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something new (1 Viewer)

Pinewood

New York correspondent
United States
Hello,

These are IF and not optimized for bird watching but quite interesting:
a new Nikon binocular
The heart of this binocular may be the eyepieces yielding an impressive field of view. Apparently that FOV was best accommodated by Abbe-Koenig prisms.

It may prove to be a no fault design but we must await a price tag.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
 
I just looked them up at Bic Camera, Japan. The 7 x 50s are 576 000 yen ($5195.04US) or 4160.71 British Pound Sterling.
 
These are a new astronomy binocular. A new high point in the
category.

They are not for birding, a tripod mounted model.

Jerry
 
Stunning that Nikon would produce such a super glass and then cripple its saleability by making it IF only.
I'd bet there are plenty of well heeled birders and observers who would buy a world class $5000 glass if it were also user friendly.
Is there a technical obstacle that precludes making these binoculars center focus?
 
Stunning that Nikon would produce such a super glass and then cripple its saleability by making it IF only.
I'd bet there are plenty of well heeled birders and observers who would buy a world class $5000 glass if it were also user friendly.
Is there a technical obstacle that precludes making these binoculars center focus?

You should learn and study, IF is preferred with this type of binocular.

As you might know, they are focused at infinity. Have you any experience
with the night sky ?

This binocular has a limited market, and Nikon knows what market
they are aiming at.

Jerry
 
You should learn and study, IF is preferred with this type of binocular.

As you might know, they are focused at infinity. Have you any experience
with the night sky ?

This binocular has a limited market, and Nikon knows what market
they are aiming at.

Jerry

I think etudiant was asking why a center focus version wasn't also released. I think that Nikon knows these will be of extremely limited appeal, even for looking at the night sky. I'm guessing the design has more to do with what was easy for Nikon to re-purpose (e.g. astro eyepieces) than as a de novo design to meet a particular need (very wide angle low-mag night sky viewing). Magnification is on the low side (7x and 10x), perhaps to stay within the bounds of the rather modestly sized objective lenses (50 mm in both); and both of those specs limited to allow them to be super wide angle. However, I'd bet that even a quite cheap ($150-$400) modest quality porro in 10x70, 11x70, or 15x70 configuration (e.g. such as those checked and distributed by Oberwerk) would run circles around these $5000 Nikons for most night sky viewing applications. I'm sure that the Nikon are great for bragging and are beautiful to behold (and hold), but it is hard to compete with the performance gains of a bit more magnification and aperture, especially if the field is still wide enough to provide some blackness around e.g. star clusters of interest.

--AP
 
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I think etudiant was asking why a center focus version wasn't also released. I think that Nikon knows these will be of extremely limited appeal, even for looking at the night sky. I'm guessing the design has more to do with what was easy for Nikon to re-purpose (e.g. astro eyepieces) than as a de novo design to meet a particular need. Magnification is on the low side (7x and 10x), perhaps to stay within the bounds of the rather modestly sized objective lenses (50 mm in both). I'd bet that even a quite cheap ($150-$400) modest quality porro in 10x70, 11x70, or 15x70 configuration (e.g. such as those checked and distributed by Oberwerk) would run circles around these $5000 Nikons for most night sky viewing applications. I'm sure that the Nikon are great for bragging and are beautiful to behold (and hold), but it is hard to compete with the performance gains of a bit more magnification and aperture, especially if the field is still wide enough to provide some blackness around e.g. star clusters of interest.

--AP

Alexis: I can tell you are slipping. Look at the specs. These are
an astronomy binocular, over 80 oz. 5 lbs. State of the art, with
a very wide FOV and resolution.

Trying to say a cheap binocular as you mention would be superior
is folly.

Brush up on your astronomy binoculars.

Jerry
 
Alexis: I can tell you are slipping. Look at the specs. These are
an astronomy binocular, over 80 oz. 5 lbs. State of the art, with
a very wide FOV and resolution.

Trying to say a cheap binocular as you mention would be superior
is folly.

Brush up on your astronomy binoculars.

Jerry

Whoops, looks like we crossed paths in posting. While you were writing, I edited my post to make it clear that I mean to say exactly what I said. I wasn't exactly disagreeing with your original post, in which you stated that the market was limited, but rather pointing out what I think (based on my experiences with astro bins and binocular-using night sky enthusiasts) makes the appeal of these bins super limited.

I did look at the specs. The FOV is amazing. The aperture and magnification are not. Not for looking at the stuff most sky viewers look at.

--AP
 
You should learn and study, IF is preferred with this type of binocular.

As you might know, they are focused at infinity. Have you any experience
with the night sky ?

This binocular has a limited market, and Nikon knows what market
they are aiming at.

Jerry

I'm quite willing to accept that IF is preferred for night sky viewing. Manhattan night skies are not exactly dark and my binocular astronomy experience is very limited.

Nevertheless, even accepting that this big glass targets astronomers, I'm surprised there is no CF option. Is it so difficult to offer?
 
...Manhattan night skies are not exactly dark...
...I'm surprised there is no CF option. Is it so difficult to offer?

You definitely won't want these bins for viewing in even modestly light polluted skies, let alone Manhattan. Higher magnification bins (15x) are much better under those conditions because they increase apparent contrast.

I think CF would be hard to do. The oculars are very long and heavy, so given that focus is external, a very substantial yoke would be needed to keep them from wobbling around.

--AP
 
You definitely won't want these bins for viewing in even modestly light polluted skies, let alone Manhattan. Higher magnification bins (15x) are much better under those conditions because they increase apparent contrast.

I think CF would be hard to do. The oculars are very long and heavy, so given that focus is external, a very substantial yoke would be needed to keep them from wobbling around.

--AP

Too bad, I'd hoped that there would be a CF version.
The big porros such as the 8x60s used in WW2 were praised for their exceptionally comfortable view. The new Nikon is the first product that might possibly match those. That would be a real differentiator in the market place today, but IF really limits the available customer base.
 
The 7x50 with 10.3 degrees would make a nice military/marine binocular.

Comparison view with the long running and excellent 7.3 degree 7x50 SP.

Is the new WX the first Abbe-Koenig prism Nikon ?
 

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I very much doubt whether the 7x50 Nikon would show that much nebulosity in the Pleiades in colour or such faint stars.
In a really dark site with magnitude 7.5 to 8.0 stars with the observers with the best eyesight one might get close.

I suppose magnitude 12 stars might be possible to the very skilled.

I agree that something like a Quantam 15x70 at £150 or so would go deeper but with only 4.4 degree fields.

Also those able to afford it might not have 7.1mm pupils.

I have seen colour in the Orion nebula from town with the 52cm f/4 scope and also with the 36cm f/5.

These new Nikon binoculars strike me much as Nikon Rangefinder cameras reproduced about the year 2000 with modern coated lenses.
Most are unused and kept by collectors, although they might not actually keep value with inflation.

As a lifelong astronomer I would not buy either the 10x50 or 7x50 Nikon.

My 5 inch Jaegers RFT would run rings around them for my observing.

However, in Belgium in the 1950s an astronomer saw 5 deg of M31 with a hand held 7x50, so the 7x50 Nikon has a use.
 
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