KOWA Prominar TSN-99A & TE-80XW Eyepiece Review, By Darin Cooper

robby denning

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Wow Darin, one of the most thorough optic reviews we’ve published on Rokslide. You and @Matt Cashell have the optics reviews nailed down for sure.

And what a great option to be able to rent the Kowa and eyepieces before buying. Good job man
 

Matt G.

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Great review. Just curious, did they update the eyepiece lens cap. The current one slats falls off. Can you supply a picture of that.

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Great review. Just curious, did they update the eyepiece lens cap. The current one slats falls off. Can you supply a picture of that.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

I don’t think so. I should have commented on the eye piece cap being sub par. You can see the marks made by the cap ribs/slats on the eyepiece rubber in a couple of the photos. It held on decent but wasn’t immune to getting knocked off. I hope the ribs on the cap won’t cause wear to the rubber on the eyepiece over time. I will be searching for a better option.


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aaronoto

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I don’t think so. I should have commented on the eye piece cap being sub par. You can see the marks made by the cap ribs/slats on the eyepiece rubber in a couple of the photos. It held on decent but wasn’t immune to getting knocked off. I hope the ribs on the cap won’t cause wear to the rubber on the eyepiece over time. I will be searching for a better option.


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How did the RRS Ascend handle the weight of the spotter?
 

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It works great with a heavy spotter. My Buddy that used it with the TSN-99 decided then-and-there he needed one. Like any tripod, it’s more stable with column down, but it’s still adequate fully extended.

I still occasionally fumble with the controls as I’m not completely used to them. I’ve used the anvil-30 head a lot more and think I still prefer it in spite of the minor weight penalty and loss of independent planning base. I’m not sure I wouldn’t feel the opposite had I started with the Ascend ball head though. Verdict is still out.


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idcuda

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Great review. Just curious, did they update the eyepiece lens cap. The current one slats falls off. Can you supply a picture of that.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
If you have the old rubber version, you can email their customer support and they'll send you an updated version for free. I did that a month or so ago and the current rev is much better; it doesn't fall off easily. Probably the same as what's on the 99mm, since it has the same indentions on the eyepiece (I don't have any concerns about that).
 
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Great review

dont know why everyone uses zoom eyepieces. If you really want great glass fixed eyepieces are definitely the way to go
My little kowa 66 with the 30x fixed wide angle eyepiece is astoundingly sharp and bright with great edge to edge clarity. I can't imagine how amazing the new 40x fixed on the Kowa 99 is.
 

Matt G.

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If you have the old rubber version, you can email their customer support and they'll send you an updated version for free. I did that a month or so ago and the current rev is much better; it doesn't fall off easily. Probably the same as what's on the 99mm, since it has the same indentions on the eyepiece (I don't have any concerns about that).
Thank you. Finally got around to emailing them about the eye piece. I received in the mail today and it fits alot better then the soft rubber cover. Also has a whole for a tether.

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BSimmons

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Great review. I just picked up the new 80 xw eyepiece and am really impressed. It's wider at 35x on my 883 than my TE-11WZ is at 25x. I won't get rid of the zoom, but am using the fixed a lot more these days.
 

BjornF16

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How would the image in TE-80XW fixed 40x Wide Angle in the TSN-99 compare to the Kowa TSN-554 set on 40x?
 

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How would the image in TE-80XW fixed 40x Wide Angle in the TSN-99 compare to the Kowa TSN-554 set on 40x?
The 554 is a badass little scope, but that's kinda like bringing a pocket knife to a sword fight! Not that the 554 is going to disappoint, but the 99's image will be significantly brighter especially at first and last light. Probably 15 - 20 minutes difference per day in usable glassing light. Backed down to 15 though, you would get some of that light back. You'll also notice immediately much better resolution throughout the frame in the 99 allowing you to discern things like individual pine needles, and small cheaters on an antler vs. just seeing a pine bough and a 4-point frame at 1/2 mile.
 
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