"One-liner" reviews of all the bins you've bought and sold/returned

[justin2992]

Here's a rundown for me so far:

1. Swarovski 8.5x42 EL : Very nice optics and ergonomics but slow, stiff focus wheel really sucks. They are way too bulky, mostly in length. Lenses rattle

2. Swarovski 10x42 EL : Smooth fast focus wheel is a huge improvement. The winged eyecup option is wonderful. They rattle and are on the large side.

3. Leica 10x42 BN : Built like a tank with fine optics and ergonomics but too heavy.

4. Leica 7x42 BA : Built to survive a nuclear winter but heavy as hell for a 7x

5. Zeiss 10x25 Victory. One hinge design is nicer for pupillary distance adjustment. The rubber armoring is a little thin and seems like it would rip and peel under heavy use.

[matt green]

my optic back catalogue as follows

[1] bushnell natureview plus 10+42 brought four years ago,rock solid bridge and a perfect focus wheel,so so optics but they were my first.miss em.

[2] opticron bga pc agn 8+42,my first quality bins,eyecups never stayed in place but very nice optics.

[3] leica trinovid 8+42 bn,everything i ever wanted in a pair of bins,rock solid everything,brilliant optics,lost my job=bye bye leica's :eek!:

[4]suffer the pain of having to go back to using [1] :-C

[5]can't live without leica,purchased secondhand 8+32 ba's,very nice except yellow cast and not enough eyerelief :storm:

[6]purchased leica trinovid 7+42 ba sight unseen,quite yellow colourcast and not very bright,approx fifteen years old but could almost pass as new!,sent back for a refund :-C

[7]purchased opticron imagic tga porroprisms,good optics but bridge is as loose as bur street on a friday night :eek!: ,shortly to reside at the bottom of the local duck pond and be replaced by my first great love,leica bn trinovid :t:

matt

[Jaeger01]

This is complicated as it covers over 50 years of hit and miss purchases (optics have always been a weakness of mine and I have bought and given away far more than any human should have), the ones that really stick in my memory are as follows:

1> A pair of Tower (sold by Montgomery Ward back in the 60's) 7x35 porros which I paid $5.00 for and one of my grandsons still uses. Not bad and the reason I got them for $5 was they had been returned by a customer due to a chip in one of the lens elements. I couldn't see any problems with the view then and still can't as of this day. You can see the chip if you look into the objective end of the bino's with the right light. They're probably the best buy in bino's I ever made.

2> A pair of Simmons 8x42 porros that were as heavy as a tank but had a reasonably decent veiw, just tooooooooooo! heavy to carry. Gave them to a couple that wanted to go birding a couple of times and didn't want or couldn't part with the money to get some of their own. They're still not fervant birders but do keep the bins on a window sill in the kitchen and now have several feeders in the back yard.

3> Numerous Bushnell's, Tasco's. Nikons, Pentax, etc. that all failed in some way to make me happy at the time, all given to grandkids, so called friends of the moment, etc.

4> Now some mention of ones over time that I found outstanding in some way or the other and remember fondly. A pair of Pentax 8x26's porros that were small, bright, lite and water resistant and used by my wife for several years.

5> A pair of Canon 8x32 roof's, little heavy but super bins for the price, about $109.00 at the time (approx. 10 years ago), carried them to Costa Rica, the Everglades and coastal Georgia and really enjoyed them. Still do but rarely use. They're my backup, backup bins today.

6> A pair of Eagle Optics 8x32 Ranger Platinums which are lite in weight, brite of view and optically compete with almost anything I have ever looked through. A very fine and excellent bin for the price, easy to handle and will take a lot of punishment and have a super warranty for the money (something that's often overlooked in Eagle Optics).

7> A pair of Leupold Wind River Pinnacles 10x42. Optically as good as they come, physically leave something to be desired but very enjoyable to use when you want a 10x bin.

8> A pair of the pre-SLCnew Swarovski 8x30 SLC's, the only semi-expensive bin I've ever owned out of maybe 30 or 40 pair over the years and I must admit that I would have been better off to have spent the price of a Leicas, Zeiss or Swarovski's way back when, would have been much less expensive in the long run. Lot's of inexpensive bins add up over the years. But then, if I had taken that route, lots of kids and young people would never have been exposed to birding with my old bins.

Jaeger near Chicago

[Jane Turner]

My 30 year bins history

1. Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Jenoptems... second hand stunning value for money, light, bright and once you learned to deal with the eye piece rocking, a dream to use.

2. er Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Jenoptems - a new pair £26 in cough 1977 (?) and heaven - still in use. Prone to steaming up - a bit like me.

3. 10x42 Zeiss Dialyt 2nd hand. Made me feel like a proper birder. Wore the things out, they must be the most distressed bins in the world - a full set of hand print in the leather cover. Suffered a compression fracture in a prism (I exploded a knee) when we well off a cliff together). So cleaning became impossible. Retired with full military honours though come out in a hurry when there is something at the back window. The baralling/rolling at edge of field gives me a queasy feel when I look through them now

4 Leica 8x42 trinovid BN Housebricks, chosen on an extensive field test on optics against all opposition. I hated the shape, but have learned to love them and the clarity of image, depth of field and fiekd of view remains as good as it gets. They made the dialyts look suddenly vague and milky.

5 Leica 8x20 trinovids picked up for £90 and surely some mistake at Schipol airport (ex demo) I was only wasting time but had to have them. In good light as good as the house bricks. Feel ever so girlie using them though. They fit nicely into my jeans pocket though.

[solentbirder]

Zeiss 7x45 NightOwl:
Fabulous optics with equally fabulous weight. Sold since I could no longer afford the Sherpa to carry them for me.

Leica 8x50 BA:
Beautiful optics. Very heavy (Sherpa refused contract after Zeiss 7x45 experience). Poor ergonomics (for me) and slippery armouring in anything wetter than a light mist. SOLD.

Zeiss 10x40 Classic:
Nice and light but too small for me to hold comfortably (big hands). Sold.

Zeiss 7x42 Classic:
Easy, wide view. Very good ergonomics (for me). Probably will be kept for many years.

Leica 7x42 BN:
Superb optics. A bit heavy and not so comfortable to hold. Possibly a long term relationship.

Nikon 8x32 HG:
Absolutely excellent for an 8x32. Optically the 8x32 SE beats it, but the HG is a better overall package IMHO.

Nikon 10x32 HG:
A superb small 10x bino and a bargain at current WE price.

Nikon 10x42 HG:
Very nice optics. Eventually sold as I couldn't come to terms with carrying almost 1kg for a 42mm bino.

Minox 10x58 ED:
Absolutely brilliant low-light instrument although rather heavy and large. Will be keeping this one.

Nikon 8x36 Sporter:
Amazing value for money (£99 at WE). Very easy and comfortable view.

Opticron 8x42 HR (Porro)
First class optics. Very light. Used for many years with great success.

[ceasar]

Nikon 8 x 30 E2. The best bin I've ever laid my eyes on!. Now, if I could only figure out a way to keep their #!%&* rubber covering from peeling off!

Nikon 10 x 35 E2. Best bargain in bins I ever made! Got them refurbished for 1/2 price from a dealer in Astronomical scopes etc. 90 day guarantee and their covering is staying put! Great optics and ergonomics.

Leica 7 x 42 BA Trinovids. I used these babies for 15 years while I wore glasses. Longest eye relief on the planet. Huge FOV too. Slight yellow color caste. Built like a tank w rubber armored body. They fit my hands like gloves. Pre phase coating but great optics. Since I had cataract surgery I no longer wear glasses and the ER is too long! I still love them.

