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Sightron "Blue Sky" II 8x32 (2 Viewers)

It's pushing 1000 posts, once it reaches that number there might be nothing left to say......

Samandag:

I was referring to big US-located retailers, such as B&H: they used to carry 50 Kenko models, now ALL of them are "no longer available": http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=
Same about Eagle Optics.

Regarding the specs of Kenko and Sightron, there is a difference: Kenko is much lighter, which might suggest some shortcuts in the production such as cutting down the prisms (?).

///Peter.
 
pesto said:
I have ordered the Sightron sii 8x32, but have not received them yet. What I have already got is a pair of Kenko Ultraview EX 8x32 DH2---please note the 2 after DH, this set replaces the older DH which is the one usually compared with the Sightron (and Vixen's Foresta etc). The Kenko will go back to the dealer: too much plastic-like feeling, rubber armor with unnecessary protuberances that dig into your hands, optics OK but nothing impressive, a diopter correction that it is somewhat hard to set (it seems to depend on the distance of the object in focus), the FoV is listed at 7.5* (for DH it was incorrectly listed as 8* but it was found to be smaller, about 7.5*) but it might possibly be smaller. They are similarly prices as the Sightron, and they might be OK at that price level; however the fact that only a few dealers carry them, like the Sightron, suggests that they have never caught on. My question is what should I expect: will the Sightron, which will arrive next week, be (much) better and a keeper? From the pictures that I have seen these 2 sets look like clones, and they do have the same specs. Btw, another similar set is Pentax DCF 9x32---imo the Pentax is visibly better than Kenko (my brief review of the Pentax can be found at: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=282730)---is the Sightron considered to be better than the Pentax by those who compared them?
Peter.
Click to expand...


Peter,

My Pentax 9x32 is made in the Philippines. I've never compared it with the Sightron but I have read that the Sightron SII 8x32 is made there also.

Do you know if the Kenkos are made in the Philippines?

Bob
 
Sightron vs Kenko question

As I said above the specs suggest that Kenko is much lighter. As it turns out the published weight of 19.8 oz of the Sightron seems to be wrong (as is its listed FoV)---it appears to be close to 16 oz which also is the listed weight of Kenko. I therefore expect the two binos to be (almost) identical. In fact Kenko has the same unnecessary crests and protuberances as the Sightron, despite the fact that they placed their logo somewhere else. Still waiting for the Sightron to arrive....
 
I had one for about a year before I gave it to my BIL. I really liked it. Although I replaced it with a Cabela's Euro 8x32 HD it was still hard to let go of. It just all came together pretty nicely for my eyes and hands.

Another +1 !
 
Inquisitor said:
I had one for about a year before I gave it to my BIL. I really liked it. Although I replaced it with a Cabela's Euro 8x32 HD it was still hard to let go of. It just all came together pretty nicely for my eyes and hands.

Another +1 !
Click to expand...

Another sad love story.

She must not have been that special?

You gave her away, add to that you replaced her with some HD!

So my take is the looks and the feel got old, time to move on.

Bryce...
 
Bryce,

Interesting reaction on that..... I thought it was universally accepted that compliments for binoculars in this price range always came with a "for the money" clause.

No, they were no where near good enough to put my optics lust to rest--and the Euro HDs are not either!

You better believe that when I was granted a chance to upgrade a little AND maintain domestic peace that I greedily acted. When the day comes that I can go to a true alpha I will likewise drop the Euros .. no loyalty here ;)

It is true that I enjoyed them (pre-upgrade) and that my normal(non-optics brat) BIL (elementary science teacher) now gets good use out of them.

I got them because of this thread back in my unregistered lurking days.

They were comfortable in the sense that they worked but I didn't need to spend any time babying or hiding them everywhere I went. I think they are ideal as a loaner, car bin, or a gift to normal people.

You are on to something though......as bit of full disclosure and if we stop talking about a good value and move to personal tastes--I doubt I ever buy another open bridge design.
 
pesto said:
As I said above the specs suggest that Kenko is much lighter. As it turns out the published weight of 19.8 oz of the Sightron seems to be wrong (as is its listed FoV)---it appears to be close to 16 oz which also is the listed weight of Kenko. I therefore expect the two binos to be (almost) identical. In fact Kenko has the same unnecessary crests and protuberances as the Sightron, despite the fact that they placed their logo somewhere else. Still waiting for the Sightron to arrive....
Click to expand...

The Sightron II Blue Sky 8X32 came out to 17.0 oz for me.

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=2613117&postcount=32
 
Inquisitor said:
Bryce,

Interesting reaction on that..... I thought it was universally accepted that compliments for binoculars in this price range always came with a "for the money" clause.

