Swaro STC vs Gen 1 Razor 65mm

[TheCougar]

The title says it all. I’ve got a gen1 razor 65mm that I don’t love. I’m not a huge spotter fan anyway, but I’ve always wondered if improving my spotter would reduce my aversion to using them. I have SLC 10s and 15s which I use 90% of the time. I use the spotter only when I am forced to. I’m intrigued by the STC/ATC but only want to buy one if it is better in pretty much every regard. I have never looked through the STC, so I can’t compare clarity, brightness, resolution, and FOV to my razor 65. Obviously the zoom on the Swaro is less than the Razor, but TBH I rarely use the Razor above 40x because the image, brightness, FOV, and eye relief suck. I am hoping the STC wins every category despite having a smaller objective. Thanks all.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Here are a few points.

1) Have realistic expectations. All optics will leave a person "wanting more" at some point. Been there done that with all of my optics including my STX 95.
2) All of our eyes are different so what works well for Person A may be less than stellar for Person B.
3) Consider renting a Swaro STC and a Kowa Prominar 55, or borrow them if you know folks that have them, and compare them in the field with your Gen 1 Razor. Then make your choice on how to proceed.

 

[Hunt30]

The STC and the newer Kowa 55 are in a completely different class than your vortex. Kinda like asking, “I’ve got a 2012 Nissan Altima, but I’m curious if a 2025 BMW 3 series would be an upgrade?”

 

[Hnthrdr]

I had both scopes you mentioned, plus a gen 2 65 razor and the new baby razor, I only have my ATC. It’s light years better than that gen 1 razor. Fov is huge, I it’s great to glass with, the new baby razor wasn’t bad either if you want something less expensive

 

[hereinaz]

Clarity goes a long way to make any glass usable. I have the Gen 1 razor and it’s a notch below the older Kowa 554 I used.

What/where do you want to see that you can’t with your current set up?

I find that the added magnification doesn’t really help me, I use the same power binos and don’t find myself using a spotter for anything but digiscoping.

But, I am trading for a beginner’s pair of “big eyes” to try.

 

[Hnthrdr]

@Tahoe1305, cougar, Tahoe did a really in depth review on this which I can’t find at the moment but he would be a good resource for you

 

[Ucsdryder]

I played with the mini swaro last year and was really impressed. I considered selling my kowa 88 and buying one. Then I drew a boomer buck tag so I’m going to be putting the 88 to work. See what I did there? Humble brag. Suck it!!!!!!

 

[Hnthrdr]

I played with the mini swaro last year and was really impressed. I considered selling my kowa 88 and buying one. Then I drew a boomer buck tag so I’m going to be putting the 88 to work. See what I did there? Humble brag. Suck it!!!!!!

Oh yeah?! Well I have a couple of aggressively mediocre tags that really don’t justify my stupid over priced European glass on, but I’ll use them to wade through the army of rag horns for the most spectacular, barely legal 2.5 year old bull!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Oh yeah?! Well I have a couple of aggressively mediocre tags that really don’t justify my stupid over priced European glass on, but I’ll use them to wade through the army of rag horns for the most spectacular, barely legal 2.5 year old bull!

You just summed up the reason I leave a spotter in the truck on 99.99999% of Colorado hunts.

 

[Hnthrdr]

You just summed up the reason I leave a spotter in the truck on 99.99999% of Colorado hunts.

Yep, I’m muzzy hunting so it probably won’t come with me. Spotters are for looking for mule deer mid day/ in cover. elk hunting a 20 year old pair of Nikon binoculars work for like 99% of people

 

[Maverick1]

Oh yeah?! Well I have a couple of aggressively mediocre tags that really don’t justify my stupid over priced European glass on, but I’ll use them to wade through the army of rag horns for the most spectacular, barely legal 2.5 year old bull!

Frank Deford, is that you?

 

[TheCougar]

It a

Here are a few points.

1) Have realistic expectations. All optics will leave a person "wanting more" at some point. Been there done that with all of my optics including my STX 95.
2) All of our eyes are different so what works well for Person A may be less than stellar for Person B.
3) Consider renting a Swaro STC and a Kowa Prominar 55, or borrow them if you know folks that have them, and compare them in the field with your Gen 1 Razor. Then make your choice on how to proceed.

