A day in the field with the Minox BD 8x32 BR Asph binos (1 Viewer)

Addendum - I just realized that there is a contradiction between my first post and my recent one re. eye placement and ease of getting a good view.

I am not sure how to describe it. On my first couple of days in the field with these puppies, it was simply a matter of bringing them up to my eyes and bam... I had a great view. More recently, however, I've noticed occasional instances of eye-strain when using these binoculars - and yesterday, it was quite bad, which was probably weighing on my mind when I wrote the report above.

Tomorrow is another day afield, and now I am curious enough about these binos to perhaps make it a proper "bino test" day. Will post some additional comments, if any, tomorrow evening.

Until anything changes, my recommendation would be: the optics are very good but I'd really recommend trying the ergonomics for yourself to see how they work with your eyes.

Vandit

APSmith said:

As best I can tell, the Minox offerings in 8x32 roofs are as follows:

BVBR ~$290.
BLBR ~$350.
BDBR ~$450.
HGBR ~$650-680.

The BR on the end of all these models is a bit confusing.

Click to expand...

Hi all,

hope I can clear a few things up here and make life simpler for us all!

'BR' is Minox Germany's designation for a pair of roof prism binoculars so we do tend to ignore it as it only serves to confuse people. The only Minox bino not to 'officially' have this designation is the BP (Porro) prisms.

Therefore, if you drop the 'BR' from all Minox bino designations you'll end up with what we (in the UK at least) use to separate the different ranges.

The available Minox 8x32 (-ish!) binos are as follows:

8x32 BL, 8x32 BD Aspheric (if you can still get them - none left in stock here and they have now been superseded by the 8x33 HGs (where you get a lot more bino for not a lot more money))

As far as we know, there doesn't look like being an 8x32 in the new BV range or at least it won't be for the foreseeable future if Minox do ever decide to produce one.

Hope this helps!:t:

Dave.

davem said:

As far as we know, there doesn't look like being an 8x32 in the new BV range ...

Click to expand...

Sorry for the (added) confusion everyone. (I mistakingly thought the BV came in 8x32).

THANKS DAVE FOR THE CLARIFICATION!

APS

Vkalia: I'm anxious to hear further reports comparing the SP and BD, especially concerning the eye placement issue.

Sorry for taking so long, guys. The monsoons hit really hard the last week or so, and its been pouring down rain.

I've gotten a lot comfier with these binos now. The biggest change between my initial uses of these binos and now is that I've gotten used to what the optimal placement for them is. I think I tend to be a "masher" - my natural instinct is to push these binos against my eyes and they dont do too well there (neither do the Pentax 10x43 SPs, come to think of it). Once I overcame that, the view became a lot more comfortable.

Re. the focus issue: I think it is a depth of field issue. These binos have a larger DoF and that, coupled with improper placement, is what was throwing me off. Once I figured out the optimal placement for these binos, it became quite easy to get them to focus.

Once the ergonomics are resolved, these are really nice binos to use. As long as I have been able to get my binos on the bird, I have been rewarded with *lots* of detail and have been able to make out all the relevant field marks. I am beginning to see why people say that a good 8x32 may be all the bino that one needs.

The one negative I have with these binos is that they cannot resolve a lot of detail for birds that are very far away. How far is "very far"? I am crap at judging distances, but let me put it this way: I was looking at a few small birds far enough that they occupied a small portion of the frame, but were magnified enough that I expected to be able to make out some markings. However, I was not able to do so. This appears related to the 32mm objective, if I understand the BVD article on birding binos, and so may not be related to these binos at all. Also, the contrast was very high in that instant.

I point this out in the interest of presenting all aspects of the bino. To me, this negative trait occured when trying to view birds that were far away enough to push the limit of what can reasonably be viewed on an 8x32. Certainly, for all "normal" birding distances, these binos performed immaculately.

And a related note - I got mugged by my retriever pups, and they managed to get me to drop the binos, throwing off the right eyepiece. I had got these binos through a friend in the US, who had mailed them to me. As there is no Minox presence here, I was wondering how to get them serviced. I emailed BF's own resident Minoxian, Dave Morgan, and he was kind enough to mail me the spare parts gratis (despite my willingness to pay for damage caused by my own carelessness) - saving me atleast $100 in shipping, not to mention time and trouble. That is excellent service by Minox, IMO.

