The best spotting scope reviews on the web are based on the ratings of real users. Spektiv.org has located six devices that have been tested and rated by a total of 90 users. The spotting scopes in this comparative review are:
- The Vortex Razor HD 85
- The Kowa TSN-883
- The Swarovski ATS 65 HD
- The Pentax PF-80 ED
- The Zeiss DiaScope 85 T* FL
- The Vanguard Endeavour HD82A
Among the spotting scopes in this review are three of the highest rated spotting scopes ever (Vortex, Kowa, and Swarovski, each scoring five out of five on the rating scale), as well as three spotting scopes that also scored above average (five out of five or four out of five on the rating scale).
The evaluations were made by users on the US market. It is possible that not all assessments of the considered test reports of these spotting scopes are credible. However, the sum of the testers should prevent intentional manipulation. In addition, most of the categories compared below are features of the devices, which should allow for a simple and objective comparison.
Test reports on six spotting scopes
| Vortex Razor HD 85 | Kowa Prominar TSN-883 | Swarovski ATS 65 HD | |
| Average rating | 5 out of 5 | 5 out of 5 | 5 out of 5 |
| Number of ratings | 32 | 11 | 7 |
| Current price | GBP 1,347.60 | GBP 2,081.21 | 1,304.98 GBP |
| Objective lens | 85mm | 88mm | 65mm |
| Lens made of ED glass | Available | Available | Available |
| Anti-reflective coating | fully remunerated | fully remunerated | fully remunerated |
| Prism grade | Bak-4 | Bak-4 | Bak-4 |
| Material (body) | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium |
| Dual focus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable eyepiece | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Eyepiece included | 20-60 times | No | No |
| Weight | 1,863 gram | 1,551 gram | 1,131 gram |
| Dimension (length) | 34cm | 33cm |
One advantage of the Vortex Razor that immediately catches the eye is the included eyepiece with 20x to 60x optical magnification. For the other two spotting scopes in the test report, eyepieces must be purchased separately. Many other comparison criteria are showing similar results. Besides the price, only the already mentioned included eyepiece of the Vortex Razor is noticeable.
Finally, there are further differences in weight: The Vortex spotting scope is the heaviest, but with the other two spotting scopes weight is added by the required additional eyepiece to be purchased.
| Pentax PF-80 ED | Zeiss DiaScope 85 T* FL | Vanguard Endeavor HD82A | |
| Average rating | 5 out of 5 | 5 out of 5 | 4 from 5 |
| Number of ratings | 32 | 6 | 5 |
| Current price | 1108,86 GBP | 2,029.00 GBP | 430,51 GBP |
| Objective lens | 80mm | 85mm | 82mm |
| Lens made of ED glass | Available | Fluorite glass | Available |
| Anti-reflective coating | fully remunerated | fully remunerated | fully remunerated |
| Prism grade | Bak-4 | Bak-4 | Bak-4 |
| Material (body) | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium |
| Dual focus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable eyepiece | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Eyepiece included | 20-60x | No | 20-60x |
| Weight | 2.149 gram | 1,474 gram | 1,809 gram |
| Dimension (length) | 41cm | 35cm | 38cm |
The inexpensive Vanguard Endeavor is the only spotting scope in the test report that received four out of five possible points. It therefore stands out. However, it must be mentioned that the price is significantly (!) below the other compared spotting scopes and that the eyepiece is already included in the Vanguard spotting scope. Furthermore, the direct comparison of the spotting scopes shows that the Pentax device with over 2 kilograms is significantly heavier than all other spotting scopes evaluated in the reviews.
Conclusion of the spotting scope test reports
All the spotting scopes listed here scored above average in test reports by users and were recommended for purchase. The comparatively inexpensive Endeavor (Vanguard) probably scores best in terms of price-performance, but it has also only been rated five times and not 32 times like the Vortex Razor.