or 65mm. I personally prefer to have a smaller 55mm for elk hunting. If I can't tell if it's a bull at 45x, it's probably too far to get to that day. However, I always take the larger one for mule deer hunting. I do pack the 88mm around backpacking and day hunting...it's doable. After doing this it was tough to decide between the ATX 85 and the Kowa TSN 88 as they were so very close, but the Kowa is a lot less expensive (but not modular). If you've got the 65mm ATX, picking up the 85 objective is a no brainer. If not, the Kowa TSN 88 actually beat put the ATX is several categories, so it's hard not to go with the Kowa at it's price point. Swaro is incredible though and you'd not be disappointed with it for sure. Both do lose light gathering at 60x though as they all do because of the exit pupil getting smaller at higher magnification...no way around that. But, the ATX 85 and Kowa TSN 88 we're the two best of the group in our humble opinions. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit I might be cornered into a 85atx due to the cost to return my 65atx. If I decide to return it, I think the 773 or 883 is what I want. I'd be using up here in BC for bear, mtn goat and sheep hunts. I hunt thick country so binos are good enough for elk. So for longer distances is the 773 ok at 60x or does it darken. No doubt the 883 is larger, and better but is it too chunky to toss in a pack? I think I'd prefer the 883 but the size is a concern... I have a SG 7900 for big hunts so there'd be room... Appreciate your help as you've had your hands on all these spotters.
@@matthewpeschke that sounds like a good plan. Really the 883 isn't much bigger than the 773, and I took the 883 with me on several backpack hunts with a 4k pack. It's not noticably bigger than the 773, just a slightly larger taper towards the bell, everything else is the same, and only 6oz more. That's why I went with the 883 and the 553 combo. Pretty much covers everything I'll ever need. If you can only get one though, the 773 is the best of both worlds. Only real optical difference we could tell between the 893 and 773 was a slight edge in low light performance, and ever so slight edge of the 883 in clarity...but it was negligible. Hope that helps!
@@matthewpeschke oh...and the 773 doesn't darken any more than the 883 at 60x that we could tell., with the exception of better low light performance of the 883 as you'd expect.
I'm curious as to why the Pentax PF-80ED Spotting Scope was left of the list. An exceptional scope and still is I would have been interested in yours and the others input. Many years ago I had the chance in the field to look through most of all the top scopes-old and new. Maybe 2007 it was. Swarovski to my eye was the best but as you say maybe it was just splitting hairs. Vortex did not have a scope then and I have never heard of the Meopta but am very seriously looking at it now instead of getting the Pentax again. It's damn hard to beat for the money. Nice review and much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time
Hey there and thanks for the feedback! We tried to include as many as possible, but definitely a few that we wished could have been in there! The Meopta is a fantastic spotter and a great value. You wouldn't be disappointed! The Kowa 773 and 883 are a couple others that are definitely worth a look. Here's our full review if interested! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@lmbear "Shame on them"?!?!? They did a review on 19 different scopes man. Feel free to go get that many and do it yourself. That's the epitome of narcissism. God forbid the internet doesn't give you exactly what you want, for free.
Oh man... though decision and would depend on what style of hunting you do the most of. The massive weight difference makes the Kowa so attractive, and it's amazing glass, but the Swaro gives you more zoom and much better field of view. If you don't mind the weight and twice the price tag, the Swaro is amazing...but, the combination of weight and value(not to mention the Fluorite glass of the Kowa is unbeatable. The Swaro is only marginally better, but if money and the weight is no object and you could use the extra magnification, it's probably the better option. If you backpack hunt...the Kowa is the no brainer. That's a long answer to your question lol!🤣🤣
I appreciate the in depth coverage on all these scopes. Your review was so superficial and really told me nothing of consequence. I just need to clearly see .22 caliber holes at 300 yards during low light conditions, say, in the evening of a cloudy winter day. Why is this benchmark so hard to to hit for reviews?
Thanks for watching Brad. Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for. If you check out the more in-depth article over on the website, we covered a lot more than we were able to in the video. backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks for the reply. I'll check that out. I'm amazed at the lack of coverage on the issue of being able to clearly see bullet holes at range. I'd think for shooting this would be covered. It's not, typically. You get all the info on the weight, the price, the shell material, the tripod type, the overall feel of the scope, but I've yet to see an article do a scope shootout on being able to resolve bullet holes at range. If you happen upon one, you should link it! Thanks again.
@@bertecrabtree yeah, I hear ya. We didn't test for viewing bullet holes in the review, but we tested and ranked them all in the field side by side on animals up to a couple miles away in good light, all the way to past dark to try to find which ones do the best in various conditions. Thanks Brad!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Yeah, thanks for that reply. I'm aware of the quality of glass that happens after you spend $1700. It's a game changer. And being able to identify and track animals in low light is important, especially when you factor in lower quality glass on budget optices and how you get color separation and blurring of the image at max zoom. So I'd think a category of testing for bullet hole resolution at ranges 200+ yards would be an ideal test to determine what glass is resolving enough to 'see' bullet holes when considering objective lenses from 60-100 millimeters in diameter. I'll be paying attention to your channel to see what new things you guys upload. Thanks for the replies. Good on ya.
Thanks! We are testing the new Gen 2 Cronus right now and will have a review shortly! So far very impressive its optical performance. Thanks for watching!
Hello there. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get my hands on the Nikon Monarch 82ED for the review so can't comment on that one. Hopefully I'll get chance to soon! Thanks for watching!
I have owned a Swarovski and Bushnell Elites and Leupold SX5 Santiam and going to try the Meopta S2 20-70x next. Have an Optolyth a dealer screwed me over that has artifacts in the lenses and wouldn't refund my money on. Brand new straight out of the box with all kinds of junk inside the glass looks like a hell of a lot of bug splatters on your windshield and impossible to see through.
Those are both great! The Athlon spotter require an arca plate as their "foot" if you will isn't arca. Not a huge deal, but something to note. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit sorry if I talk alot here but my life savings of 1500$ over 5 years sparks alot so I am being Very careful to get the absolute best spotting scope in that category decided thanks to this review. I'm going to get the athlon cronus UHD 20-60x and if that's unavailable I'm ganna swing the extra cash for maven final desicion. What really got me thinking is the reviews for clarity from 40-60x like in the vortex I observed that people complained about its quality on a BIG drop from 40-60x compared to the athlon cronus UHD which is said to have little clarity drop and is sharp almost all the way. Did you notice that in some of these spotting scopes?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 no problem man! It's a huge decision, especially when you've been saving for years! Congrats! I'd say you would be happy if you did the little extra for the Maven S1.A. The Athlon Cronus is incredible as well, particularly for it's price point. It's tough to find right now though from what I've seen. Here's a link to the Maven if you do decide to go that route. bit.ly/3bIDDf4 Both the Maven and the Athlon have very little loss of clarity at higher magnification, and the Maven has less than the Athlon (but also only goes to 50x vs the 60x of the Athlon). Let me know what you decide! Let me know if you have any other questions!