Not an option where I am, unfortunately. VA isn’t spotting scope country. Rokslide is going to have to be my sounding board.

I had both scopes you mentioned, plus a gen 2 65 razor and the new baby razor, I only have my ATC. It’s light years better than that gen 1 razor. Fov is huge, I it’s great to glass with, the new baby razor wasn’t bad either if you want something less expensive

Buy once cry once

 

[Hnthrdr]

Buy once cry once

a lot of truth to that, at the time I was a poor young single fella, being a kept man has its perks which are mostly a lot of house work and child rearing , but I do get fancy things that I get to look at and wish I was hunting more often haha. Hind sight if I has saved my nickels I would have had better glass in a fraction of the time. Instead I bought and sold at a loss a bunch of mid level stuff.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

It a

Not an option where I am, unfortunately. VA isn’t spotting scope country. Rokslide is going to have to be my sounding board.

Buy once cry once

It is 100% pure bull excrement that there are is nothing within driving distance to be able to compare spotting scopes. No parks to use birds, leaves, reptiles, rodents, etc to compare and contrast? No roads to compare and contrast your ability to read traffic signs or license plates? No buildings to compare and contrast the scopes to see differing levels of detail? No trees to put an optics' image resolution sheet on?

If you want to outsource you decision, it's your ~$2500.

 

[TheCougar]

I played with the mini swaro last year and was really impressed. I considered selling my kowa 88 and buying one. Then I drew a boomer buck tag so I’m going to be putting the 88 to work. See what I did there? Humble brag. Suck it!!!!!!

Congrats on the buck tag. Send me pins. #NOTASKING4URHONEYHOLE…BUT

 

[TheCougar]

It is 100% pure bull excrement that there are is nothing within driving distance to be able to compare spotting scopes. No parks to use birds, leaves, reptiles, rodents, etc to compare and contrast? No roads to compare and contrast your ability to read traffic signs or license plates? No buildings to compare and contrast the scopes to see differing levels of detail? No trees to put an optics' image resolution sheet on?

If you want to outsource you decision, it's your ~$2500.

Whoa. Slow down hoss. I mean there’s no place that has an STC for me to rent from out here. There’s not even a store that carries it for purchase within 3 hours. There may be a place to rent one online… I looked briefly and couldn’t find one. Either way, I’m just trying to get opinions from those who have used both to see how they compare.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Congrats on the buck tag. Send me pins. #NOTASKING4URHONEYHOLE…BUT

I’m going for a BOAL in a OILU. You can have them when I’m done.

 

[TheCougar]

Oh yeah?! Well I have a couple of aggressively mediocre tags that really don’t justify my stupid over priced European glass on, but I’ll use them to wade through the army of rag horns for the most spectacular, barely legal 2.5 year old bull!

Valid. Hold on. Are those 4 or 6 inch brow tines? Time to break out the BTX!

 

[TheCougar]

Clarity goes a long way to make any glass usable. I have the Gen 1 razor and it’s a notch below the older Kowa 554 I used.

What/where do you want to see that you can’t with your current set up?

I find that the added magnification doesn’t really help me, I use the same power binos and don’t find myself using a spotter for anything but digiscoping.

But, I am trading for a beginner’s pair of “big eyes” to try.

For me it’s digiscoping, judging animals, and looking at suspicious things that I can’t break out with binos. Last year we used it to digiscope a moose and measure it before we moved. This year it will be used for the same, plus for caribou to get an idea of size. I love my 15s and used them to glass big country. The razor spotter can help with magnification, but the resolution and clarity suck and really limit the times I use it.

 

[hereinaz]

For me it’s digiscoping, judging animals, and looking at suspicious things that I can’t break out with binos. Last year we used it to digiscope a moose and measure it before we moved. This year it will be used for the same, plus for caribou to get an idea of size. I love my 15s and used them to glass big country. The razor spotter can help with magnification, but the resolution and clarity suck and really limit the times I use it.

The new baby Kowa are on my list for that. Definitely a use for it there.

I can’t wait to get back to AK.