I just did a head to head comparison of these two spotters (swarovski sts 65 non-HD vs. Brunton Eterna 80 ED) and I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts.
I know that this is kind of a weird comparison. I purchased the Swaro on somewhat of a whim. I then decided to see if the Brunton at 50% of the cost could keep up with it. I decided to check out the Brunton based on the results of a Cornell spotting scope shootout-
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1039
Cost:
I bought the Swarovski on sale at bass pro for $1600 incl. tax. The Brunton cost me $790 shipped from Eagle optics.
Feel:
The Swaro definitely feels like a higher quality product. The eyepiece installs in a much smoother manner. The zoom function also has a smoother feel. I think that I like the focus mechanism on the Swaro better. It seems like it is a bit harder to get the Brunton into focus. The Brunton is much bigger. The picture doesn't adequately show the difference in size.
Glass:
I have done two separate comparison sessions. One was at night and the other was during the day. I did all of the viewing at the highest zoom setting, because that is the one that I will use most often at the range.
During the night session I was looking at the top floors of an apartment complex that seems to be over 500 yrds away. (Unfortunately there were no nude women dancing in any of the units.) The Brunton seemed a bit brighter. It also seemed like I could resolve a tiny bit more detail. This might have been due to the extra light.
During the day session I was looking at an intersection that was about 600yrds away. I was looking for text on buildings and cars that was at the smallest size that I could read. I think that the Swaro was the tiniest bit sharper, although I couldn't find any text that I couldn't read with both scopes. (I was looking at text that was just barely readable.) This is where the difference in focusing ability came into play. I could always get the Brunton to resolve the text, it just seemed to take a bit more futzing with the focus.
Color:
I didn't pay ant attention to color b/c I don't give a shit. I will be using this scope primarily to look at holes in paper and at splatter on painted steel.
Conclusion:
I am keeping the Brunton and taking the Swaro back. While the Swaro does feel like a better scope, the actual difference between the two while looking down range is almost non-existent. The larger size isn't an issue for me, but it might be if one were throwing it in a pack. I am a sucker for cool, well made gear, but I can't justify an extra $800 for the Swaro. It seems like the Brunton is better than it should be for the price.
(Full disclosure: The fact that I need to buy a Premier Reticles 3-15 for my incoming 20" LWRC REPR is probably coloring my decision.)
I know that this is kind of a weird comparison. I purchased the Swaro on somewhat of a whim. I then decided to see if the Brunton at 50% of the cost could keep up with it. I decided to check out the Brunton based on the results of a Cornell spotting scope shootout-
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1039
Cost:
I bought the Swarovski on sale at bass pro for $1600 incl. tax. The Brunton cost me $790 shipped from Eagle optics.
Feel:
The Swaro definitely feels like a higher quality product. The eyepiece installs in a much smoother manner. The zoom function also has a smoother feel. I think that I like the focus mechanism on the Swaro better. It seems like it is a bit harder to get the Brunton into focus. The Brunton is much bigger. The picture doesn't adequately show the difference in size.
Glass:
I have done two separate comparison sessions. One was at night and the other was during the day. I did all of the viewing at the highest zoom setting, because that is the one that I will use most often at the range.
During the night session I was looking at the top floors of an apartment complex that seems to be over 500 yrds away. (Unfortunately there were no nude women dancing in any of the units.) The Brunton seemed a bit brighter. It also seemed like I could resolve a tiny bit more detail. This might have been due to the extra light.
During the day session I was looking at an intersection that was about 600yrds away. I was looking for text on buildings and cars that was at the smallest size that I could read. I think that the Swaro was the tiniest bit sharper, although I couldn't find any text that I couldn't read with both scopes. (I was looking at text that was just barely readable.) This is where the difference in focusing ability came into play. I could always get the Brunton to resolve the text, it just seemed to take a bit more futzing with the focus.
Color:
I didn't pay ant attention to color b/c I don't give a shit. I will be using this scope primarily to look at holes in paper and at splatter on painted steel.
Conclusion:
I am keeping the Brunton and taking the Swaro back. While the Swaro does feel like a better scope, the actual difference between the two while looking down range is almost non-existent. The larger size isn't an issue for me, but it might be if one were throwing it in a pack. I am a sucker for cool, well made gear, but I can't justify an extra $800 for the Swaro. It seems like the Brunton is better than it should be for the price.
(Full disclosure: The fact that I need to buy a Premier Reticles 3-15 for my incoming 20" LWRC REPR is probably coloring my decision.)
