Japanese Kowa has been manufacturing binoculars since 1952 and has been world-renowned for the same since the 1960s.
The Prominar brand debuted as early as 1956 on the then TS-3, whose entry-level model the TS-1 is much better known colloquially as the "gray sow" or "blykowan". Thus, it is not surprising that one of the market's absolute best travel binoculars is now presented. With 100 percent fluorite in the objective lens, packaged in an attractive polycarbonate housing with the same design as the top models TSN-773/883, a small tube with top-class performance is offered. The eyepiece is permanently mounted but is recognizable to those familiar with Kowa products. Here it delivers 15-45x magnification, which is a reasonable range given the lens aperture of 55mm. A modern screwcap ensures that you can comfortably watch both with and without glasses. With double focusing wheels (coarse and fine adjustment with different ratios) you can focus down to 3 meters and therefore also study the immediate environment. The binocular housing is nitrogen-filled for full tightness according to the IPX7 standard and has an extendable anti-light shield. With minimized chromatic aberration (color shift), which the fluorite glass provides, it is also more convenient to "phonescope" through this tube, than the little sibling TSN-501, which also does not have that possibility with existing Kowa accessories. Delivered complete with the eyepiece firmly mounted.
Product information
Size: 271 x 153 x 66mm
Lens diameter: 55 mm
Magnification: 15-45x
Weight: 810 grams
Closest focusing distance: 3 m
Field of view at 1000 m: 44-23 m corresponding to 2.5-1.3º
Eye relief: 16.5–16 mm
Filter diameter: 58 mm
Waterproof: Yes
Warranty: 10 years