Less than favourable words concerning Minox HG

[matt green]

Just wondering if anyone share's the views in the following link, having read a few reviews etc and comments from current owners it seems strange to find someone who's opinion conflicts with an otherwise highly rated product!!

I've yet to handle a pair of these myself so just wandering if they're still worth considering up against something like a Swarovski 7x42 SLC? (If ever I'm that rich;))

http://libertyoptics.blogspot.com/2008/07/8x-magnification-roof-prism-binocular.html

Matt

[davem]

Gave me something to chuckle at over lunch anyway Matt!

I've never tested any of the Minox against the Vortex range, although do have to admit being impressed with them at the Midlands Birdfair last year.

We do not bring the 'new' BD Aspherics into the UK as their RRP would be stupidly close to the HG series which do have more features and better optics / body housing features.

On a purely personal level, I'd have to disagree with his take on the poor light performance of the HGs, and indeed it has been something we have often had remarked to us that they actually seem to get better as the light gets poorer - OK we know that can't be physically true, but perception is a wonderful thing! On paper the contrast & resolution of the HGs is 17.8% better than the BD Aspheric series which will probably account for my liking them in grotty light as it will help 'hold the image together' with clarity and sharpness.

That said, it's horses for courses and everyone's eyes are different - for instance I see the Minox with a slight bluish cast to the image, Zeiss a slight yellowish cast and Leica a slight greenish cast... But that's just me and my own eyes, and no, I won't lend them out...

ATB,

Dave.

[Tero]

Do not hunt deer with Minox in moonlight then.

Sign reading is pretty limited testing. I go to one camera store once in a while. I look out the window. Some distant trees are seen but mostly cars. I look at the license plates. All binoculars work whre nod dof is needed. I got a pair of 8x32 from the trunk of my car. The license plates looked the same as with every pair in the store. I did not need any binoculars tested that way. I could have had them copy my drivers license and go for a drive with a test pair, but gave up.

[BirderSean]

I was ready to drop $900 for a set, but wasn't impressed with them in the store. WIsh I could have tested them outside somewhere as I liked the
specs.

[iveljay]

Of the binoculars that receive regular use, the Minox HGs are the most used roofs amongst a greater number of porros. They fit my hands and face and work intuitively for me with their variable geared focus control. N.B. I do own other makes so it is not an obsession with one brand, and I don't care if others don't like them.

It is always good to try before you buy, but, several times I found that trying out binoculars in a crowded shop was misleading. Other Bird Forum members find the models I rejected after shop testing perfectly good - others that seemed good at the time turned out to be next to useless in real life, the raised blood pressure caused by shopping clearly affects my eyesight!!

The best environment I've found for shop testing has been the InFocus shop at Slimbridge on a quiet day where you can spend time in a realistic environment staring at the real thing under typical conditions.

So the answer for me is to spend a lot of time on reserves with appropriate shops!

[Kevin Purcell]

I've been slowly concluding that once you get beyond the lower end (roofs at $150 and up) then testing with birds is perhaps the best way to test. Some of the information you need is well shown by using birds.

Funny that ;)

Sharpness (which I find is less and less a distinguishing feature), transmission/brightness, contrast, color saturation and color bias all show up very nicely. Even looking for "faults" like stray light issues and how they affect contrast and color saturation is greatly enhanced (though you can't always get the right bird in the right place).

Shops with good return policies (including online shops) have a big advantage here though shops at nature reserves do have the advantage of a ready supply of good birds (especially waterfowl ... slow for repeated comparisons and nice colors and details ... I really do like ducks for this even the lowly Mallard).

[Swissboy]

Just wondering if anyone share's the views in the following link, having read a few reviews etc and comments from current owners it seems strange to find someone who's opinion conflicts with an otherwise highly rated product!!

....Matt

Looks like others are equally unimpressed: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=131995

Check post #25 there, by Henry Link.

[swede]

In looking at the aforementioned post (regarding Henry Links comments), is he not referring to the Nikon?

[Swissboy]

In looking at the aforementioned post (regarding Henry Links comments), is he not referring to the Nikon?

He says that Nikon are not looking good, but perform well optically. Whereas for Minox the situation is reversed. Good looks with less stellar performance.

[BobinKy]

Swede--

You have to be careful about reading too much in a comment about complete lines as diverse as Nikon or Minox. Both of these manufacturers offer high end, middle of the road, and cheap models. Henry's comment would have been more clear if he had specified model numbers.

--Bob
Kentucky

[swede]

Appreciate the comment. The reason I asked for clarification was that I had some Minox HG's enroute to me, and was momentarily concerned. Now that I have received them, I am very pleased with them. Thank you for your help, etc. Bobinky

[brocknroller]

Just wondering if anyone share's the views in the following link, having read a few reviews etc and comments from current owners it seems strange to find someone who's opinion conflicts with an otherwise highly rated product!!

