2016 Birdfair: Questions for Attendees to Ask Vendors (1 Viewer)

What is probably the premier event for birding optics starts Friday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 21st, 2016. This is of course Birdfair at Rutland Water, England.

http://www.birdfair.org.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udz2QNcO1t0

Just about every major binocular and scope vendor will be there with demo products and factory reps will be in attendance to answer questions. Many of us on the forum would love to attend, but that is not going to happen. However several forum members have said they will be there.

The purpose of this thread is for us who are not attending to have a place to post questions and requests to those that are attending and hopefully they can follow-up with the factory reps and report back.

I posted a thread similar to this for the 2014 Birdfair and since it seemed to be well received, here it is for 2016.

As an additional twist this year, please post about any new items that you think will be on display or announced at Birdfair. This may help those attending to become aware of something of interest which they did not know about. I know I have attended events and found out after the fact there was something of interest to me and missed out on an opportunity to find out more.

Please post away and thanks in advance to any of the attendees that can help out us poor souls that can not attend. I hope you all have fun at the show.

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New items or announcements:

- Zeiss will be debuting the new Conquest Gavia spotting scope.
- Leica will be announcing and possibly showing the Noctivid binocular.
- Nikon should have the Monarch HG flat field wide FOV roof binocular.
- Nikon may have the new Monarch Fieldscopes.
- Vanguard may have info on the Endeavor ED IV binocular.

I'm sure there is more but that is all that comes to mind at the moment. Please continue to add to the list. Hopefully some of the attendees will check out these new items and report back after the show.

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QUESTIONS:

Question from Henry:

First, here is a question Henry Link posted in another thread (link below). Hopefully it is ok with him that I reference it here. He would like someone to do a 60X star test with the new Zeiss Conquest Scope.

Henry's question begins with post number 50.
IMPORTANT - Be sure and read the caution in post number 53 about picking only a very small reflection of light to avoid the potential of eye issues.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=327985&page=2


Questions for Nikon:

1. Will the new Monarch HG be replacing the Nikon EDG or will the Nikon EDG continue as a product line?

2. Has the Nikon EDG 7X42 been or is it about to be discountinued? (There were some posts on that but no confirmation.)

2. Since the HG has better specs in many cases than the comparable EDG (wider FOV, higher light transmission, lighter), what are the selling points to spend more money to purchase an EDG?

3. Will the removable rubber rings at the end of the objectives of the new Monarch HG be easily available as a parts item or will the binocular have to be sent into Nikon Service as is the case in the USA to replace the rubber eye cups on a Nikon SE?

4. Will Nikon USA at some point be distributing the Monarch HG and if so when? (Nikon USA sport optic marketing efforts are almost non-existent so no information from them.)


Question for Zeiss:

1: Any updates on a possible Zeiss SF 8X32 and a 10X32 or something equivalent?


Questions for Vanguard:

1 What is the status on the anticipated Endeavor ED IV?

2. Trivia question but why did they go from the name Endeavor ED II to Endeavor IV and skip over EndeavorED III?


Questions for Swarovski:

1. Is it really true that the Swarovski 8X32 EL SV is the best birding binocular in the world?????? Just kidding on that one! o

Thanks everyone!

For any of the them...

Is there any interest to bring an alpha grade 7x30-36 to market anytime soon???

CG

On the question of whether the HGs will replace the EDGs I note that the Nikon EDGs are still featured as the lead binoculars on the Nikon Website.

http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/en/nikon-products/binoculars/index.page?#c54-CID-1342536894925-tab-1

I think that the Nikon HGs are replacing the old HGL/LXLs which came out in 2004. That would be the logical thing to do because there is a big price gap between the EDGs and the popular Monarch 7 series and IMO the HG, from what we know of it, is not quite in the Alpha class. It seemingly uses the same tried and true right eye diopter mechanism that the old standard HGLs used and it doesn't appear to have removable eye cups; Binastro in his recent review of it doesn't mention this.

Nikon, on its website, still lists 2 of the 4 original standard sized HGL/LXLs among their "Specialty Binoculars." They are the 8x32 and the 10x42. They have a new designation of "Premier" now and both are back ordered.

The compact 8x20 and 10x25 HGL/LXLs are also listed as "Specialty Binoculars" and they are now called "Premier LXL" distinguishing them from "Premier." They are also back ordered.

Bob

I have a question for all binocular manufacturers stemming from my relative lack of mobility, few retail outlets where I live (here be dragons) and particularly because of my need to wear strong prescription spectacles and, as a result, for long eye relief.

Would they please publish two figures for eye relief, from the ocular surface to the eye, and from the closed down position of the eye cup ring to the eye. The difference should be the recess of the bin lens below the surface of the eye cup?