I am a lot happier about these bins now, and given a chance to revisit my purchase decision, I'd buy them again. I'm going to Thailand on the 20th for some work, and plan to squeeze in a few days at Khao Yai - I'll be taking these bins with me.

Vandit

PS: I just ordered a pair of Vortex Viper 8x42s - thus spending enough on binos in the past 3 months to have bought a pair of Ultravids or FLs. Do I need help? Are there meetings i can attend for my problem?

Vandit,

Thanks for another detailed report. It appears that you, like others, have found these to be quite effective. Your hands-on field impressions make alot of sense, and describe in laymans terms the same impressions I've had with various models - great for comparison.

Of course, I'm still wondering abouth the Minox HGs. Soon, I will have either the BD, the HG, the Kahles in 8x32, or the Monarch 8x36 (again), and will likely post some comments.

APS

Vandit:

Thank you for a detailed and progressive report. Reading your opinions in stages, as they evolved within yourself, added significantly to the report.

--Bob
Kentucky, USA

Bob & APS - glad you found these reviews helpful. This forum was very helpful when it came to my own research on binos, so the least I can do is put something back.

Cheers,
Vandit

Minox BD 8x32

Finding an 8x32 with an acceptable set of compromises is tough. I have come to believe that this configuration is so borderline for comfort that the level of acceptability (nothing objectionable, if that makes sense) is quite near the "alpha" class of bins around and above $1K. Having tried many mid-priced bins, I was about ready to make such an investment.

Then, I finally tried the Minox BD 8x32. For the $329 I paid (which appears to be a closeout price), they are so close to being there, and such a good value, that I just can't send them back. I find them to be the best 8x30/32 under about $600, and possibly up to $1K. I believe these to be specifically better than the Monarch, Kahles, Pentax SP, Zeiss Conquest, anything Leupold, and other comparable units. (I did not try the Minox HG or Pentax ED, having ruled them out based on reading reviews here.) I believe that the Nikon LXL (HG) is better in some regards, but worse in others - overall I actually like the Minox. I think the range of (overall) superior bins begins at the Swaro SLC 8x30. The Leica BN is even better, though still somewhat limited by the optical constraints of 32 mm objectives, and a non optimal focussing knob. The two bins of this config that are exceptional for me are the Nikon EII(currently own) and the Swaro EL(currently over budget), mainly due to their ease of view combined with top optics.

As for the particulars of the BD, Vkalia really did a great and accurate review above - his points are all valid. The only issue on which I disagree somewhat is the DoF. My impression is that the DoF is actually somewhat narrow, and that the view is quite sharp within it. As Vkalia mentioned, these bins, like most 8x32 (except the EII and EL) do require you to work a bit at staying in good alignment for the optimum view. Also, challenging lighting situations do result in loss of sharpness in the BD; it is not to a "deal-breaker" extent though. Also, the focuser is a bit difficult to control precisely, partly due to speed and partly due to the spacing of the rubber grip ridges. This again is mainly noticed in tough conditions when alignment, precise focus, etc become more critical. The center resolution (viewing distant targets) is not "alpha class", but is just good enough to satisfy (this was not the case with the Monarchs for instance). The "sweet spot" size is very impressive, and is really what makes me like them the most (quite a bit better than the more expensive Kahles). The brightness, color rendition, and low levels of CA are all very good (and particularly so in comparision to the Pentax SP). Glare and flare are reasonably well controlled (noticeably better by recollection than the Conquest). They handle quite well, and have an accessible focus knob. The BDs are not the perfect bin, but good enough in all regards (and in comparison to other bins) to be the ideal back-up, "beat and bang" bin which really give a satisfying view. They would even suffice decently as an all-around general birding glass. I will still grab the fantastic EIIs on dry days and for superior viewing. And, I'm continuing to research for a WP pair for dedicated long term viewing (larger objectives). But, the BD will fill the void when the EIIs aren't an option and when portability and compactness are primary concerns.

Thanks to everyone who posted comments about these. Also keep in mind, this fine glass may not be available much longer.

APS