Looking to get a spotter. And am very interested in this STR 80. I did thought about binos at first. But after discovering these on the web, it’s a very intriguing piece of equipment. A reticle in either MOA or MRAD, digiscoping (photography, my other hobby). But what’s the difference between the two? Why does the 25-50 cost almost 300$ more?
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Swarovski STR 80 20-60x vs 25-50x
- Thread starter Rhed
- Start date
Was just discussing this with a buddy, he's on the fence between the two.
Talking to lots of other shooters it seems like the trade-off is between a wider FOV with the 25-50 and a more forgiving eyebox with the 20-60.
Talking to lots of other shooters it seems like the trade-off is between a wider FOV with the 25-50 and a more forgiving eyebox with the 20-60.
That is correct. We sell more of the 25-50 wides to hunters and more 20-60’s for the range
I haven’t ordered mines yet. But I’m wondering if any of the two tunnels. But I think 50x is more then enough for 1K+?
I bought my 25x-50x from Doug and gave my 20x-60x to a buddy.
The 20x-60x tunnels a little. The 25x-50x has a tighter eye box. The wider FOV was worth it for me. I find it’s easier to spot trace and mirage. I’m happy with 50x for 3000y. If it’s a cool clear day the 60x may be better for 3000y +. In the desert the mirage doesn’t favor higher power viewing.
Cheers,
The 20x-60x tunnels a little. The 25x-50x has a tighter eye box. The wider FOV was worth it for me. I find it’s easier to spot trace and mirage. I’m happy with 50x for 3000y. If it’s a cool clear day the 60x may be better for 3000y +. In the desert the mirage doesn’t favor higher power viewing.
Cheers,
Been spotting more than 1k yards with fixed 30X for several years. As is always the case, clarity trumps magnification. We are talking Swaro here, you'll have clarity no matter what. I've seen R.O.s effectively spot 1100 yard shots with 15X Swaro binocs.
I had the 20-60x for a short stint. Felt the FOV wasn't up to par, especially if you're spotting for matches. Prolly why they had to rail portion for a red dot. The Hensoldt blows it away when it comes to FOV. Good thing mine matches the reticle in my scopes.
Have a buddy who uses the STR80's for work, gave me the Oh S* look when he was using the Spotter45...
Personally, for my use, I'd take a Leupold Mk4 over the STR80....
Have a buddy who uses the STR80's for work, gave me the Oh S* look when he was using the Spotter45...
Personally, for my use, I'd take a Leupold Mk4 over the STR80....
I’ve done research on the Spotter 45. All positive reviews and highly credited. The other reason for me to go with the Swaro is the flexibility for digiscoping. Photography is one of my hobby also. I have a collection of Canon telephoto, prime, and wide lens. And 3 full frame body’s. So the Swaro direction is a no brainer at this point. I’m just taking my time before I purchase. Im looking at some of the other Swaro line up also. Thanks everyone
Never drop the order for one yet. Been checking out other spotting scopes as well from the Swaro line. Like most of the scopes I’ve purchased in the pass. And relying and trusting forums and reviews. This spotting scope will be a blind buy for me. I have no access to see through or actually have hands on a Swaro. Been also looking at the 15x56 binos too and other Swaro glass with ATX eye piece. But, I’ve decided to stick to the STR with 25-50 eyepiece. Will be calling for quotes this week for the best possible price. I’ll post some pictures when I have this thing in my hand. Thanks everyone
It’s our pleasure to work on this with you. Please give us a call 516-217-1000 to discuss this
Have a great day
Doug
Have a great day
Doug
When the reticle is off; it’s not displayed at all. Kinda nice having a clear view while studying the mirage.
Cheers,
You're going to love it.... unreal glass.
Quick tip, assuming you are mounting on an Arca/RRS based tripod head. The RRS L84 or L85 plate is just about perfect for this combo. Put the anti-twist section on the front and point the plate backwards and it puts the balance point just about perfect when you clamp it in just to the rear of the plate. Super solid and no longer wants to tip rearward.
Unfortunately I don’t have a RRS/Arca Swiss setup. Well eventually will. I’ll be mounting it on a Manfrotto CF055 tripod with a MHV502 video head. Though I did get a steal of the Swaro balance beam from SportOptics. Should be solid. But now I’m looking for a multi mount to mount my LRF and the spotting scope on the same tripod. I’ve seen some from Amazon. But don’t have the weight capacity.
the 25x-50x eye piece is new to me, but will assume that it is a wide angle piece of equipment. I've used the 20x-60x, and it's a good one for sure. At 1000 yards the image will be smaller than the 50x one; even if it wasn't a wide angle eyepiece. What I understand is that it's harder to remove distortion with a wide angle lense than with the narrower field of view. I will take a look at Swarovskis website in a few minutes to see what they have to say.
So I’ve since change my decision from a STR 80 to a BTX 95 combo. I’ve made that decision to go that route for versatility of usage and attachments. Eventually I’d like to add other objective lens and a ATX eyepiece module for digiscoping with my DSLR camera. Also not only use for spotting at the range. But also for my family to enjoy glassing other things on the horizon. Btw, where I’m at, we have a Humpback whale seasons. And the BTX 95 is perfect for that. Anyways, my set came in and I must say this thing is a beauty and a beast. Kudos to SportOptics for fast and great service. And thanks to everyone in the hide for your input and responses.
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Looks awesome! Was lucky enough to pull a Swaro cert Saturday, so I've got a similar decision to make. I'm trying to make between the STR80, BTX 95, and SLC 15x56.
Sell whatever optics you currently have, buy a used set of SLC 15's and then use the cert on a BTX95 with stay on case!
Haven’t have range time yet. Not until this weekend. But I played with the BTX 95 last night. Attached the 1.7 ME extender. I have no words to what this setup delivers. Literally I could see every detail on the moon. I just can’t explain. Having to use both eyes with that kind of magnification is comfortable, relaxing. My family had a great time with the scope. On a side note, and no shit, we found Saturn. Ok back to earth.. lol..
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