• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Nikon EDG II users, past or present.... (1 Viewer)

chill6x6

chill6x6

Registered User
Supporter
A couple of questions if you please..

If you currently own an EDG, 42mm specifically......What are your likes/dislikes? How does it compare to any similar quality binoculars you own or have owned?

If you owned an EDG II and no longer have it... Why did you get rid of it?

Thanks....
 
chill6x6 said:
A couple of questions if you please..

If you currently own an EDG, 42mm specifically......What are your likes/dislikes? How does it compare to any similar quality binoculars you own or have owned?

If you owned an EDG II and no longer have it... Why did you get rid of it?

Thanks....
Click to expand...
I had the Nikon EDG II and I got rid of it because it was not as bright as my other alpha binoculars. It is a lower transmission binocular compared to other alpha's. I also thought it felt big to me compared to other binoculars in it's class. It's major weakness is low transmission.
 
Did not own one but extensively tried one in the field with a friend. Honestly, the 8x32 is my favorite binocular, I believe. Very good, neutral colors, a mostly flat field, and very good control of CA. The central view is as sharp as I have seen, and control edge deterioration is better than you'll find in the UV or the HT.

I GREATLY disagree with Dennis. The EDG II has very high transmission, not quite on the level of the HT/FL*T, but at the same level as the SV or UV (IF you don't believe me, just check the transmission profiles shown on Allbinos for the different models [NOTE: I'm not saying AB is a be all end all for reviews, just that their transmission measurements come in handy]).
 
Allbinos ranks the Nikon 10x42 EDG II number one in the 10x42 category over the 10x42 Swarovision and their transmission values as far as peak values go aren't that much different except that the Nikons is higher in the red range and the Swarovski's is higher in the blue range. Both are plenty high enough in the low 90s.

http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-10x42.html

The 8x42 EDG is ranked 2nd behind the 8.5x42 Swarovision and there is hardly any difference between their transmission graphs.

http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x42.html



I have a Nikon 10x32 EDG and it is very bright for a 32mm binocular. Brighter than the Nikon 10x35 EII Porro prism that I own. I really like its ergonomics! It has long comfortable ER, great balance and glare control and it comes standard with slip on Horned Eye Cups that have to be the best side and back glare shielding eye cups on the market!

I also had the opportunity to compare my EDG with a Canon 10x42 and it held its own with that one too but I had to brace my elbows on a fence to compensate for the IS and is a darn sight more comfortable to use otherwise.

I also own a 10x42 SE and I have compared the 2 binoculars extensively and except in late twilight conditions where the 10x42 is better there isn't much difference between them. The EDG has a wider FOV and I did notice that it showed better resolution on small objects like houses and barns seen long distances away in very clear bright conditions. I attributed this to the more modern coatings on the EDG.

I forgot to mention its unobtrusive "flat field" without rolling ball but I was familiarized with it by my SEs and 8x32 and 10x32 LX Ls which also had flat fields.

Bob
 
Last edited:
chill6x6 said:
A couple of questions if you please..

If you currently own an EDG, 42mm specifically......What are your likes/dislikes? How does it compare to any similar quality binoculars you own or have owned?

If you owned an EDG II and no longer have it... Why did you get rid of it?

Thanks....
Click to expand...

Had one. Loved it. IMHO the best 8x bino I ever had (and that's including all Swaro 8x32, 8.5x42, both in their earlier and "SV" versions), Zeiss FL 8x32, SE 8x32, etc. I loved the colours (Nikon is always my favourite). I loved the handling and the focusser. It's robust and well-armoured and comfortable around the neck and in the hand. I don't need much ER, but it had plenty. I wouldn't pay any attention to the light transmission stuff. It was plenty bright, compared to SV's. Maybe for a minute or two before dark the SV's were brighter. But flare was much better controlled in the EDG.
Why did I sell it? Hardly go birding anymore. Couldn't justify keeping it. Still have a shedload of binos I need to sell someday, when I get around to it. Wish I'd sold all of those and kept the EDG, in case I get back into birding some day.
 
