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Dakota Elite 7x28 and 8x32 (1 Viewer)

mayoayo

Well-known member
I have been looking around in camera shops ,here in Portland,first to buy a new digital compact and then some adapters and accessories...Here and there i take a quick look at the binocular shelve when i am in a camera shop,but i never take the time to ask or try any (im not really curious about binos since i use the ZEN;)),But the other day i saw a pair that caught my attention ,and i couldnt help but to ask..They had two different sizes of a Roof prism binocular called Dakota Elite..A semi compact 7x28,(the one that caught my eye)and a fat 8x32.Both Phase coated,waterproof ,nitrogen purged ,fully-multi ...and costing respectively 109$ and 129$!!!!...i took a fast look and they seemed nice for the price,..rubber armored,shinny green/blue coatings,screw up eyecups...they looked OK ,but didnt really evaluated the view or specifications...
The shop didnt have the adapter i was looking for ,but they sent me to another store,downtown,and there i saw the binos again.This time i took a better look and noted specifications..The Shop is Ritz camera,which is associated with Wolf camera,and i know they (wolf)sell the Promaster ED(right..?).
Curiously the Dakotas showed some details in their design that made me think they can be out of the same factory that makes the ZEN...They are cheap binoculars and the build quality is a bit rougher..the eyecups were not too smooth to raise(although they worked fine)and the diopter adjustment was quite stiff(not necessarily a bad thing).The diopter ring shared the double dot line that the ZEN use,and that is probably a factory design...All in all ,decent build for the price..The 7x28 has a 7˚ FOV(374 feet) and the 8x32 ,8.1˚(425 feet!!!!).
Let me tell you something..The view was quite satisfactory ,in fact both binos are quite sharp in the center,and with very good control of CA,(please note that this was a fast look through,although i put some thought in the few minutes i held each unit)..The 7x28 was quite soft in the edges,showing some sort of distortion ,but the sweet spot was adequate in size,and the image seemed bright and contrasty.Still a nice compact bino in an unusual size,waterproof and Phase coated ,and costing 109$!!!
The 8x32 was as fat as any 8x42 ,but shorter ,and weighted a good 1.1 pounds but the view was nice,(sharp in the center,wide and expansive).Edge performance was better than the 7x28 and center image was sharp,contrasty and bright..Waterproof,Phase coated and 129$..not bad...
I probably will end going to the camera shop some other time soon..Ill keep you posted,...but really, if you need a budget glass,maybe worth to take a look at these..
 
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I understand the brand colors on the NG, but sure does not look like a diamond ring to me. Not very elitist.
 
Curiously, they all like to name their binoculars as Elite. Bushnell Elite, Promaster Elite, Dakota Elite.

Here comes National Geographic Explorer Elite

http://www.binoculars-uk.org.uk/night_owl_binoculars_3x_night_vision.htm

And before them Bausch and Lomb Elite ... they are the ur-Elite bins, I think.

Still a 7x28 compact (phase coated!)

Online for $109 shipped (if you dare!)

http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/511660540.htm
http://www.cameraworld.com/product/511660540.htm

The same place given the look of the web site with 2/10 (YIKES!) from resellerratings.com. I think Miss Crabapple's phrase is appropriate: "Terrible, at best"

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Ritz_Camera_7

They're also selling through Amazon (though Rtiz is the real seller)

The 7x28 has a 7˚ FOV(374 feet)
is not huge.

No technical details (not even size or weight never mind FOV!) but these at Amazon. Do you know how heavy they are? Less than 1.1lbs (17.6 ounces) I would hope.

Compact, Easy to Carry and Use Anywhere
7X Power and Ultra Compact 28mm Optics
High Quality Precision fully Broad Band Multi-coated Optics with Anti-static Dirt Repellent Lens Coating
Phase and Silver Coated BAK-4 Prisms for High Performance
Nitrogen Filled Fog & Waterproof Rugged Rubber Coated Body
Twist Up 3 Position Comfort Eyecups with Lenscaps
Includes Deluxe Pouch, Storage Box and Shoulder Strap
25 Year Limited Warranty Protection

But it shows how things are moving along ...
 
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JIngyIng,..Elite in Chinese is something like JIngyIng....Dakota JIngyIng 7x28 and 8x32!!

I just called Ritz to ask about the weight on the 7x28,they weight 13 ounces..and the 8x32 weight was correct at 1.1 pounds..quite lightweight both!!!!


