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Kowa 12 x 50 SV (1 Viewer)

Wighttrash

New member
Good evening to the good people of bird forum. I am a newb on the forum but feel compelled to share some info on the Kowa 12 x 50 SV bins.
I originally struggled to find much info/reviews on 12 x 50's in general and I decided on the SV 's due mostly to cost.
Now if you are expecting a complex review on all the specs etc ( I regularly have to google the terms used in bin reviews!) then stop reading now.;) this is just a users review mixed with my opinions, which may have some use!
I would class myself as a novice birdwatcher, I have had an interest since childhood, which has bloomed into a full on obsession.! I like to do my birdwatching in varied locations and go for long walks that I know I might spot certain species. I learned pretty quick that for most of my birdwatching, lugging around a scope as well as my original bins became pretty tiresome. This lead me down the path to 12 x 50 s which I think gives the best of both world for me. After purchasing the kowa,s I soon stopped carrying my scope everywhere and eventually sold it. It's a decision I have yet to regret!
Out of the box you will notice the build quality, I liked the way the sv's felt in the hand. I also found them to be lighter than other 12 x 50 s out there. From my untrained eye, visually it was a massive difference from my old 10 x 42 s. It was like a light had been switched on! Colours were super bright and everything was that little bit closer. I enjoyed the freedom that these binoculars gave me on the longer walks. I could walk all day and use the optics and neither my neck or eyes would get sore! You get a pretty good wide neck strap which helps with the weight distribution. I purchased extra rain caps for the objectives lens, which coupled with the robust design meant I could throw them in a bag without the case and not be worried about damaging them. You do get a padded case with the SV,s but I just used it for longer periods of storage at home.
I am very lucky where I live, that a range of birds of prey are pretty common. The 12 x 50's make raptor spotting a real treat. I remember going up to an osprey observation area and although I could see the ospreys in the distance, it was a fly by from a buzzard that stole the show for me. For one it was flying below me, so I got the privileged view from above. The buzzard was spiralling around and through the kowas I could see individual feathers rustling as the air pressure changed over the buzzards wings. It was amazing! My partner had my old 10 x 42 s and after a quick swap didn't want to give the SV,s back! To summarise, I think for the money you pay you get a really great set of optics. From a company that make high end scopes etc. I am glad that kowa has made an effort to provide some entry level bins.
Well that's it ! Not overly informative I suspect, but if anyone would like any specific info then just ask and I will endeavour to supply a worthy answer.
If you have read this all the way through then thanks for indulging me! Best of luck. :-O
 
Welcome to the forum, and many thanks for sharing your thoughts on the SV.

Though I mostly use a lower power but I do use a 12x50, particularly for views over the local lakes. Excellent as you say for picking out the details of the birds in flight. At 750g the SV looks remarkably light for a 12x50. Mine is 1200g!. I've tried a couple of lighter 12 models but not the SV as yet. How do you find the CA (colour fringing) on your pair?

David
 
Hi David,
I have noticed a bit of colour fringing in lower light or if the subject is backlit. It's not enough for me to put it down as to much of a negative though. I have recently come into possession of a far more expensive pair of 12 x 50s that have shown quite a major increase in clarity but they are 5 x the cost of the svs. I think for the money the kowas are very good indeed. Thanks for getting in touch. Jim.
 
Thank you for the feed back. CA appears to be a bit of an issue with most 12x models I've tried, cheap or expensive. The Swarovski being an exception, but that's way, way beyond my kind of budget and I thought rather tricky than some to hold steady.

I look forward to your review.

David
 
I have not tried that Kowa but you may consider me a 12x50 confederate. Yee-hi! (sorry bout that)

Mine is a Leica BN, but makes and models aside, I really enjoy 12x50 and go on binges where I throw over my better 8x and 10x for weeks at a time. My wife and I did an overnighter to the Bosque del Apache refuge yesterday, and the 12x50 was just the ticket for the very long views across lakes at ducks.

I must admit however, that for sparrows in bushes 20 feet away, it is rather difficult! Despite mine's large 68 deg apparent field, I find that the small 5.7deg true field makes it hard to point with "dead reckoning". By that I mean if a bird disappears into a wall of vegetation without distinguishing features, and you want to watch that place to see if the bird comes back out, it is hard to quickly and confidently place the point of disappearance within the field of view.`

Ron
 
I am glad that I found this thread.
I am thinking about buying a 12x magnification bino. I currently have a Kowa BD XD 8x42, which one I like very much, but sometimes a better magnification could help me out.

I am thinking between this ant the Fujinon HB 12x60. They are not priced the same of course, but at a local store the Fujinon looks still inside my field of view regarding budget. Unfortunately I have read some bad things about the CA levels of the Fujinon, and while I am pleased with my other Kowa, I can really not decide easily between them.
If any of you could help me about this, please share your thoughts.
 
I am glad that I found this thread.
I am thinking about buying a 12x magnification bino. I currently have a Kowa BD XD 8x42, which one I like very much, but sometimes a better magnification could help me out.

I am thinking between this ant the Fujinon HB 12x60. They are not priced the same of course, but at a local store the Fujinon looks still inside my field of view regarding budget. Unfortunately I have read some bad things about the CA levels of the Fujinon, and while I am pleased with my other Kowa, I can really not decide easily between them.
If any of you could help me about this, please share your thoughts.

There is a $299 offer for the Fujinons here:
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/blog/fujinon-hb-12x60-long-distance-binoculars-deal-04/

The review on Cloudy Nights did not find CA at objectionable levels:
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/374086-fujinon-12x60-hb-my-opinion/

Do note these are heavy, well over three pounds, specs here:
http://www.allbinos.com/283-Fujinon_HB_12x60-binoculars_specifications.html

Note that while 12x50 is a very good combination for binoculars, it is near the limit for comfortable use imho. I found the Zeiss 15x60 too hard to manage hand held, but cannot say whether the big Fuji would be better.
 
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