Small porro recommendation (& Leupold) (1 Viewer)

Anyone have feedback these?:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-raven-8-5x32-binocular
http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-triumph-7x35-binocular


Oops! I meant to add a new response buy I see I "edited" (deleted) the original message! I had asked about the Yosemite 8x30, the Cascade, and for recommendations for a small, lightweight porro, but with larger objectives than the reverse porros tend to have (30-36mm).

I've got both the 8x30 Yosemite and the 8x42 Cascades.

They're similar in view aside from FOV where the Yosemite is much wider (a win for the less experienced user) and the Yosemite's stray light issues which the Cascades doesn't suffer from.

Focuser action is easier on the Cascades with this internal focuser. The Yosemite is stiffer and more "gelatinous"

Cascade of a fraction brighter I think. (better coatings I suspect as my pupils were stopped down below exit pupil size).

Cascades have more ER than the 8x Yosemite but the 6x has plenty of ER. I find the 14mm only just enough with my close fitting glasses (for short sight ... the add a couple of mm).

What sort of birding does your Mom do? For backyard at 15 feet and beyond the 6x might be a good idea especially with their wider field.

For combination of view, size and weight the Yosemites are hard to beat at this price point. They are very handy bins. But the Cascades are a little bigger but they don't feel like "big" porros: their rounded shape makes them seem smaller than a "usual" 8x42.

Another one just outside your range is the Vortex Raptor that no one has seen yet!

And if there are any more Celestron Ultima DX 8x32 out there (they used to go for $75 or $80 on closeout) they might be another good option (though they're heavier than the others) but a very nice view.

Kevin put some excellent comment and suggestions out there. You can "ditto" my opinion on the comparison as well as the follow up suggestions for the Celestron Ultima DX. You might also consider the Orion Ultraview 8x42. About the same weight as the Cascade porros though not as ergonomic. The view is a bit brighter with better contrast than the Cascades...plus quite a bit wider. The downside is that there is more edge distortion and they are not waterproof. Still, we are only talking $150 US.

I have all the bins in question. If I were to rank them in order of a "complete package" then it would probably be....

1. Cascade porro
2. Orion Ultraview
3. Celestron Ultima DX
4. Leupold Yosemite

For purely optics it would be....

1. Orion Ultraview
2. Leupold Cascade
3. Celestron Ultima DX
4. Leupold Yosemite

Hope this helps.

Thanks to you both! I stopped by Cabela's today after work and test drove a few pair. They didn't have the Cascades, but had the two Yosemites and the Mesa. I was pleased at the size of the 8x30 Yosemites, and they were quite sharp (I tried them after I checked three pairs of the Swarovski ELs -- much to the puzzelment of the guy working the counter ("You're going to compare the Swarovskis to THOSE.....?"), until I made HIM try both. Brightness, of course, was way off, but he agreed sharpness was pretty close out to half way from the centers, on the chart at about 50m (near the moose...). In the end, although I liked the Yosemites, they were just a bit too dim to work as a compliment to the Pentax RPs, I think. I wonder whether there are any nice 8x32 or 8x34 compact porros out there (or very lightweight 8x40/42s).....

Kevin: My mother was trained as an ornithologist in the early 1960s, and has always watched birds for pleasure, although she has never really cared much about "quality" binoculars. I remember from childhood a lot of her field identifications were naked eye (and ears, of course). I remember some old B&Ls, and now the Pentax. Not sure what else she's had. I do know that light and compact are big plusses for her (she's getting old). She still takes a lot of trips to the field, so the 6xs may be a bit underpowered for her.

Side story: I had my ZRS HDs with me (10x42), and although the Swarovskis are better (all three pair I tried: 10x42, 8.5x42 and 8x32), I'd say (if I had to quantify) they were maybe 15% better. Noticeable strengths over the Zens were in the edge-to-edge sharpness and the feel of the focuser (not so heavily damped as the ZRS, but still nice and precise - the diopter adjustment is also nice). Still, the ZRS has a big enough "sweet spot" so that for my uses the loss of edge sharpness isn't a big deal. My conclusion would be the ZRS is 85-90% as good for 15% of the price. Wow. I wish Zen Ray would hurry up with those 8x36s!

EDIT: I should add that the Yosemites were just outside of useable for me w/out my glasses (infinity stop was too short). My mom has 20/20 so no big deal, but these were the fist bins I've tried in a long time that I couldn't focus at a distance (even my favorite glove-compartment $12 Chinese roofs let me focus w/out glasses).

Kevin Purcell said:

Another one just outside your range is the Vortex Raptor that no one has seen yet!

Click to expand...

I saw those. Looks to be the same as the EO Raven I linked above. I suppose I could also learn more about the Nikon Action and EO Triumph 7x35s (although the Nikons seem a bit heavy for this size). 7x35 seemed to be a very common size when I was a kid (in the '70s).

Has anyone used the Triumph 7x35?

I have not tried the Triumph but remember it receiving less than favorable reviews on the Cornell review back in 2005...if I remember correctly.

7x35, 8x32, etc... porros are not that common. Short of the few we listed above and maybe the Nikon SE there really aren't many mainstream center focus current models out there.