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Birdfair 2017 August 18th to August 20th (1 Viewer)

Lee:

What your report clearly shows is that not a lot happened at the Birdfair. At least not when it comes to optics. Two new scopes, one of them not available until next year. Some new Opticron binoculars. Rumours that there may be new Meopta binoculars next year and that Meopta may well be the next maker to drop 7x binoculars due to a lack of demand. And that's it, there apparently weren't even the first prototypes of the new Canon IS binoculars.

Now, I think it's pretty clear that modern roofs have reached a level where it becomes increasingly difficult to justify developing any new products, given that they aren't likely to offer any immediately obvious advantages over what's already available. Still, I find it surprising that weren't at least one or two new products - like stabilised binoculars by one of the other makers, or a new 8x32 from Leica or Zeiss. Quite amazing, I think.

Hermann

Hermann

The lack of SF 8x32 or Noctivid 8x32 is indeed puzzling. As for no significant improvements left to come, weight and field of view can always improve, as can the focusers of one brand, the eyecups and rainguards of another, the accessories of a third and so on.

Lee
 
Enjoying the comments from those attending the Birdfair! Sounds like something I would really enjoy!

Its a blast Chuck and its not just optics: there are travel and safari companies, book shops and clothes shops and much more. Its a great atmosphere.
Stephen Ingraham came over this year for the first time since 2013 and it was a real pleasure to meet him again.
Lee
 
The lack of SF 8x32 or Noctivid 8x32 is indeed puzzling.

What I'd really love to know is the current sales figures of alpha 32mm and 42mm models, for instance the Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD Plus and the 8x42 HD Plus or the Swarovision 8x32 and the 8.5x42. Maybe the 32mm models don't sell very well in the high-end market because birdwatchers prefer 42mm models because of the larger exit pupil. That would explain why both Leica and Zeiss offer cheaper 32mm models (Trinovid, Conquest HD, Terra), but no Noctivid, SF or HT.

Maybe we're not just seeing the end of the 7x binoculars but also the end of high-end 32mm models.

As for no significant improvements left to come, weight and field of view can always improve, as can the focusers of one brand, the eyecups and rainguards of another, the accessories of a third and so on.

Decent focusers should really be the norm by now, it's a shame they aren't. Weight .... Well, you can keep the weight down even further no doubt, but as long as manufacturers insist on including every imaginable feature in their top models (large field of view, (very) close focusing, waterproofing, long eye relief), there's a limit as to what can be done. The Nikon 8x42 HG seems to be just about the lightest 42mm roof of good quality on the market at present, and even though I may well be a bit too pessimistic I'm not really sure it could survive hard use in the field in the long run.

Eyecups are largely a matter of personal taste (I still prefer the old rubber eyecups of the Zeiss Dialyt myself btw), and I couldn't care less about rainguards and the like. I certainly wouldn't buy an alpha because of "improved" accessories ... :king:

Hermann
 
What I'd really love to know is the current sales figures of alpha 32mm and 42mm models, for instance the Leica Ultravid 8x32 HD Plus and the 8x42 HD Plus or the Swarovision 8x32 and the 8.5x42.
Maybe we're not just seeing the end of the 7x binoculars but also the end of high-end 32mm models.

Hermann

Hi Hermann,

I can only speak for my local reserve where I volunteer but of the alphas the Swaro 8x32 is the top seller so I am confident we won't be seeing the end of these anytime soon if ever.

I was a bit surprised that Zeiss didn't bring out 32mm SF's but it is surely only a matter of time, ditto Leica Noctivids. These companies are losing out to Swarovski at present so they will surely wish to compete.
 
Hi Hermann,

I can only speak for my local reserve where I volunteer but of the alphas the Swaro 8x32 is the top seller so I am confident we won't be seeing the end of these anytime soon if ever.

I was a bit surprised that Zeiss didn't bring out 32mm SF's but it is surely only a matter of time, ditto Leica Noctivids. These companies are losing out to Swarovski at present so they will surely wish to compete.

It would be helpful to get age/sex statistics for the birding community. If they exist, they are not much publicized.
Older and/or female birders all presumably appreciate the lower weight of the 32mm optics, so perhaps it is possible to forecast a demand decline for the larger 42 and 50mm models as the community becomes more older and more gender balanced.
 
