Ok, I wanted to see and hold this Oscar3 made by Sig. It is a 10x-20x 30mm STABLIZED (IS) monocular. Same as on a Nikon DSLR lens to keep image steady for hand held use.
I noticed at 10x the IS does great, image goes from too-much-coffee to floating. The image is SHARP. And the focus is SENSITIVE. If this had an etched reticle for ranging I'd love it.
Up to 20x the image darkens a bit and focus is even more sensitive but the stablilization is less effective (jitters).
The best spot is about 12-15x in the middle depending what you need to see. There seems to be no depth of field (in a good way). If their scopes focus like this and I have read the Tango6 line does, the SIII is beat. Period. You can focus on a leaf or the branch holding it. Or the silkworm hanging from the leaf.
Now to the unit. Made in Chinra. Rubberized coating, battery tray takes two stacked CR2 3.0 volt cells. It is easy to open and tighten. The unit is light enough but feels solid. The focus is in front...nice really, I used it easily with my left off hand to steady the end and focus at the same time. One has to constantly rotate the focus ring if scanning to see objects clearly. I wear glasses and compaired to the Vortex Solo 8x36 the Sig's Oscar3 falls short in this area. The eye piece surface area is MUCH larger on the Vortex Solo. For those with 20/20 I think it wont matter. I found the Oscar3 usable though for sure. Vortex is suited for quick open scanning of a field.
Price. $450. Is it a piece of kit you have to have? Well I can say that you will be able to identify if it's an European or African Swallow. Or whatever the case may be. I think hunters could use it on deer to count points and the like. The field of view is limited for eyeglass wearers. It just isnt cheap. Pics to follow.
I noticed at 10x the IS does great, image goes from too-much-coffee to floating. The image is SHARP. And the focus is SENSITIVE. If this had an etched reticle for ranging I'd love it.
Up to 20x the image darkens a bit and focus is even more sensitive but the stablilization is less effective (jitters).
The best spot is about 12-15x in the middle depending what you need to see. There seems to be no depth of field (in a good way). If their scopes focus like this and I have read the Tango6 line does, the SIII is beat. Period. You can focus on a leaf or the branch holding it. Or the silkworm hanging from the leaf.
Now to the unit. Made in Chinra. Rubberized coating, battery tray takes two stacked CR2 3.0 volt cells. It is easy to open and tighten. The unit is light enough but feels solid. The focus is in front...nice really, I used it easily with my left off hand to steady the end and focus at the same time. One has to constantly rotate the focus ring if scanning to see objects clearly. I wear glasses and compaired to the Vortex Solo 8x36 the Sig's Oscar3 falls short in this area. The eye piece surface area is MUCH larger on the Vortex Solo. For those with 20/20 I think it wont matter. I found the Oscar3 usable though for sure. Vortex is suited for quick open scanning of a field.
Price. $450. Is it a piece of kit you have to have? Well I can say that you will be able to identify if it's an European or African Swallow. Or whatever the case may be. I think hunters could use it on deer to count points and the like. The field of view is limited for eyeglass wearers. It just isnt cheap. Pics to follow.
