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Habicht 8x30 W, Nikon 8x32 SE, Nikon 8x32 Eii, Nikon 8x32 HG (XL for US i guess) (2 Viewers)

Giorgio

Giorgio

Porro bins are a bit like war, they are made by yo
Hello!
I first want to say hello, to all the dear folks here enjoying the pleasures of birdwatching,naturewatching, and perhaps astronomy aswell.
I'm french (nobody is perfect!), hope you won't reject me because of that :smoke:

I want to get a new set of Porro binoculars.
I wanted, due to friends advices and forums advices, to get a Nikon 8x32 SE. It seems it is the best optical porro ever made, even non waterproof.
But in France, it's not in stock on the shops, even internet shops. When it is, its like sold for 1 100 euros instead of a 700 euros if you order a non stocked pair. It seems they are not, anyway, delivered anymore to french shops ( i asked a delivery time, and sellers told me that after info, they can't have this model anymore :-().
So, i did forget about it... and thought about:

-Habicht 8x30 W (the last new models with recent coatings)
-Nikon 8x32HG (known as XL in the US?), but it will loose the charms of the 3D visual
-Nikon 8x32 Eii.

I will use this binoc for birding, nature observing, astro, town observation from far high hills.
Question is that im Hiking, and i want a robust model with great optics in the same time. And as i was told, the 8x32 Eii is kinda weak and fragile, + not waterproof.
Anyone tryed the last coated Habicht, and the 8x32 HG? How do they compare to Alphas prisms / porros ?
 
Welcome to the forum.
Too bad about the 8x SE availability. They are my favorite.

I myself cannot comment with competence upon the three other choices. But others around here can.
You will though soon have plenty of replies on this subject.
Also try the search feature out.
Again, welcome.
 
You may be able to order a Nikon SE from the UK. I found two places that list them but you may need to contact them to see if they are actually in stock.
http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/p-nikon-binoculars-8x32-se-cf.htm
http://www.waltersphotovideo.co.uk/...um=comparison_shopping_feeds&utm_nooverride=1

Or Amazon Germany have them in stock.
http://www.amazon.de/Nikon-8X32-SE-...JK6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327760327&sr=8-1

They are also listed on Amazon France at a higher price!
http://www.amazon.fr/Nikon-Prismes-...JK6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327760484&sr=8-1

Good luck,

David
 
Hi Georgio,

Since Nikon introduced the 8 x 32 EDG the 8 x 32 HG is now known as the 8 x 32 Premier, at least here in the USA. It still is an excellent binocular and was considered an "alpha" roof prism when it was Nikon's top of the line.

The "8 x 32 EII" you mention is really an 8 x 30 EII. It has approached legendary status with it's owners. It is one of the easiest binoculars to use in the world. It has a very wide field of view also. If it is available in Europe you should definitely give it serious consideration. It is no longer sold in the USA.

The 8 x 32 SE has also approached legendary status with it's owners. Some people have trouble using it because of eye placement problems which cause a type of "kidney beaning" black outs. For this reason you should try these out before you decide to buy one.

Only the 8 x 32 Premier and the 8 x 30 Habicht are water proof. All 4 are solidly constructed and with reasonable care should last many years. In my opinion, if you expect to be really rough with the binoculars you should consider the HGL/Premier over the other 3.

Welcome to Bird Forum:hi:

Bob
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your warm welcomes.
I saw the SE were sold on German Amazon and also in GB.
I think i did the right thing today:
we, my feet and i, moved directly to some shops to try some binoculars.
There was a SE! (1080 euros lol... ) that i tried, and found its optics extraordinarily good. But i did realise it's too weak for hiking and rainy conditions.
It made me feel as if i would be swimming in the Dead Sea with a semi waterproof Rolex (i don"t have a Rolex lol), you know this feeling, too scared to damage a jewel that is not corresponding to a dirty situation.
I tried a Zeiss i think it was a Victory 10x42 with fluorite, but too expensive. I don't want to put 1800 euros in a set.
I also tried in a second shop some Swarovskis: a CL 8x30, which is very good, and an old Habicht 10x40W. The seller told me this model was from the 1990's and that the optics were reworked with some more recent coatings on new models of Habicht, and that the quality of the last models are way better than the one i tried out.
If it is right, i can't imagine how good they are for the price o:)
They were, honnestly, as good maybe better than the CL8x30 (3d vision, and more sharp, but it had a strange colour, as if it was warm, orange or yellow.)
My choice were so the habicht, but i told him to deliver a more recent model, that i'll normally receive in 2-3 weeks. They are water resist, robust and 30 years warranty...
I really hope i did a good choice.
If someone has a recent Habicht with the good coatings, don"t hesitate to describe them!
 