Apogee Astro Vue 10 x 60 Porro's. I got these for Astronomy. I couldn't resist their introductory price of $69.99. Made in China. This particular one is "cherry." Remarkably good in daytime applications too. Light enough to be hand held but "tossing" is not recommended. Even has built in filters for use on emission nebulae.

Eagle Platinum 6 x 32 roof prisms. OK, I'm letting the cat out of the bag here! Folks, these are optically and ergonomically the best Roof Prism Bins on the Planet! The only possible complaint against them is that they don't have enough power. You have to use them to appreciate them. If they could make a 10 x 32 this good there would be a waiting list for them!

Swift 8.5 x 44. Great optics. Huge FOV. Short ER. Big and heavy. Use these all day and you will get forearms like Popeye!

Bob

[zurtfox]

Binoculars owned over the past few years, in chronological order:

B&L 8x42 Elite - A great binocular. Stolen, replaced with…
Nikon 8x32 HG - A brilliant binocular
Leica 8x42 UVid - Unsmooth, ratchety, focusing
Swaro 10x50 SLC - Optically brilliant, too heavy.
Swaro 8.5x42 EL - Optically brilliant, focusing too slow.
Nikon 8x42HG - Too heavy
Zeiss 7x42 ClassiC - Optically good, ergonomically poor
Nikon 10x42 HG - Too much magnification; too heavy
Swaro 7x42 SLC - Good twilight binos, too heavy
Leica 7x42 UVid - Sloppy, staccato, focusing
B&L 7x42 Discoverer - Poor optical quality
Nikon 10x32 HG - 10x still too much for me
Optolyth 8x56 - Horrible! Non-phase coated version
Swaro 8.5x42 EL - Faster focusing + added rattle! A lovely bino, but too big
Swaro 8x32 EL - Light, ergonomic dream, optically less than HGs.
Nikon 8x20 HGL - Focus wrong end, exit pupil too small, bins too small
Leica 7x42 - Now with added lube – much, much better

Bold = Currently owned

That’s it. For now!

Chris

[postcardcv]

Opticron 8x42 HR - first proper bins, good optics, no complaints - still get regular use as they live in my kitchen for watching birds in the garden.
RSPB 8x42 HG - nice optics, good in the hand, quite heavy.
Bushnell H2O 8x20 - dull image, alround fairly poor - but my daughter gets on well with them and I don't mind if she drops them!
Leica Duovid 8+12x42 - great optics, wonderful in the hand, smooth focus. Dual mag very easy to use - very heavy.
Opticron Traveller 8x32 - amazing value, very small, excellent close focus.
Leica Ultravid 7x42 - birght, sharp great FOV - smooth focus - a joy to use. These are my main bins, the best I've ever owned, I can't imagine wanting to change them.
B&L Elite 8x42 - all ok but nothing outstanding - incredible cheap so I couldn't resist.
Leica Ultravid 8x20 - excellent compact, very bright image - take them everywhere
Leica Trinovid 8x32ba - always wanted a pair, finally got some - amazing optics, bright and sharp - focus is not smooth (back at Leica being sorted, can't wait to get them back).

The ones in bold I still have...

[Atomic Chicken]

Greetings!
Here are mine:

Nikon HG 10x25 - Sharpest edge-to-edge binoculars I own, unbelievably handy and useful.

Nikon HG 8x32 - SWEEEET image, a bit heavy and not as bright as some others but wonderfully contrasty and sharp.

Leica Trinovid 7x42 - The finest binoculars I've ever looked through or owned, although a bit heavy.

B&L Discoverer 7x42 and 10x42 - The best mid-priced full-size binoculars available, get them while they last (which won't be much longer!).

Zeiss Victory 8x20 - Loved them until I bought my Nikon 10x25's, now I rarely use them any more.

Brunton Echo 8x25 - The best budget compact binoculars on the market, under $80 with performance close to models in the $300-400 price range.

Minox BD 8x32 - My most used 8x32's, excellent 400ft. FOV and image quality that is close to the Nikon HG 8x32 without the extra 1/2 lb. of weight!

Pentax DCF SP 10x50 - The best low-light binoculars I've found, fantastic for astronomy as well.

I'll add more later as I think of them...

Best wishes,
Bawko

[ta brandreth]

Here goes;

1 some brass things that look like Nelson used them, looked good but the lenses appeared to be lightly vaselined - binned!

2 Zeiss jenoptem, 10x50, excellant bins - 2 things wrong - first Biceps increased at alarming rate, after day in field (good for Armwrestling!), and prior to big day out, dropped on floor RIP

3 a series of Rusky bins we used to call Gnus because it vaguely looked like thats what it said on them, fantastic optics, sold only as far as I know in one camera shop in Liverpool, original Zeiss lens (pre Wall incident!)

4 after embarrassment in many a hide from Russian obscure bins-'Greencat ' something or other - Garbage

5 got married - Christmas present from loving Wife to seal new understanding of each others needs,and as a kind and loving thought - Bushnell Nature view 8x42s - the ,Dogs' not only great optically, lightweight and able to focus on small 'flitty things' insects!!

6 divorced, skint, looking for White winged gulls on council tip cause I can't afford to travel to decent birding location, hatch a plan;

7 Leica trinivoid 10x50s (need to work on those pecs!!) since then Heaven!!

(Future - I must bin my "space master" scope!!!!!)

[matt green]

Binoculars owned over the past few years, in chronological order:

B&L 8x42 Elite - A great binocular. Stolen, replaced with…
Nikon 8x32 HG - A brilliant binocular
Leica 8x42 UVid - Unsmooth, ratchety, focusing
Swaro 10x50 SLC - Optically brilliant, too heavy.
Swaro 8.5x42 EL - Optically brilliant, focusing too slow.
Nikon 8x42HG - Too heavy
Zeiss 7x42 ClassiC - Optically good, ergonomically poor
Nikon 10x42 HG - Too much magnification; too heavy
Swaro 7x42 SLC - Good twilight binos, too heavy
Leica 7x42 UVid - Sloppy, staccato, focusing
B&L 7x42 Discoverer - Poor optical quality
Nikon 10x32 HG - 10x still too much for me
Optolyth 8x56 - Horrible! Non-phase coated version
Swaro 8.5x42 EL - Faster focusing + added rattle! A lovely bino, but too big
Swaro 8x32 EL - Light, ergonomic dream, optically less than HGs.
Nikon 8x20 HGL - Focus wrong end, exit pupil too small, bins too small
Leica 7x42 - Now with added lube – much, much better

Bold = Currently owned

That’s it. For now!

Chris
how did you get those ultravids lubbed? DIY job or leica custom shop?

matt

[zurtfox]

how did you get those ultravids lubbed? DIY job or leica custom shop?

matt

Hi Matt,

None of those! I went out and bought a new pair! Leica started using a small amount of lubricant in the focus mechanism sometime earlier this year.

Chris

[matt green]

Hi Matt,

None of those! I went out and bought a new pair! Leica started using a small amount of lubricant in the focus mechanism sometime earlier this year.

