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Kenko binoculars? (1 Viewer)

FrankD

FrankD

Well-known member
Does anyone have experience with Kenko binoculars? I have seen the name come up a few times recently in my websurfing but don't remember seeing anything mentioned on the forums about them. Eagle Optics picked them up fairly recently and there is one model...an 8x32 open-bridge, non-ED glass unit...that I am considering purchasing. That particular unit states "Made in Japan" but I am not sure if they all are or what the company's story is. Of course, I do not have a preference in that area but thought it worth mentioning if it helps provide some info on their products.

Thanks.
 
I used to have a Kenko scope which I bought at in focus for £130 about 5 years ago. I broke it last year but it served me well. It was not particularly good quality but it was lightweight and hardy.
 
Thank you for the info guys. I am guessing they are relatively new to the US or I would have noticed them before. The ergonomics of the OH roof have me intrigued so for $229 I thought I would order them. I also ordered the 8x30 porros for $109. The porros were in stock so I should have them tomorrow (gotta love Amazon prime). The roofs were not so I may have to wait a bit for them. Will be sure to comment on them once they arrive.
 
Yes. I actually found the Albinos review last night when I was trying to do a little research on the bin. I read the review. It seems to have its strong points and its weak points...much like any other binocular. The only thing I find distressing is the narrower than advertised field of view. Still, a 390+ FOV should still be more than acceptable assuming the pair I receive is well collimated.
 
The 8x30 porros arrived yesterday. They are a dead-ringer for the Celestron ULtima DX externally. Sadly though the optics are not acceptable in my opinion. They are not collimated correctly. The distortion is uneven around the field of view and even in the small sweet spot the image quality is substandard. They are definitely going back.

I changed my order for the 8x32 open bridge Kenkos since they were not in stock and instead ordered the Sightron II 8x32 which seems to be another clone of this model. Will comment when they arrive.
 
FrankD said:
The 8x30 porros arrived yesterday. They are a dead-ringer for the Celestron ULtima DX externally. Sadly though the optics are not acceptable in my opinion. They are not collimated correctly. The distortion is uneven around the field of view and even in the small sweet spot the image quality is substandard. They are definitely going back.

I changed my order for the 8x32 open bridge Kenkos since they were not in stock and instead ordered the Sightron II 8x32 which seems to be another clone of this model. Will comment when they arrive.
Click to expand...

I like Sightrons products and will be interested to see how they perform. The 8x32/10x32 is a new product for them. I emailed them to see where they are made (all their products used to be produced in Japan) and they told me it was the Phillipians. Their reverse porros are also made there.

Todd
 
Last edited:
FrankD said:
Does anyone have experience with Kenko binoculars? I have seen the name come up a few times recently in my websurfing but don't remember seeing anything mentioned on the forums about them. Eagle Optics picked them up fairly recently and there is one model...an 8x32 open-bridge, non-ED glass unit...that I am considering purchasing. That particular unit states "Made in Japan" but I am not sure if they all are or what the company's story is. Of course, I do not have a preference in that area but thought it worth mentioning if it helps provide some info on their products.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

At one time the Kenko name was found on a wide range of camera optical accessories originating in Japan. The quality was very good, up there with Hoya. Whether the current Kenko has any ties to the earlier one I don't know. Chances are these are just another pair of passably good quality binoculars from China. The price should be an excellent indicator of quality.
 
Tero,

Thanks...and it is good to see you posting again. I always enjoy your perspective on things.

Though I did not post it on this thread specifically (check out the Sightron Blue Sky SII thread) I did try the Kenko 8x32 open bridge binoculars. I ran into two issues with them. The more important of the two was the fact that the bins were out of alignment straight out of an unopened box. That is not unique as I have run into it with several models from various manufacturers over the last year. However, All Binos ran into the same problem with the exact same model plus I had another Kenko model arrive with the exact same issue. Three out of three is poor quality control from anyone's perspective.

The other issue, and another that All binos noted, was that the contrast level was not competitive with a similar model in approximately the same price range...and, actually, the Sightron version of this bin had the best optical performance and was priced the least out of the three.
 
These out of the box problems are the thing with all binos under 500. If I bought a name brand Nikon or Pentax midprice, I would not expect problems out of the box.

My birding has been poor, year list 120. Three lifers in Sep in Finland. I had a short trip so not much birding. Europe list is 60-70.
 
The coffee is better than the bins....

Seriously, many years ago I worked in dixons. We used to sell bins at very reasonable prices. This is how it works. Hide them at the back of the cabinet with a massively inflated price. Then after a month huge sale sign and plaster them around the front of the window and in-store. Result people think they are getting a bargain. Even at the sale price dixons were making a fortune.

Beware gift horses....

Cheap bins are cheap. Some expensive bins are cheap.
 
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