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  1. E

    The easy DIY eyecup mod for the Meostar 32mm you’ve been waiting for!

    So like many, I love the optics of the 8x32 Meostar, and I love the ergonomics too EXCEPT for those blasted teeny weeny eyecups. I also happen to love Leica Ultravid eyecups, and as I posted last year in this thread I discovered the rubber part of the UV eyecup is not adhered on, but rather...
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    A new (old) toy - Leitz Trinovid 6x24

    Impulse bought these recently, what a gem! I was not prepared for how much of a little tank these old Leitz are, it tips my postal scale at 454g vs 530g for the UVHD 8x32. Serial No is 6968xx so that makes it 1968-ish from what JR has documented? These are in really excellent mechanical and...
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    In case you were wondering (Leica hacka)

    So I think about binocular eyecups way too much. But then again they touch my face more than most things. Many binoculars have substandard eyecups for my tastes. But Leica Ultravids, they are the best. Perfect shape with nice taper, but not too narrow... perfect supple smooth rubber. I have a...
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    Ultravid 8x20 BR - help me find a low profile pouch!

    Picked up an Ultravid 8x20 BR recently, absolutely love it! It's the perfect pocket sized "emergency alpha", exactly the right size where it's hard to make an excuse not to take it in situations where you wouldn't carry normal sized binoculars around. And unlike other "pocket" bins I've tried...
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    GPO Spectra 8x32 impressions

    As I posted in the Binocular Bargains thread, a few days ago Amazon has a random sale of this model for only $179. In theory, the only difference between the Spectra and Passion ED is the type of glass used in the objective (the Passion ED supposedly has better extra-low dispersion glass)...
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    Diamondback HD 8x32 impressions

    Taking a trip next week (first time in a long time!) and so was looking to grab an inexpensive, compact pair of binoculars I could tote around with me when sight-seeing and casually walking around vs "hard core birding". I wanted to try the Dback 8x32 HD since they are SO short and light, and...
  7. E

    Amazing Meopta service!

    Some of you may have seen my thread a while back about how useless the Cabela's warranty is, since they won't honor it and don't even do repairs. As described in that thread, I have a pair of Euro HD 8x32 (i.e. Meostar) that had a problem with the ocular getting torqued out of alignment. I...
  8. E

    New Tract TORIC UHD 27-55 x 80mm scope

    Just got this email announcement from Tract, they are finally coming out with a spotting scope: https://tractoptics.com/spotting-scopes/toric-uhd-27-55x80-angled-spotting-scope It should be no surprise that it appears to be yet another of the Kamakura sourced, helical-focusing designs like the...
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    Is the knob on the front of the UV hinge removable?

    Random (potentially dumb) Leica UV question that’s been bugging me: on nearly every binocular it seems the knob/cap on the front of the hinge (objective end) screws off to expose a threaded tripod screw hole and/or hinge tightening screw. On the Leica UV there is a large cylindrical knob in that...
  10. E

    Any other strap options that fit RY clips?

    Is anyone aware of other straps that fit the Rick Young ultralight harness clips? I really like the RY harness but wouldn’t mind being able to quickly swap to a standard strap at times. However those little clips mounted on the ring effectively means the only option for a quick swap would be...
  11. E

    Kowa Genesis vs BD II XD impressions

    I recently picked up a Kowa Genesis 10x33 from a forum member (who kindly reached out and gave me a deal I couldn't refuse after had I mentioned my interest in this model on another thread). I've always loved the Genesis 8x33 and lusted after one, and I figured the 10x33 was a good choice for...
  12. E

    A KamaTech flub, a Tract Toric Schott HT review, and my 10x42 quest...