Chris
thanks for that chris.i expect when this becomes common knowledge a lot of older model trinovids and ultravids will find there way to leica service centre for a 'drop or two'

matt :t:

[Pinewood]

If I understand the parameters, this deals with binoculars which I did not keep
1. Swarovski 7x50 Porro-big and no better than a fifty year old Leitz Binocular. Sold.
2. Swarovski 7x42 Porro-narrow field of view. Sold
3. Meade 7x40 roof, bought in1985. Sold.
4. Eagle Optics Raptor 8x42 [now discontinued]-did not match performance of binoculars of a similar size. Returned
5. Fujinon 7x50 Polaris-too big, unpleasant distortions. Returned. N.B. This glass was made for marine and astronomical use, where distortions are of little consequence.
6. 10x40 Zeiss Classic-could not be handheld. Returned
7. Leica 10x42 BN-could not be handheld. Sold

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

[Pileatus]

thanks for that chris.i expect when this becomes common knowledge a lot of older model trinovids and ultravids will find there way to leica service centre for a 'drop or two'

matt :t:


Matt,

Older Trinovid and Ultravid models get very smooth over time, so it's probably not an issue. I suppose Leica was losing sales due to the focus mechanism. It originally discouraged me and I'm glad I took a second (and third and fourth) look! They were wise to make the change.

John

[Yelvertoft]

8x30 porros, bought from Boots (the chemists) of all places. Had them from the ages of 10 to 20. Dare say I'd think they were atrocious if I used them now, but as a child they seemed good enough. Collimation went out so bad I had to bin them in the end, didn't owe me anything.
Swift Belmont 8x40 porros. Had them for the next 21 years. Lovely ultra wide field of view, nice to hold, big, heavy. Adequate optics unless it was really dim. Poor eye relief, as my eyes got worse with age they couldn't compensate for it. Gave them to a friend for air-show use.
Nikon Sportstar III 8x25 compacts. Nice field of view, can compensate for rubbish prescription like mine. Ok for compacts, tend to keep them in the car for casual use.
Opticron BGA Classic 8x42. Got them last year. Missed the field of view of the Swift's originally but soon adapted. Lovely quality optics give excellent view (what there is of it), great handling, and they can compensate for poor eyes like mine and still focus at infinity.

Duncan.

[iporali]

My one-liners:

1. Japanese 8x30 wannabe-Jenoptems. Adopted from my mother at the age of 10. Blue (single) coating only on critical surfaces, no eye-relief, blue cast, low contrast, stiff focus but easy to view.
2. 16x50 Zuihos. I chose them myself (at the age of 12 I was a "power kind of guy") and learnt how to aim (3.5° FOV). Now I have two compact telescopes and soon I am going to have some lenses and BK7-prisms.
3. Russian 8x30 wannabe-Jenoptems (Helios, Tento?). Amber/yellow coating & color cast, sharp in the center, no eye-relief, loose but accurate focus, BaK-4 prisms(!), easy to view. Yellow push-on filters to "enhance contrast" LOL.
4. Minolta 10x25 roof. Compact. Left-handed focusing - still hate it. No eye-relief, low contrast, OK sharpness, wide FOV.
5. Nikon 10x32HG. Great view ...as long as I don't move my eyes - if I do -> CA! I hate the leatherette case and that golden "Since 1917" stitched on PVC. The devil is in the details.
6. Nikon 8x32SE. Beautiful (but small ;)) view ...as long as I don't move my eyes - if I do -> blackouts!

I still have them all.

I love the Nikons, but I don't like the idea that the binos make me adjust my viewing instead of me adjusting the binos. The same principle annoys me with the Microsoft Word, but that is another story.

Ilkka

[Tero]

Meade 8x42: amazing optics for peanuts, but the left eye cup fell out (I jammed it back in, now it won't come out at all).

Bushnell 16x50 : sold at garage sale for $10 to first buyer who expressed any interest.

Bushnell 25mm zooms: nice pair at 7x.

[cbushme]

First bins-I'm 19 yrs. old-Bushnell Sportview 10x50's. "Why would a guy want to spend more than $29.99 on binoculars". Answer revealed whenever looking through them for the better part of a day-feels like head split in two with an axe. Eventually sold in garage sale for $2.00

Next- Want some quality. Lusting hard after Swarovski 8x30's. But, newly married and settle for Mirador 8x40 porros for less that half the price of the Swarovski's. These puppies aren't too bad. Many years of faithful duty, now somewhat unceremoniously relegated to being "truck bins".

Next- Discretionary income starting to rise. Finally get those Swarovski's! The middle finger/ring finger focus that seemed OK in the store begins to annoy me in the field. Sold to purchase....

Leica 8x32 BN's. I loved these binoculars. The view, the feel, the diopter mechanism. But my particular pair also had a gritty, ratchety, rough focus. This too became annoying. Sold to purchase....

Nikon SE 8x32's. My favorites. Has some things to not like, but can't argue with the spectacular view. Ain't gonna sell these babies.

Miss having some good roofs. Buy some Nikon HG 8x32's. Not quite up to the SE viewwise. But sure like the ergonomics. Ain't selling these either.

Next bought some Nikon HG 10x32's. I sure liked em, but eventually wanted to buy some other toys and something had to go. Sold.

Next buy some Nikon EII 10x35's. Have to admit main reason is because they are going to stop making them, but justify by saying I need a 10 power. Like em, but they pale slightly in direct comparison with the SE's. Can't say at this point that I would never sell them.

[Pinewood]

I love the Nikons, but I don't like the idea that the binos make me adjust my viewing instead of me adjusting the binos. The same principle annoys me with the Microsoft Word, but that is another story.

Ilkka

Ilkka,

Well written. That is why my 8x32 SE sits on a shelf and I have an Apple™ computer.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

[denco@comcast.n]

1)NIKON ACTION 7x35 Nice bright wide field of view. Start getting fuzzy 1/3 of the way from the center. Sold.

2)NIKON VOYAGERS 8X25 Rated over Leica by Consumer Guide. Excellent binoculars for the money! Sold.

3)LEUPOLD MESA(PORRO-PRISMS) 10X50 Big improvement over the NIKON ACTIONS! Sold.

4)CANON IS 10X30 Improvement over the LEUPOLD MESAS. Best edge sharpness I have ever seen! Sold.

5)SWAROVSKI EL'S 8x32 Great binoculars! Nice ergonomics! Prefered the optics of the ZEISS FL's 10x42's though. Too expensive for what they are! Sold.

6)ZEISS FL's 10X42 Best optics I have seen. Binoculars are a little heavy. Too expensive for the small improvement over the NIKON MONARCH'S. Own these now.

7)NIKON MONARCH'S 8x42 Best binoculars for the money I have ever had. Very close optically to the ZEISS FL's and lighter and more compact. Own these now. My favorites!

8)NIKON SE'S 10X42 Excellent optics although not as good as the ZEISS FL's. Never liked the ergonomics of them that much. Sold.


DENNIS

[xenophobe]

General three star 8x50's... my dad's old pair... they work... decent glass, way too heavy, uncomfortable. I'll keep them.

Bushnell 10x25... given to me as a gift, left in my truck forgotten for about 10 years until I gave them away. Absolutely horrid. lol

Hendsolt 8x32 Porro Military... used these for a long while and they're decent, not great optics, not enough magnification and fold out rain guards get in the way.... gone

Swarovski 10x42 SLCold... Owned for one day... viewed the Zeiss Dialyt 10x42... Sold and ordered a pair of Zeiss Classic 10x42s.

Zeiss Classic 10x42s... Great handling and I loved the ergonomics, but sold them because after I purchased my 10x42 Ultravids, I found they always stayed on the shelf, but I miss them.

