Minox time in Kentucky (1 Viewer)

Most binocular manufacturers give us optics with some color rendering toward certain colors of the spectrum. Optical engineers, and we are very fortunate to have several on this forum, call this a type of chromatic aberration. Leica and Zeiss owners boast their optics provide true nature's colors. And I must say I agree with these L & Z fans, judging from the few Leica and Zeiss binoculars I have been privileged to look through.

To illustrate color rendering, I point to some Japanese optics which have a yellowish hue. This leaning toward yellow in the color spectrum is what gives such eyepopping greens, yellows, blues, reds, and blacks; which can be very colorful when observing sheen on a bird's feathers and star color in the night sky, as well as landscapes with a lot of red, yellow, and green. During the Spring and Summer seasons here in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, nothing brings out the colors of landscapes like a good Japanese quality optic. The new green grass, leaves, wildflowers, and bird colors are amazing through a Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, or Swift Audubon. This yellow rendering is also good for haze (fog) penetration--which is abundant in Japan and in many other areas of the world.

Now for the Minox time of year.

Here in Kentucky we have rolling hills in the Western and central portion of the state, and Appalachian mountains in the eastern coal regions. As the locals know, the Appalachian mountains are most colorful during the fall right before the brighter colors begin to disappear. Yes, we get lots of yellows, oranges, and reds--briefly--and then everything turns brown. I call this the fading season.

During the fading season my Minox HG BR 8x33 brings out the most wonderful hues of brown and other fading colors. I cannot really explain it, except to say it reminds me of old world colors. Sometimes I think it is the aspheric glass advertised in Minox literature, other times I think it might be the small exit pupil (4.1mm) of my particular Minox, whatever the reason my Minox renders whites a beautiful antique white hue. All I can say is I enjoy observing our Kentucky hills during the fall and early winter months with my aspheric Minox.

So, as I prepare for the upcoming fall colors--which will be early and brief due to the lack of rain--I plan to do my observing with Japanese optics to capture the full effect of the yellows, oranges, and reds. A pumpkin patch viewed in the late afternoon sun through Pentax optics is dazzling. Maybe it is not natural, but it still dazzles.

However, when the colors fade and we have an abundance of brown, from late fall through the winter months, I plan to keep the compact Minox close at hand. Someday I may take the step and go completely natural with L or Z. But for now, I will stick with my little Minox, which some say is almost as natural as an L or Z.
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Bob
Kentucky, USA

I am patiently waiting for my Minox to arrive via delivery truck any day. Do you have other observations of the 8X33 HG you'd care to share? Thanks!

I hope you enjoy your Minox HG 8x33 as much as I do. They are a pure joy to use. There are so many things I like about this size binocular. In some respects, I think the 8x30 size will continue to grow in popularity. It is true, there are some situations when they are not the most desirable choice, as during twilight in the early morning and late evening. But the compact size makes them so easy to have with you in most daylight situations.

--Bob
Kentucky, USA

Bob. my 8x33 HG's arrived and they are as you advertised. I've had a chance to use them at home and near the water where you can scan distances from your toes to the opposite shore several miles away. I've also compared them to mid 90's SLC 8x30's and a newer SLC with Swarobright coatings and I place the HG's between those two. High praise indeed.

ewsjr--

I am glad your Minox 8x33 HGs arrived and you are getting the opportunity to use them. It is good to hear how they rank in your Swaro collection.

. . .

How does the color rendering compare between the Swaros and the Minox. Do you notice any difference in hues of color? I would be interested in reading your comments.

--Bob
Kentucky

Bob, the older Swaro's are mine. They give a yellow tint to the world. The newer Swaro belongs to a brother-in-law and he was curious as to the Minox so he could get one for his son. The newer Swaro is very neutral and the Minox tends toward blue. I don't see the color distortion I would expect given the Minox apparent coloration and they aren't far from the new Swarovski SLC. The time we spent comparing wasn't long enough but went through various stages of light to twilight. The Minox was close to the new Swarovski in all regards and a bit ahead of the older one in resolution and brightness. My nephew will be getting the Minox for Christmas this year after his dad's evaluation. His conclusion was the same as mine. The new Swaro is better but not by enough to pay the extra and the demo units like mine are a great buy.

ewsju--

Thanks for the color rendition comments. They really are helpful.

