Atomic Chicken
Registered with the D.O.E.
Greetings!
It's been a while since I've done a review on this forum, as most of my disposable income for the last year or so has been spent on cars, guns, and flashlights. It's not that I haven't enjoyed my binoculars and birdwatching as much - it's just that I've found very few binoculars lately that have impressed me to the point of wanting to buy them recently.
As you all probably know pretty well by now, my preference is for 7x and 8x optics, preferably in a 32mm configuration. My Leica Trinovid BN 7x42 and Minox BD 8x32 end up being used more than almost all other binoculars in my collection combined - with my Nikon HG 10x25 and Pentax SP 10x50 occasionally getting pulled out when I want more power or when a bit of astronomy is in order. I consider 10x and higher optics to be somewhat "special purpose", to be used only under certain (in my mind) well-defined situations. Given this, it has been my opinion for several months now that the next pair of binoculars I would buy would probably be another pair of 8x32 binoculars (my all-time favorite configuration) or (if the optics gods would be so kind!) a yet-to-be-announced pair of 7x32's by one of the high-end manufacturers.
It was not to be.
The first pair of binoculars that caught my attention (and finally opened my wallet!) was, unbelievably, a VARIABLE POWER pair by Minox - and a high-power (10x-15x) pair at that! Who would have guessed?
I found this gem of modern optics at a safari outfitter store - the last place I would expect to find state-of-the-art cutting edge optics. Along with the usual small assortment of Bushnell, Minox, Brunton, and the occasional scattered Zeiss glass, I noticed a rather tallish pair of distinctive looking binoculars toward the back of the case. They were labeled "Minox 10-15x40" on the label, and had a right-eyepiece graduated adjustment collar where the diopter adjustment is typically found. This adjustment collar has a series of evenly-spaced raised rubber rectangles spaced approx. 1/4" apart for easy and grippy turning. The center-mounted focus wheel (which I eventually figured out doubled as the diopter adjust) has 2 rows of these same rubber grips around it. I immediately asked the store owner if I could examine them, and if I could take them outside for testing. He retrieved them for me.
The first thing I did was an in-store ergonomic examination. I handled them. They were a bit heavy, somewhat similar in weight to a pair of Leica Duovids - but amazingly well-balanced considering their weight. They felt substantial, NOT bulky or clumsy. The rubber armoring is thick and grippy - and beautifully molded with curves and clean, modern appearance. Everything about these binoculars says "class" and "precision". The hinge design is rather interesting - it is a VERY rugged two-hinged design with the center focus wheel mounted between the two hinges and connected to the hinge section closest to the eyepieces. The focus wheel, power-adjust wheel, and left eyepiece spacer located opposite the power-adjust wheel are all done in attractive gunmetal gray color, and are solid metal except for the rectangular rubber "grip dimples" described above. There are no thumb-rests underneath the barrels (a HUGE plus in my book - I hate those things!) and there are no raised grip sections of any type along the length of the barrels (something I could take or leave - I like the Trinovid body for that reason but I don't really find myself missing it if a pair of binoculars doesn't have it). Overall, these just feel GREAT to hold and look like a million bucks.
As should be expected with a pair of high-power optics, there is a tripod-mounting thread on the front of the front hinge assembly (the hinge closest to the objective lenses) - with a very attractive plastic screw-in protector. The rear hinge face has another non-removeable plastic circle with the Minox logo on it. The neckstrap attachments are thick and rugged, mounted about 1/4" in front of the eyepiece/body junction. They appear to be some kind of aluminum insert or extrusion from the optics tubes, I can't really tell because of how the rubber armoring seamlessly and beautifully surrounds them.
The eyecups are twist-out helical design, with 2 intermediary detent positions (making 4 total positions possible...) and are SO smooth you would think they were made of oiled teflon! The detents are very noticeable and lock fairly solidly. The eyecups themselves are made of semi-hard black rubber with more little grippy rectangles spaced about 3/16" apart - but they are much smaller grip-divots than the ones on the focus and power-adjust knobs. I found my own eyesight to like the 3rd position the best - the final 4th position caused some field blackout as did the 1st (fully collapsed) position.
The diopter adjust gave me problems. At first, I couldn't figure out where it was, until I noticed that the focus wheel pushed forward to reveal the calibration marks of the diopter setting. After figuring out where the diopter was, I couldn't get it to work AT ALL - until I finally figured out that it was the LEFT eye it was adjusting, not the right eye as most other binoculars are set up for. Once I overcame my two points of ignorance, everything worked perfectly - I had the diopter set within a few seconds, collapsed the focus knob again, and was ready to see what these binoculars could do!
I used a telephone pole near the store entrance as a steady-rest for my testing. The first thing I did, of course, was grab onto that enticing power-adjust wheel and crank it back and forth! This produced an interesting effect. Not at ALL what I was expecting!