@@BackwoodsPursuit got last 2 questions first is, who got all these spotting scopes? I mean where they paid? And second is I'm also a bit curious as to why alot of people complain about the athlon ares 65mm zooming in at 30-45x is so Dark and needs more light, is that true?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 we weren't paid by any company for the review....all testers were volunteers. Yeah, given that the Ares we tested has 65mm objective, your exit pupil gets pretty small at higher magnification, so you are going to lose light. Hope that helps!
Hey there Peter! Unfortunately we weren't able to get our hands on Leica and Zeiss for this...we tried but inventory was tough. Next time hopefully! Thanks for watching!
Hey there! That's a great suggestion...thanks! In the mean time, here is the review article with all the names and a lot more detail than was in the video. Thanks for watching! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Pretty sure the original zeiss diascopes still can match or beat anything available today. Wish he had the chance to test it. Only 51 oz too. Especially the 65mm diascope is incredibly good resolution and still better light transmission than any kowa, meopta, leica or swaro made today (slightly). But zeiss coatings allow so much blue light through that in low light (when blue light takes over) a 65mm scopes from zeiss matches 80-85mm scopes from other brands. Meopta actually made the diascopes for zeiss under contract (they say made in Czech Republic on the bottom) but with zeiss coatings. The new meopta s2 is killer especially with the ultra wide 30-60 eyepiece. I can't imagine a kowa out resolving that s2 but could be wrong. Still it's clear even the wide angle kowa 25-60 eyepiece it doesn't have near the 66 degree afov of the meopta. Probably all the high end brands rock but some of these eyepieces are still way better than others. Thanks for doing the work of the reviews
Great video. It would help your business to watch project farms TH-cam channel and model how he uses charts for data from his tests in his videos. Also if you had video through the scopes to overlay into your review would be great. So we could see the difference you talked about splitting hairs, a picture is worth 1000 words Great video I just think if you want to make more money and get thumbs up, likes and subscribes you just need a tiny bit of a mature video editing. Lots of guys do it on the internet for cheap too. It can be outsourced. Also it would be cool if you welded a 20' long stand/bench to mount all the scopes on instead of the 20 tripods.
Thanks for the suggestions Virgil. We did do some individual videos and review articles(over on the website backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/) on many of these spotters, which have some video through a phoneskope and pictures as well. Thanks for watching and the suggestions!
@@BackwoodsPursuit well thanks for putting in the work. I know I really appreciate it. Looking forward to bino test, on the fence about a few and trying to decide if rangefinding bino is worth it
@@BackwoodsPursuit No, thanks for the info. At least gave me an idea of what to consider. Been getting into long range and just bought a 6.5CM Howa to take to the 1 mile range a couple hours from me. would you consider doing a poor mans spotting scope roundup? That would be awesome for broke folks like me
@@pootinplays absolutely! Sounds like a great time at the range! I'll have to think about another spotter roundup on less expensive stuff. From my experience, once you get under that $500 price point, image clarity gets pretty rough.... about not worth taking the spotter. But, I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in that review. Thanks for the idea!
@caesar5555 hey! Yeah, thay would be pretty tough to do on 19 of them without the video being insanely long. We try to do the side by side digiscoping in our revies that feature fewer optics. Thanks for watching!
Anyone ever compared an Alpen Shasta Ridge model 788 to anything else? Been wandering how they preform for the money. Thanks in advance for and responses from anyone that has any in person experience with them!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks for the response! I keep wandering about it cause I keep seeing where it won best value awards in outdoor life magazine for a long time so was just curious as it's not a seemingly super well advertised and explored brand.
@@BackwoodsPursuit in high humidity areas, say 85%, does the moisture content fade out real long distance spotting anyway? Think it would defeat the advantages of super high end optics for long range? Not sure what part of the country you're in.
@@jackle842000 that's a great question. I'm in Idaho, so we are pretty dry here most of the time. Anything in the air though will degrade the image quality (smoke, heat waves etc). We don't have 85% humidity here to test that lol! Thanks for watching though!
You have a huge amount of glass and spent a long time going through them. Then you humbug the tale of the tape, because there’s a lot? Why look at so many then? Maybe do a video on each sub group size and be more specific.
Thanks...yeah, we had a lot to go through. Certainly could have broken it down into subcategories (we did that with our big bino review). But...we went into a ton more detail in the article over on the website! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/ Thanks for watching!
What's really impressive is the fact that guys can be talked into paying MULTIPLE THOUSANDS of dollars for any of these without too much effort. If you make less than 140k annually and you're spending multiple thousands of dollars on a spotting scope, you are a fool.
@Backwoods Pursuit Yes, they can be cheaper. Sadly, there's a sucker born every minute willing to overpay. When that "good credit" runs out, there'll be hell to pay. If I'm spending 3 to 4 thousand on a spotting scope, I BETTER BE able to see GOD'S face each time I look through it.
Yeah, unfortunately, spotters aren't cheap, but there are certainly tons of options below $1000. That women a whole separate review in and of itself. Thanks for watching!
Hey there Johny! Yeah, for this one more of an overview, but we did some looks through a number of them in individual video, as well as individual review articles on most of the over on our website. Check those other videos out here on the channel, as well as those articles for more details! backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/
this is not good.. all you did was line all these up and talk about how they are the same. you didnt talk abuot anything about shooting or what spects they have or anything. or ahow they work or the what one is better or what one does better then the other.. all you did was show the 19 spotter scops you have.. this was not good lacks any real information.. seems like you just got talking points from the manuel
Thanks for the feedback. Tried to keep it from being too long, so the full review details with how they ranked side by side and pros/cons of each in detail are in the review article on our website....backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/ We also put together some even more detailed reviews on them individually on the website...backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/ Let me know if that's helpful! Thanks!
Impressive line-up. Thanks for the review! I've never seen anybody line up that many different brands and models before. Nice job!
Thank you Richard! It was a monumental task, but so awesome to put them all side by side in the same conditions, with 14 different guys giving input!
@@BackwoodsPursuit My gosh, just to get that many together was a monumental task. not to say putting together this video. Thanks. still haven't decided. which would you buy if you had $4000 budget? I just sold my thermal Rifle scope so have some extra $$. live in Idaho lots of mountains. also I need to see bullet shots at over 1000 yards.