--Bob
Kentucky

Bob, had the Minox 8x33 out today along with a 10X43 Pentax DCF SP. The view between the two was very similar. The lenses on the Minox appear 'bluer' but they don't distort colors as I thought they might. It was hard to distinguish color rendition between the Minox and Pentax. Also compared them to a Swarovski 7X42 Habicht porro. The Swarovski porro is as neutral in color rendition as any bino I've used and the Minox view was similar though just a bit towards the blue side with reds not quite as distinguished. The differences were SMALL!

UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE

Minox time in Kentucky is already here. Due to the dry hot summer, the leaves on the trees are going straight from green to a crunchy brown. This fall we are not having much color in the foilage at all. With the absence of the yellows and reds, Minox is the bin of choice when walking through the premature brown woods.

Bob, the more I use the Minox HG's, the more I like them. I'm selling the older Swarovski SLC's as the Minox are better. The only place the Minox HG's lag the SLC is in depth of field. I need to fine tune the Minox focus a bit more. A second time spent comparing with my broinlaw's newer SLC's shows they are close - very close with depth of field being the biggest difference and very little difference in resolution.

ewsjr said:

The only place the Minox HG's lag the SLC is in depth of field. I need to fine tune the Minox focus a bit more. . . . depth of field being the biggest difference.

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Every binocular has one or more weak points. My assessment is the same as yours--although I am comparing the Minox HG 8x33 to different binoculars than you have. These same two weak areas have been reported by several users over several forums--shallow depth of field and difficulty of fine focusing.

In the way I use my Minox HG 8x33, these two weak areas appear related. A shallow depth of field forces me to focus more frequently; difficulty in reaching a fine focus is multiplied by the shallow depth of field. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Whether it is due to the depth of field or the focusing mechanism, the result is that the user is slowed down considerably.

I have found, however, that the shallow depth of field adds an aesthetic frame when scanning trees (and their occupants) up to 50 yards/47 meters. Farther out, this aesthetic frame gives way to the drudge of constant focusing. Maybe that is why the focus distance on the focusing wheel ends at 50 yards?

A focusing mechanism that works as good or better as that found on the Swift Audubon 820 porro or the Pentax DCF roof would definitely improve things for the average Minox HG user. Another compact binocular that I use frequently (Leupold Katmai 6x32) also suffers from this same depth of field/fine focusing malady.

Ah me! Despite this malady, I find that I still embrace the color rendition of this magnificent binocular. In the end, the color rendition, more than any other feature--even the wonderful compact size, is what draws me to pick up (again and again) the Minox HG 8x33.

. . .

I wonder if the shallow depth of field/fine focusing malady is found in other sizes of the HG, as well as the newer, more expensive APO models?

--Bob
Kentucky

UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE

We have had some rain in the last two weeks and there are strips of full color among our Kentucky hills. At the top of the hills the trees do not show their usual fall color--the leaves are a crunchy brown. However, the full color of fall can be observed in the trees growing near hillside drainage slopes or ravines where water seeps from layers of underground limestone.

Here is a sample.

. . .

This morning I took my Minox HG BR 8x33 for a walk along a ridge trail in a local nature preserve. The time was 10:00 a.m. and the sky was a perfect blue with no clouds.

The trail followed a ridge overlooking several ravines filled with decidious hardwood trees--mostly oaks and maples. The maples burned alive with bright yellow, orange, and red leaves in the morning sun. The oaks, particularly the red oaks with deep red leaves, also contrasted with the deep blue morning sky. The blue was prettiest in the western and northern skies, opposite the rising sun.

The trail gave many opportunities to observe the beauty of hardwood trees in all their color. I particularly enjoyed using the mighty Minox to frame various patches of yellow, orange, or red against the blue sky.

Along the trail I played a game that is so common to many nature lovers and birders. I walked to a nice observing spot, leaned against the trunk of a large maple or oak, and waited for the woods to come live again after my walking noises stopped. As many of you know, this game takes 15-30 minutes before the immediate woods seems to have forgotten our intrusion. And with the Minox I watched and listened to the show.

The Minox 8x33 is very nice for these woodland walks because of their light weight and compact size. However, as I have said earlier in this thread, the Minox HG BR excels in pulling in the natural colors of the woods--particularly the grays and browns of the trunks, the color of the falling leaves, and the deep blue of the Kentucky sky.

. . .

In closing, someday I would like to try the Minox HG BR 8.5x52 with the 6.1 mm exit pupil for these walks through the woods. The added light gathering capacity of the 52mm objective lens should make possible detailed observations from the deep dark ravines where the ridges block the early morning and late afternoon sun.

Bob
Kentucky, USA