Once again Swarovski, the premium optics manufacturer from Austria, proves that it is not resting on its laurels. The latest additions to the spotting scope family are the two very compact and image-stabilised AT and ST Balance spotting scopes. The AT has a 65 mm objective lens diameter for angled viewing and 18-45x magnification. The ST Balance has a straight view and is even slightly lighter at 14-35×50.

The basic idea behind these two spotting scope models is that some nature observers have always rejected spotting scopes because of their size and the fact that you cannot observe properly without a tripod. Swarovski, as the leading European manufacturer of high-end optics, now has something to counter these two arguments. We were able to get an idea of this during a pre-launch event.

At the end of September, we tested the new product and the technology behind it on two extremely rainy days. Among other things, we were also able to observe how these spotting scopes are mounted in Absam. The next day, we went to Lake Chiemsee and were able to test the functionality of these spotting scopes and the image stabiliser both inside Herrenchiemsee Palace and on the shore.

In conclusion, we can only say: the usual excellent image quality and a very steady image when held in the hand.