    Brief Preamble I was an active participant here many years ago, but I took a 5+ year break from the binocular merry-go-round (and this forum, to remove temptation!) after having kids + buying a house and the resultant lack of disposable funds. I sold off everything except a single pair of...
  13. E

    Trinovid 10x42 (2012-2015 edition) impressions

    I recently purchased Andy's (dries1) extra pair of 2012-2015 vintage Trinovid 10x42. I've been on a bit of a 10x42 bender recently, having been an 8x user traditionally. That said, I also don't have an alpha budget, so I've been playing in the midrange space (starting with a Tract Toric UHD)...
  14. E

    Styrka S7 = Vortex Viper HD?

    Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but I did a google search on Birdforum and didn't see this mentioned previously. But is it just me, or are the Styrka S7 the exact same binocular as the new Vortex Viper HD? In this day and age of outsourced Asian binocular production, no "clones"...
  15. E

    Cabela's branded optics - a warranty warning!

    So I recently picked up a used pair of Cabela's Euro HD 8x32 for a nice price. This was a bin I'd been wanting to try for a long time, and I absolutely fell in love with them. Phenomenal ergonomics, extremely wide, clear, sharp optics, wonderful balance, top notch build quality... I find them...
  16. E

    A little Kamakura anecdote...

    So I needed to get my Tract Toric 10x42 repaired (it's having an issue with "focus drag" where one barrel lags behind the focus point when turning clockwise, but it focuses fine going counterclockwise).... I reached out to Jon L at Tract, and he directed my to send my Torics in for service...
  17. E

    Razor HD 50mm - the new sheriff of mini town?

    Finally, a hands on side by side of the venerated reigning champ, the ED50, and the new upstart contender: http://birdwatching.com/optics/vortex/razor50mm_vs_nikon50mm.html According to the Porters, the Vortex wins on FOV, wider focal range, dual focus knob, slightly brighter and sharper...
  18. E

    Binomania: Vortex Viper HD 8x42 review

    Just noticed this: http://www.binomania.it/wordpress/?p=3942 Nice review!
  19. E

    New Zen-Ray ZRS HD review

    Opticsreviewer has posted their review of the Zen-Ray ZRS HD 8x42: http://www.opticsreviewer.com/zen-ray-zrs-hd-binoculars.html Although I have no personal affiliation with the site, I have corresponded with them via email and I was one of the folks who suggested they check out the ZRS HD...
  20. E

    San Diego Bird Festival -- Optics galore!

    The San Diego Bird Festival is this weekend, so I took advantage of the opportunity to sample quite a few pairs of binoculars today. Pretty much any binocular I could have possibly wanted to try was there. It will be hard to keep this brief considering how many pairs I tried, and of course in...
  21. E

    Monarch 3 vs. 5 vs. 7 comparison

    The folks at OpticsReviewer.com emailed me to let me know that they posted an article comparing the Monarch 3, 5 and 7 models: http://www.opticsreviewer.com/nikon-monarch-3-vs-monarch-5.html Enjoy!
  22. E

    selling the BEST BINOCULARS IN THE WORLD?!?

    oh, Dennis: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-8x32-EDG-II-Binoculars-7568-/330799577346?pt=Binocular&hash=item4d0530f902
  23. E

    Hawke 8x42 Frontier OH?

    I searched around quite a bit and couldn't find any mention of these Hawke binoculars, all I got was a bunch of discussion on the Frontier ED models. Sounds like the OH = open hinge? Anyone used these or have any feedback? They seem like a relatively compact 8x42 model, only 24oz, with all...
  24. E

    Vortex Fury 6.5x32 vs. Viper 6x32

    As many of you probably know, I currently own a pair of the Vortex Fury 6.5x32 (bought at steep discount from CameralandNY) and used to own a pair of the Vortex Viper 6x32 (also bought at steep discount closeout pricing from Eagle Optics). I returned the Vipers a while back because the eye...
  25. E

    Vortex Talon HD 32mm class? Yes!

    I stumbled across this Vortex video on YouTube advertising their Talon HD binocular lineup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PauT5PvytCY I was surprised to see them note that the Talon HD is available in BOTH the 32mm and 42mm configurations, including both 8x32 and 10x32 models. Say what...
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