Leica 10x25 BCA... great optics, lightweight, a little hard to steady and left on the shelf too much... gone

Leica 12x50 Trinovid BN... awesome stargazing and monopod glass that I'll keep forever.

Zeiss Dialyt 7x42s... Never looked through better a better view but heavy, long and awkward, and unlike the 10x42s, they were really uncomfortable for me... sold.

Leica 10x42 BL.... great handling, perfect ergonomics and balance, plus the clamshell make these seem much more compact than any other full sized bin and make them easy to take anywhere... definitely keepers.

[lucznik]

For most of my young life I just "borrowed" binoculars from my dad.

Bushnell Trophy 10X42 - My first (semi) decent binocular purchase. My dad convinced me that an 8X would be better so I immediately took them back to the store and bought a...

Bushnell Trophy 8X32 - For someone who knew nothing about optics this binocular worked just fine for a few years. It was rather dim and the edge sharpness was non-existent, but hey, I didn't know any better. As my knowledge increased I sold to my brother in law and bought...

Pentax DCF WP 8X42 - I got mine when they first came out and were the first mid-priced binocular to incorporate phase correction coating as a part of the package. This is my primary full-size binocular and I doubt I will ever get rid of it. It still provides an image quality that is so close to the high-end models that I can't bring myself to spend the extra cash to replace them. (Especially with the latest round of price increases for the "top 3.")

Which is not to say I have stopped buying binoculars (heaven forbid)

Next I bought a Brunton Litetech 10X50 porro. I don't know why, other than it was cheap ($50) and I couldn't stop myself. It was mediocre at best. I had to constantly readjust both the focus and diopter adjustments and eventually I sold them in a yard sale.

Then there was a 10X42 I bought from Big 5 sporting goods that was utterly horrible. Sold it at the same yard sale as the Bruntons.

Next was a Pentax DCF MC 8X22 - While this binocular does lose some performance to the larger OLs of a full-sized binocular, I was amazed at how good and how useful they really are. This binocular started my love of compacts.

I tried a Bushnell Legend 10X26 - It is a good binocular but, I have decided it is just too big to be considered a true compact. It stays in my SUV.

I recently bought a newly redesigned Pentax DCF MC 8X25. Yes, I already had its brother but, I wanted to see if the upgrade from a 22mm to a 25mm OL really made much of a difference. (It does.) This is the binocular I carry with me all day, every day. Although it will be replaced as soon as I have the cash for a higher end offering (probably a Zeiss ClassiC 10X25 or the Nikon HG 10X25) I doubt I will ever get rid of it.

My latest purchase was a B&L Discoverer 10X42 Porro - This is a fantastic binocular at an even better price ($180 at Cabela's.) Although it is bigger and heavier than a good roof prism, its optics give up nothing to my friend's 10X42 Swarovski EL. I'll be keeping this one for sure.

[Tim Allwood]

why so many bins?

Swift Audubons (mid 80s) 8.5 x 44 - great for a kid lister
Zeiss 7 x 42 (1990 to present) - the best bins ever
Nikon HG 8 x 32 (2003 to present) - main bins now, lovely image, quick focus

Tim

[FrankD]

I am going to avoid posting about all of the useless 8x21, 7x35 and 10x50 Bushnell, Tasco and Simmons bins I have owned over the years. I cannot think of anything really positive to say. When reading through my bins keep in mind that many of these I had for less than a few weeks. It pays to have a Cabelas retail outlet within 20 minutes of your home. ;)

Nikon Monarch 10x42:
First good quality bin. Eye opening experience. Returned them because of a weakening central hinge and a loose focus. Subsequent 10x versions had less than desirable optics.

Bushnell Legend 8x32:
Image quality was almost as good as the Monarchs in a more rugged, compact design. Returned them for the XPs.

Pentax DCF-XP 8x33:
Nice compact design for a mid-sized bin. Very bright image for their size. Sold them to a friend who needed a good pair.

Nikon Venturer LX 8x42:
My "go-to" bin. No complaints really though they could be a bit lighter. Image is excellent and I grab them more than any other when heading out for an extended birding trip.

Nikon E series 7x35:
Wonderfully relaxed image. Excellent depth of field. Not as good as SE or EII overall but definitely a keeper. Sold one pair to a gentleman that really needed them and gave the other to a relation.

Nikon Monarch 8x42:
One of the best total packages for the price. Excellent image only bettered by the high end roofs and quality porros. Returned for financial reasons.

Zeiss Conquest 8x30:
Exceptionally crisp center of field image. Wonderful ergonomics and lightweight. Not as bright as my other full sized bins. Sold them for financial reasons.

Leupold Wind River Katmai 8x32:
Most compact 8x32 to date. Nice bright, contrasty image but not as crisp as other bins I have tried. Returned them.

Leupold Wind River Olympic 10x50:
Brightest after the Venturers. Fairly streamlined for such a large objective size. Returned after extended use because they were too large and unwieldy in the field.

Pentax DCF-HS 10x36:
Nice, ergonomic design. Bright, contrasty image but lacked some crispness at times and I learned that 10x just isn't for me. Returned to the store.

Nikon Venturer LX 8x32:
Almost the equal of the 42 mm in image quality. More color fringing around the outermost edge of the image. Excellent ergonomics and overall size. Focus wheel a bit too impercise for my tastes. Sold it.

Nikon Sporter 8x36:
Love the "Walk in" image created by the huge ocular lenses. Eye relief with the cups all the way down was even too much for me. Best performance vs. cost out of the bunch. Lack of phasecoating made them dimmer and less crisp than slightly more expensive phase coated roofs. Returned to store.

Nikon Superior E 8x32:
Best overall image. Bright, great contrast and great resolution. Ergonomics were good though I think that I still prefer a roof in that regard. Still have them.

Nikon E II 8x30:
Widest and near brightest image. Good ergonomics though they may be a bit short for my hands. I am currently trying these bins out and will most likely keep them. Image is very addicting.

Nikon Sportstar 8x25:
Nice wide field of view. Exceptionally good optics for their inexpensive price tag. Very handy when birding isn't primary concern. Still have them.

Nikon Premier LX 8x20:
Best image I have ever seen out of a pair of compacts. Focus wheel a little awkward and short overall length made handling a bit tricky. Returned for financial reasons.

Nikon Action 7x35:
Decent, wide image. Fairly bright. Decent quality for the extremely low price. Eyepiece bridge is weak and much distortion in outer 2/5ths of image. Still have but may trade shortly.

[Sailcat]

Nikon 10x42LX: Solid, heavy, excellent focuser, sharp optics, bright, moderate CA...a keeper.

Nikon 8x42LX: Also solid, heavy, excellent focuser, sharp optics, bright, mild CA...a keeper.

Nikon 8x30EII: Small, light, sharp optics, wide fov, mechanically sound, great price to performance ratio...definitely a keeper.

Nikon 10x35E: Light, mechanically solid, optics sharp at center of fov, considerable field curvature, colors a bit dull due, perhaps, to the lack of state of the art coatings...sold.

Nikon 12x50SE: Excellent ergonomics, sharp optics, eye position important to avoid blackout, solid mechanics, respectable 5° fov, very effective high power hand held binocular...a keeper.

Vixen 8x42DCF: Waterproof, nitrogen filled, decent focuser, balky diopter ring, good feel in the hands, images slightly soft, mild CA, moderate price...sold.

[Tero]

I guess this old thread is still alive.

