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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The 10X42 SE, where do you rank it compared to the best of the best? (1 Viewer)

bh46118 said:
Brock

I apparently called about when you did. The salesman told me SN003681, and they would take $650 for them. I don't know if the SN makes sense or not.
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The guy I talked to must have been cross-eyed! Or perhaps he was reading the stock number off the box rather than the serial number on the bottom of the bin like I had asked him.

In any case, 003 is an older model, likely made sometime in the late 1990s like my first 8x32, which was a 501xxx model. Steve (mooreorless) had a 002xxx 10x42 SE, which I compared to my 10x42 050xxx, and the coatings were much improved on the later model. Brighter, better contrast, deeper colors.

That said, the images will still be sharp in the 003xxx, just not as "snappy." I would pay the $149 extra (if I had it) for the latest edition with Eco-Glass, but I wouldn't pay $625 for a 003. Steve bought his for 002xxx for $275 on eBay! Of course, that was the deal of the century.

If you are not as OCD about AR coatings as I am, maybe you can get him to lower the price.

Brock
 
raptorbfl said:
Brock,
So are you saying the most recent production SE's are the much improved or the older version??
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The more recent versions with Eco-Glass have the latest AR coatings and therefore increased brightness, color saturation and contrast. Much improved over the earliest production models, and moderately improved over later production models before the changeover to lead-free glass.

I've seen a similar improvement in comparing older Swaros to newer ones. Optics companies keep improving their AR coatings.

Brock
 
ceasar said:
It wouldn't surprise me if you could find some of these laying around in the inventory of some small dealers who also have a photography business. A couple or three years ago somebody ran across a photography shop in Philadelphia and got some real good deals on SE's. It was written about here.

Bob
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I bought my 8x32 SE several years ago during the Ritz/Wolf Camera bankruptcy. The original cost was $679, and my cost was 80% off, which was... ahem... a lot less than what they cost nowadays.
 
peatmoss said:
I bought my 8x32 SE several years ago during the Ritz/Wolf Camera bankruptcy. The original cost was $679, and my cost was 80% off, which was... ahem... a lot less than what they cost nowadays.
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Holey Moley!@$&*^#

That's almost as good a deal as Steve (mooreorless) got on his 10x42 SE. ;)

bh would have wet his pants if he saw a 10x42 SE for 80% off! B :)

I hope you still have it and didn't flip it the next week for a tidy profit like some people we know.

Brock
 
ceasar said:
Brock can see the differences. Most people who swear by the SEs are satisfied with any version.
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Well, my 10x42 SE is fairly old (#000xxxx), where as my 8x32 is a fairly recent one (#550xxxx). There *is* a slight, but visible difference in brightness and contrast, and the 8x32 seems also a bit more neutral than the 10x42.

I'm happy with both though ... 3:)

Hermann
 
bh46118 said:
The transmission numbers for the 10X42 are 6 or 7 points higher than the 8X32 in the AllBinos review, and the Greatest Binoculars review also mentions "mediocre transmission". In what way does that affect the view, either for the good or the bad.
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I really *do* wish people would stop using Allbino's transmission figures. There are several blatantly obvious mistakes and inaccuracies (like the 98% +/-3 for the Docter 8x56 or the 97.9% +/- 1.5 for the Fujinon 7x50), so I don't really see any justification in using them unless the figures have been confirmed by another source.

BTW, in a direct comparison between my 8x32 and the 10x42 the 8x32 is clearly brighter.

Hermann
 
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That's the reason I also used the Greatest Binoculars reference, since his mediocre transmission assessment was based on personal observation. You're personal observation is also very helpful.


Hermann said:
I really *do* wish people would stop using Allbino's transmission figures. There are several blatantly obvious mistakes and inaccuracies (like the 98% +/-3 for the Docter 8x56 or the 97.9% +/- 1.5 for the Fujinon 7x50), so I don't really see any justification in using them unless the figures have been confirmed by another source.

BTW, in a direct comparison between my 8x32 and the 10x42 the 8x32 is clearly brighter.

Hermann
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At the risk of appearing to be a waffling buffoon, which I readily admit to being,:-O I am going to recant here and proclaim my BD10X44 to be considerably more resolving than the 10X42 SE. On varying targets from 25 yards to 400 yards, the BP pretty well left the SE in its dust. I don't know if I was just more "on" this evening or what, but I had absolutely no trouble seeing the difference this time. I had a gut feeling that the SE was a little soft when I first got them, but had talked myself into thinking otherwise due to the overall beauty of the view. That and they were an SE, they had to be more resolving. That being said the SE is superior in most other ways, I just happen to think super resolution is the cornerstone of an image that looks more real. One other thing that the SE does perfectly is cleanly show bright sources of light at night. The BP, the Kowa Genesis, and the Kaibab 15X56 all show multiple long sharp spikes emanating from the light source, the Minox in particular being the worst.

I've become Dennis in reverse. Instead of touting a new flavor of the day on a regular basis, I cling tenaciously to only one binocular.


bh46118 said:
Resolution between the two is very close with the edge possibly going to the Nikon, but I suspect that it might have slightly more magnification than the Minox, which could be fooling me.

Bruce
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bh46118 said:
... One other thing that the SE does perfectly is cleanly show bright sources of light at night. The BP, the Kowa Genesis, and the Kaibab 15X56 all show multiple long sharp spikes emanating from the light source, the Minox in particular being the worst.

....
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Hello Bruce,

Those spikes are never seen in a good Porro binocular.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 
The Minox is definitely not a good night time Porro, but in the daytime I can't find anything I like better, and I've directly compared it to a few good ones now. It's all about tradeoffs, and most people would choose the SE. I guess I'm just not like most people. :-O

Pinewood said:
Hello Bruce,

Those spikes are never seen in a good Porro binocular.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
Click to expand...
 
I don't know how many things can cause this, but prism intrusion is the culprit on the Minox. Maybe Henry can comment.

bh46118 said:
One other thing that the SE does perfectly is cleanly show bright sources of light at night. The BP, the Kowa Genesis, and the Kaibab 15X56 all show multiple long sharp spikes emanating from the light source, the Minox in particular being the worst.
Click to expand...
 
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