You can handle 17x without tripod, above that you need a tripod or a steady surface to support.
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New ATC/ STC 17-40x56 Telescope (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter John A Roberts
- Start date
BertL,
I have tried hand-holding my straight ED50 at the 13x end of the zoom and it's all over the place, and effectively unuseable. Yes - a straight ED50 isn't as straight as the all in a line STC, so the STC can be handled like a monocular. However, there's a reason binocular magnification tops out at 10x : it's all most people most of the time can hold steady. I am therefore surprised you can handhold the STC at 17X (what did you do for the rest of the zoom range to 40x ?). Nikon advertise a "hand holding case" for the ED50. I haven't tried one, but it makes much more sense to me than the rubber thing on the bottom Swarovski has provided. IMO the STC/ATC will need a monopod as a minimum, and will look a bit silly on a tripod (like the ED50 does IMO!).
I have tried hand-holding my straight ED50 at the 13x end of the zoom and it's all over the place, and effectively unuseable. Yes - a straight ED50 isn't as straight as the all in a line STC, so the STC can be handled like a monocular. However, there's a reason binocular magnification tops out at 10x : it's all most people most of the time can hold steady. I am therefore surprised you can handhold the STC at 17X (what did you do for the rest of the zoom range to 40x ?). Nikon advertise a "hand holding case" for the ED50. I haven't tried one, but it makes much more sense to me than the rubber thing on the bottom Swarovski has provided. IMO the STC/ATC will need a monopod as a minimum, and will look a bit silly on a tripod (like the ED50 does IMO!).
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Don't insult my MM3! It's got its own carbon tripod, which it is now going to leave to an orange ATC.BertL,
I have tried hand-holding my straight ED50 at the 13x end of the zoom and it's all over the place, and effectively unuseable. Yes - a straight ED50 isn't as straight as the all in a line STC, so the STC can be handled like a monocular. However, there's a reason binocular magnification tops out at 10x : it's all most people most of the time can hold steady. I am therefore surprised you can handhold the STC at 17X (what did you do for the rest of the zoom range to 40x ?). Nikon advertise a "hand holding case" for the ED50. I haven't tried one, but it makes much more sense to me than the rubber thing on the bottom Swarovski has provided. IMO the STC/ATC will need a monopod as a minimum, and will look a bit silly on a tripod (like the ED50 does IMO!).
Seriously, though, there is always room for a light, tripodded, small and light telescope!
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
I'm not so sure, I even did struggle with the ED50+20x WA on a monopod.
I can only use my ED50 at 20x magnfication or more on a monopod by using a diy fold-down foot to stop the monopod twisting about its longitudinal axis. Sometimes the foot has enough resistance on the ground to stop twisting, but if there isn't then I have to put my foot on top of the foot (!). Without the fold-down foot I find an ED50 on a monopod is limited to the bottom end of the zoom range around 13x. I would expect the Swarovski ATC top need similar a similar arrangement on a monopod. IMO the pictures on the website showing the ATC being hand held are laughable at best - unless you want to buy and never use the upper half of the zoom's range.
I tried the ED50 on a <1kg Slik SprintPro but I am 5 foot 11, and I prefer a straight scope so it was too flexible at full stretch, and the ED50 looked plain daft on my 1.1kg and 1.5kg carbon fibre tripods which I got fed up with lugging about.
Above 17x you need a tripod. 17x however for a Quick look is oke without for me.BertL,
I have tried hand-holding my straight ED50 at the 13x end of the zoom and it's all over the place, and effectively unuseable. Yes - a straight ED50 isn't as straight as the all in a line STC, so the STC can be handled like a monocular. However, there's a reason binocular magnification tops out at 10x : it's all most people most of the time can hold steady. I am therefore surprised you can handhold the STC at 17X (what did you do for the rest of the zoom range to 40x ?). Nikon advertise a "hand holding case" for the ED50. I haven't tried one, but it makes much more sense to me than the rubber thing on the bottom Swarovski has provided. IMO the STC/ATC will need a monopod as a minimum, and will look a bit silly on a tripod (like the ED50 does IMO!).
Viewerinsweden
Member
I have tried the ATC with and without tripod in a shop looking att a bird in a tree about 30 meters away:
Handhold I can see and identify the bird at 17x. It is not a joy to view like that and a good binocular would be my first choice.
When I zoom in to 40 my heartbeat is enough to make viewing impossible.
When resting my ellbow on a table I can enjoy the view att 17x and I am still able to identify the bird when zooming in but maybe not all the way to 40x. Heartbeat is not an issue enymore but the view is a bit unstabil. Maybe one could practice and improve the handling to be more stabil. I guess hunters will have the same issue when shooting and have technics for holding their wapons still.
