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Pros - Best in class image quality - Best warranty in the industry - 85% light transmission - Interchangeable eyepieces Cons - Quite expensive - Short eye relief

Welcome to our review of the Swarovski Optik ATS 80mm Spotting Scope with 25–50X eyepiece. The manufacturer ships this model either with or without an eyepiece, and one of the real benefits of the variant is the ability to change out the eyepiece for different needs. The version I tested came with a 25–50X eyepiece.

The heart of the glass is a massive 80mm objective lens, which allows for an astonishing 85 percent light transmission. It measures 15.8 inches long, and weighs 3.69 pounds.

The optic’s eye relief is a bit short for the magnification, at just 17mm. I had no problems using the spotting scope comfortably with my eyeglasses on, but your mileage may vary.

What Comes in the Box?

When making a sizeable investment in something like a Swarovski spotting scope, it’s important to know what you’re getting for your money. In each box, you can expect to find the following:

• The Swarovski HD ATS–80mm spotting scope itself
• A 25–50X eyepiece
• A lens cleaning cloth
• A soft carrying case

The carrying case is quite well made, and provides great protection for the spotting scope. Unfortunately, you don’t get a tripod with your purchase, but most of the bundled tripods are poor quality anyways.

What’s the Magnification of the Spotting Scope?

With the included 25–50X eyepiece, you get magnification from 25X to 50X. As previously mentioned, the nice thing about this scope is that you can change out the eyepiece with the other option, a 20–60X accessory that gives you more zoom capability.

Whichever eyepiece you’re using, the image is crisp, clear, and has plenty of resolution. There’s no sign of chromatic aberration at any magnification level.

With the included 25–50X eyepiece, you’ll have a generous field of view ranging from 81 feet at 1,000 yards with maximum magnification to 126 feet at 20X.

Is This Spotting Scope Easy to Use?

I love the way the ATS–80 is laid out, because it is so easy to use. Magnification is adjusted right how you’d expect, by means of a wheel around the eyepiece. For focus control, there’s another wheel between the tripod mounting ring and the scope’s “shoulder.” This makes focusing a breeze, and both wheels feature enough stippling to make them easy to control even with slippery or gloved hands.

What’s the Light Gathering Capability Like on the Spotting Scope?

The included eyepiece offers 85% light transmission, as previously noted, and the 80mm objective lens will give you absolutely stunning transmittance. On top of that, the optics in this scope are fully multicoated, maximizing the way the glass uses the light.

I’ve used the ATS–80 in some seriously light-impaired situations with amazing success, and I’ve even used it to explore the craters of the moon and the Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter. It’s never let me down.

How Are the Optics and Focus on This Spotting Scope?

Swarovski has spared no expense on this model, utilizing BaK–4 prism glass in the porro prism, angled eyepiece design. You won’t notice even a trace of phase shift, because the application of phase correction coating has been perfectly accomplished. Furthermore, the SwaroClean coating on the lenses makes them much easier to clean than your average spotting scope.

The focus and magnification controls turn smoothly and easily, but with enough resistance to make sure you really mean to change them.

What’s the Housing Like on the Spotting Scope?

The housing of this spotting scope is aluminum with a rubberized armor outer coating. It’s easy to grip, won’t slide out of your hands if they’re slippery or gloved, and is genuinely a pleasure to hold. The tripod ring is rotatable, so you can adjust your viewing angle to that which suits you best.

How Durable is the Scope?

How about shockproof, fogproof and waterproof? The lenses are O-ring sealed, and the optics chamber is nitrogen-purged to prevent fogging. You also get covered by the best lifetime warranty of any spotting scope on the market.