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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Porro vs. roof update (1 Viewer)

Fireform

Well-known member
So this morning, having risen very early, I had time for a little binocular shootout. The contestants were both binoculars I own: the Nikon 8x32 SE porros and the Zeiss 8x32 FL roofs.

This was purely a subjective comparison. I didn't lay out ruled bars at specific distances, I did not examine building edges for pincushion distortion, I didn't put the binoculars on a tripod, and I didn't try to read my morning paper through them. The viewing conditions involved me in my bathrobe seated before an open door in our screened patio with a view of our backyard, one pair of bins in each hand. This morning was dark overcast and raining off and on, and viewing began in the dimness of early dawn and continued as the light gradually strengthened--IMO, highly revealing conditions for comparing binoculars and directly applicable to the hunting and birding I do. In the field of view were mature live oak and poinciana trees, my white workshed encrusted with lichens and other growth, various orchids and cultivation paraphernalia, a mulberry and some other foliage, a painted wood fence, and on top of the workshed our calico cat, who posed there at a distance of about 50 yards until the rain picked up again. Altogether I spent about 40 minutes viewing alternately through each glass, involving dozens of separate viewings.

I won't discuss the ergonomics or handling of these bins, as they are simply different and the differences are largely a matter of taste. Both handle and focus very well. Anyone who has read my earlier posts will know that I've mostly used porros in the past. I was mainly interested in the optical performance of these glasses, which for me means brightness, contrast, color rendition and the ability to discern shadow detail. These glasses have similar FOV--390' for the Nikons and 420' for the Zeisses. Both have enough eye relief for me to use with my glasses.

In terms of resolving power, the two were very similar. The cat's white whiskers against her dark brown sides were pretty much equally resolved by both glasses, as were individual blotches of lichen on the walls of the shed. However, there was a small but distinct difference between the two glasses in color rendition and contrast--the Nikons were more vivid and natural in the early morning and shadowed light conditions. For instance, there are two different colors of lichen growing in patches on the aforementioned shed. The color difference was noticeable through the Zeisses, but obvious through the Nikons. The bright greens of fresh growth on the live oak were much more natural through the Nikons, and appeared comparatively muted through the Zeisses. Subjectively and approximately the Nikons appeared brighter, and it may be that under the fairly low-light conditions of this test, higher light transmission was manifest to the eye as better color resolution. It may therefor be that this difference would disappear in full light conditions--I would have to do another test to tell that.

In overall terms, the view through the Nikons had more visceral impact. Looking through them at rain falling on the live oak foliage, I experienced an involuntary reaction to pull back from the image--my brain was telling me, "you're out in the rain, dummy! Get back under the patio!" I also found myself noticing things in the field of view other than the object I had meant to observe--always a sign of an excellent binocular. I did not get either sensation when viewing with the Zeiss, and eventually the difference became clear enough to me that there was no point in continuing.

I don't mean this to come off as a bashing of the Zeisses. Like I say, I own them both. The other virtues of the Zeisses--their waterproofness, compactness and slightly lighter weight--will keep them on duty as my primary hunting glasses this fall. I also don't pretend to understand why I saw the differences I saw. But, there they are.
 
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...............me in my bathrobe seated before an open door in our screened patio with a view of our backyard, one pair of bins in each hand. This morning was dark overcast and raining off and on, and viewing began in the dimness of early dawn and continued as the light gradually strengthened--IMO, highly revealing conditions for comparing binoculars and directly applicable to the hunting and birding I do. In the field of view were mature live oak and poinciana trees, my white workshed encrusted with lichens and other growth, various orchids and cultivation paraphernalia, a mulberry and some other foliage, a painted wood fence, and on top of the workshed our calico cat, who posed there at a distance of about 50 yards until the rain picked up again.
Whatever about the binos, Fireform, I think the above Vignette is Highbrow enough to be the start of a novel.....come on, get writing!;)
 
Well, OK...I neglected to mention the tumbler of bourbon at my elbow. I didn't think it was relevant, since I experienced no blackouts.
 
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