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Swarovski scopes and watersheding/fogging...

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Optics Apprentice
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    Posted: January/31/2010 at 18:16
I am interested in a couple of swarovski scopes....a z3 and a z6i.  But before I drop that much $ in a scope I would want to know how it handles in rain, and if fogs in cold weather.  I have hear good things about Bushnell rainguard and Zeiss lotutec, but I have  not heard good or bad regarding Swaro in this regard. I am dissappointed in how my Nikon monarch foggs up.  Any input on swarovski in this regard is appreciated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/31/2010 at 18:34
I've never had a fogging problem with my Swaro, but I haven't had it out hunting in a pouring rain.

I have had great success with the Lotutec Diavari and recommend them heartily.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/31/2010 at 18:59
The Swaro scopes do not have a hydrophobic exterior lens coating like the Zeiss Lotutec or Bushnell Rainguard coatings.  So, they will react the same way and won't shed water or resist exterior lens fogging any better or worse than any other scope without these hydrophobic coatings.  Without a special coating on the outside surfaces, all lenses will behave exactly the same in wet conditions and condensation will form on glass surfaces during rapid temperature changes (i.e. breathing on a cold lens), and the quality of the scope has absolutely zero influence on this.  We are seeing an increase in the use of special water- and oil-resisting lens coatings, so I expect to see more scopes so equipped in the future.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pass-thru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/31/2010 at 21:16
Thanks rifledude....that's what I thought.  It's an option I won't be without, especially for that amount of money.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/31/2010 at 22:29
If the lack of a hydrophobic lens coating is a deal breaker for you, then you are left with very few choices in the same class as Swarovski -- Zeiss Victory Diavari and Varipoint have a lens coating called "LotuTec" and the new Leica ER series scopes have a coating they call "AquaDura."  Unless I'm forgetting something, that's it.  Since Swaro uses a similar coating on their binoculars and spotting scopes called "Swaroclean," I'm surprised they haven't applied it to their rifle scope lenses yet.  Maybe they have plans to do so in the future.  There are several other scopes that have hydrophobic coatings (such as Bushnell Elites), but not in the "alpha" class.

While it's a nice feature to have, I don't personally think it's such a big deal that I wouldn't even consider buying a scope without it.  There are plenty of very fine scopes that don't have it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pass-thru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/31/2010 at 22:57

It's not something that would have been a deal breaker for me....until my scope fogged up on the last hunt of the year.  Bad weather happens a lot during hunting season, and I would rather take it a hit on the glass and have some insurance against the weather. 

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