@@yanliliu4558 yes, it sure was! Took a couple years to put together! Check out the review over on the website as well...more detailed reviews over there on most of these in the review! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
With that kind of budget, can't go wrong with the Kowa 88 or the Swaro. The Zeiss Harpia is also supposed to be amazing, but that's one of the few I couldn't round up for this project. Let me know what you decide and thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks man. Im leaning towards the Zeiss. although your review of the kowa has me wondering. I just wish i could take them out to try for myself.
@@yanliliu4558 any time! I'm sure the Zeiss is a fantastic spotter as well, but dang that Kowa is top notch, especially given it's lesser price point. Let me know what you end up getting!
Haven't had a chance to test if it holds zero, but mounts just fine and has nice clear glass. Centered vertically true to a plumb line with the crosshairs which is always a plus!It's a great th-cam.com/users/postUgkxc4K63Fd5LglDMObu7-Bgapxp_ef0W8hE scope. There's no parallax adjustment or focus ring, so may be limited to 3-7x, have to see how it is on the range. Also be aware that the rings are "look through" so you can still use irons, but they are really tall if you only intend to use the optics. On a 22LR no biggie since I'm not shooting competitions or worried about a hard cheek press. Will boresight and range test, if all goes well, I'll leave it at that!
Thank you!
This could not have come at a better time for me! The lack of spotter comparison videos on the tube is huge. Thanks for doing this
So glad it was helpful for you! Let us know if you have any follow up questions as well. There's a ton of info over on the website as well, so definitely check that out too! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit what would be the reason if any that you would buy the Maven cs1 over the Athlon Ares UHD 65mm?
@@stephencadwallader5401 great question! Really the only category the Maven CS.1 topped the Athlon Ares was the weight. That would be the only reason I'd pick the Maven CS.1 over the Athlon Ares. Otherwise the Athlon was significantly better optically and about the same in build quality, focus wheel and eye cup functionality. My opinion anyways...take it for what it's worth 😁
This video was amazing. I’ve never seen anyone review so many scopes at once so I applaud you for that. My only question is why didn’t you add in a zeiss.? Again great video you all did awesome!
Thank you! I was a huge project! We tried to get some Zeiss in there, but unfortunately weren't able to. Currently working on testing the Gavia and Harpia though...stay tuned!
Thanks for the great comparison test. Most reviews on optics are so subjective, you've made this as objective as possible and by having that many scope and that many testers you eliminate a lot of name brand bias.
Thank you! We did our best to get a true ranking of them all, so we appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
I bought a Kowa 553 off the recommendation of this review, I had never heard of Kowa before, I am very pleased with it. It is a excellent compromise between weight and features. Thanks
Awesome Dan and thanks for the feedback! Glad you are enjoying the Kowa! They are awesome spotters!
Congratulations! You made the best choice yes! The kowa is the best 😊
This was a great review. Wondering if you could do a complete 15-18x Bono review for those of us who prefer these to a spotter. Hopefully include the Vortex UHD with other Alphas. If Maven and others are available that would be great. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Thank you, Michael! Glad it was helpful.
Yes, a bino review of the 15x -18x type of binos is definitely on the radar for the near future! We are finishing up a rangefinder bino review right now, and possibly after that 😁. Thanks for watching!
Best scope review on youtube! Love the full report and links too!
Thank you! We had a blast testing and putting it together! Any time you can get that much glass together to test side by side it's a good time!
Well put together, non-biased review of current spotting scopes on the market. I also checked your channel and website and you're doing amazing job! Subscribed.
Thank you very much Kharrald! Really appreciate the feedback and thanks for subscribing!
@@BackwoodsPursuit one question im very curios about, so im planning to buy a spotting scope online and i gotta ask, if these did come from online websites how was the packaging? excellent? i dont want mine to have minor dents or damage considering these cost alot so im kinda curios how they packaged most of these.
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 that packaging was good on all of them. The manufacturers all make sure they are protected during shipping.
@@BackwoodsPursuit thank god, have you ever had a situation where it got broken or knocked the lens out a little and became blurry or any damages at all in the shipping process of the box in your whole experience of handling spotting scopes?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 nope... No issues as of yet in shipping.
Excellent video covering the basics of what is needed to narrow down to a few choices for more in-depth research. I didn’t see any Nikons or Zeiss in that line up.
Thanks! Yeah, this video was meant to cover the basics with the article going into more detail. We tried to get as many brands as possible, but certainly had some missing from the lineup. Hopefully next time! Thanks for watching.
Good review ! I have the Kowa 884 and am happy with it . 5 years ago I lost the front lense cover and I called them they shipped me a new one for free ! Excellent warranty coverage. Also I tested the swaro atx and found it to "color " the image a bit - like turning up the color on your tv. To me it seemed artificial . The Kowa is neutral - more to my liking . JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH . The more the better is generally the rule in all optics . That extra little bit on the top end is expensive .
Thanks for the input and feedback on your experience!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thank you for the article and the truth in it.
@@erniestoner8266 absolutely! It was a fun review!
@@BackwoodsPursuit I kind of envy you - you were able to see and pick a "best " among $30,000 + worth of top end glass. I feel fortunate to have picked what I did. I did compare scopes from some top manufacturers before picking. Unfortunately the 100 mil. PENTAX is no longer available.
@@erniestoner8266 haha.....yeah, definitely fortunate to get to put this together. I didn't hate it😁. It was a fun project.... extremely time time consuming, but fun.
How would you rate the less expensive Meopta spotting scope MEOPRO 20-60x80, do you know if this one has fluoride glass or is it ED glass? Thanks
Hey there Joe. We didn't have the chance to include the Meopro in this review, but Meopta makes some great optics and they are a great value. The Meopta has a Fluoride objective lense (not sure they the eye piece glass, but I don't believe that it). None the less, from everything I've heard, it's a great spotter. Thanks for watching!
Talked you on New Years eve. You have no nonsense videos. I am looking at spotting scopes and tripods now. Wouldn't you know your video pops up. Keep em coming.
Do you have any videos on tripods only. It would be super helpful.
Thanks for the feedback Dakota! Glad you've found the videos helpful! Check out the website for more in-depth reviews on all these spotters! backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/
Here's a review we did on tripods a while back. Might be helpful. backwoodspursuit.com/hunting-tripod-review/
Thanks and let me know if you have any other questions!
I am trying to decide between the sirui va-5 head and st-124 tripod or the slick cf-733 or similar with the field optics research fvh 300 or new 320. Which do you think would better suit my new 85mm razor? First time using any tripod or head for glassing. Any help or guidance appreciated!
Hey there William and thanks for watching! That Sirui VA5 is a great option! Would say it's the best of the ones you mentioned there. Slik makes a great tripod, just depends on if you want something packable and lightweight or more full size for glassing while standing. The FVH 300 is great too...I've got both that and the VA5, but I prefer the VA5 personally. Thanks for watching!
I noticed the ATS 65 and 80 were omitted from the test. Any thoughts where these two would fall?