One thing i've noticed is that while a seemingly wide range of binoculars at 8x42/10x42 seem to be used, most of the 32mm ones i've seen seem to be pretty much top range - Leica, Swaro and Zeiss particularly.
This might reflect either the available range in my part of the world, or that birders are more discerning when it comes to smaller sets; perhaps Zeiss should consider this?
 
Marketing - hardly!

After a few year's interval, I visited Birdfair last Saturday. The weather was good and my attention was grabbed by the red of the Meopta stand. I quickly found their 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars and liked what I saw, but which model were they? I particularly liked that with the eye-cups down, the view through my specs was "perfect" without me having to do any fiddling, which I have found with the otherwise excellent pair I've had for a few years. I couldn't find any indication of model or price. The helpful sales lady said they were Meostar B1. So I asked how much, the saleslady suggests £999 which seems OK-ish for a good easy view. Next question - where can I buy them? Saleslady goes away, and comes back with a visitors card giving me the UK agent. I get home, check the website and find that the UK agent doesn't sell direct to the public, but there are 10 outlets listed on the website. Obviously I check the 10 outlets. One returns a 404 error. Can't find any mention of Meopta as a brand at six of the remaining outlets, and "out of stock" at another; which leaves just two outlets offering what I was searching for.

I don't get it. Attendance at Birdfair can't be cheap, so why make it difficult for us to buy their kit?

Malcolm
I understand your frustration and this is shared by both Meopta and their nature observation products agent in the UK, Avisum.
Meopta has been working on products aimed at the birding/nature observation market and when these become available Avisum will be working hard to expand their network of dealers in the UK.
I have every expectation that 2018 will be a very important year for Meopta product launches and that we can expect Avisum to addressing your concerns at that time.
In the meantime Meopta's MeoStar binos are highly regarded and are well worthwhile seeking out.

I should also mention that In Focus were selling Meopta products at Bird Fair on each of the three days.

Lee, with thanks to Avisum for a very prompt reply.
 
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Regarding 30/32mm vs 40/42mm - when I was at Birdfair I was struck by how lightweight and handy every 8x42 I tried was. Maybe this ease of use, together with the advantages of larger objective size, is the reason why there are fewer 8x30s/32s.

I too felt the images offered by the current crop binoculars are remarkably good, and this seemed to hold across all price levels I tried from the BGA VHD to the Noctivid. While the alpha(s) are certainly not dead yet (sorry Dennis) the tier below, frankly, offers image quality that very few birders could quibble with. I thought the Conquest HD and Monarch HG in particular were excellent and if I was to somehow forget my own binoculars on a trip to say Mallorca and the only binocular I could rent or borrow there was a BGA VHD/Tract I would be delighted to do so. I do think future improvements will come - technology isn't static and there is clearly intense competition for the birding dollar/euro by some very talented and innovative companies. It's very interesting to speculate what improvements might be in the works - my own suspicion is that with image quality (sharpness, definition, colour rendition) improved to current levels, field of view might be the next thing to increase. The technology is certainly there (cf Holger Merlitz article) and larger fields of view were common in the older days. Like dogfish I enjoyed the SF field of view greatly and consider it a real advantage for the type of birding I do.

Weight, in my opinion, is one area that doesn't really need improving. I remember the older Swift Audubons being labelled "featherweight" (I'd love to know compared to what!). That term really does apply to a lot of modern binoculars. The SF models and the big HT 10x54 in particular were almost unbelievably light, to the point where - perhaps unreasonably - like Hermann I started to wonder how well they would stand up to long term use in the field. I don't expect to give my binoculars such hard use - my binoculars have a pretty easy life = but there are plenty of folks who observe birds in much more challenging terrain where there is the real possibility of their binoculars (and themselves) taking knocks. The SLCs gave the impression to me of being the most rugged and I feel compelled to observe that whatever one may think of hunting and hunters, I'd be very happy with the build quality of the binoculars they seem to favour.
 
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Thought I was going to be reading about what was happening at the Bird Fair but this thread is all about optics! Anyone walked round the site and/or met any interesting people? Which talks were favourite etc.....

Sandra
 
Thought I was going to be reading about what was happening at the Bird Fair but this thread is all about optics! Anyone walked round the site and/or met any interesting people? Which talks were favourite etc.....

Sandra


The discussion is only about optics at the BirdFair. You're in the binoculars subforum.
 
Thanks to everyone who posted about their experiences at Birdfair 2017! That was a lot of good information and enjoyable reads.

