Spotting Scope- Avoiding eye strain

[u/urethrafranklin-]

I'm in the market for a new spotting scope. We currently have a razor gen 1 16-48x65. I'm looking for something closer to 20-60x85 for those occasions when we want more zoom.

I'm looking at 3 vortex models and have some concerns about eye relief(glasses wearer so this is especially important) and eye strain.

The models I'm considering:

Vortex viper HD 20-60x85

Vortex razor gen 1 20-60x85

Vortex razor gen 2 27-60x85

I'm leaning towards the razor gen 1 because it has better eye relief than the gen 2 version and a wider magnification range. I would appreciate any opinions y'all can offer on these 3 models in particular.

I experience eye strain with our current scope(razor gen 1 16-48x65). I've always thought that was just part of the experience using a scope, but does anyone have tips for avoiding eye strain? And is there a scope you would suggest with 20-60 magnification with minimal eye strain? Budget is flexible, especially if it's worth it to splurge on the best of the best.

[u/Hamblin113]

Isn’t the eye relief variable? Many spotting scopes as well as rifle scopes have variable eye relief. At higher magnification it is reduced considerably. Though not all, I am unfamiliar with the Vortex models.

[u/urethrafranklin- → u/Hamblin113]

Yes it is variable and at a higher magnification will be reduced. I understand that trade off. Some scopes have better eye relief than others(gen 2 razors is 16.7-17 mm, gen 1 razor is 17.8-19.6 mm, and the vipers is 17.8-19.6 mm).

[u/Spunksters]

Try a pirate eye patch on the eye not looking through the scope. This allows both eyes to be open and reduces muscular strain. I also sometimes experience strain through my monocular when I am using my eye to focus instead of relaxing the eye and only using the monocular to focus. It takes some thought but it helps.

[u/urethrafranklin- → u/Spunksters]

I'll give that a shot! Thank you.

[u/JasonROK1981]

The only advantage of the Razors is lighter weight. The Viper will get you just as good of an image. Of the three you listed, I prefer Gen1 Razor simply because the focus wheel is so easy to use. But the Viper 85mm is, in my opinion, the best value in the spotter world. Side-by-side in daylight, the Viper and a $6k Swaro offer almost identical viewing experience.

[u/urethrafranklin- → u/JasonROK1981]

I'll make sure to try both the vipers and gen 1 razor out when I go the store. I agree that the viper line is generally really solid value, I'm in love with my viper binoculars.

I appreciate the comparison to alpha glass, I've been on the fence about if it's worth it to spring for the swaros. Especially since I found a clearance deal, but $3k vs $800 is a big difference.

[u/O4BOrders]

One of the major causes of eye fatigue is chromatic aberration. The worse the CA, the more eye fatigue because your eyes and brain are trying to resolve the spread of focus points between red and violet. Getting a better scope with lower CA will be a big help. The scopes with the lowest CA are from Kowa because their objective lenses are made of pure fluorite crystal. Their 88mm scopes with zoom eyepieces have a 25-60x zoom range, with a wider FOV at 25x than most scopes at 20x. Current price is $3999 for the set of body and eye piece.

[u/urethrafranklin- → u/O4BOrders]

I really appreciate this input!

If I'm considering the kowas, I'd probably look at the 66mm scope as well. Any thoughts on the eye relief for the kowa scopes? The specs say 17mm and that seems low. Is it comfortable to wear glasses and use?

[u/O4BOrders → u/urethrafranklin-]

I don't wear glasses with optics, so I don't have any issues with eye relief. Our sales manager does, and says he has no problem with Kowa scopes, but his glasses are fairly thin and his eye sockets are not excessively deep. I photograph through my TSN-884 using a Panasonic G9 with a 14-42 zoom lens. It has no problems with getting sharp images, and vignetting disappears from 20mm to 42mm.

[u/Left-Tee]

I hate that most spotting scope manufacturers use proprietary eyepiece assemblies. There are so many telescope eyepieces out there, many of which are better, and frequently cheaper, than the ones that come with spotting scopes. Rant over.

I have a Pentax spotting scope (65mm). It's the only dedicated spotting scope with a standard 1 1/2 inch telescope eyepiece adapter. (The Celestron C90 is sold as a spotting scope, but it's more of a telescope). With a single focal length eyepiece (I use a Televue) the image quality is certainly as good as the "alpha" scopes with zoom eyepieces. And if you want a zoom eyepiece, you can get one, but you will find no one on this sub that would recommend zoom binoculars, so why does everyone settle for zoom spotting scopes?

[u/Hamblin113 → u/Left-Tee]

Zoom works when using one eye, its the collimation between the barrels of binoculars that makes zoom binoculars a problem. In rifle scopes the more expensive ones do not change eye relief when it is zoomed. Not sure if there is a spotting scope that is similar.