Hey there Matthew! Yeah, we tried to get as many as we could, but certainly didn't have all models in the review. The ATS is lighter than the ATX, but doesn't have quite the performance. It would likely fall somewhere in the area of the Maven S1.A as far as performance, but we'd have to put them side by side to really be sure. Thanks for watching!
Great video probabythe best comparison video I have seen but whatif your just lke a bird watcher and weight and hauling around is not an issue
Hey there! Thank you for the kind words.
That would depend on your budget of course, but the Kowa 883 is tough to beat all the way around if the price tag is doable. The Maven is quite impressive as well in it's respective price category, or if you can step up to the Kowa 773, that's an amazing spotter.
I'm also testing the Tract Toric and the new Athlon Cronus UHD Gen 2 right now, both of which are quite good for each of their respective price points. Thanks for watching!
How does the maven CS.1 compare to the ARES g2 15-45x65 and Razor HD 22-48x65? Glass quality and light transition are the most important factors. I can get a deal on a razor to bring it down closer to price of the cs2 so that’s why I’m curious on direct comparison. You didn’t mention the razor.
Hey there! I'd definitely give the edge to the Ares G2 of that group. It is outstanding, especially at it's price point.
nice overview of the models ! however I was disappointed the review doesn't say a word about the field of view for each model. Which one are the widest with not much of a "tunnel" effect when looking into it ?
Hey there! Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback. Yeah, there are a lot of features and details I wasn't able to cover on these given that we 19 models to look over. We did put together a comprehensive review on the test results, which is published over on our website. Here is that link if you are interested! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
The negative of the Swaro STX or ATX is that any wind or movement causes dramatic vibration in the image. The Swaro STS/ATS does not have this issue.
excellent information thank you, under your recommendation which one do you recommend in greater distance and clarity?
Most of these have a similar magnification, so it really comes down to image clarity. Check out our in-depth article with rankings and more details here! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Generally the more you spend the better the image clarity gets. Then it comes down to budget and heat you'll be using not for. Let me know if you have any other questions!
@@BackwoodsPursuit I thank you very much, it is the first time that I look for a spotting scope
@@abrahamrivera4692 awesome! There are a lot of great options out there!
Have you tried the Minox MD 16-30x50mm? It’s supposed to weigh 22 oz and I’m really leaning towards it based on weight alone.
I have not had a chance to try that one. Of the ones here in the video, that Kowa 553 is right along those lines at 27oz. It's incredible glass.
Thanks for watching!
Swarovski 80mm STM .
Excellent spotting scope.
For sure! Swaro makes amazing optics! Thanks for watching!
Do you think the Maven is close to the Meopta S2?? The ranges are different but I’m curious if they are close. Thanks so much!!!
This video is amazing, the mind-blowing thing i cant get over is how much $ worth of glass and tripods is sitting there. Bro wild.
Thanks man! Glad the video was helpful. Yeah, definitely a lot of $ in glass right there! It was awesome to be able to put them all side by side for the testing. Thanks for watching!
Great video and good info. I’ve got a few additional questions. I’m mostly a whitetail hunter, but get back home to Texas to hunt a range of things. I will still need a spotting scope in some scenarios, up to 1000 yards. Should I save money for a top end 80 power scope? Is should I go with something smaller like a Maven S2 and a higher quality bino (right now I’ve got the Maven c.1 10x42 but would upgrade to a b series)? Have you checked out the new spotting scope by Tract Optics? Thanks
Hey there and thank you! Glad it was helpful. For only out to 1,000yds, I think you'd be just fine with one at 45x for a top end range. The high end glass is always gonna be better, but that Maven S2 is awesome. That Athlon Ares is dang good for the money as well(if you 2amt to save a bit).
We did have Tract Optics in our bino rev(their spotter wasn't out when we did this review). Here's that link! Tract makes some great glass at a great price! backwoodspursuit.com/26-best-binoculars-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit have you been able to try out the S2? I can’t find any videos of it. Trying to find a comparison between sit and the CS.1. The price and magnification of the CS.1 is appealing, but the better glass of the S2 is as well.
@@rogerwalker3409 yes sir! We were able to test out that S2 alongside all these others! The S1.A is leaps and bounds better than the CS.1, but you'd expect that given the price difference m. If you can swing the S1.A, it's definitely worth it! Here is that review... backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Also, here is our review on the Maven S1.A which goes into even more details:. backwoodspursuit.com/s1-a-maven-spotting-scope-review/
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks. So the S2 is essentially the S1.A but in a smaller package? I know they describe them as all being in the S line, but wasn’t sure how close they are.
@@rogerwalker3409 oh shoot...I thought you meant the S1.A....not the S2. My mistake. I have not tried the S2 yet....but they say it is supposed to be the same glass as the S1.A. I can't say from experience though if it's as good. Sorry!
Review says....
Cronus - CON was the weight at 66oz
Kowa - PRO was the weight at 65oz
Both 20-60x85 - Odd how one is a negative and one is a positive
@KevinWood44 hey there! Thanks for the insight. I guess the thought behind that is given that the Kowa has a larger objective (88mm vs the 86mm of the Athlon), and given that the Kowa was much lighter than the others in its price and performance class, we considered that weight a "Pro". Optical performance is largely affected by the glass, and most of the time, the best performing optics are simply heavier because the extra performance requires additional glass to make that happen. Thanks for watching!
What do you think about Leica spotting scope or Zeiss Diascope?
That's a great question...but unfortunately those are ones I've not been able to test yet. Hopefully soon though! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Swarovski ATX or Swarovski STR? Which glass better?
@@Дмитрий-э9ь9щ I've not tried the STR, but the body looks to be the same as the ATX. I'd have to call Swaro and see if there is any difference in the glass. Sorry!
Awesome lineup, I am looking at the Athlon Cronus 20-60x86 and the Kowa Tsn 773 is the Kowa worth the extra money? Thanks in advance
Thanks Dillon! Yeah, that was a lot of fun testing them all out! If you can swing the extra for the Kowa 773, it's worth it, but if not, the Athlon is very very impressive!
Thank you very much for replying will consider , do you know of a place online I can get the kowa I live in BFE lol
@@dilloncullinan9889 you bet! There's a link in the description to each of the spotters in the video.... should be able to deliver!
Looks like the brand I'm waiting for isn't available yet, sir? 😟
namely visonking 30-90x100.
When can I see a review of this Visionking brand, sir?
please 🙏🙏🙏😟😟
Hey there! As of right now, we don't have plans to do a review on the Visionking. Sorry about that! I'll look in to it though! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit ok sir. no promblem. thank u...