I've yet to handle a pair of these myself so just wandering if they're still worth considering up against something like a Swarovski 7x42 SLC? (If ever I'm that rich;))

http://libertyoptics.blogspot.com/2008/07/8x-magnification-roof-prism-binocular.html

Matt

Matt,

I posted this link on the Minox APO-HG thread.

I wouldn't necessarily call the mini-review from Outdoor Life magazine's 2009 Optics Test "unfavorable," since they gave the 10x43 HG a B+ for optics and B for design, but only a "C" for price/value.

However, it was rated only #6 out of 14 bins tested, and the bin that took the #5 spot was a Pentax 10x36 DCF NV, which costs $229!

It says basically the same thing as the review you referenced, that the HGs low light resolution score was disappointing.

I live in a very cloudy area so if I bought a full sized binocular, particularly at that price point, I would expect the resolution to be good in low light.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/gear/hunting/2009/05/optics-test-2009?photo=7

Btw, if you ever do get rich, try a 10x42 SLC, you might like it better than the 7x42 like Steve Ingraham did:

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swarovski-10x42.php

Brock

[Fernando np]

The Minox HG has a good value. Sometimes I go birding with people who uses them. Although not equal a double priced alphas, they're advisable in its range. If low light performance is your first priority go for more glass, as 56mm, or an specialist as the East Germany Zeiss 7X40 DF, or the rarest EDF. Both 7X40 are the right stuff for cervids under moonshine, I mean under the light of the moon. Docter keeps on building the same design than the EDFs but I haven't any experience with them. Both Zeiss get their superb performance through a crazy colour manipulation, forget natural view, so I'm sceptic about the test of low light with the standart carts.

[mooreorless]

Matt,

I posted this link on the Minox APO-HG thread.

I wouldn't necessarily call the mini-review from Outdoor Life magazine's 2009 Optics Test "unfavorable," since they gave the 10x43 HG a B+ for optics and B for design, but only a "C" for price/value.

However, it was rated only #6 out of 14 bins tested, and the bin that took the #5 spot was a Pentax 10x36 DCF NV, which costs $229!

It says basically the same thing as the review you referenced, that the HGs low light resolution score was disappointing.

I live in a very cloudy area so if I bought a full sized binocular, particularly at that price point, I would expect the resolution to be good in low light.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/gear/hunting/2009/05/optics-test-2009?photo=7

Btw, if you ever do get rich, try a 10x42 SLC, you might like it better than the 7x42 like Steve Ingraham did:

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swarovski-10x42.php

Brock

Brock, Outdoor Life doesn't have a low light resolution test using USAF resolution test targets, what they do is turn a black and white striped wheel until each binocular"winks out". What they mean by turning this wheel is that the person looking has to say which way the stripes are facing to keep it fair/a test as it gets darker.If I remember right the stripes are MOA at 100 yds. This is what they say of the Minox "The Minox performed admirably in the low-light test but turned in an average resolution score". The score was probably about 5.5-6 sec with 3x extender used. "Admirably"? OK I guess.
Regards,Steve

[brocknroller]

Brock, Outdoor Life doesn't have a low light resolution test using USAF resolution test targets, what they do is turn a black and white striped wheel until each binocular"winks out". What they mean by turning this wheel is that the person looking has to say which way the stripes are facing to keep it fair/a test as it gets darker.If I remember right the stripes are MOA at 100 yds. This is what they say of the Minox "The Minox performed admirably in the low-light test but turned in an average resolution score". The score was probably about 5.5-6 sec with 3x extender used. "Admirably"? OK I guess.
Regards,Steve

Thanks for that explanation, Steve.

If the HG performed admirably at retail price, then they would be a four star admiral at $599! :-)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=260421157476&Category=31711&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2

And remember those 10x36 Pentax DCF NVs I mentioned that outperformed the HG? They are selling for $217 on eBay.

Oddly, I had been writing about these two bins on BF and the next morning I received an email from eBay specifically about these two bins being on sale, and I had NOT looked them up on eBAY!

Serendipity or spyware?

[kustor]

Hi!

Minox HG 10×43 I am thinking about his shopping but unfortunately my environment to test there is not an opportunity, because of this primarily Minox HG I ask proprietors it that in backlight, for example bird watch, how visible the chromatic aberration?
I looked at it early new Minox APO HG series, but it would be rather expensive already, and i don't know how as much as with he costs more are worth more to him.

I use web translation, because of this excuse me if the question is understandable difficultly.