Regardless of whether or not you are looking to get your hands on the Swarovski HD-STS 80 Spotting Scope to gain an edge and advantage when competitively target shooting, hunting, golfing, or birdwatching – or just want quality long-range optics available whenever you find yourself adventuring in a new place – you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the optics contained within the Swarovski HD-STS 80.

Streamlined, sleek, and most definitely stylish (are about as far away from those big and boxy old-school spotting scopes you may have used in the past), the Swarovski HD-STS 80 utilizes a full 20/60 X Zoom eyepiece to give a crystal-clear viewing experience over incredibly long distances.

You won’t have any trouble whatsoever picking up even the finest details at extremely long ranges when you have a look through the eyepiece of this spotting scope!

Unbelievably, the Swarovski HD-STS 80 is somehow also incredibly lightweight and relatively compact. It comes in at just 13.9 inches and only weighs about 42 ounces while still containing the kind of high optic and HD capable lenses that you are looking for a premium spotting scope solution.

Here’s what you get right out of the box

You are going to have two different options when you choose to take advantage of the Swarovski HD-STS 80 spotting scope.

On the one hand, you can decide to go with the straight barrel option which is really more ideal for those that are going to be setting up this spotting scope in a stationary position and aren’t going to have to deal with the challenges that being out in the field inevitably brings to the table.

You can also choose to go with the angled barrel option, a solution that makes it a little bit easier to manage group viewing. You’ll also find the angled barrel option to be a lot better suited to spotting targets – whatever kinds of targets they may be – that are sitting at different elevations and altitudes.

The Swarovski HD-STS 80 utilizes the same optics throughout both of these different options, so you won’t ever have to worry about compromising image when you put this spotting scope to your eye. You might find the straight barrel a bit easier to attach to your camera if you’re going to be spotting before you take photos, and many find the straight barrel option to be the ideal solution for mounting directly on a tripod when you are hunting.

You’re going to get it included carrying case and protective caps for both of the lenses on the Swarovski HD-STS 80 spotting scope regardless of which choice you choose to take advantage of the case comes with a comfortable carrying strap, maintenance and instruction guide, and a couple of other accessories that make fine-tuning and maintaining your Swarovski HD-STS 80 a lot easier.

Biggest advantages

Right out of the gate, you are going to notice just how much light that 80 mm aperture of the Swarovski HD-STS 80 spotting scope allows into the body and eventually back to the eyepiece. This is the kind of spotting scope that is going to make locating targets in almost any lighting condition (outside of pitch blackness) nearly effortless, and it’s all thanks to that oversized aperture that seemingly sucks light into the scope without any difficulty at all.

Of course, in full light situation – or even nearly full light situations – the Swarovski HD-STS 80 and it’s 80 mm aperture is going to pull in a tremendous amount of light to optimize vision clarity and overall brightness. The contrast of the images captured through this spotting scope are going to be almost beyond lifelike, really helping colors to pop to make the identification of targets whole lot easier, too.

We found that the glass contained within the Swarovski HD-STS 80 is really high quality across the board, offering clear and crisp imaging no matter what. The attached lens caps guarantee that you’re able to protect your spotting scope during transport, and also make sure that you don’t ever lose your lens caps.

The glass itself that makes up the optics of the Swarovski HD-STS 80 spotting scope is incredibly hard and durable all on its own, but it’s nice to have the benefit of those lens caps so close at hand.

Overall, the focus wheel of the zoom lens optic feature is very large and effortless to maneuver on the fly. It isn’t ever intrusive or “in the way”, but it’s never out of reach or difficult to get a handle on, either. It really hits that sweet spot between performance, utility, and ease of use.

Drawbacks

There really isn’t a lot to dislike about the Swarovski HD-STS 80, but the only thing that might put a handful of people off from jumping on top of this top option right away is the somewhat steep price tag.

We’re talking about a spotting scope in the Swarovski HD-STS 80 that can go for upwards of $2000 without any trouble at all, putting it out of the range of novices or amateurs that may not get as much use or utility out of a spotting scope quite this high quality.

On the flip side of things, if you want to a true “buy it once, and for life” spotting scope you really can’t go wrong with the Swarovski HD-STS 80.

Final Verdict

At the end of the day, if you are in the market for a top-quality and truly premium spotting scope with the kind of crystal-clear and ultra HD optics you are expecting, the kind of spotting scope that professionals that need to be able to depend upon in almost any situation imaginable – and in any lighting situation they might find themselves in – it really doesn’t get a whole lot better than the Swarovski HD-STS 80.

Sure, you are going to have to pony up a little bit of extra cash to get your hands on the Swarovski HD-STS 80 spotting scope. But this is the kind of investment in your shooting, your hunting, your photography, your birdwatching, or whatever else you’re looking to do with this new spotting scope that is going to start paying off almost immediately.

This is a “must buy” for those serious about getting their hands on only the best spotting scope available.

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