Pretty sure the original zeiss diascopes still can match or beat anything available today. Wish you had the chance to test it. Only 51 oz too. Especially the 65mm diascope is incredibly good resolution and still better light transmission than any kowa, meopta, leica or swaro made today (slightly). But zeiss coatings allow so much blue light through that in low light 65mm scopes from zeiss match 80-85mm scopes from other brands.
Meopta actually made the diascopes for zeiss under contract (they say made in Czech Republic on the bottom) but with zeiss coatings. The new meopta s2 is killer especially with the ultra wide 30-60 eyepiece. I can't imagine a kowa out resolving that s2 but could be wrong. Still it's clear even the wide angle kowa 25-60 eyepiece it doesn't have near the 66 degree afov of the meopta.
Probably all the high end brands rock. Thanks for doing the work of the reviews
Thanks for the insight...that would be an interesting side by side comparison! Thanks for watching!
It's very hard to find extensive spotting scope comparison videos like this anywhere so thank you for this! Quick question, with the high end top performers was their a difference in digiscoping quality (either through phone or DSLR)? Would you recommend one of those to someone heavily interested in photography more than the other?
Hey there Mert! Thanks for watching. It was a pleasure putting this project together. As far as digiscoping, I only did a little bit of that with some of them with a phone Skope, so not really the same thing as a DSLR. Sorry I can't be more help that way, but I'd imagine you'd get great digiscoping results with any of the top performers!
Nice review. Would really like to see the comparison of the Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss spotting scope’s!!
Thanks! Yeah, that would be a great review for aurem. Definitely one we need to do! Thanks for watching!
I don't know why I watch all these glass reviews, when I already know I'm gonna buy another Vortex. Hard to beat the "buy one once, have it for the life of the company, no matter what happens to your glass" warranty. Sold me for life 10 years ago.
Yeah, they do have a great warranty! Quite a few other companies also have the same warranty these days too, which is nice as well!
That's how all companies should be. I know I'm curious to see the other scopes but you're right, I'm getting a Vortex. I bought a Vortex Diamondback and it rivals my Hawke Frontier 30 FFP Scope for half the price. Can't imagine their other products aren't bad either.
@@ibanezrg320fm thankfully a number of other companies are also offering the same type of warranty, so that's cool! Thanks for watching!
Completely agree. Can’t beat the Vortex warranty. No questions asked and covers the optic regardless of the original owner. My Steiner scope has the same warranty. Others though say that they have a heritage type warranty but there is definitely fine print on what is covered. Whereas the Vortex can be passed down to your grandkid who bangs it against a rock, and they will replace it with the most recent model. Such low risk to go Vortex.
@@aaronsmith21 they do have a great warranty! Thanks for watching!
i know nothing about these but I'm looking for one. Thanks for going to all that effort giving us a rundown. Not sure of the prices yet but a just want a decant not too expensive one!!!
Thanks Chris! Yeah, lots of options here for sure! From what you stated, it sounds like that Athlon Ares 65mm would work really well for you! It's a great spotter for a great price! Thanks for watching.
This was great thanks! Any thoughts between the Cronus and the Razor HD?
Thanks! It was a lot of fun putting together!
Personally, I'd take the Cronus UHD over the Razor HD after having them side by side. I thought the Cronus was clearer, better edge to edge, and better low light. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit btw can you send a picture of 1x zoom on any object far away and then use any of the high end 80+ mm spotting scope and zoom it 60x on that same object far away? i really need this information.
@@BackwoodsPursuit ill put my mail address and i will have to spell it weirdly or else youtube will mark my comment as spam and delete it, the adress is gg00gl mail and it's randylisbo.
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 hey there! You can jump on our website and check out article reviews of each of these spotters. There are phone skope pics through most of them on there already! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit i have a question, I've heard that the kowa tsn 773 is good when it's only 20 power or 30 or 40 power but once you zoom all the way to 60 power it starts to get dimmer and weaker?
Man, I don't know who the presenter is but man is he good at talking. I've made my own videos before and it's not easy trying to think and talk and cover everything a viewer is looking for. Nice job covering all of these.
Have you guys noticed the eye piece or zoom getting easier to adjust after being used several times?
Thank you very much for those kind words Michael! Sometimes words come out better and more fluently than others lol! 3 years a experience has helped as well I suppose 😁
I haven't noticed the zoom mechanisms loosen with use on any of them. The eye pieces did tend to loosen with use though on a few of them.
@@BackwoodsPursuit honestly, is bushnell forge great for its price? and what do you think about razor HD vs bushnell forge? should i swing the extra cash?
@@captainmarshy223 thanks for watching! We all thought the Forge was good but not great. The Athlon Ares definitely scored better in our testing. The Razor HD Definitely has the edge over the Forge as well....better optical performance all the way around, but also more expensive. Hope that helps.
Best optics comparison I've ever seen.
Thank you and glad it was helpful!
very detailed review, love it. For the Leupold SX-5, what type of tripod attachment did you use? I run a Sirui VA-5 head and came with a plate, but I'm not sure if it'd be compatible with the SX-5 spotting scope, which is arriving tomorrow.
Newer units of the Vortex Razor HD apparently have a built-in arca-swiss mount as they have been changing this on various products in their lineup.
That's great ro hear...thanks for the input!
Wow! Thanks for all of your work on this.
You bet! It was a fun project! Thanks for watching.
@Backwoods Pursuit where would the Swaro ats 80 be?
Hey there Cole! That's a good question. We'd have to compare side by side to be 100% sure, but my guess would be somewhere around the Kowa 77. Thanks for watching!
I'm between the Leupold SX-5 Santiam 27-55x80 and the Vortex Razor 27-60x85. In the video the Leupold is ahead of the Vortex in the lineup (sitting next to it) but you did mention it's a few oz heavier. Is the extra 5 power zoom and extra 5mm in lens not an advantage at all for the Vortex? Better clarity with the Leupold? If you have a moment, could you explain the differences between the two and which you'd prefer. I don't have the opportunity around me to go see one in person so I'm buying blind and doing all the research I can!
Thank You in advance! Great video!
@@df3624 thank you and thanks for watching!
Hey they're and great question David! I'd give the Santiam the edge in optical performance as well as build quality. The Leupold performed better in low light as well even though it has a smaller objective. I'll always take less zoom in exchange for more clarity personally too.
Shoot me an email at backwoodspursuit.info@gmail.com if you want dive deeper into it as well! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks for the quick response and thoughts on it! Might have to message ya!
You're very welcome and sounds great! Look forward to hearing from you!
Wow! What a review! Thank you all very much for putting this much time, effort, and resources (!) into this review for all of our benefit. Thanks!
Thank you and glad it was helpful! Appreciate you watching!
Very useful Video, Great job! Thanks from Spain!
You bet and thank you for watching! Glad it was helpful!
Where would you rank the Tract Toric 27-55?