Last edited:
Well, what can i say David, my morale is now way higher.
Im up to open some fresh wine, want some? B :)
 
There will always be some discussion over which of those is "best". I have seen the Swaro Habicht enough to know that you will probably have them until the day you die. I have a hard time thinking you won't be more than happy with them.
 
Giorgio said:
Thanks for your warm welcomes.
I saw the SE were sold on German Amazon and also in GB.
I think i did the right thing today:
we, my feet and i, moved directly to some shops to try some binoculars.
There was a SE! (1080 euros lol... ) that i tried, and found its optics extraordinarily good. But i did realise it's too weak for hiking and rainy conditions.
It made me feel as if i would be swimming in the Dead Sea with a semi waterproof Rolex (i don"t have a Rolex lol), you know this feeling, too scared to damage a jewel that is not corresponding to a dirty situation.
I tried a Zeiss i think it was a Victory 10x42 with fluorite, but too expensive. I don't want to put 1800 euros in a set.
I also tried in a second shop some Swarovskis: a CL 8x30, which is very good, and an old Habicht 10x40W. The seller told me this model was from the 1990's and that the optics were reworked with some more recent coatings on new models of Habicht, and that the quality of the last models are way better than the one i tried out.
If it is right, i can't imagine how good they are for the price o:)
They were, honnestly, as good maybe better than the CL8x30 (3d vision, and more sharp, but it had a strange colour, as if it was warm, orange or yellow.)
My choice were so the habicht, but i told him to deliver a more recent model, that i'll normally receive in 2-3 weeks. They are water resist, robust and 30 years warranty...
I really hope i did a good choice.
If someone has a recent Habicht with the good coatings, don"t hesitate to describe them!
Click to expand...

La bienvenue,

How was the focuser on the 10x40 Habicht? Smooth or stiff? There are two recurring criticisms with the 8x30 Habicht (which I hoped to have tried by now at a local dealer, but got sidelined with an injury), and those are susceptibility to flare and a stiff focuser.

If you're looking from the top of the French Pyrenees, the focuser won't be a problem, but for close-in birding where you need to focus a lot, it could, perhaps more so in the winter.

The 8x32 HG/HGL is quite robust. Only slight difference in weight btwn the HG and HGL models (both are heavier than most competing midsized roofs). I like the HG's optics better, but the HGL will give a bit brighter image. The HGs, when you can find them, cost less than the HGLs. If you are sensitive to chromatic aberration, the HG/Ls are not the best choice.

For stargazing the 8x32 SE is the best choice of the bins you listed, though the 10x42 SE is even better, and the 12x50 SE the best.

My personal preference for birding is the 8x30 EII. Not as robust as the SE, Habicht, and HG, but the widest FOV available in its class (8.8*) and the gradual fall off in sharpness at the edges makes it decent for stargazing too, but for that purpose I prefer the 10x35 EII.

Having external focusers, the porro focusers will stiffen in the cold. The HG is the smoothest (but also the fastest) I've tried. For distance, no problemo, but for at medium distances, I found the focus finicky. Too easy to overshoot the bird, and the quick focus creates the impression of a shallow depth of field. Best close focus among these bins.

Let us know how you like the Habicht. If it's a newer model, it should not have a yellow color bias, and the color and contrast should be better than the 1990s 10x40 model.

Le Brock
 
Steve C said:
There will always be some discussion over which of those is "best". I have seen the Swaro Habicht enough to know that you will probably have them until the day you die. I have a hard time thinking you won't be more than happy with them.
Click to expand...

Damn, gotta change my life insurrence right now, brb... ;-) Thanks for the detail.

"Le" Brock, what you said about Nikon was what i expected: almost perfect optics quality, but kinda weak for Eii. Best compromise seems the SE, that i didnt purchase because with what i do to binocs, it will take water once or another...
As you seem very experimented in binoculars, it's sad that you didnt detailed more about the Habicht that you tried (if you ever did so).
Regarding the focuser, i did not feel anything depleasing, seemed quite normal IMO. If it moves hard by cold weather, possible, it was warm in the shop, and maybe 15°C outside the shop.

For the tip, i have a Minox BV 8x42 that worked well for the 2 weeks i used them, and now, the eyecups are both wrecked... They don't keep the chosen positions anymore, and are getting down or up depending where you look at, up or down. Damn chineseries. But the view quality is good for the 180 euros (at the center).
 
Giorgio said:
Damn, gotta change my life insurrence right now, brb... ;-) Thanks for the detail.