My Nikon 10x36 Sporters were the first good pair I had, I took them on many summer trips and saw lots of birds. Problem: They were a bit dim, and I have a problem with 10x and diopter settings here.

Nikon Monarch 10x42 solved above problem, bright enough so no diopter messing on most trips.

If I had had the patience to wait for the 10X, I would have a useful 8x Sporter AND a 10X Monarch now. On the other hand, I would have missed a few distant ducks and loons in Iceland.

Every binocular is a learning experience.

[Curtis Croulet]

Nikon E II 8x30:
Widest and near brightest image. Good ergonomics though they may be a bit short for my hands. I am currently trying these bins out and will most likely keep them. Image is very addicting.

I can't quite see the entire field when wearing glasses. Otherwise they are as good as you say. But the leatherette began to slough off mine within three months of receiving them.

[Mike Pennington]

why so many bins?

Swift Audubons (mid 80s) 8.5 x 44 - great for a kid lister
Zeiss 7 x 42 (1990 to present) - the best bins ever
Nikon HG 8 x 32 (2003 to present) - main bins now, lovely image, quick focus

Tim

Quite. I'm a three bin man myself.

Zeiss Jenoptem 10x50 (1977 to late 1980s when I dropped down a cliff on Hermaness). Not excatly housebricks, more like a brezeblock round your neck, but great value.

Optolyth Alpib 10x40 (late 1980s on). Still in the class for emergency use (clinched Great Snipe with them). Nice light bins butthe rubber has suffered.

Leica 8x42 BA (mid 1990s on). Heavy I suppose, but I like them.

[steve345]

Nikon 10 x SportsLite - Very cheap, but not good quality roof prisms.

Olympic 8 x 25 PCI - Nicely built, decent optics (porro), stiff focusing, big improvement on the above.

RSPB 8x40 ASW - Bright image, great field of view, reasonably lightweight for a porro, certainly similar of standard to your average £200 roof prism (Nikon Sporter, Viking Vistron), but at half the price, but no waterproofing (very similar in feel to a Nikon Action, but better image?).

[Nick Elliston]

First were some old ones my grandfather gave me. Can't remember the make but they were about the size of those that Rommel used to use in N Africa. Far too heavy for me to use - about the weight of a 25lb field gun. You could spot the Clangers on the moon with them though.

Chubb 7×35. Fairly cheap and have had them many years. Not a bad view although a bit heavy.

Various cheap Tasco etc which have all been ditched.

Leica Ultra 10×25BR. Fantastic and use all the time.

[nctexasbirder]

first bins i got were $20 compact roofs at Outdoor World, i noticed they were dim, broken

2nd pair were $60 Bushnell Powerview 10x50 porros, horrible, still have

3rd pair were some interesting Tasco 8x30 porros i saw at an estate sale, mistook them for opera glasses at first, the focusing wheel was incredibly stiff and still is, the view is somewhat dim, but i loved the ergonomics, open-hinged design and lightweight too! fit my hands perfectly. got them for $5. the glue on the eyepieces dried up after a short time and the focusing screw came out! fixed but not the same( they are fully coated, 393 ft/yd FOV, does anyone know what these are and how much they sold for?) anyone know of any decent inexpensive 8x30 porros today?

4th pair are Carsons 8x40 Wide Angle as expected these had horrid edges but OK for now

still looking for the perfect bin.........

[FrankD]

I can't quite see the entire field when wearing glasses. Otherwise they are as good as you say. But the leatherette began to slough off mine within three months of receiving them.

Neither could I because of the shape of my nose and the amount that my eyes are set back into my face. I had to completely remove the rubber eyecups to get the field of view I desired.

To add to my list above.....

Meopta Meostar 8x42: Excellent combination of characteristics especially for the price. Wide, bright, flat field of view with marginal edge distortion. Warm color bias and a little bit more CA than the higher end bins. Otherwise optically almost identical to the Swaro SLC 7x42 I owned.

Meopta Meostar 7x42: Same comments as above with just a slightly reduced apparent field of view and an ever so slightly brighter image. Depth of field seemed identical to the 8x42s.

Meopta Meostar 10x50: Exceptionally bright, wide apparent field of view with a large sweet spot. Optically almost indistinguishable from the Swaro 10x50s but with more CA.

Leica Trinovid 7x42 BN: Extremely wide, bright flat field of view with excellent color representation and little CA. A bit "brickish" because of the lack of thumb indents but otherwise very well balanced. My "hawk watching" bins of choice.

Leica Trinovid 8x32 BN: Extremely comfortable to hold with excellent optics. Very sharp, reasonably wide field of view with moderate edge distortion. Extremely crisp image. These are my daytime, more compact bins.

Zeiss 7x42 FL: Brightest and widest field of view of any bin I have owned. Very ergonomic and lightweight. I would still have these if it were not for the excessive astigmatism and subsequent small sweet spot.

Nikon E II 10x35: Wide, bright, sharp field of view and much lighter in weight than many roof prism glasses of equal optical quality. Extremely short eye relief and lack of waterproofing were their only negatives.

Nikon Monarch 8x36: Extremely compact and ergonomic bin with very good optical quality. Good sharpness and decent sweet spot but the field of view was fairly narrow compared to other 8x3X's on the market. CA was actually more well controlled than some more expensive models I have owned. Focusing knob had some play in it as well.

Nikon Action EX 7x35: Same comments as regular action model with a stiffer eyepiece bridge and waterproofing. Less depth of field but better eye relief than the standard model.

Leupold Wind River Yosemite: Light compact, waterproof porro with a very good level of optical quality considering the price. My favorite inexpensive bin.

Leupold Wind River Cascade Porro: Very bright, flat field of view. Internal focus design is a big step forward for porros. Field of view was too narrow creating more of a tunnel effect than normal for me because of the porro design.

Pentax DCF-SP 8x32: Very ergonomic, fairly compact bins with excellent image quality. At short distances and under normal daytime conditions these bins are only a gnat's hair away optically from their more expensive counterparts. Low levels of CA and a fairly wide flat field. Perfect focus speed and tension only bettered by Nikon LX series.

Minox 7x42 BD BR: Bright, sharp, flat image with excellent overall balance. Narrow apparent field of view for a 7x and stiff focus in colder weather. Definite value for the price.

Meade Montana 7x42: Bushnell/Bausch and Lomb Discoverer look-a-like. Wide field of view but considerable distortion around the outer 1/3rd of the image. Very disconcerting for me. Sweet spot was very bright with a moderately sharp image and good color.

I think that is all for now.

[Lou H]

Reverse chronological order:

Nikon Premier LXL 8x20: Excellent resolution and contrast, brighter than the high-end Leica or Zeiss 8x20s. Focus at the far end feels completely natural after using them a while.

Zeiss Victory 8-32 FL T: Small, lightweight, and fantastic views. Sharp, bright, contrasty, wide FOV. I just love looking through these.

Zeiss Conquest 8x30: Excellent bins for the going price of $480. Very sharp and excellent contrast but not as bright and with a lesser FOV than high-end bins.

Nikon 8x25 Sportstars: OK for $50.

Fujinon 16x70 FMT SX: Big, heavy, water proof, individual focus eyepeices, decent optics, good for astro with an appropriate tripod and mount.

Leitz Trinovid 7x42 B+BA: Big exit pupil, good contrast and brightness, excellent resolution, very easy to look through and their length and weight make them easier to hold steady, slightly warmer color than the newer bins.

