Minox BL advice/question! (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

Ive been wanting a nice pair of binos for a loooong time (suffered through junk forever it seems). Ive got it quite narrowed down to basically three different pairs. My question is between two different models of Minox BL's.

The first being the 8x42 German made, and the newer open bridge 8x44. They have the same 19.5mm eye relief which is very important to me, since i wear glasses and have an astigmatism. I realize that the newer ones are a bit heavier, but not sure how much is noticed in a few ounces. Also i THINK the newer ones are HD, but not sure if thats actually the case.

What has me attracted to the 44's is the open bridge (mostly) the wider field of view (i would be using these for deer and varmint hunting), and im assuming they would gather a bit more light. There are a lot more reviews for them than the german made 42's.

The 42's can be had here in Canada for approx 80$ less than the 44's. Is the open bridge worth the extra money and weight? Are they HD and thus a far better image quality?

I'm assuming no one has hands on experience with both of these models, as any reviews seem difficult to find, so i understand that the opinions expressed will be based on technical data.

Oh, i just thought of one thing, Cabelas who sells them has an excellent return policy... would it make sense to buy a pair of each, expecting to return one pair? It would probably only cost me about 15-20$ to return the less desirable pair.

I can't help with the 8x44, but I recently picked up the 8x42. It's basically a four square kind of bin, and I mean that in a good way. It doesn't really stand out in any particular way, but seems to get a lot of things right. Optically it's quite good. Very good on-axis resolution. Good brightness. Accurate color rendition. The field is a bit narrow by today's standards, but aberations don't become an issue until maybe the outer 20% of the view. Mechanically, it's quite sound. No loose or wobbly parts. No play in the focuser. The focuser (ccw to infinity if it matters to you) is medium tight on mine, but I haven't had it long enough to tell if it loosens over time. By the way, I looked up the prices on the Canadian Cabela's site that you mentioned (C$400-490), and whichever BL bin you choose, I think you'll get a better deal at Cameraland in NYC (US$280-330). However I have no experience with Camerland's return policy.