On a tripod I can enjoy the view even att 40x. Without beeing a pro in using spotters I would say the field of view is realy a highlight.
A combination with a monopod should also work well but I have not tested that.
From my experiment I would say the scope is mainly made for use with your ellbow resting on a table, tree or similar. I imagine that you have it in a bagpack in combination with a binocular and you take it out when you see something you want to see closer. You rest your elbow and observ. If you feel you are going to observ longer you take out you tripod or you put it away and continue your walk.
I guess this scope could replace the CTC in the future. I have never seen or used one but I guess the purpose is the same?
The ATC/STC could also be an alternative for someone looking for a 15x56 binocular. On one hand you gain the option of beeing able to zoom in, on the other hand you loose the binocular view.
Handhold I can see and identify the bird at 17x. It is not a joy to view like that and a good binocular would be my first choice.
When I zoom in to 40 my heartbeat is enough to make viewing impossible.
When resting my ellbow on a table I can enjoy the view att 17x and I am still able to identify the bird when zooming in but maybe not all the way to 40x. Heartbeat is not an issue enymore but the view is a bit unstabil. Maybe one could practice and improve the handling to be more stabil. I guess hunters will have the same issue when shooting and have technics for holding their wapons still.
On a tripod I can enjoy the view even att 40x. Without beeing a pro in using spotters I would say the field of view is realy a highlight.
A combination with a monopod should also work well but I have not tested that.
From my experiment I would say the scope is mainly made for use with your ellbow resting on a table, tree or similar. I imagine that you have it in a bagpack in combination with a binocular and you take it out when you see something you want to see closer. You rest your elbow and observ. If you feel you are going to observ longer you take out you tripod or you put it away and continue your walk.
I guess this scope could replace the CTC in the future. I have never seen or used one but I guess the purpose is the same?
The ATC/STC could also be an alternative for someone looking for a 15x56 binocular. On one hand you gain the option of beeing able to zoom in, on the other hand you loose the binocular view.
So, will the new ATC replace my much used (on a tripod) Opticron MM3 60ED? Well the first thing I notice from the pictures is that the quick release plate doesn’t look as though it makes a rotation-resistant attachment to the scope. Compare this to the very secure 2 screw attachment of quick release plate to the foot of my Opticron. I really dislike having a scope twisting loose from the release plate while carrying in the field.
milvusmilvus
Well-known member
This morning I received a call from my favourite dealer in Madrid to tell me they have received the first units in Spain. They got just the straight scope but it is the one I’m interested on. I have visited them this late afternoon, and I took my angled Leica Apo Televid 62, 16-48 zoom with me to compare.
First impressions on 20 minutes of side by side comparison on an overcast evening in a crowded square surrounded by tall buildings (not the best testing environment but it is what it is).
With this limited time and non favourable conditions to test, my summary is that main advantages are handheld usability and field of view, followed by compactness and reduced weight. In regards with image quality I would consider them a draw. Maybe in more challenging conditions I can observe more difference.
I have bought it so will report back when I have the chance to further test it.
Best regards,
Antonio.
First impressions on 20 minutes of side by side comparison on an overcast evening in a crowded square surrounded by tall buildings (not the best testing environment but it is what it is).
- Image quality: No big difference with the Leica if any. More or less same light gathering capabilities, same absence of chromatic aberration, same definition.
- Field of view: Clear advantage for the STC especially at the sort end of the zoom. Quite nice in this regard.
- Physics: obviously the Swarovski is smaller and lighter. The Leica is not rubberised, so a stay on case is a must, and with it the weigh goes up to 1,5Kg, and the Swarovski is just 1Kg, so half a Kg or one pound less. Quite dense scope though, as for size my impression was that it was going to feel lighter.
- Form factor: I know I’m comparing an angled scope with a straight scope but there is a clear advantage for the STC when handholding. Very usable at 17x, and usable enough until, let’s say, 30x (I have steady hands, trained in handgun target shooting).
With this limited time and non favourable conditions to test, my summary is that main advantages are handheld usability and field of view, followed by compactness and reduced weight. In regards with image quality I would consider them a draw. Maybe in more challenging conditions I can observe more difference.
I have bought it so will report back when I have the chance to further test it.
Best regards,
Antonio.
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milvusmilvus
Well-known member
Hello all,
As promised, I report back with a little more information after more test with the STC scope.
Test was done again under a medium overcast that seems to be the norm last days in my region, but without a drop of the highly needed rain by here. This time I went to a wetland not so far away from home. It still has some water, as opposed to other wetlands nearby. Tons of birds to watch, as they are grouping where water is.
This time I didn't took any other scope with me to compare.
Image Quality: It is excellent, with total absence of chromatic aberrations in those conditions. I love its wide field of view throughout all its magnificacion range. However, going up to 40 times makes the scope to struggle a bit, with a quite narrow depth of field and diminished light. Excellent with less magnification.