[Sailcat]

Three more within the last year...

William Optics 8x42 APO: Small, well made, sharp images at the center of the fov, views soften considerably toward the edges...sold

Nikon 10x42SE: Very sharp images across the fov, prone to blackouts, well constructed, mediocre accessories (strap, caps, and case), good ergonomics...a keeper

Minolta 7x35 WP/FP: Wide fov, images somewhat softer than Nikon EII, very good optical coatings, long ER, well made, claimed to be waterproof, good price, comfortable to hold, discontinued by (defunct) Konica Minolta...a keeper, for now

[Pinewood]

In August, I sold my Nikon 8x32 SE, which I had bought in 2003. This highly praised binocuclar simply did not work for me. I had troubles with blackouts, that only got worse with time. For some it is a very unfriendly binocular. The lesson learned was that no internet expert can predict how a person interfaces with a binocular.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

[jaymoynihan]

Well...
Childhood: A bushnell 7x35 something, with one of those rocker-bare focusers. No idea what happened to them.

College: B&L 7x35 something or other. Cannot remember, think lost in a move., maybe.

Alderblick 7x50 (old model). Excellent porros. Astro only, no close focus really.
At someones house, now.

Celestron 11x80 Astronomy. Excellent (1980+- Japanese/vixen) gave to a friend.

B&L 7x36 Audubon Customs. Porro, very nice. A girlfriend wanted them.

B&L 10x40 Audubon Customs. Very good for low end porro. Still have them, do not know why.

Celestron 10x50 Ultimas, original design. Still one of the best 10x50's. Astro only use. Still have.

B&L 7x26 Audubon Customs. Still have and use. gems. Used to hang out wither as tourist or counter at hawk count sites until 2000, and check lots of vendor's wears. Best compact over all i have used.

Swift Audubon 8.5x44. The old non-armored ones. Somewhat beat up, sentimental object. Lots of hawks flew past these. Still have.

Leica 10x42 BA. Gotten for raptors. Sharp, nice feel. Still have. It is my "travel" dual purpose (astro/bird) instrument.

Zeiss 7x42 "classics". My co-favorite. For me, best ergonomics, view, etc. Like a cool drink for the eyes on a hot day. Obviously, still have.

Another pair (cough, huh, a spare...cough) of 8.5x44 Swift Audubons. Armored. on sale.....Stored.

As my interest in crow study absorbed nearly all related to "bird", a pair of the Swifts, EXCEPT, ED version (when looking at crows ALOT, nice not to have that fringe). Not best total "feel", but the sharpest glass i have. Focus started stiff, and never really loosened. they are going away for adjustment.

Most recent: 8x30 Zeiss Classics, (those 150th anniversary ones). Co-favorite with the other classic model I have. Nearly as good, but smaller. Great hiker, and built like a small, easy to hold, brick. Ya don't have to read the specs to know there is metal under the rubber!

[NWBirder]

I am going to avoid posting about all of the useless 8x21, 7x35 and 10x50 Bushnell, Tasco and Simmons bins I have owned over the years. I cannot think of anything really positive to say. When reading through my bins keep in mind that many of these I had for less than a few weeks. It pays to have a Cabelas retail outlet within 20 minutes of your home. ;)

Nikon Monarch 10x42:
First good quality bin. Eye opening experience. Returned them because of a weakening central hinge and a loose focus. Subsequent 10x versions had less than desirable optics.

Bushnell Legend 8x32:
Image quality was almost as good as the Monarchs in a more rugged, compact design. Returned them for the XPs.

Pentax DCF-XP 8x33:
Nice compact design for a mid-sized bin. Very bright image for their size. Sold them to a friend who needed a good pair.

Nikon Venturer LX 8x42:
My "go-to" bin. No complaints really though they could be a bit lighter. Image is excellent and I grab them more than any other when heading out for an extended birding trip.

Nikon E series 7x35:
Wonderfully relaxed image. Excellent depth of field. Not as good as SE or EII overall but definitely a keeper. Sold one pair to a gentleman that really needed them and gave the other to a relation.

Nikon Monarch 8x42:
One of the best total packages for the price. Excellent image only bettered by the high end roofs and quality porros. Returned for financial reasons.

Zeiss Conquest 8x30:
Exceptionally crisp center of field image. Wonderful ergonomics and lightweight. Not as bright as my other full sized bins. Sold them for financial reasons.

Leupold Wind River Katmai 8x32:
Most compact 8x32 to date. Nice bright, contrasty image but not as crisp as other bins I have tried. Returned them.

Leupold Wind River Olympic 10x50:
Brightest after the Venturers. Fairly streamlined for such a large objective size. Returned after extended use because they were too large and unwieldy in the field.

Pentax DCF-HS 10x36:
Nice, ergonomic design. Bright, contrasty image but lacked some crispness at times and I learned that 10x just isn't for me. Returned to the store.

Nikon Venturer LX 8x32:
Almost the equal of the 42 mm in image quality. More color fringing around the outermost edge of the image. Excellent ergonomics and overall size. Focus wheel a bit too impercise for my tastes. Sold it.

Nikon Sporter 8x36:
Love the "Walk in" image created by the huge ocular lenses. Eye relief with the cups all the way down was even too much for me. Best performance vs. cost out of the bunch. Lack of phasecoating made them dimmer and less crisp than slightly more expensive phase coated roofs. Returned to store.

Nikon Superior E 8x32:
Best overall image. Bright, great contrast and great resolution. Ergonomics were good though I think that I still prefer a roof in that regard. Still have them.

Nikon E II 8x30:
Widest and near brightest image. Good ergonomics though they may be a bit short for my hands. I am currently trying these bins out and will most likely keep them. Image is very addicting.

Nikon Sportstar 8x25:
Nice wide field of view. Exceptionally good optics for their inexpensive price tag. Very handy when birding isn't primary concern. Still have them.

Nikon Premier LX 8x20:
Best image I have ever seen out of a pair of compacts. Focus wheel a little awkward and short overall length made handling a bit tricky. Returned for financial reasons.

Nikon Action 7x35:
Decent, wide image. Fairly bright. Decent quality for the extremely low price. Eyepiece bridge is weak and much distortion in outer 2/5ths of image. Still have but may trade shortly.

FrankD, do you own a optics Museum? Just kidding, thanks a lot for many insightful reviews of binoculars. You earn my tremendous amount of respect.

My one liners:

1. Leupold Wind River 8x42: PRO: bright image field, easy effortless focus, light weight; Con: pricey, dirt easy to be stuck due to static charge build up. Traded in after short period of ownership
2. Zen-Ray Summit 10x42, PRO: bright image field, easy effortless focus, light weight, inexpensive; Con: I wish they offer diopter locking mechanism (well, almost none of the sub $500 ones offer that)

[brentwood]

Looks like an interesting thread, in no particular order, I have them all.
1) Ross WW2 10x80 British Battleship Binocs, need Popeye arms to lift, 28mm ER? 4 built in filters, great image.
2) Leica 8x32BA, great image, would like more ER. feel good.
3) Bushnell Custom 10x50, great looking porro, feels really good, solid, great image across 7deg wide field.
4) B&L 7x26, great liittle glass, often taken on walk to beach.
5) Fujinon 9x25 roof. built in radio! horrible, good resolution but very poor ER even without glasses.
6) Fujinon 7x50 FMT Love them , great image , heavy, rubber poor qualiy.
7) Fujinon 7x50 MTR(?) one down from above, great image, ER not as good as above, which is incredible, but rubber really good quality.
8) Zeiss (W. Germany) 8x20 roof compact , I.F. , nice image but a bit difficult to use.
9) Leitz 10x40 roof. Great binoculars, light, no rubber, image a bit soft compared to modern roof or a really good porro.
10) Agfa 10x40 , nice case! fairly good image, porro.
11) US WW2 6x30, IF. (several) very crisp images.
12)Bushnell Rangemaster 7x35. Best Bushnell ever made. 11 deg field, very good image across most of it. Massive prisms, (bigger than on my 20x80)
That'll do for tonight , Watch this Space!!