We have a 10x42 EDG II.

Likes: Excellent focus wheel. For my preferences, it is the best I have ever used. And yes - we own binos from all the major manufacturers. Rubber armor that is not too smooth, or too tacky. Just right. Objective covers that are the best I have ever used. They stay on quite well, and seal better than Tupperware. Very nice view, with wide sweet spot. CA seems to be controlled very well, but I am not the best to evaluate that. Overall handling is good. Not too heavy, not to large. It is however larger and heavier than some 42mm binos out there.

Dislikes: Case is not very impressive, and does not seal well against dust.

The only thing I would change were it possible would be to add a few more mm's of ER, which would allow me to get the full view while wearing sunglasses. I cannot say anything about transmission, as it is the only high-end 10x42 we own, and therefore cannot compare it side-by-side with another alpha of the same configuration. All I can say is that in use, I do not get a feeling that it underperforms in any way.

If I ever get rid of it, it will be because I don't use it much. Now that I have gotten used to the weight, I use our 10x50 EL SV more. But for now, I keep the EDG around just because it is such a nice binocular, and because I probably won't ever find another for the price I paid for mine.....
 
GREAT responses!

Light transmission...
Let's compare allbinos data where the EDG 8X42s are concerned vs SV 8.5X42.

EDG- 89.8%
SV- 87.8%

If one LOOKS at the transmission graphs...for sure the EDG's transmission spectrum is FLATTER than the SV AND no doubt the transmitted spectrum extends more on both ends.

So to me...no more than a novice/layman I am...I can't see any way that a EDG II would be any less bright than a SV, all things considered.
 
chill6x6;3417301 So to me...no more than a novice/layman I am...I can't see any way that a EDG II would be any less bright than a SV said:
It is`nt IMO, I`m not sure how this "dark" view on the EDG got started, wonderful optics, as good an allrounder as any out there, would have loved the chance to have tried a 7x42 before going Leica, alas no one would order me one to try out.
Click to expand...
 
I have the 7x42 and it is one of my favorite binoculars. I regularly switch between the Nikon 7x42 and Leica Ultravid HD+ 7x42. Both great bins and comparable in contrast, color saturation, resolution and FOV. Great eye relief and ergonomics as well. They definitely have the "wow factor" when you first look through them.
 
chill6x6 said:
If you currently own an EDG, 42mm specifically......What are your likes/dislikes? How does it compare to any similar quality binoculars you own or have owned?
Click to expand...

In my opinion the 7x42 EDG II compares favorably with its alpha competitors - Zeiss BGAT, Zeiss TFL, Swarovski SLC, and Leica HD/HD+. Both Zeiss have a wider field of view, and the HD+ gives a beautiful image (we've learned not to say "sparkle" on this forum), but the Nikon can hold its own with all of them - it has a flat field that's sharp to the edges, it has the longest eye relief, excellent ergonomics (for me, at least), and the smoothest focus.
 
I have an EDG I which is supposed to be the same optically as the II. In all my time of using it, I never once felt the view was "dark". The 7x42 420' view is so pleasant, it is the first binocular I've found myself wishing the view was wider than it is. The double hinge configuration is not my favorite but I can get along with it, but would much prefer the single hinge of the II.

CG
 
I had a couple EDG's for quite a time and I always felt they had a subdued view and they lacked the punch and sparkle of a really high transmission binocular like the HT, Ultravid or Habicht. I personally felt they had a reddish warm hue that is common with Nikon's. Tobia's mirrors my feelings in his review of the Nikon EDG.

"Nikon really needs to boost transmission in the EDG, no matter how, by coatings and or better glass. They will then simply have the best 8x42 for general use with a perfect combination of great qualities. Compared to what other companies try to do to reinvent the binocular this should be an easy task. I really hope that Nikon will not withdraw from the high end market and update this wonderful design very soon."

