Swarovski STC Spotting Scope Review. Is this the best spotting scope out there?

This is a brief review for the new Swarovski STC 17-40x56 spotting scope, the ultimate backcountry hunters spotting scope.

[@YellowHammer26]

Definitely a great looking spotting scope. Looking forward to your 2023 hunting season.

[@johnconklin5180]

I have the STS 65mm 25 to 50. It’s amazing. Needs a good tripod and head which I have. Clarity is amazing. Good luck with yours.

[@NJHunting]

Very impressed with it! Excited to use it out in the field!

[@patricj951]

I usually don't like zoom eyepieces. But this spottingscope has made me to do an exception. 57deg AFOV at the lowest magnification is awesome. And to put the upper limit to 40x means it will probably not sacrifice image quality in order to use high magnification as a selling argument.

[@NJHunting]

Doesn’t seem to sacrifice image quality at 40x which is awesome! But we were really impressed with this scope this fall and it’s hard to imagine there is a better one out there for our needs.

[@pault.5744]

Look up the Outdoorsman's spotting scope tripod attachment system. Rock solid. You won't have the issue with the base plate spinning.

[@NJHunting]

We will have to look at that!

[@johnconklin5180]

I bought a Swaro tripod and head. Came with a better mounting plate which solved that issue.

[@justinkolander4526]

Great review! I’d like to buy one, but have the same concern about the mounting plate swiveling. I am real curious if the RRS LR Bino Mount would work - dimensionally it would be close. Love that mount for binos.

[@NJHunting]

Thank you! I feel like it shouldn’t be a big issue, only thing I won’t be doing is picking up the whole tripod with the scope on it and moving it around. That bino mount might work tho!

[@ralphderkapitaen9875]

Carl ZEISS Optical Dialyt Field Spotter 18-45x 65 Spotting Scope is a better deal. Not only cheaper, but better specs (more magnification, larger 65 glass), yet still compact and similar optical quality

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Some guy has a kit on YT that joins two scopes together to make a Big Glass binoculars

[@NJHunting]

Ya I’ve seen that too, that would be pretty cool to try out!

[@wdd910]

The ATX 85mm presumably gets more light (wider obj lens), so isn't it better for digiscoping if not general scoping?

[@NJHunting]

Yes the ATX 85mm should gather more light and would be better for digiscoping. But it is a lot heavier than this one. For us we will take the lighter weight spotter for the hunts that we do over the slightly better scope for digiscoping. If we were mainly using it from the pickup or not packing it in anywhere I would take the ATX 85 over this one for sure.

[@ocabj]

It is unfortunate they didn't put an anti-rotation pin hole or at least make a ridge on the mounting face for the tripod plate to butt up against.

[@NJHunting]

Agreed, it would be nice to have something.

[@cannibalholocaust3015]

Locator pin is the term you’re looking for I think. I did see a small plastic clamshell thing provided by Swarovski with these, does that help the issue? Seems a basic oversight, especially as Swarovski made their actual tripod foot arca Swiss compatible so it could directly mount into tripods that use that system. That’s the most solid solution. Check out twin STCs by Adams Adapters in Tucson , that system looks great.

[@NJHunting]

No the plastic piece doesn't help with it. Everything else about it is awesome in our opinion but you would really think that it would be pretty easy for them to have a "locator pin" in the design. Still very happy with it!

[@cannibalholocaust3015]

@@NJHunting loctite seems to be only solution

[@NJHunting]

@@cannibalholocaust3015 ya I suppose a person could do that!

[@GM-bq6zo]

The outer material of swarovski binoculars and this scope do not seem solid to me, to last a long time.

[@NJHunting]

I havnt heard of that being a problem but it could be! I personally like the feel but have no experience with how long it will last.

[@GM-bq6zo]

@@NJHunting if its a similar material to the new nls and els binoculars it could split or deteriorate, as has happened to a few people, I believe they're trying to sort the problem out. Swarovski are amazing optics but they're not solid build like leica. Not that I'm a leica fan I'm just saying.

[@NJHunting]

@@GM-bq6zo interesting. Did not know about this. Hopefully that doesn’t happen to ours haha

[@GM-bq6zo]

@@NJHunting looks a great piece of kit though, these light travel scopes are great.

[@Ishvires]

lack of zoom

[@NJHunting]

Pretty solid zoom for such a small spotter. If a guy wanted more I think you’d have to sacrifice some weight and size.

[@cannibalholocaust3015]

@@NJHunting due to aperture I’d say 50x is max usable on that glass. Above 40x even the image would degrade