Did anyone notice if Canon had their recently announced updated models at the show? I suspect not since there was no mention of them. If so, then I am curious if anyone tried the two stabilizing systems and how they worked. It does seem strange that Canon would make the announcement yet not have any at Birdfair.
 
They (Canon) did, although I didn't try them out as my interest was in the 10x42L which I've commented upon. It would be quite interesting to know the uses for which most Canon IS binoculars are bought.
 
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Horse racing. Astronomy.
I saw a 10x30 Mk 1 used by the captain of aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Surprising choice where money is of no concern.
Surveillance use also.
Bird watching.
 
Hi Patudo,

Although as Binastro suggested, you can use IS binos for any purpose that you would use any other binocular for, the benefits and advantages immediately become visible as soon as you press the IS button. Having gone through four different pairs of Swarovski EL and SLC's and a Zeiss HT, plus four different Canon IS pairs over the past fourteen years, I have kept the Canon 15x50 IS that I have had now for approximately eight years and either sold or traded the rest and upgraded my 12x36 II IS for the new 12x36 III IS a year ago and now the 10x30 IS's for the new 10x30 II IS a month ago with no regrets.

Before buying the new 10x30 II IS's, I did consider waiting for the new 32mm Canons but was concerned about the eyecups and possible increased 'bulk' and also the price increase for a 2mm gain in objective lens diameter. I had previously had my original 10x30 IS and 12x36 II IS's for eight years plus with no issues so decided upon those upgraded versions instead of waiting.

The new 32mm IS binos coming in November will have a different method of providing the IS function, but how much better this will be, time will tell. Current information on these new binos show two buttons and suggest a two stage IS function but with no real explanation that I can find. Surely, the IS function is either on or off. As soon as my local shop has these 32mm models in stock, I will check them out and compare.

Doug........
 
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Doug,

These new models may not hit the shelves in the UK until the end of November, so your impressions / reviews would be welcomed.
 
They (Canon) did, although I didn't try them out as my interest was in the 10x42L which I've commented upon. It would be quite interesting to know the uses for which most Canon IS binoculars are bought.

Thanks for letting us know that the new Canon IS models were at the show. It appears they did not generate much buzz which is surprising to me. I would have thought attendees would have wanted to check out the new IS, especially since there are now two modes of operation. That is a significant change from past models.
 
Bushnell 10x35 Stableview.
Waterproof. fogproof.
PC-3Phase coated BAK-4 Prisms.

TWO STABILIZATION MODES:NORMAL&FINE.

Fully multicoated optics.
2 AA batteries (Not included).

Should be wonderful, except my one doesn't work despite several journeys across the Atlantic for repair.

2004 Bushnell Performance optics.
MADe IN CHINA.

Turn the stabilization lever to the ACTIVE position to activate the stabilization feature..

Press the power button briefly to change to fine mode, which is more effective at countering hand shake. Tap the power button again to return to normal mode.

10x35
compensation angle 3 degrees
eye relief 12mm.
260ft. 86.6m.
minimum focus 12ft.
43.9oz/1244g.
2AA alkaline batteries.
-10C to 50C

Sledgehammer optional to finally get rid of this device.
 
Hi Binastro and Bruce,

After determining that the new Canon's two stage IS is in fact for static or moving observations, I took my three Canon IS's out to check out their single mode. As always, it operates just as well on moving targets such as planes landing and taking off and sea gulls in flight as it does on static objects. It will be very interesting to 'see' how the new two stage IS system that Canon is introducing will perform and what differences it will make to static and moving objects.

I was wondering Binastro, when the Bushnell's did work, could you notice a difference in the two stages of IS and especially if you used the 'wrong' mode on either static or moving objects ?

Doug........
 
It appears they did not generate much buzz which is surprising to me. I would have thought attendees would have wanted to check out the new IS, especially since there are now two modes of operation.

My suspicion is that most experienced birders (more likely to spend that kind of money on binoculars) prefer binoculars with larger fields of view and the brighter image afforded by larger objectives. The IS model most favoured by birders is the 10x42. The stated fields of view of the 10x32, 12x32 and 14x32 are 105m, 87m and 75m respectively. Even with the (undeniable) advantage of stabilization I think a lot of birders would want a larger field of view in order to have a larger area to hunt around for the birds. This may not be nearly as important/desirable for other types of observation eg. if you are the captain of the USS Ronald Reagan.
 
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