"Le" Brock, what you said about Nikon was what i expected: almost perfect optics quality, but kinda weak for Eii. Best compromise seems the SE, that i didnt purchase because with what i do to binocs, it will take water once or another...
As you seem very experimented in binoculars, it's sad that you didnt detailed more about the Habicht that you tried (if you ever did so).
Regarding the focuser, i did not feel anything depleasing, seemed quite normal IMO. If it moves hard by cold weather, possible, it was warm in the shop, and maybe 15°C outside the shop.

For the tip, i have a Minox BV 8x42 that worked well for the 2 weeks i used them, and now, the eyecups are both wrecked... They don't keep the chosen positions anymore, and are getting down or up depending where you look at, up or down. Damn chineseries. But the view quality is good for the 180 euros (at the center).
Click to expand...

What you described is the bane of Chinbins. Many have good optics, but mechanically, none match the engineering and manufacturing quality standards of Japanese and European bins.

They won't do it, because they mass manufacture to make the most money through sheer volume, and even if they did do it, the better engineering and manufacturing would mean higher prices.

If the Chinese came out with a bin as good as the EL and priced it well under $2,000, they would still never sell as many units as Swaro simply because of the Chinese stigma, regardless of the glowing reviews it might get.

"Haute Chinese" is coming, but it's going to take baby steps in quality improvement over time to convince buyers in the West that a Chinbin could have the same value as a Japanese or Euro bin.

Also, as long as China is communist, the "better dead than Red crowd" will continue to shun them, at least publicly. I suspect that even the most vocal of the Red Scarem Harem shop at Walmart when they think nobody's looking.

I haven't tried the 8x30 Habicht. I had planned to visit the Swaro shop two weeks ago, but tore my hip flexor muscles (after a wave jumping wipe out :) so I never got the chance to try it. But I will once I'm healed. He might have the 8x32 SV EL in stock by then too.

Le Brock

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1795087/woman_in_red_kelly_lebrock_car_chat/
 
You are right that's the problem with chinabins, optic is more than correct, sometimes very good (ex Hawke Frontier ED in binocs, Orion 80ED refractor...).
But it keeps failing mechanically du to low production costs.
Anyway, i consider this Minox mechanics fail as a chance for me: my interior voice told me to buy high quality top porro's Swaro not to be bothered anymore with some merde chinoise ;).
Every cloud has a silver lining!

I wish you a quick recovery anyway.
Hope you at least had time to enjoy the moment.
The el seems sweet to the human eye, the human face orbits, the human hands and fingers. Even its smell must be good lol.
PS: Kelly Lebrock strangely ressembles Angelina Jolie in the link you put. Nice girl anyway (was^^)
 
Thanks. From what I've been told, it takes about two months to heal a semi-torn flexor muscle (pulled some other muscles in my leg and back too), but that's if you don't keep aggravating the injury by trying to wedge yourself into a subcompact Le Car, which I did twice already, both times just as my hip and back were starting to feel better.

If I had a stretch limo and chauffeur so I could lie down in the backseat and get to where I need to go, I'd be okay, because once I'm out, I can walk with a crutch. "I gotta have my wheels, man!"

You wouldn't mistaken Kelly for skinny legs Angelia these days.

http://www.celeblite.com/_ups/F9B16_Kelly_LeBrock_got_ugly.jpg

Brock
 
Giorgio said:
Hello!
I first want to say hello, to all the dear folks here enjoying the pleasures of birdwatching,naturewatching, and perhaps astronomy aswell.
I'm french (nobody is perfect!), hope you won't reject me because of that :smoke:

I want to get a new set of Porro binoculars.
I wanted, due to friends advices and forums advices, to get a Nikon 8x32 SE. It seems it is the best optical porro ever made, even non waterproof.
But in France, it's not in stock on the shops, even internet shops. When it is, its like sold for 1 100 euros instead of a 700 euros if you order a non stocked pair. It seems they are not, anyway, delivered anymore to french shops ( i asked a delivery time, and sellers told me that after info, they can't have this model anymore :-().
So, i did forget about it... and thought about:

-Habicht 8x30 W (the last new models with recent coatings)
-Nikon 8x32HG (known as XL in the US?), but it will loose the charms of the 3D visual
-Nikon 8x32 Eii.

I will use this binoc for birding, nature observing, astro, town observation from far high hills.
Question is that im Hiking, and i want a robust model with great optics in the same time. And as i was told, the 8x32 Eii is kinda weak and fragile, + not waterproof.
Anyone tryed the last coated Habicht, and the 8x32 HG? How do they compare to Alphas prisms / porros ?
Click to expand...

