Oregon 8x32 LE WP (1 Viewer)

Well...I ordered a pair yesterday. :t:

Thanks to Ben Lizdas and Eagle Optics for some great customer care. They were not showing on the website but I emailed Ben and he said he'd try to get an ETA on them for me by the next day. Ironically, they received some that same day and the website was updated and I got an email from Ben. As EO continues to grow, it would be easy for Ben (who seems to be pretty senior) to blow off or "delegate" simple requests like this but he usually answers in a few hours or at least by the following day. :t:

They should be here middle of the week. Of course I'll share my impressions from a user's standpoint (not a lab standpoint.)

Hi David,

This a model I`v spent many hours with, and can only find positive things to write about them, good ergo`s, build and a fine view considering the lack of phase correction, really good vfm I reckon.

Look forward to reading your thoughts.

John.

Funny coming across this post, I just acquired an older pair not the newer 4 ones.
Never been too keen on opticron and I've tried nearly every pair, but these oregon 8x32 are little gems. There dead sharp, excellent fov, nice ergonomically and are far better than alot of the more expensive models I've tried, I think the 8x32 are one of the best, and are a keeper. Focus is nice and precise no backlash due to design.
I have had small leica too and these for the cost stand up very well.

Enjoy them and let's here your views.

Cheers

We have had a pair of the kicking about the house for a few years now for use by visitors or non birding friends who get dragged out on one of our birding trips. Always turn up the goods and we would have no problem replacing them with the new model,well worth the money in UK terms anyway.

I received the Opticrons today.

Sadly, I wont have much time with them until the weekend. I'm in court tomorrow, working tomorrow night, sleeping Thursday, working Thursday night, and sleeping half a day Friday.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The bins were (of course) nicely packaged. I could tell when grasping the box that they were going to heavier than I'd imagined them being. Once in hand this was confirmed -they are heavier than the photos make you "think" they would be, and to me at least, they feel heavier than the specified 17.5 ounces. I'm not saying that as a bad thing necessarily-they have a "SOLID" feel that exudes a sense of quality. I'll try to remember to take them to work and weigh them on a drug scale. :t:

The provided case is totally sufficient for these bins and probably a touch nicer than I'd imagined at this price point. The eyecups seemed to work well, but initially seemed like they didn't rotate up far enough, but I'm certain they cover the specified 15 mm of eye relief well enough, even if they don't "look" deeper. The bins are shipped with very nice lens covers already in place. The ocular lens guard is a one-piece hinged unit. The objective lens covers are nicely done tethered rubber ones. I thought I read a review somewhere saying they were the cheesy simple "cap-style" but I may be thinking of another model. Regardless-NICE lens covers.

I took them out and planned on setting them aside to prepare dinner but who was I kidding? o Remove a new binocular from the box and set it aside when I'm 15 feet from my front door, and a porch overlooking four feeders, while we still had good light left???

I took them out for about 30 minutes, and watched some birds (Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, and a couple of curious Blue Jays) and some squirrels.

The close focus is advertized to be 5.9 feet-I can say that seems about right, and my sample MAY be a smidgeon better than that...around 5.0 feet (?)

The hinge works well and definitely has sufficient tension. It too seemed a tad more than I would have guessed it would have had, but this is an oh-so-good positive surprise for me.

Center resolution was very good-I was pleasantly surprised when focusing on birds on the feeders, the raised warnings and lettering on vehicle tires in the drive, and bark detail across the street on hardwood trees.

I was concerned that the area of sharp resolution in the center was going to be small-VERY SMALL-at first, but quickly decided that they may be more susceptible to glare problems and THAT could be affecting the edges rather than it being a purely optical issue. More time in actual use in varied conditions is definitely in order to check out this issue.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Nice "initial impressions" David. Seem spot on with my experiences with them.

The pair I had was tack sharp in the center and had a very relaxed and pleasant view. It was however susceptible to glare. Awesome bins for the money no doubt.

My experience with the new Oregon4 8x32 was not so good.....
I've bought one for my 5YO son (at that time, now he's 6) but the IPD was too wide for him at 58mm. Bummer, but anyway. Should have known that in the first place.
As they were too wide for my son, I started using them myself, and wanted to use them as a car bin.

First the good things. The mechanicals are ok, smooth focuser, decent quality housing. Size is great, average weight. They feel pretty solid.

Now the things I didn't like. My sample was not very sharp, focuser "turns the wrong way", eye relief is very small, but the thing I really hated was the glare. In some circumstances it was plain useless. To me, this bin is the king of glare. worst of any bin I have ever tried.

Ended up giving them away to my sister in law for a backpack trip in South America. She seems to like it, but I have to say it is her first bino. Too bad the glare issue is a killer to me. The rest is certainly not bad.

Kind regards,

Gijs

Updated With Pics-Final Review Still To Come...

Pics here-final review still to come...

I searched through my Catalog from Opticron and, unless I missed it, I don't think that this particular binocular has Phase Coatings.

I don't mean this as a big criticism considering their very reasonable price but a buyer should be aware of it. They cost $135.00 at Eagle Optics where they have 5 reviews averaging 5 stars so purchasers are happy with them.

The catalog says that they "offer the first time user with a high standard of optical performance and functionality in a highly desirable well constructed body. With surprisingly neutral images for their price, the binoculars are perfect for wildlife observation."

Bob

Bob,

You are correct. They are not phase-coated/corrected. Surprisingly though the image doesn't have that "soft" impression that so many non-phase coated roofs do. The only thing objectionable I ever really noticed about them was a tendencey to display a green/yellow color bias under some very specific lighting conditions. Under all other conditions they seem fairly neutral.

Just an FYI, CMBO had these marked down under $100 two weekends ago for their optics sale.

JasIA said:

The pair I had was tack sharp in the center and had a very relaxed and pleasant view. It was however susceptible to glare. Awesome bins for the money no doubt.

Click to expand...

I had not seen this thread before. Your impressions match mine exactly. See my "Midsize Binocular Shootout: Opticron Oregon 8x32 vs Sightron Blue Sky 8x32 vs MavenB3" thread.

I think glare susceptibility is the Oregon's biggest drawback. Not sure if it is predominantly because of the coatings or the design. Transmission and contrast are not the best either, so improved coatings might really pay off.

I think the highlights of the Oregon are its compactness, ergonomics, focusing, center resolution, and wide field of view... and of course its low price.