Kowa TE-21WH 21x Wide Angle Eyepiece for High Lander Binocular

Magnification and Field of View: 21x and 3.0°

The TE-21WH is the low-power, wide-field option for the High Lander, with a 3.0° real field of view (63° apparent), the widest of the three Kowa High Lander eyepieces. This translates to a 52 m field of view at 1,000 m (kowaoptics.com lists 170.6 ft at 1,000 yds), a wide view for scanning and finding distant subjects.

The combination of 21x magnification and the High Lander's 82mm objective lenses produces a 3.9mm exit pupil. This larger exit pupil gives a brighter image in dim light than the High Lander's 32x and 50x eyepieces. Its twilight factor is 41.5 (the 32x and 50x eyepieces, with higher magnification, list 51.2 and 64.0).

17.0mm Eye Relief

The TE-21WH has 17.0mm of eye relief, the distance behind the eyepiece at which the eye sees the full field. Kowa does not describe the eyecup or make further eyeglass claims for this eyepiece.

For comparison, the standard 32x eyepiece offers 20.0mm of eye relief and the TE-9WH 50x eyepiece 15.0mm.

Fitting and Removing the Eyepiece

The Kowa TE-21WH is designed exclusively for the Kowa High Lander and High Lander PROMINAR binoculars and is not compatible with other Kowa spotting scopes. It fits into the eyepiece opening of the binocular's focus ring.

• Installation: To install the eyepiece, you place it in the opening and push until the eyepiece hits against the top of the focus ring. You should feel the eyepiece lock into place.
• Removal: To remove it for cleaning or to swap in another eyepiece, you pull the eyepiece straight out of the focus ring. The manual describes no twisting or release button.

TE-21WH vs. 32x and 50x Eyepieces: Choosing Your View

Kowa offers three interchangeable eyepiece options for the High Lander, each excelling at a different task. The TE-21WH gives the widest real field of view of the three, which suits scanning and wide views.

• TE-21WH (21x): With its 3.0° real field (52 m at 1,000 m), 3.9mm exit pupil and 17.0mm eye relief, this eyepiece delivers the widest view, useful for finding subjects before switching to higher power.
• Standard (32x): This included eyepiece offers a 2.2° real field of view (38.4 m at 1,000 m), a 2.6mm exit pupil and 20.0mm eye relief. It gives more magnification than the 21x while still offering a substantial field.
• TE-9WH (50x): The highest power option, this eyepiece narrows the real field to 1.3° (22.7 m at 1,000 m) with 15.0mm eye relief. It suits fine detail on distant subjects; its small 1.6mm exit pupil gives a dimmer image than the 21x and 32x.

Care, Storage and Warranty

When purchased from an authorized North American retailer, the Kowa TE-21WH eyepiece is protected by Kowa's Limited Lifetime Warranty for the original owner. This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use, subject to normal wear and tear. Kowa requests product registration within 30 days of purchase. See the Kowa warranty policy.

After use, especially in humid or dusty environments, Kowa recommends removing dust from the lenses with a blower, then using lens cleaner on tissue paper or a soft cloth in a circular motion from the center out. Clean and dry the eyepiece, replace the caps and store it in a dry place, for example in a vinyl bag with desiccant.