[martismo]

This has been one of the best articles for me in terms of what to look at.
My own limited experience has been
1/ Tasco 7x50 -complete rubbish-foggy and little eye relief + poor contrast
2/ Nikon Monarch 8x42 - wow what an improvement -clear, easy to focus and great eye relief

[Sancho]

Big Japanese things I got in 1972 in a tan-coloured hard case with red velvet lining. No idea what they were like, gave 'em away to a nephew in the late eighties. I suspect they were crap, and partly responsible for bizarre entries in my childhood notebook like "six male red-breasted flycatchers on telegraph wires in park" in June 1973. (The question is, what the hell were they? :h?:)

Chinon zoom bins: I bought these at first when I started birding again in my thirties. However bad things get, never buy Chinon zoom bins, except to use as a bookend.

Avian 10x50: I loved these. Sold 'em, now I regret it. Only real drawback was rather narrow FOV, about 5 degrees.

Avian 8x42: These were good, but they had a yellow cast. Also narrow FOV for 8x bins (about 6.3 degrees).

Leica Ultravid 8x32: I had these for a while, but changed them for....

Swarovski 8x32 EL: I find these easier on the hand (my hands are a bit small, I think). They're great to use "one-hand" when the other hand is holding the scope, or whatever. I thought the view was easier on my eye, too, than the Leica's, but I could be mistaken, having read what Leica owners have to say.

Swarovski 10x42 EL: These were my faves before the 8x. I still use them when not walking or hiking great distances, or on estuaries, sea-watches, etc. But less and less so. The 8x32 ELs seem to be taking over.

Leica Ultravid 8x21: I can't believe the quality of these things. Unbelievably bright, crystal clear, I'd use them all the time if the FOV were just a tad wider. They live in my pocket. I suspect that if I had bought these before all the other better bins, I never would have needed anything else.

[si654]

practica 20x50 from argos big mistake bough in error sold
nikon action 8x40 great nice and bright and clear cant fault these for what i paid .

[postcardcv]

Opticron 8x42 HR - first proper bins, good optics, no complaints - still get regular use as they live in my kitchen for watching birds in the garden.
RSPB 8x42 HG - nice optics, good in the hand, quite heavy.
Bushnell H2O 8x20 - dull image, alround fairly poor - but my daughter gets on well with them and I don't mind if she drops them!
Leica Duovid 8+12x42 - great optics, wonderful in the hand, smooth focus. Dual mag very easy to use - very heavy.
Opticron Traveller 8x32 - amazing value, very small, excellent close focus.
Leica Ultravid 7x42 - birght, sharp great FOV - smooth focus - a joy to use. These are my main bins, the best I've ever owned, I can't imagine wanting to change them.
B&L Elite 8x42 - all ok but nothing outstanding - incredible cheap so I couldn't resist.
Leica Ultravid 8x20 - excellent compact, very bright image - take them everywhere
Leica Trinovid 8x32ba - always wanted a pair, finally got some - amazing optics, bright and sharp - focus is not smooth (back at Leica being sorted, can't wait to get them back).

The ones in bold I still have...

Well I've since sold the Bushnells, the 7x42 Ultravids and the Trinovids, and have since been through...

Leica Trinovod 8x32 BNs - Opticaly excellent, nice in the hand, better close focus than the BAs
Nikon 8x30 Es - simply amazing, as good optically as any other bins I've owned, why don't more people use them?
Nikon HG 8x42 - stunningly sharp optics, a bit heavy weight.
Swarovski 8x32 ELs - great handling, good FOV and close focus, a near perfect alrounder.
Swift 8x30 Ultralite - a nice, lightweight porro prism - great for my kids ot use.
Swarovski 8.5x42 ELs - much chunkier than the 8x32s, but to my surprise I perfer them in the hand and they are my current first choice.

I'm tempted to a nice secondhand pair of Leica 8x42 BAs that I have seen and may also add an Opticron Oregon 8x32 soon.

[lucznik]

I'm pathologically incapable of "one-liners" as the topic suggests so; this is as close as I can get.

Bushnell 8x32 Trophy. My first. Thought the $170 I spent on it was a lot at the time. Sold to my brother-in-law, who still uses them as his only binocular.

Bushnell 8x32 Legend. This one really shouldn't count as I bought it fully intending to turn around and sell it to my younger brother. However, I did have it in my possession for a few days so; I'll list it. Optics were good (definately a step up from the Trophy.) I don't think the mid-sized (30mm - 36mm) binoculars are a good choice for me. Their not big enough for serious work and not small enough to warrant carrying around all the time.

Pentax 8x42 DCF WP. Liked it so much I convinced my siblings to buy another one with me for my dad's birthday gift. I traded mine later for a 10x42 model - big mistake. He still has his.

Pentax 8x22 DCF MC. A very nice little pocket binocular. I carried this all over and still own it today. It even gets used every now and again by my two sons.

Pentax 8x25 DCF MC II. I liked the little 22mm Pentax so much that when they upgraded it with a slightly larger objective lens, I just had to have one. I carry this binocular literally everywhere I go. It is always in my pocket ready for those unexpected opportunities. Someday I'll upgrade to a Nikon Premier, Zeiss ClassiC or Victory, or maybe a Leica Ultravid but for now, this little Pentax is my constant companion.

Bushnell 10x26 Legend. I found this binocular cheap and thought, "what the heck" so; I bought it. The optics were quite good but, it was way to bulky to qualify as a pocket binocular and thus never went anywhere because if I have to carry a larger binocular, I'd just as soon have a regular, full-sized unit that gives better performance. I happily sold this one.

Pentax 10x42 DCF WP. Found a guy who wished he'd bought the 8x. At the time, I thought I would rather have had 10x so; we swapped. The glass in the 10x (though in perfect condition - I'm not trying to fault the previous owner) was not near as good as the 8x had been. I sold this one happily.

B&L 10x42 Discoverer (Porro Prism). Loved this binocular. Yes, the size was a wee bit big for my small hands but, the optics were fantastic. I also got mine when they were just discontinuing them so I only payed $175. A moment of financial "necessity" (read stupidity) resulted in me selling this binocular and I've kicked myself ever since. I would buy another one of these (in 8x or 10x) in a heartbeat - if I could find one.

Bushnell 10x43 Elite. My dissatisfaction with the 10x Pentax (and total satisfaction with the B&L's 10x optics) resulted in my selling it and using the funds to help buy one of these Elites when Eagle Optics had demos on sale for a bit over $500. This was a wonderful optic. My only complaint was that the "locking" diopter adjustment doesn't stay locked worth a dang so; I had to periodically readjust it. Being a bit of a magnification junky I sold this binocular in preperation for buying an identical model in 12x50. That deal however, fell through at the last minute, leaving me without a full-size binocular (totally unacceptable) so; as a stop-gap measure until I find a really good deal on something I want I bought a...