Hand holding: Again, very good in this regard. It is quite usable at 17x without any kind of rest, just standing, and it can be used even with a little more magnification. For the shake of testing, I used it without a tripod in a hide, resting it on my backpack, and it is pretty usable at 40x. Of course, using a tripod is quite more confortable, but I have bought this scope for my hiking walks, where sometimes the bird is too far away to id with my binoculars, so having the possibility to use more magnification resting on a rock or leaning into a tree, and avoiding the extra weigh of a tripod is quite nice.
Tripod use: This is a mixed bag for me. Being straight makes aiming easier than with an angled scope. This is even more evident when hand holding. Nevertheless, use confort is quite worse in my opinion compared to an angle scope on a tripod. I pair this scope with a Peak Design carbon travel tripod that I like a lot. I'm not tall (1,75m or about 5'9"), but being a straight scope it needs to be set at eyes height and that tripod falls 7cm or 3" sort. It is quite un-confortable to use. I have to find a way raise it a little, maybe changing the ball head with a light video head will suffice.
My conclusions so far:
Regards,
Antonio.
As promised, I report back with a little more information after more test with the STC scope.
Test was done again under a medium overcast that seems to be the norm last days in my region, but without a drop of the highly needed rain by here. This time I went to a wetland not so far away from home. It still has some water, as opposed to other wetlands nearby. Tons of birds to watch, as they are grouping where water is.
This time I didn't took any other scope with me to compare.
Image Quality: It is excellent, with total absence of chromatic aberrations in those conditions. I love its wide field of view throughout all its magnificacion range. However, going up to 40 times makes the scope to struggle a bit, with a quite narrow depth of field and diminished light. Excellent with less magnification.
Hand holding: Again, very good in this regard. It is quite usable at 17x without any kind of rest, just standing, and it can be used even with a little more magnification. For the shake of testing, I used it without a tripod in a hide, resting it on my backpack, and it is pretty usable at 40x. Of course, using a tripod is quite more confortable, but I have bought this scope for my hiking walks, where sometimes the bird is too far away to id with my binoculars, so having the possibility to use more magnification resting on a rock or leaning into a tree, and avoiding the extra weigh of a tripod is quite nice.
Tripod use: This is a mixed bag for me. Being straight makes aiming easier than with an angled scope. This is even more evident when hand holding. Nevertheless, use confort is quite worse in my opinion compared to an angle scope on a tripod. I pair this scope with a Peak Design carbon travel tripod that I like a lot. I'm not tall (1,75m or about 5'9"), but being a straight scope it needs to be set at eyes height and that tripod falls 7cm or 3" sort. It is quite un-confortable to use. I have to find a way raise it a little, maybe changing the ball head with a light video head will suffice.
My conclusions so far:
- Very good scope to be used on hiking trips where weight has to be kept low, as it can be used without a tripod. No that I want to use it for long periods that way, but useful to ID that ocasional bird.
- Not as comfy to use on a tripod as an angled scope. I think that when I come up with something to raise the height of the tripod it will be better, but in my opinion it won't match the confort of an angled scope for this purpose.
- Would I have it if I could have only one scope? Sure not. For me this is a quite specific scope for specific uses. Maybe the ATC will be more versatile, sacrificing some easiness of use hand holding, both at aiming and keeping it steady. Anyhow I think that a 60+ or even 80+ good quality scope would be my choice if I could have just one.
Regards,
Antonio.
tenex
reality-based
My fantasy for STC would be to walk/hike with it on a strap across my shoulder, bringing it up for use when desired, with a bit of extra stabilization from having the strap set just right. Does it have strap lugs, or just a socket to screw a single one into? Could that possibly work up to 30x, if not 40?
You can fit an extension column of type Central Column which can be removed when not needed.
(cheaper simple ones with no extension and NOT carbon can be sort on eBay etc, also)
hope this helps !
milvusmilvus
Well-known member
It does have two straps lugs and the strap is included . I’ll give it a try and maybe will come back with questions about the technique for stabilising.
milvusmilvus
Well-known member
It may be useful, and would attract a lot of attention too. 😂 Any link you may have?
milvusmilvus
Well-known member
That is a good idea to consider! Thanks a lot.
Here's a few.
CameraMount / ScopeMount
Rifle stock, camera mount, window rail, shoulder stock, shoulder mount, window sling, window mount, photography, camera, DSLR
Built nearly indestructible, this sturdy yet lightweight ...
Built nearly indestructible, this sturdy yet lightweight mount lets you view images through your spotting scope by steadying the scope on your shoulder. Fits most spotting scopes for rock-solid viewing without a tripod. With this unit, shaky images are virtually eliminated. Adjusts for varied...
www.thrillon.com
