TractorMan
Member
I felt compelled to write a very brief appraisal of my 8x32 HG's. I've had them for many years now, and I'm still in love with them! I actually bought them for my wife, having recently bought a pair of Swarovski 8.5x42 EL's for myself. Well my wife didn't use them much and I didn't get on with the Swaros, so I took them over; best thing I ever did! Although optically the Swaros were OK, handling wise they were not so good. The main problem was the strap lugs being very poorly designed and positioned, being exactly where the under ball of my index finger wanted to be; very uncomfortable. I did some side by side tests of the optics and could see no real advantage in the Swaro optics over the HG's, so the decision was made - I was going to keep the HG's and sell the Swaros. Handling wise I just love the HG's and the focussing wheel is superb, smooth as silk and I personally love the way you can move quickly from butterfly to bird with no problem. Again personally, I have no problem with the weight, and don't quite understand why Nikon changed to the L version. The FOV at 7.8 degrees is very comfortable. One thing I've noticed other users commenting on is the rainguards, and the fact that they're too loose; I've found this to be a great advantage in the field as you can flip them on and off instantly in wet conditions.
I don't feel the need to get into further technicalities because that's not what this 'review' is about. I've used a lot of binoculars over the years but these, since I got them, have been in the glove compartment of several cars day and night and have never let me down. I do most of my birding these days from the comfort of my lounge, and so these are finally retired to the house. Happy days!
I don't feel the need to get into further technicalities because that's not what this 'review' is about. I've used a lot of binoculars over the years but these, since I got them, have been in the glove compartment of several cars day and night and have never let me down. I do most of my birding these days from the comfort of my lounge, and so these are finally retired to the house. Happy days!