Hi Bruce, Bruce H #2 here :-O
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Greetings BH! You have been a forum member much longer than me so you are definitely number 1.
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Are the Japanese eBay vendors the only way to get these new, and if so, which vendor would anybody recommend ?.........
I am not aware of anyone in the US that normally has new units available. The overseas choices I have seen are Asia (mostly Japan) and Britain. The British units are most likely more expensive, but you can go with an established store and do have a common language.
I do not recall seeing any comments from someone getting scammed by a Japanese eBay vendor. If I were looking for new, I would start with the best eBay price, then check out the vendor membership date, volume of sales, look over the reviews in detail, and take into consideration the quality of the ad copy. If all is good, then got for it. If I was not comfortable with that vendor, then I would go to the next one up on the price ladder. I would also want a vendor with a return policy just in case there is a major problem. In the worse case, eBay is good in supporting the purchaser, but be sure and read the current eBay rules for overseas items and dollar limitations.
Another option is to buy a used unit and that is what I did. Mine came from Brock's stockpile as he was kind enough to let one go! Keep watch on the For Sale forum here, eBay, Astromart and Cloudy Nights. Seems like one pops up every few weeks. The price will be about the same as a new one from Japan, but you do have the opportunity to ask detailed questions and if a forum member, you may have a sense of their character. I would desire a return period of a couple of days to make sure all is good. The downside of course is that it could be awhile before a like new unit shows up.
Most of the newer units for sale were initially exported to Japan, so that means there is no Nikon USA warranty. If I ever have a problem, I will probably send it to an independent repair facility.
The only problems I recall reading about concerning units from Japanese eBay vendors were a spec or two of dirt inside, but nothing to hurt the view.
Also be aware that there are two generations of the EII, the older gray body and the newest black body. I suspect the black body may have new coatings, but I will let Brock comment on that. Second, Ceasar (Bob) has reported the gray body covering coming loose.
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...... In your opinion the 8X30 EII stacks up well to the 8X SE ?
I have the Nikon 8X30 EII, 10X35 EII, 8X32 SE and access to a 10X42 SE. All Have the newest coatings. If the goal is to select the one that best presents the Porro viewing experience, then for me, it is the Nikon 8X30 EII.
I like to use a Porro when I want to optimize the "overall" view. The Porro does this better than a roof with a more realistic apparent depth of field and scaling of the subjects. With that in mind, I go with an 8X over a 10X because of the deeper depth of field and I go with the 8X EII over the 8X SE because of the wider field of view.
The SE has sharper edges, but due to the large field of view of the EII, the mild edges are outside of the primary viewing area.
Some advantages of the SE:
- Rounded corners so it may be more comfortable for some.
- Sharper edges (but some loss of sharpness to me)
- Less pin cushion.
Some advanges of the 8X EII:
- Larger field of view for a more natural presentation (462 ft vs 393 ft, Apparent FOV(simple) 70.4 vs 60.0 degrees)
- Somewhat easier eye placement.
Based on my two samples, the EII color balance is slightly warmer than the SE, which is very close to neutral. I am not one to ask on CA, but the SE looks to handle it just a little bit better. Neither one present any CA or glare issues for me.
If I were to go out right now under the bright noon day AZ summer sun and look at the side of mountain a few thousand yards away, I would not see much difference between the two because the viewing conditions are not right for a spectacular view. However, when conditions are right, the EII comes into it's own.
My favorite view scenario is to visit one of our water recharge ponds when the sun is to the rear and lower in the horizon, there are colorful ducks on the pond at close, medium and far distances, the water is calm and surrounded by different colors are vegetation. This is a situation where you just want to take it all in and appreciate the whole view. Nothing I have owned presents it better than the 8X30 EII. In a previous post of a few days ago, I referred to it as a National Geographic moment.