Unfortunately the Toric spotter wasn't out just yet when we started this project, so we haven't had a chance to compare it. Need to though! Looks like a great spotter!
This was a very helpful review. As far as price to performance ratio, would you recommend the kowa 773 or the athlon Cronus?
Hey there! Glad it was helpful. If you can swing the extra cash for the Kowa 773, I think it's worth it, but if not, the Athlon Cronus is fantastic. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit
Have you ever looked at the kowa 663? Im wondering how it compares.
@@jfshotgun1329 I haven't had the chance to try out the 663 yet. Hopefully some time I'll be able to!
@@BackwoodsPursuit 20-60 vs 27-55x, will having that 20 power be way lower on the zoom range? i find 27 to be kind of high for the lowest zoom
@@xxzenooniixx3199 yeah, 27x is on the higher side for a low magnification, but it's not bad at all. Others like the Kowa ad Swaro ATX are 25-60, so very similar. I wouldn't worry about 27x as a low magnification personally. Thanks for watching!
Does anyone in your crew use the ATX 85mm for hunting? Do they backpack in? I have an old kowa and it's fantastic but it gets dark at 60x. I need a better oe and I have the 65mm stx and I'd not leaps and bounds better than my 663ED. So I need to go up to either the 773, 883 or the 85 atx. Weight and size is a consideration for me, but it's also a buy once, cry once situation ... What are you thoughts? thank you.
Yeah man...that's the tension for sure. The weight of an 85mm+ for the extra light gathering vs the weight savings of a 55mm or 65mm. I personally prefer to have a smaller 55mm for elk hunting. If I can't tell if it's a bull at 45x, it's probably too far to get to that day. However, I always take the larger one for mule deer hunting. I do pack the 88mm around backpacking and day hunting...it's doable. After doing this it was tough to decide between the ATX 85 and the Kowa TSN 88 as they were so very close, but the Kowa is a lot less expensive (but not modular). If you've got the 65mm ATX, picking up the 85 objective is a no brainer. If not, the Kowa TSN 88 actually beat put the ATX is several categories, so it's hard not to go with the Kowa at it's price point. Swaro is incredible though and you'd not be disappointed with it for sure. Both do lose light gathering at 60x though as they all do because of the exit pupil getting smaller at higher magnification...no way around that. But, the ATX 85 and Kowa TSN 88 we're the two best of the group in our humble opinions. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit I might be cornered into a 85atx due to the cost to return my 65atx.
If I decide to return it, I think the 773 or 883 is what I want.
I'd be using up here in BC for bear, mtn goat and sheep hunts. I hunt thick country so binos are good enough for elk.
So for longer distances is the 773 ok at 60x or does it darken. No doubt the 883 is larger, and better but is it too chunky to toss in a pack? I think I'd prefer the 883 but the size is a concern... I have a SG 7900 for big hunts so there'd be room...
Appreciate your help as you've had your hands on all these spotters.
@@matthewpeschke that sounds like a good plan. Really the 883 isn't much bigger than the 773, and I took the 883 with me on several backpack hunts with a 4k pack. It's not noticably bigger than the 773, just a slightly larger taper towards the bell, everything else is the same, and only 6oz more. That's why I went with the 883 and the 553 combo. Pretty much covers everything I'll ever need. If you can only get one though, the 773 is the best of both worlds. Only real optical difference we could tell between the 893 and 773 was a slight edge in low light performance, and ever so slight edge of the 883 in clarity...but it was negligible.
Hope that helps!
@@matthewpeschke oh...and the 773 doesn't darken any more than the 883 at 60x that we could tell., with the exception of better low light performance of the 883 as you'd expect.
@@BackwoodsPursuit helps a lot. Much appreciated!
was just about to buy a used Viper when I watched this video. Instead I bought a new athlon ares. Thanks!
Good deal! Let me know how you like it! That Athlon is a fantastic spotter. Thanks for watching!
$487 through Expert Voice with LE discount. I don’t think I can go wrong at that price.
@@gone4days956 can't beat that!
I'm curious as to why the Pentax PF-80ED Spotting Scope was left of the list. An exceptional scope and still is I would have been interested in yours and the others input. Many years ago I had the chance in the field to look through most of all the top scopes-old and new. Maybe 2007 it was. Swarovski to my eye was the best but as you say maybe it was just splitting hairs. Vortex did not have a scope then and I have never heard of the Meopta but am very seriously looking at it now instead of getting the Pentax again. It's damn hard to beat for the money. Nice review and much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time
Hey there and thanks for the feedback! We tried to include as many as possible, but definitely a few that we wished could have been in there! The Meopta is a fantastic spotter and a great value. You wouldn't be disappointed! The Kowa 773 and 883 are a couple others that are definitely worth a look. Here's our full review if interested! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks much and will check them out for sure
@@theduce3506 sounds great! Thanks!
I agree. Too bad they did not include the Pentax PF-80ED. Shame on them. We know it would have done damn well.
@@lmbear "Shame on them"?!?!? They did a review on 19 different scopes man. Feel free to go get that many and do it yourself. That's the epitome of narcissism. God forbid the internet doesn't give you exactly what you want, for free.
One scope for everything, would you take the Kowa 553 or the swaro 65mm?
Oh man... though decision and would depend on what style of hunting you do the most of. The massive weight difference makes the Kowa so attractive, and it's amazing glass, but the Swaro gives you more zoom and much better field of view. If you don't mind the weight and twice the price tag, the Swaro is amazing...but, the combination of weight and value(not to mention the Fluorite glass of the Kowa is unbeatable. The Swaro is only marginally better, but if money and the weight is no object and you could use the extra magnification, it's probably the better option. If you backpack hunt...the Kowa is the no brainer. That's a long answer to your question lol!🤣🤣
@@BackwoodsPursuit Haha thanks man I think im gonna go with the Kowa! Appreciate the quick response!
@@davEchi absolutely man! I think you'll love the Kowa! I've got one for my backpacking trips and elk hunts! Let me know how you like it.
I appreciate the in depth coverage on all these scopes. Your review was so superficial and really told me nothing of consequence. I just need to clearly see .22 caliber holes at 300 yards during low light conditions, say, in the evening of a cloudy winter day. Why is this benchmark so hard to to hit for reviews?
Thanks for watching Brad. Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for. If you check out the more in-depth article over on the website, we covered a lot more than we were able to in the video. backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
@@BackwoodsPursuit Thanks for the reply. I'll check that out. I'm amazed at the lack of coverage on the issue of being able to clearly see bullet holes at range. I'd think for shooting this would be covered. It's not, typically. You get all the info on the weight, the price, the shell material, the tripod type, the overall feel of the scope, but I've yet to see an article do a scope shootout on being able to resolve bullet holes at range. If you happen upon one, you should link it! Thanks again.