The field of view, seen as a light filled circle inside the binocular body by the eyes, changed size as the power-adjust wheel was rotated. The perceived circle became BIGGER as the power increased, and SMALLER as the power decreased. Note that while the ACTUAL field of view was getting smaller as the power increased, the size of the viewed circle of light was actually growing larger! Very interesting effect... a little disconcerting, but not off-putting or negative in any way - just different. The best description I can give is that it was somewhat odd to be seeing more of the terrain I was looking at through a smaller circle, then seeing it zoom onto a smaller piece of the terrain, while the whole image got bigger! The actual field of view (measured in ft/1000yds or degrees) seemed somewhat small compared to most 10x binoculars I'm used to using, but this is the norm for any high-end variable-power binocular and is to be expected. Even Leica Duovids are somewhat field-restricted compared to equivalent Trinovid or Ultravid designs - I suspect this is an inescapeable (at least for now) optical design limitation imposed by variable-power lens systems.
Having said that, I must admit that the restricted field of view is a MAGNIFICENT field of view in these optics. Edge-to-edge performance is the best I've ever seen in ANY brand/model of binoculars - I could detect absolutely ZERO edge softening or field geometry anomalies regardless of power setting. This is nothing short of an optical miracle, in my opinion, considering that the only other high-end binocular I've ever examined that even comes close is the Nikon HG 10x25 - and even it has slight edge softening at a distance of perhaps 2-4% of the FOV diameter. I could detect NO edge softening ANYWHERE in the Minox optics - it was tack-sharp all the way to the edge of the viewing circle!
Clarity and color rendition are very, very good. Equal to any Leica I've looked through - with the possible exception of Trinovid 7x42 and 8x42's which seem to have a vibrant color-life all their own. Resolution seems superb, although I have not yet done arcsecond resolution testing (I'll do that within a week and post the results). Brightness is very good, even in low-light conditions. In short, optical performance is superb - which is what you would expect from ED glass made in the same factory as Zeiss optics (the Schott glassworks). I would NOT recommend long-term viewing through the 15x setting without some kind of tripod or steady rest, the 10 minutes or so I gave 15x free-handing without support gave me a headache and made my hands jitter a bit afterward. Stabilized, on the otherhand, the 15x setting is a sight to behold - I LOVE it!
After testing, I walked back into the shop and handed the owner hundred-dollar bills until he was satisfied - I could not imagine going home without taking these binoculars along.
In closing, I'd like to say that while these binoculars are not for everyone, they truly are some of the best high-power optics I've yet seen - especially considering the price (less than 1/2 what Duovids are currently selling for!). The fact that they are variable-power binoculars is just icing on an already amazing cake - I highly recommend these optics for high-power fans who might want to consider leaving the spotting scope home for a change!
Best wishes,
Bawko
It's been a while since I've done a review on this forum, as most of my disposable income for the last year or so has been spent on cars, guns, and flashlights. It's not that I haven't enjoyed my binoculars and birdwatching as much - it's just that I've found very few binoculars lately that have impressed me to the point of wanting to buy them recently.
As you all probably know pretty well by now, my preference is for 7x and 8x optics, preferably in a 32mm configuration. My Leica Trinovid BN 7x42 and Minox BD 8x32 end up being used more than almost all other binoculars in my collection combined - with my Nikon HG 10x25 and Pentax SP 10x50 occasionally getting pulled out when I want more power or when a bit of astronomy is in order. I consider 10x and higher optics to be somewhat "special purpose", to be used only under certain (in my mind) well-defined situations. Given this, it has been my opinion for several months now that the next pair of binoculars I would buy would probably be another pair of 8x32 binoculars (my all-time favorite configuration) or (if the optics gods would be so kind!) a yet-to-be-announced pair of 7x32's by one of the high-end manufacturers.
It was not to be.
The first pair of binoculars that caught my attention (and finally opened my wallet!) was, unbelievably, a VARIABLE POWER pair by Minox - and a high-power (10x-15x) pair at that! Who would have guessed?
I found this gem of modern optics at a safari outfitter store - the last place I would expect to find state-of-the-art cutting edge optics. Along with the usual small assortment of Bushnell, Minox, Brunton, and the occasional scattered Zeiss glass, I noticed a rather tallish pair of distinctive looking binoculars toward the back of the case. They were labeled "Minox 10-15x40" on the label, and had a right-eyepiece graduated adjustment collar where the diopter adjustment is typically found. This adjustment collar has a series of evenly-spaced raised rubber rectangles spaced approx. 1/4" apart for easy and grippy turning. The center-mounted focus wheel (which I eventually figured out doubled as the diopter adjust) has 2 rows of these same rubber grips around it. I immediately asked the store owner if I could examine them, and if I could take them outside for testing. He retrieved them for me.