No, they were no where near good enough to put my optics lust to rest--and the Euro HDs are not either!

You better believe that when I was granted a chance to upgrade a little AND maintain domestic peace that I greedily acted. When the day comes that I can go to a true alpha I will likewise drop the Euros .. no loyalty here ;)

It is true that I enjoyed them (pre-upgrade) and that my normal(non-optics brat) BIL (elementary science teacher) now gets good use out of them.

I got them because of this thread back in my unregistered lurking days.

They were comfortable in the sense that they worked but I didn't need to spend any time babying or hiding them everywhere I went. I think they are ideal as a loaner, car bin, or a gift to normal people.

You are on to something though......as bit of full disclosure and if we stop talking about a good value and move to personal tastes--I doubt I ever buy another open bridge design.
Click to expand...

Nothing personal intended. ;)

I'm glad to hear you donated them to someone who appreciates them.

Bryce...
 
Hi folks. I recently took delivery of a SII 8x32 as a second pair to my Nikon M7 8x42. Didn't want the M7 banging around in my bag everyday just in case I wanted to use a bino. I'm very impressed with the SII! I even use them for stargazing if my M7 isn't present. They render stars very well for a 32mm bino. I have to concur that the hype has not been overdone. They definitely punch well above $180.
 
Sightron vs Kenko (vs Pentax)

I have just received the Sightron. First impressions:
-Optically it appears to be identical to the Kenko; also the weights of these two sets appear to be the same: 16-17oz.
-Lens covers, rainguards, straps and cases also identical.
-Prices also are similar: Kenko is some 10$ more expensive.
-Sightron's focuser is stiffer; the focus wheel of my example of Kenko is buttery smooth with no play/slop.
-Kenko protuberances and crests mimic those of the Sightron but they are rounded and Kenko feels a bit better in the hand; but I do not have any problem with Sightron either.
-Kenko looks like a cheap plasticky set, I like more the looks of the Sightron---the dark green color of the latter might play a role here.

Will I keep any? I do not know yet, maybe I will keep the Sightron for its "better looks". OpticsPlanet sells this set for 180$ with free 2 days shipping, which costs 30$---at this price level the Sightron can be considered a good set---I have no blackouts issues with it, CA is reasonably well controlled, the FoV is good, and while there are glare issues they are mild (SV 8x32 has more glare problems, for me, than the Sightron....). However I have a Pentax DCF 9x32 set and I do not think the Sightron adds anything to it or complements it in any way. On the contrary, if I were to choose between these two sets I probably would choose the Pentax.

Peter.
 
Presto .... Is the amount of focus wheel travel/rotation past infinity the same for both the Kenko and the Sightron?

Thanks.
 
A few issues of all sets I discussed above, which I forgot to mention:
-they all fog up rather easily---even the heat from your hand or eyes makes fog appear on the surface of the objective lenses or oculars, and it takes several good seconds before it evaporates.
-their diopter correction is not very precise and, at least in my case, the correction required appears to depend on the distance.
 
Hi Bruce:

I am replying "presto"...despite the fact that my pseudonym is "pesto" (it's lunch time here...). That's another thing that I forgot to mention (I remember that you or maybe another member had issues with this aspect): for my examples of the two sets, the Sightron has more travel past infinity than the Kenko---for Kenko the travel past inf is very short (likely the shortest I have seen in any of the more than 100 binos that I had in my hands), and I am wondering if that's a real problem---wouldn't a good DoF compensate for that?///Peter.
 
Short travel past infinity can be a problem if a very nearsighted person wants to use the binocular without wearing glasses. The distance past infinity uses up the diopter travel adjustment the nearsighted person needs.

Bob
 
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Bob and Bruce:

The travel past inf of course is needed for nearsighted people, but the point I was trying to make is the following: For the Sightron, if one turn=12h, then there are about 2.5h past inf (my left eye is (almost) perfect). Now these sets have excellent DoF; specifically with the Sightron focused at infinity, objects at a distance of about 30m are almost in focus (a small turn of no more than 1h is required to get them in perfect focus). Given this good DoF at infinity, 2.5h past inf might be enough even for very nearsighted persons.

Peter.
 
For the Kenko the travel past inf appears to be about 2h, so not much smaller. As I have already said above even the moisture from hands or eyes can make these sets fog up, and the condense does not evaporate quickly--this could be a deal breaker for those living in humid areas. Also the eyecups are not comfortable--the rims of the flat rubber covers are a too sharp---rounded eyecups would have made the view a bit more relaxed.

All in all, good (almost identical) sets at their price level and even a couple of times above it.

Peter.
 
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