New from Swarovski
AT and ST BALANCE Scopes
New Hand-held Stabilized Spotting Scopes
This new wonder from Swarovski is a gyroscopically stabilized scope you can hold in your hands, tripod free!
Sometimes a birder wants more magnification than their binoculars can provide, but a tripod is just not the thing. While birding on a boat. On a hike for which a tripod seems too much to carry. Maybe even birding up in a tree.
But a regular, non-stabilized scope by itself is shaky.
What a revelation it is to put a scope to the eye and see a clear, shake-free image!
It is marvelous!
You can watch the miracle happen. Raise the scope to your eye, and the image is jiggling all over the place, just like you'd expect. You press the button at the base of the eyepiece. (It's right under your thumb.) A little green light comes on. And immediately everything just slows down and gets still. Clear, smooth, and stable.
Suddenly you are looking steadily at your bird.
This is the first hand-held stabilized spotting scope.
We can leave the tripod home
How steady is it?
The image is far steadier than we expected for hand-holding a scope, at up to 45x magnification. And it stays smooth even as you move the scope to follow your target.
More than one thousand measurements per second continuously adjust the lens position, compensating instantly for even the slightest hand movements. The image stabilization has exceptionally low latency. The image doesn't stutter.
The precise alignment of sensors, motors, and optical as well as mechanical components ensures an extremely natural and comfortable viewing experience – even in motion.
You might like the scope on a tripod, too. We thought it worked great on a monopod, though regular non-stabilized scopes don't at all. But the tripod is no longer mandatory!
Stabilized and lightweight
Holding it in our bare hands
The scope is lightweight enough that it's comfortable to hand hold (46 ounces for the Straight, and 52 ounces for the slightly more magnifying Angled). Honestly we are amazed that a stabilized scope can weigh so little.
The ergonomic shape is designed for hand-held usage. Both the Angled (AT Balance) and the Straight (ST Balance) scopes are extremely comfortable to hold.
The two models — AT and ST Balance
Of the two AT/ST BALANCE scopes, the Angled gives a higher magnification and a slightly bigger objective lens. The Straight weighs and costs slightly less.
AT Balance (the angled version goes from 18x to 45x. It has a 65mm objective lens. It weighs 51.9 oz.
ST Balance (the straight version) goes from 14x to 35x. It has a 50mm objective lens. It weighs 45.9 oz.
Do you wear glasses?
The AT/ST scopes have an eye relief of 20mm. That lets you see the whole field of view even with your glasses on. The twist-up eyecup means that they also work for people who don't wear glasses. You can fine-tune the adjustment for eye relief that is perfect for you.
The optics
If you're thinking about getting a Swarovski, you probably already know there are no sharper, clearer, or brighter optics. Field flattener lenses deliver an almost flat, completely distortion-free image, right up to the edges.
Images are sharp, high-contrast, and true-to-life. You can make out every detail for precise identification.
As for color fidelity, Swarovski's innovative lens coatings provide excellent color rendering with high light transmission.
Power to stabilize
The stabilization power includes a rechargeable battery, which is included. It has a 12-hour battery life, enough to stay in the field all day long. It is replaceable, and additional RB-S batteries are available. The included charger can charge two batteries at once.
Energy saving mode. To preserve battery, an automatic time-out kicks in after 5 minutes. Tilting the scope, even slightly, will reactivate the stabilization.
See a demonstration
This video gives a good sense of what it is like to use the AT/ST Balance scopes. It features Clay Taylor, Senior Manager, Swarovski Naturalist Market. Watch the video
What comes in the box
Rechargeable battery
Battery charger including USB-C cable
Carrying strap
Objective lens cover and eyepiece cover
Adapter plate (as for ATC/STC)
Durability and robustness
Patented automatic locking mode protects the lens in the event of a fall or a sudden interruption in the power supply.
Optional available accessories
Rechargeable battery
Battery charger including USB-C cable
Carrying strap
Objective lens cover and eyepiece cover
Warranty
Swarovski Optik grants a warranty from the date of purchase for a period of 10 years for optical and mechanical components, and 5 years for electronic parts. The replaceable battery is covered by a statutory warranty period of 1 year, while the battery charger is covered for 3 years.