The first thing I did was an in-store ergonomic examination. I handled them. They were a bit heavy, somewhat similar in weight to a pair of Leica Duovids - but amazingly well-balanced considering their weight. They felt substantial, NOT bulky or clumsy. The rubber armoring is thick and grippy - and beautifully molded with curves and clean, modern appearance. Everything about these binoculars says "class" and "precision". The hinge design is rather interesting - it is a VERY rugged two-hinged design with the center focus wheel mounted between the two hinges and connected to the hinge section closest to the eyepieces. The focus wheel, power-adjust wheel, and left eyepiece spacer located opposite the power-adjust wheel are all done in attractive gunmetal gray color, and are solid metal except for the rectangular rubber "grip dimples" described above. There are no thumb-rests underneath the barrels (a HUGE plus in my book - I hate those things!) and there are no raised grip sections of any type along the length of the barrels (something I could take or leave - I like the Trinovid body for that reason but I don't really find myself missing it if a pair of binoculars doesn't have it). Overall, these just feel GREAT to hold and look like a million bucks.
As should be expected with a pair of high-power optics, there is a tripod-mounting thread on the front of the front hinge assembly (the hinge closest to the objective lenses) - with a very attractive plastic screw-in protector. The rear hinge face has another non-removeable plastic circle with the Minox logo on it. The neckstrap attachments are thick and rugged, mounted about 1/4" in front of the eyepiece/body junction. They appear to be some kind of aluminum insert or extrusion from the optics tubes, I can't really tell because of how the rubber armoring seamlessly and beautifully surrounds them.
The eyecups are twist-out helical design, with 2 intermediary detent positions (making 4 total positions possible...) and are SO smooth you would think they were made of oiled teflon! The detents are very noticeable and lock fairly solidly. The eyecups themselves are made of semi-hard black rubber with more little grippy rectangles spaced about 3/16" apart - but they are much smaller grip-divots than the ones on the focus and power-adjust knobs. I found my own eyesight to like the 3rd position the best - the final 4th position caused some field blackout as did the 1st (fully collapsed) position.
The diopter adjust gave me problems. At first, I couldn't figure out where it was, until I noticed that the focus wheel pushed forward to reveal the calibration marks of the diopter setting. After figuring out where the diopter was, I couldn't get it to work AT ALL - until I finally figured out that it was the LEFT eye it was adjusting, not the right eye as most other binoculars are set up for. Once I overcame my two points of ignorance, everything worked perfectly - I had the diopter set within a few seconds, collapsed the focus knob again, and was ready to see what these binoculars could do!
I used a telephone pole near the store entrance as a steady-rest for my testing. The first thing I did, of course, was grab onto that enticing power-adjust wheel and crank it back and forth! This produced an interesting effect. Not at ALL what I was expecting!
The field of view, seen as a light filled circle inside the binocular body by the eyes, changed size as the power-adjust wheel was rotated. The perceived circle became BIGGER as the power increased, and SMALLER as the power decreased. Note that while the ACTUAL field of view was getting smaller as the power increased, the size of the viewed circle of light was actually growing larger! Very interesting effect... a little disconcerting, but not off-putting or negative in any way - just different. The best description I can give is that it was somewhat odd to be seeing more of the terrain I was looking at through a smaller circle, then seeing it zoom onto a smaller piece of the terrain, while the whole image got bigger! The actual field of view (measured in ft/1000yds or degrees) seemed somewhat small compared to most 10x binoculars I'm used to using, but this is the norm for any high-end variable-power binocular and is to be expected. Even Leica Duovids are somewhat field-restricted compared to equivalent Trinovid or Ultravid designs - I suspect this is an inescapeable (at least for now) optical design limitation imposed by variable-power lens systems.
Having said that, I must admit that the restricted field of view is a MAGNIFICENT field of view in these optics. Edge-to-edge performance is the best I've ever seen in ANY brand/model of binoculars - I could detect absolutely ZERO edge softening or field geometry anomalies regardless of power setting. This is nothing short of an optical miracle, in my opinion, considering that the only other high-end binocular I've ever examined that even comes close is the Nikon HG 10x25 - and even it has slight edge softening at a distance of perhaps 2-4% of the FOV diameter. I could detect NO edge softening ANYWHERE in the Minox optics - it was tack-sharp all the way to the edge of the viewing circle!
Clarity and color rendition are very, very good. Equal to any Leica I've looked through - with the possible exception of Trinovid 7x42 and 8x42's which seem to have a vibrant color-life all their own. Resolution seems superb, although I have not yet done arcsecond resolution testing (I'll do that within a week and post the results). Brightness is very good, even in low-light conditions. In short, optical performance is superb - which is what you would expect from ED glass made in the same factory as Zeiss optics (the Schott glassworks). I would NOT recommend long-term viewing through the 15x setting without some kind of tripod or steady rest, the 10 minutes or so I gave 15x free-handing without support gave me a headache and made my hands jitter a bit afterward. Stabilized, on the otherhand, the 15x setting is a sight to behold - I LOVE it!
After testing, I walked back into the shop and handed the owner hundred-dollar bills until he was satisfied - I could not imagine going home without taking these binoculars along.
In closing, I'd like to say that while these binoculars are not for everyone, they truly are some of the best high-power optics I've yet seen - especially considering the price (less than 1/2 what Duovids are currently selling for!). The fact that they are variable-power binoculars is just icing on an already amazing cake - I highly recommend these optics for high-power fans who might want to consider leaving the spotting scope home for a change!
Best wishes,
Bawko