Of those you mention I have tried them all and I like the 8x30 EII the best and I think it is available in Europe. It also probably represents the best value of ANY binocular.
 
Giorgio

Optically all three of the 8x porros you are considering are superb. The SE offers better edge performance and I often use it at night when I want a low powered bino for star gazing. I've found the Habicht's view to be sharper nearer to the edge than the 8x30 EII--but of course the 8x30 EII has a wider fov so the sweet spot is about the same in both of these binoculars.

I think the color saturation is about equal with the Nikons being just a little bit warmer. The color in the Habicht is spot on neutral with bright whites (no yellow tint) while in the Nikons reds and purples are a tad more vibrant. The difference is very subtle sort of like comparing a 8x30 EII or 8x32 SE to the "cooler" view of a Zeiss FL--or as Brock and I would say comparing one to a pre Eco-Glass SE.

I've not had any problem with glare in the Habicht but the focuser is stiff compared to non waterproof porros and especially compared to roofs. I always hold my porros in both hands and keep the index fingers from both hands on the focus wheel and "push/pull" with two fingers and have no problem with the focussing.

The one very notable difference between the Nikons and the Habicht is the size difference. The Habichts are much slimmer than the Nikons--in fact I can slide my fingers between the barrels and the hinge on the Habicht which makes for a very secure grip. This size difference is also born out in the size of the oculars. In fact I sometimes add a set of winged eyecups to the Habicht to increase the diameter of the ocular which makes the eye relief perfect for me.

I've enclosed a pic so you'll see the marked difference in the size of the oculars.

Steve
 

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@ Denco: yup it's avalaible around 800 - 1200 dollars (kinda expensive IMO), but reading how you describe them, they could worth that price. They keep beeing too damageable for the use i'll do.

@ Steve: how a good pic you put there. That remains good news if the Habicht i'll receive is part of the best avalaible porros.
I told and repeated the seller that i want and only want the most recent coated Habs, to avoid yellow colour and to get the latest coatings.
Dunno what the germans and the ex anschluss country got with blue colours, it seems they prefer cold colours, even if their climate is kinda cold and would recquire an accent on the red as the nikons do.
 
Sancho said:
Hey, Brockman, that's a bit unfair. You should have seen me in the eighties, I was gorgeous. Now I look like Yoda.
Click to expand...

Yoda,

Yes, it is unfair, particularly since Kelly had three babies, which takes a toll on a lassie's body, but Christie Brinkley had three kids too, and she's a year older and looks "marvelous" at 53:

http://www.faniq.com/images/blog/christie-brinkley-picture-1.jpg

Hollywood has a double standard. Sean Connery was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine in 1989 when he was turning 60 years old.

Jaclyn Smith still looks great (if a bit skinny) at 67, but I can't imagine any popular magazine naming her "Sexiest Woman Alive" except perhaps AARP Magazine. :)

This was taken last year:

http://www.celebrityclothingline.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Conde+Nast+Honors+25th+Anniversary+Jaclyn+AbXqmdMMbDWl.jpg

While men experience ageism in the job market (particularly when one lives in a university town fresh with newly minted talent that will work for half the salary), women experience age discrimination a lot earlier, and it ain't just in Hollywood. Hence, all the Botox, plastic surgery, and the latest magic pill designed "turn back the hands of time".

I like a woman with some meat on her bones, so I'd take Kelly over skinny Angelina (I'm sure Brad is relieved), but Kelly's had too much plastic surgery, so I would prefer the more natural looking Christie. I wouldn't even need to stand on a piano stool to kiss her like Billy did :)

We've seemed to have wandered off topic. So to make it relevant:

Kelly LeBrock = 8x50 Trinovid
Angelina Jolie = 8x42 Ultravid BL
Jaclyn Smith = 8x42 Ultravid Silverline
Christie Brinkley = 8x42 Prostaff 7 (looong legs).

Jabba the Hutt
 
Giorgio said:
@ Denco: yup it's avalaible around 800 - 1200 dollars (kinda expensive IMO), but reading how you describe them, they could worth that price. They keep beeing too damageable for the use i'll do.

@ Steve: how a good pic you put there. That remains good news if the Habicht i'll receive is part of the best avalaible porros.
I told and repeated the seller that i want and only want the most recent coated Habs, to avoid yellow colour and to get the latest coatings.
Dunno what the germans and the ex anschluss country got with blue colours, it seems they prefer cold colours, even if their climate is kinda cold and would recquire an accent on the red as the nikons do.
Click to expand...

The EII isn't that fragile unless you drop it or something. It is a pretty tough well built little binocular.
 
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