@@bertecrabtree yeah, I hear ya. We didn't test for viewing bullet holes in the review, but we tested and ranked them all in the field side by side on animals up to a couple miles away in good light, all the way to past dark to try to find which ones do the best in various conditions. Thanks Brad!
@@BackwoodsPursuit Yeah, thanks for that reply. I'm aware of the quality of glass that happens after you spend $1700. It's a game changer. And being able to identify and track animals in low light is important, especially when you factor in lower quality glass on budget optices and how you get color separation and blurring of the image at max zoom. So I'd think a category of testing for bullet hole resolution at ranges 200+ yards would be an ideal test to determine what glass is resolving enough to 'see' bullet holes when considering objective lenses from 60-100 millimeters in diameter. I'll be paying attention to your channel to see what new things you guys upload. Thanks for the replies. Good on ya.
@@bertecrabtree thanks Brad and that's a great idea for some testing. We'll try to add that test in next time! Thanks again!
What tripod head were you using with these?
That was the Field Optics Research FVH 300 head.
Was this the Gen 2 Athlon Ares or the first generation?
That was the Gen2 Athlon Ares. Thanks for watching!
I just got the brans new 2022 Athlon Cronus G2 20-60x86. They're are no reviews on it yet. I'd love to see how this compares to the 1st gen one
Thanks! We are testing the new Gen 2 Cronus right now and will have a review shortly! So far very impressive its optical performance. Thanks for watching!
@Backwoods Pursuit good to know! Can't wait for the review I love it so far. Much better then my buddies maven head to head
@@B-rad303 awesome! Thanks for following the channel!
Is celestron not worth it?
Hey! We tried to get as many as we could, but certainly couldn't get them all. Maybe next time! Thanks for watching.
Hi, Have you tested the Nikon Monarch 82ED? If so, could you please share your perspective?
Hello there. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get my hands on the Nikon Monarch 82ED for the review so can't comment on that one. Hopefully I'll get chance to soon! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thank you!! Appreciate your prompt response!
@UCm6vLjULsou0N1G1B8EFJVQ absolutely! Sorry I couldn't be more help!
My brother in law has that scope, really clean and crisp, really good optic
Wow thnk you for this review!
Absolutely! This was a fun one! Thanks for watching!
I have owned a Swarovski and Bushnell Elites and Leupold SX5 Santiam and going to try the Meopta S2 20-70x next.
Have an Optolyth a dealer screwed me over that has artifacts in the lenses and wouldn't refund my money on. Brand new straight out of the box with all kinds of junk inside the glass looks like a hell of a lot of bug splatters on your windshield and impossible to see through.
Sounds good! Let me know what you think and thanks for watching!
Looking at the Athlon Ares or mini Cronus. do you know if they have arca-swiss head mounts? love that about my vortex
Those are both great! The Athlon spotter require an arca plate as their "foot" if you will isn't arca. Not a huge deal, but something to note. Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit sorry if I talk alot here but my life savings of 1500$ over 5 years sparks alot so I am being Very careful to get the absolute best spotting scope in that category decided thanks to this review. I'm going to get the athlon cronus UHD 20-60x and if that's unavailable I'm ganna swing the extra cash for maven final desicion. What really got me thinking is the reviews for clarity from 40-60x like in the vortex I observed that people complained about its quality on a BIG drop from 40-60x compared to the athlon cronus UHD which is said to have little clarity drop and is sharp almost all the way. Did you notice that in some of these spotting scopes?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 no problem man! It's a huge decision, especially when you've been saving for years! Congrats!
I'd say you would be happy if you did the little extra for the Maven S1.A. The Athlon Cronus is incredible as well, particularly for it's price point. It's tough to find right now though from what I've seen.
Here's a link to the Maven if you do decide to go that route. bit.ly/3bIDDf4
Both the Maven and the Athlon have very little loss of clarity at higher magnification, and the Maven has less than the Athlon (but also only goes to 50x vs the 60x of the Athlon). Let me know what you decide!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
@@BackwoodsPursuit got last 2 questions first is, who got all these spotting scopes? I mean where they paid? And second is I'm also a bit curious as to why alot of people complain about the athlon ares 65mm zooming in at 30-45x is so Dark and needs more light, is that true?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 we weren't paid by any company for the review....all testers were volunteers.
Yeah, given that the Ares we tested has 65mm objective, your exit pupil gets pretty small at higher magnification, so you are going to lose light.
Hope that helps!
Why didn’t you have any scopes from Zeiss or Leica ?
Hey there Peter! Unfortunately we weren't able to get our hands on Leica and Zeiss for this...we tried but inventory was tough. Next time hopefully! Thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit I still enjoyed the video 👍
@@peternelson9865 thanks! I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment!
Would really help if you wrote the names of the scopes you mention, to avoid misunderstandings, since some of them have kind of strange names.
Hey there! That's a great suggestion...thanks! In the mean time, here is the review article with all the names and a lot more detail than was in the video. Thanks for watching!
backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Subbed just on this alone! Thank you
Awesome! Thanks for the sub!
I'm curious how Zeiss would've done vs the other high end spotters.
Same here! Hopefully we'll be able to put them side by side soon! Thanks for watching!
Pretty sure the original zeiss diascopes still can match or beat anything available today. Wish he had the chance to test it. Only 51 oz too. Especially the 65mm diascope is incredibly good resolution and still better light transmission than any kowa, meopta, leica or swaro made today (slightly). But zeiss coatings allow so much blue light through that in low light (when blue light takes over) a 65mm scopes from zeiss matches 80-85mm scopes from other brands.
Meopta actually made the diascopes for zeiss under contract (they say made in Czech Republic on the bottom) but with zeiss coatings. The new meopta s2 is killer especially with the ultra wide 30-60 eyepiece. I can't imagine a kowa out resolving that s2 but could be wrong. Still it's clear even the wide angle kowa 25-60 eyepiece it doesn't have near the 66 degree afov of the meopta.
Probably all the high end brands rock but some of these eyepieces are still way better than others. Thanks for doing the work of the reviews
@@ryaniam22 nice info. Would you take a used Zeiss diascope over a new Zeiss Gavia??
Have you used the Leica?
My Athlon Ares also has an arca swiss base built into it.
Sweet! That's super nice!
Great video.
It would help your business to watch project farms TH-cam channel and model how he uses charts for data from his tests in his videos.
Also if you had video through the scopes to overlay into your review would be great. So we could see the difference you talked about splitting hairs, a picture is worth 1000 words
Great video I just think if you want to make more money and get thumbs up, likes and subscribes you just need a tiny bit of a mature video editing. Lots of guys do it on the internet for cheap too. It can be outsourced.