Non spectacle wearers may be interested in an additional question, similar to the latter one, but with the cups in the fully raised position.

It would be good if they were to state the measure used for past and current binoculars. I have read, for example, that one of the alpha manufacturers, is not consistent in the measurement used.

Great idea Bruce.

All questions being noted and will try to get answers.


Much depends on how busy it gets and how available the right people are on the various stands / booths.

Lee

Bruce H . I think you forgot the new Kowa Genesis 22 . I expect to be the best pocket bino ,..Especially the 8x22 model with 131 meter field, i am very anxious to see an comparison with Swarovski cl ..The chromatic aberrations must be even less visible in the small Genesis in comparition to the 44 mm model.

Zeiss webpage for Birdfair

First, thanks for the additional questions and new products.

While browsing the Zeiss website, I came across a page specifically for Zeiss at Birdfair. Among other things, it lists Zeiss activities, promotions and contests.

They have a contest for a free entry ticket to be drawn tomorrow (Thursday).

Here is the link .........

http://www.zeiss.co.uk/sports-optics/en_gb/nature/experience/events/birdfair.html

If you happen to know of Birdfair links for other vendors, then please post them.

Who Will be Attending?

Who all will be attending Birdfair starting this Friday? Can you get it all covered in one day? Anything special on your agenda to checkout?

It looks like there is enough there to keep someone busy all three days.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKXKr8jn0...birdfair+2013+Amundsen+aerial+biotope+aug.jpg

Just delving into the Birdfair pages there appears to be about 400 exhibitor stands including around 17 optics companies. There are 64 talks sheduled for the main lecture tents and countless other events. Ten years ago the attendance was over 20,000 and I wouldn't be surprised if it was twice that now. More than enough for 3 days.... if you have the stamina.

David

David is right. I read that last year's attendance was 30,000 and with the all-day rain that is forecast for Friday and showers on Saturday, there will be mud, mud, mud.

I will be there for 2 1/2 days and will try to cover the questions I have seen on BF but getting hold of bins for a decent length of time may be difficult when there can be tens of folks queuing behind you all wanting to try them.

Lee

Lee:

I found this picture of Birdfair.

Just a stop for a beverage, it seems, is this your hangout ?

Jerry

That is a rather old Rolls Royce.
The number plate is from 1972, I'll have to look up the car. Silver Shadow perhaps.
A bit better name than the intended name of Silver Mist for a slightly earlier model, which would not have sold well in German speaking countries.

Yes, the number plate could be original with the car from 1972.

Also this model Rolls Royce is the one that was initially called the Silver Mist.

NDhunter said:

Lee:

I found this picture of Birdfair.

Just a stop for a beverage, it seems, is this your hangout ?

Jerry

Click to expand...

NIce one Jerry :-O but actually I go to the kiosk next to this one for great coffee and bacon sandwiches.

Lee

OK Bruce

Here are the answers I gleaned from Bird Fair:

NIKON

1. Will the new Monarch HG be replacing the Nikon EDG or will the Nikon EDG continue as a product line?


2. Has the Nikon EDG 7X42 been or is it about to be discountinued? (There were some posts on that but no confirmation.)


2. Since the HG has better specs in many cases than the comparable EDG (wider FOV, higher light transmission, lighter), what are the selling points to spend more money to purchase an EDG?


3. Will the removable rubber rings at the end of the objectives of the new Monarch HG be easily available as a parts item or will the binocular have to be sent into Nikon Service as is the case in the USA to replace the rubber eye cups on a Nikon SE?

4. Will Nikon USA at some point be distributing the Monarch HG and if so when? (Nikon USA sport optic marketing efforts are almost non-existent so no information from them.)



ZEISS

Question for Zeiss:

1: Any updates on a possible Zeiss SF 8X32 and a 10X32 or something equivalent?


2) Will there be a Gavia 65mm?


VANGUARD

1 What is the status on the anticipated Endeavor ED IV?


2. Trivia question but why did they go from the name Endeavor ED II to Endeavor IV and skip over EndeavorED III?


3) Trivia announcment

So there we go. Thanks to Bruce for putting the questions together. I will be posting other remarks about Leica Noctivid and Zeiss SF Black on the appropriate threads.

Lee

well bird fair and the Olympics are over.....hope we can now get back to our petty bickering....

Hopefully with less battle wounds than in the women's hockey final.
Sad in a way that there was a loser.

Binastro,
Thank you for your thoughtful remarks for our women.
Gijs van Ginkel

Well, at least our women were the most charming (as I'm being told ofcourse).

Jan

And the prettiest.

Now if they made 'prettiest' a criterion for the Olympics, I might even watch some time.