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Recent content by mistermuel

  1. M

    Leica APO 77mm Televid viewfinder eyepiece

    Hello, I just got a used Leica APO 77mm Televid with a the fixed Leica 32x eyepiece. I have some beginner questions... 1) I'm wondering if I'm missing anything by not having the 20-60x? 2) did Leica make an extender for the 77mm? Will the new one for the 82mm fit? 3) does anybody know of...
  2. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    Lots to research! Thank you all for the help everybody. For my Kowa TSN-99a, what do you think about the Manfrotto 190 tripod and MVK500AM tripod head?
  3. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    Does anybody know of any Black Friday tripod sales for Manfrotto, Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, or any other top brands?
  4. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    I'm new to this... what does the "counter balancing" feature do on a tripod? Slide rail too? Why would you want or not want these on a big Kowa TSN-99a?
  5. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    I did check out Ebay for some old wood tripods, and there were some very nice looking examples on there. It had me wondering... Is there any way to attach a modern fluid head to an older tripod base so that you could combine vintage aesthetics with modern funcionality?
  6. M

    Kowa TSN-99a vs. Leica APO 82 Televid

    Thanks! I did want to do some sort of objective testing on both lenses like a star test. Does anybody have a link to would explain how to do that?
  7. M

    Kowa TSN-99a vs. Leica APO 82 Televid

    Thanks to everybody for the help. This is a really nice, helpful, and polite forum. Rare on the internet. Reflects positively on the birding community. I actually ended up buying both lenses. I found a great condition used Leica APO Televid 77 on ebay with a fixed 32x eyepiece, and bought the...
  8. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    My goal is probably going to be to get a stationary tripod for my living room, and another one for travel. I'll check out Gitzo. I do want to get the best complement for this scope.
  9. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    I picked up the Manfrotto 128RC Micro Fluid Head with 200PL 14 RC2 Rapid Connector Plate, but it doesn't fit my tripod. Not sure if its going to support the Kowa 99. Any thoughts?
  10. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    Thanks for all the help! Does anybody have a good heavy duty fluid head recommendation for the Kowa TSN99? It's bigger scope so I want to make sure to put it on a good tripoid.
  11. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    Thanks for the tips. Wow those Ries tripoids are really nice, and it looks like they are even made in Washington state! Thanks for the tips!
  12. M

    Best tripod for a big Kowa scope?

    Hello! I just ordered a Kowa TSN-99a spotting scope. It's big! I am now searching for the best tripod I can get that will complement this new scope. Ease of use, sturdiness, quality are all important. Price is not a concern, however, I am looking for the best tripod, not the most expensive...
  13. M

    Kowa TSN-99a vs. Leica APO 82 Televid

    That's the main idea I got from reading the forums. Lots of folks are excited about their Kowa scopes, but I did not see much love for Leica. Still the 20+ year old APO televid 77 was pretty amazing to me. I don't have any experience with scopes. Has anybody looked through both scopes? Would it...
  14. M

    Kowa TSN-99a vs. Leica APO 82 Televid

    I recently tried my uncle's 20+ year old Leica APO Televid 77 and not having experienced a quality scope before, I was amazed at the quality. I immediately set out to buy a Leica, but upon researching discovered that Kowa seems to be the way to go. Then I found out about the new TSN-99a which...
  15. M

    KOWA TSN-99 PROMINAR and KOWA TE-80 XW- Binomania preview!

    I have to ask another stupid question-- about specimens. People keep talking about specimens on the forums. Does that mean that one identical model scope coming from the factory is not as good as another? One was "made on a Monday" and one was "made on a Friday"? Is that what you are all talking...
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