Bushnell 8x42 Discoverer (Roof Prism). Thanks to it being another discontinued model, I found this binocular for $200 (instead of it's original $450 price tag) and it is really quite good. It has the same problem with the center-placed diopter that regularly has to be reset as the Elite which is a bit of a nuisance but, the optics are good. It will serve until I can find a good deal on something else that is more to my liking.

[lucznik]

WOW!!!

You know you're getting old and senile when you respond to a thread in which you had already previously posted an answer.

Luckily my two answers proved mostly the same. I had forgotten about buying that 10x42 Trophy, the 10x50 Brunton, and the "Big 5" 10x42 - though I seem to recall it being labelled with the name "Rugged Exposure."

Obviously I also didn't stick to my well-intentioned plan of keeping any of the binoculars that I was was so enamored with. Thinking about selling that B&L Discoverer makes me just want to curl up in a fetal position and cry.

You know Alzheimer's disease does actually run in my family so there's a good chance I will end up with it at some point. If/when I do contract it, do you know what the worst part about is going to be?...


noone will know the difference. ;)

Here's my original post from 19 January 2006
For most of my young life I just "borrowed" binoculars from my dad.

Bushnell Trophy 10X42 - My first (semi) decent binocular purchase. My dad convinced me that an 8X would be better so I immediately took them back to the store and bought a...

Bushnell Trophy 8X32 - For someone who knew nothing about optics this binocular worked just fine for a few years. It was rather dim and the edge sharpness was non-existent, but hey, I didn't know any better. As my knowledge increased I sold to my brother in law and bought...

Pentax DCF WP 8X42 - I got mine when they first came out and were the first mid-priced binocular to incorporate phase correction coating as a part of the package. This is my primary full-size binocular and I doubt I will ever get rid of it. It still provides an image quality that is so close to the high-end models that I can't bring myself to spend the extra cash to replace them. (Especially with the latest round of price increases for the "top 3.")

Which is not to say I have stopped buying binoculars (heaven forbid)

Next I bought a Brunton Litetech 10X50 porro. I don't know why, other than it was cheap ($50) and I couldn't stop myself. It was mediocre at best. I had to constantly readjust both the focus and diopter adjustments and eventually I sold them in a yard sale.

Then there was a 10X42 I bought from Big 5 sporting goods that was utterly horrible. Sold it at the same yard sale as the Bruntons.

Next was a Pentax DCF MC 8X22 - While this binocular does lose some performance to the larger OLs of a full-sized binocular, I was amazed at how good and how useful they really are. This binocular started my love of compacts.

I tried a Bushnell Legend 10X26 - It is a good binocular but, I have decided it is just too big to be considered a true compact. It stays in my SUV.

I recently bought a newly redesigned Pentax DCF MC 8X25. Yes, I already had its brother but, I wanted to see if the upgrade from a 22mm to a 25mm OL really made much of a difference. (It does.) This is the binocular I carry with me all day, every day. Although it will be replaced as soon as I have the cash for a higher end offering (probably a Zeiss ClassiC 10X25 or the Nikon HG 10X25) I doubt I will ever get rid of it.

My latest purchase was a B&L Discoverer 10X42 Porro - This is a fantastic binocular at an even better price ($180 at Cabela's.) Although it is bigger and heavier than a good roof prism, its optics give up nothing to my friend's 10X42 Swarovski EL. I'll be keeping this one for sure.

[Steve Jones]

Prinz 8x40 Porro's - which, 40 years ago, seemed quite good (as a kid I never tried anything else though). Being dropped down stairs spelled the end for these.

Miranda 8x30 Porro's = absolute garbage, rendered a distant snow goose into a fuzzy white blob. Sold....very quickly after purchase.

Tento (russian) 10x50's Porro's - lighter than they looked, greenish cast, but nice bright sharp optics and a revelation after the previous rubbish. Sold, but now wish I'd kept them.

Helios (Russian again - known as 'GNU's') 8x30's Porro's - I liked these. Still had the colour cast, but sharp and very lightweight bins. Got pinched when my car was broken into.

Opticron Dioptron 8x32 porro's - a big improvement on anything previous. Very lightweight (500g), bright, sharp and good FOV. Much battered now (after 16 years plus), but good backup bins to keep.

RSPB 10x42 WP Porro's - got very cheap off ebay - good job too, awful FOV and heavy, but a reasonable image. Doubtful if I could sell them even if I wanted too. Now kept by the window for garden birds.

B & L Elite 10x42 Roofs - got secondhand a few years ago. Sharp, bright and tough. Heavy'ish (but lighter than fullsize BN's) and a smallish FOV due to the 10x mag. Still used where distant birds are probable.

Swaro 8x32EL - just amazing. Would not willingly part with these...ever.

Note that the first pair were bought for me by my dad as the brand name from Dixons (now a popular electrical store), and the second pair by me from the same store (they were cheap!) in my mid 20's when I re-started birding again. Obviously in the intervening years any semblance of quality in their optics had long disappeared.

[Sancho]

Update, now that I've acquired 2 more pairs:

Canon IS 12x36: Brilliant. I love IS. Great for long-distance work. Optics not top-class by any means, but the IS makes up for this so much that I sold my lovely Swaro EL 10x42 (I hate having two pairs of bins that overlap too much in usage).

Nikon 10x35 EII: Despite comment above on "usage overlap", I bought these on a whim and love them. Everything positive that's been said about them is true, IMHO. If I'd bought these years ago I'd never have bothered with anything else. And the FOV is so wide that they can also do a lot of the work of an 8x. Who needs waterproof? Just put them under your jacket if it rains. Porros Rock.

With the above, and my beautiful Swaro EL 8x32 and Leica 8x21 Ultravid, I think I've enough bins to take with me to the grave.

[dafi]

Zennox 10 to 40x60 bins bought from bidup tv for £19

They sucked worse than a big sucky thing that likes to suck!!

I cut them in half to make a mini spotting scope.

It sucked too!!

[Sancho]

I cut them in half to make a mini spotting scope.

It sucked too!!
3:-)LOL! Headcase, Dafi.....

[P H]

Zeiss Jena 10x50 porro's big, and heavy good sharp bright optics. (sold) yippee!

Swift Ultralites 10x42 porro's very good optics (sold) big mistake!

Opticron 8x32 Imagic roof's sharp and bright but could not focus on distant objects (sold) yippee!

Vortex Stokes 8x42 Talon Roof's sharp, bright, wide FOV for the price very happy and better than the Imagics which cost twice the price.

[Tero]

Bushnell 8x32 Legend
my best 32mm
hard to find at times
ugly...cool!

[dafi]

Nikon Monarch 8x42 Like em, Recomend em, light bright and cheap.

Bresser 8x56 [lidl] bright clear sharp image on a manky dull Orkney day. Great for the night sky
£80. Cheap and worth every penny!!

[marcus]

On Wednesday, I bought a new Nikon 8x42 Monarch on sale at an L.L. Bean for just $169. Nice.

[Sailcat]

Nikon 8x32SE: Good fit and finish, comfortable to hold, bright, extremely sharp images nearly to the edge of the fov, good color and contrast, smooth focuser, finicky eye placement to avoid blackout, mediocre accessories...a keeper.

[joannec]

On Wednesday, I bought a new Nikon 8x42 Monarch on sale at an L.L. Bean for just $169. Nice.

What a bargain!!!:t:

[marcus]

It definately was. Since on the shelf there was a $350 sign beside the display.