...the FOV at 375 is not huge,but is about the same as the Custom's and the Eaglet's as a matter of fact,..although the Eaglet proved to be a bit wider than specifications showed....edge performance didnt seem stellar,but the image was sharp in the center,and satisfactory overall

..109$.
I just bought a camera,and did a little trip overseas,so not even 109$ to spare for now..but i might get a pair of these in a while,..Ritz camera has a return policy of 30 days,if i remember well.I guess that would be the way to really evaluate the glasses in the field,..Buying online can be different,i agree....
 
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Hi Guys ... after reading about the Dakota Elites I decided to go to a local Ritz camera store to check them out. I was in the market for some low cost but decent Bins to keep at the lake for company to use. The 7x28 fit the bill. Very sharp, nice sweetspot & ultra compact. Bought 2 pair, now maybe I can keep everyones hands off my binoculars......Gwen
 
Thanks for bringing this thread back up Gwen. I thought it was a new thread until I checked the dates. So, since you have the 7x28 and the 7x36 ED could you do a comparison between the two from an image quality perspective? You could ignore the obvious (difference in apparent brightness) but other comments would be most welcome. For $109 if they perform at even a half decent level then I think they would be a good buy.
 
Frank... Yes I will do that. I will be going back up to the lake late today. I will get back on the forum then or early tomorrow...Gwen
 
I totally forgot about these binoculars..I ended buying two pairs in the local Ritz camera closing sale,for around 40$ each...One unit was OK,but the other was a little out of collimation ,I think,because it did cause some strain,and a headache each time I used it..It was fine for a fast casual look,like a 20 or 30 seconds confirmation ,but not suitable for longer observations or birdwatching..Compared with the 7x36 eaglet or the 7x26 custom elite,they were noticeable dimmer,...plus the quality of the materials is not as good either,with a central hinge made out of plastic.. I think a 6.5x32 raven/raptor shoud be a MUCH better option for the price ..




Frank... Yes I will do that. I will be going back up to the lake late today. I will get back on the forum then or early tomorrow...Gwen
 
Poor Quality Control !!!!!!!

Thanks for the reminder, Frank... Iam sorry something came up & I forgot about these . The Zens blew these away on all counts except one.. they were more compact. I ended up keeping only one pair, the other had quite a bit of dust or something in the inside of the objective lens so I returned them. I wish I could have got that one pair for $40 , I paid $109. I guess for the price one might expect to find crap inside, that being said I received a new pair of the Swifts 7x36 Sat which I bought for a family member & that too had to be returned for the same reasons.....Gwen
 
My new Bushnell Custom Elite 7x26 has a little hair or something inside too..I am debating if I should send it back to..(it doesnt affect performance,but bothers me )..wonderful little glass by the way..

gcole:
..You already own the swift 7x36,..being the price point so similar,..What made You order a pair of the eaglets instead of a ZEN 7x36?...









Thanks for the reminder, Frank... Iam sorry something came up & I forgot about these . The Zens blew these away on all counts except one.. they were more compact. I ended up keeping only one pair, the other had quite a bit of dust or something in the inside of the objective lens so I returned them. I wish I could have got that one pair for $40 , I paid $109. I guess for the price one might expect to find crap inside, that being said I received a new pair of the Swifts 7x36 Sat which I bought for a family member & that too had to be returned for the same reasons.....Gwen
 
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..You already own the swift 7x36,..being the price point so similar,..What made You order a pair of the eaglets instead of a ZEN 7x36?...

I had an e-mail discussion with someone over this issue. He happened not to like the ZEN 7x36 because the eye cups were too close together to fit his wide nose, and couldn't get the IPD right for him. So, on his request, I measured the distance between the eye cups at my 66mm IPD setting and found the eye cups of the Eaglet has about 4.5mm more space beween the inner eye cup diameters than the ZEN.

The Eaglet is not quite with the ZEN optically, but it is real close, and frankly if the Eaglet would have had the ZEN fov, I might have passed on the ZEN 7x36 and stayed with the 8x43.
 
The pair of 7x36 swift I just sent back were not for me, they were a gift for a family member, that being said I owned a older model of the 7x36 Eaglet but sold that a few years ago. I own the 7x36 Zen, I was in the first group to recieve them. Iam one of the lucky ones that dont have a problem with the ghosting or glare with my 7x36 & I perfer the veiw of these over the 7x36 Eaglet, ....but if I ever decided to purchase a 7x bino to have with me all the time the Eaglet would be my choice due to its size. I use the Zen most of the time on my cabin porch over looking the lake. The small bino I carry with me all the time instead of the Eaglet is the 6x32 viper, its just as compact & gives me a better view. Getting back to the dakotas, Iam not sure if the material inside the one I took back really effected my view or not, but I was afraid it would just get worse if it was from any of the material used inside the binocular.........gwen
 
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