Also it would be cool if you welded a 20' long stand/bench to mount all the scopes on instead of the 20 tripods.
Thanks for the suggestions Virgil. We did do some individual videos and review articles(over on the website backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/) on many of these spotters, which have some video through a phoneskope and pictures as well. Thanks for watching and the suggestions!
Now that’s a review
Thanks Pey! Appreciate you watching!
Great comparison!
Thanks and thanks for watching!
Awesome comparison!
Thanks! It was a lot of fun! Thanks for watching!
everybody I talk to loves the vortex but this review seems to speak down on it.
Thanks!
Absolutely!
This is amazing! Do it with binoculars please!
Thank you! It was a ton of work, but a lot of fun.
A bino version is already underway. Stay tuned for that one!
@@BackwoodsPursuit well thanks for putting in the work. I know I really appreciate it. Looking forward to bino test, on the fence about a few and trying to decide if rangefinding bino is worth it
@@cys804 absolutely! Hopefully the bino review is helpful when it comes out!
Is good yes? ❤
Thanks for watching!
Love my Meopta!!! Awesome vid!
Thanks Jacob! There sure were some great spotters in this group! Which Meotpa do you have?
@@BackwoodsPursuit
20-70X
82mm
Straight
@@jacobceparano sweet! That's a great spotter!
Where's the best place to get a Meopta MeoStar S2, I've noticed the price differs quite a bit on some sites.
I’m surprised that many spotting scopes didn’t burn a hole in the matrix
LOL!!! Thanks for watching!
he called the 500-600 athlon scope in the budget range. I guess im poor AF to me the budget range is 100-200 lol
Haha... yeah, these things are not cheap, that's for sure! Thanks for watching though!
@@BackwoodsPursuit No, thanks for the info. At least gave me an idea of what to consider. Been getting into long range and just bought a 6.5CM Howa to take to the 1 mile range a couple hours from me. would you consider doing a poor mans spotting scope roundup? That would be awesome for broke folks like me
@@pootinplays absolutely! Sounds like a great time at the range!
I'll have to think about another spotter roundup on less expensive stuff. From my experience, once you get under that $500 price point, image clarity gets pretty rough.... about not worth taking the spotter. But, I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in that review. Thanks for the idea!
No picture quality comparison????
@caesar5555 hey! Yeah, thay would be pretty tough to do on 19 of them without the video being insanely long. We try to do the side by side digiscoping in our revies that feature fewer optics. Thanks for watching!
Anyone ever compared an Alpen Shasta Ridge model 788 to anything else? Been wandering how they preform for the money. Thanks in advance for and responses from anyone that has any in person experience with them!
Hey there! I haven't messed with the Alpen Shasta Ridge spotter... sorry! Wish I could be more help there, but thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thanks for the response! I keep wandering about it cause I keep seeing where it won best value awards in outdoor life magazine for a long time so was just curious as it's not a seemingly super well advertised and explored brand.
@@jackle842000 no problem! Let me know if you find anything out about it!
@@BackwoodsPursuit in high humidity areas, say 85%, does the moisture content fade out real long distance spotting anyway? Think it would defeat the advantages of super high end optics for long range? Not sure what part of the country you're in.
@@jackle842000 that's a great question. I'm in Idaho, so we are pretty dry here most of the time. Anything in the air though will degrade the image quality (smoke, heat waves etc). We don't have 85% humidity here to test that lol! Thanks for watching though!
I'm drooling! :p
Haha...that's a fair reaction to have🤣🤣
Damm, thats a lot OF $$$$
Indeed it is lol!
You have a huge amount of glass and spent a long time going through them. Then you humbug the tale of the tape, because there’s a lot? Why look at so many then? Maybe do a video on each sub group size and be more specific.
Thanks...yeah, we had a lot to go through. Certainly could have broken it down into subcategories (we did that with our big bino review). But...we went into a ton more detail in the article over on the website! backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
Thanks for watching!
What's really impressive is the fact that guys can be talked into paying MULTIPLE THOUSANDS of dollars for any of these without too much effort.
If you make less than 140k annually and you're spending multiple thousands of dollars on a spotting scope, you are a fool.
Hey there! Yeah, good optics certainly aren't cheap. Thanks for watching!
@Backwoods Pursuit Yes, they can be cheaper. Sadly, there's a sucker born every minute willing to overpay. When that "good credit" runs out, there'll be hell to pay. If I'm spending 3 to 4 thousand on a spotting scope, I BETTER BE able to see GOD'S face each time I look through it.
@@Rico11b haha....
I don't see my gosky
Yeah Daniel, we couldn't get every brand in there....but got a lot of them. Thanks for watching!
wow
Thanks! It was quite a project!
Brother please give me one spotting scope please... you have much😢..
Lol...yes, that's a lot of spotting scopes! Thanks for watching!
Thousand dollars cheap options is some kind of joke.
Yeah, unfortunately, spotters aren't cheap, but there are certainly tons of options below $1000. That women a whole separate review in and of itself. Thanks for watching!
No test shots, just talk?
Hey there Johny! Yeah, for this one more of an overview, but we did some looks through a number of them in individual video, as well as individual review articles on most of the over on our website. Check those other videos out here on the channel, as well as those articles for more details! backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/
Lmao Keep buying those high dollar Vortex. The Leupold will give you the best quality for the best value.
Yeah, each one certainly has their pros and cons! Thanks for watching!
Wtf are you serious
this is not good.. all you did was line all these up and talk about how they are the same. you didnt talk abuot anything about shooting or what spects they have or anything. or ahow they work or the what one is better or what one does better then the other.. all you did was show the 19 spotter scops you have.. this was not good lacks any real information.. seems like you just got talking points from the manuel
Thanks for the feedback. Tried to keep it from being too long, so the full review details with how they ranked side by side and pros/cons of each in detail are in the review article on our website....backwoodspursuit.com/best-spotting-scope-for-hunting/
We also put together some even more detailed reviews on them individually on the website...backwoodspursuit.com/category/gear-reviews/optics-reviews/spotting-scopes/
Let me know if that's helpful!
Thanks!
@@BackwoodsPursuit thank you for a very comprehensive look at scopes
@@randysimons9802 very welcome! Hopefully it was helpful and thanks for watching!
@@BackwoodsPursuit do you have a tripod review website as well?
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 hey there! Yeah, there's a tripod review on the website as well! backwoodspursuit.com/hunting-tripod-review/
these are way too cheap You really ought to review the $10, 000 range
A 19 minute video and you take 2 fill minutes to get started on the review? Annoying
Sorry the intro was frustrating. I'll take a look at shortening it. Thanks!
Scored how? Worthless test.
@QuackLoud hey! We had our group of tester rank each spotter when testing side by side then averaged the score. Thanks for watching!
I think Kowa is the best 😊😊