"The EDG remains excellent when used with open pupils, probably because of low vignetting and very well controlled residual aberrations, and the view remains comfortable, albeit visibly darker than in the Zeiss HT and Ultravid."

"The Leica Ultravid has similar colour saturation and high macrocontrast, but sparkles brighter due to higher transmission. The Nikon looks a bit darker, more subdued, just the same then when I compared the Nikon SE and E2 porros to the Swarovski Habicht with its 96% transmission."

" Darker as the competition, especially compared to Ultravid and Zeiss HT. It just lacks the magic high transmission sparkle. What a shame."

"Wishlist to Nikon: High Transmission glass for more brightness and sparkle"

The EDG is perfect in a lot of ways. It is better than most binoculars at flare suppression for example and it has a wonderful focus. It just lacks the magic of HT glass and that is it's big weakness. Here is the full review. I agree with it because it helped me understand what was lacking in the EDG.

http://www.greatestbinoculars.com/allpages/reviews/nikon/nikonedg8x42/nikonedg8x42review.html
 
Last edited:
chill6x6 said:
GREAT responses!

Light transmission...
Let's compare allbinos data where the EDG 8X42s are concerned vs SV 8.5X42.

EDG- 89.8%
SV- 87.8%

If one LOOKS at the transmission graphs...for sure the EDG's transmission spectrum is FLATTER than the SV AND no doubt the transmitted spectrum extends more on both ends.

So to me...no more than a novice/layman I am...I can't see any way that a EDG II would be any less bright than a SV, all things considered.
Click to expand...
Half of the transmission figures on Allbinos are wrong. Check out Gijs van Ginkel's published test reports including light transmission curves of different binocular models on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor & Optics.
 
Last edited:
[email protected] said:
Half of the transmission figures on Allbinos are wrong. Check out Gijs van Ginkel's published test reports including light transmission curves of different binocular models on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor & Optics.
Click to expand...

The transmission % I have looked at for the same model binocular comparing Allbinos vs. House of Outdoor data are pretty dang close, usually within one or two percent. I would think these differences are due to testing margin of error and manufacturing tolerances. I can't find where House of Outdoor has tested a Nikon EDG which is the subject of this post.
 
Chuck, post 15,
House of Outdoor does not perform transmission test, I do that at Utrecht University and my results are published on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor as part of the universities "science shop" policy.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
These threads are so predictable when "you know who" gets involved. His current inventory is always the best of the best, any contradictory evidence is "wrong", and so on and so forth.........
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
Chuck, post 15,
House of Outdoor does not perform transmission test, I do that at Utrecht University and my results are published on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor as part of the universities "science shop" policy.
Gijs van Ginkel
Click to expand...

Hi Gijs,

Have you done transmission tests on the EDG? I've found your results relatively similar to the Allbinos results, but Dennis makes a valid point - having a larger sample size of measurements is always helpful.
 
jgraider said:
These threads are so predictable when "you know who" gets involved. His current inventory is always the best of the best, any contradictory evidence is "wrong", and so on and so forth.........
Click to expand...

... given the title of the thread I was a tiny bit disappointed not to see any replies from beyond the grave, as it were ... that would have been fun. Marley's Ghost and all that.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 8 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

P
Nikon EDG and MHG 8x42 comparison.
Replies
8
Views
2K
Paultricounty
P
S
Got my first Nikon today…
Replies
0
Views
924
safaridreaming
S
L
Nikon Monarch M7, Hawke Frontier HD or Kowa BDII XD for the aged of sixty? All in 8x30
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
Elkhornsun
E
has530
8-16x40 XL Zoom...One Binocular to Rule Them All?
Replies
9
Views
2K
tenex
tenex
D
Help request: some doubts about M5/M7
2
Replies
21
Views
3K
tenex
tenex

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top