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

Kowa 7X40s - ZCF (porro) (1 Viewer)

DadraFromFrance

Well-known member
France
I find a pair of this old porro Kowa 7X40 ZCF. They are FMC and not too heavy (760g). Here for the features : http://www.praxistrading.com/kowa7x40zcf.html
It's difficult to find some review online. I give my impression.

OPTIC
It's a very nice little bino : very sharp edge to edge and very bright for this price range. Not a hudge FOV (7,5°) for a 7X40 but not bad. Image is very fine at infinity (better feeling than the Sightron 8X32 for landscape viewing -thanks porro !)
Flare is very well controled and contrast is nice but a bit less than the Sightron.
Great CA control (better than my old Jenoptem 10X50 with 3TM coating) and I can see purple fringing at extem border in high contrast.
Field curvature : medium but visible in proxy viewing.

ERGONOMY
Well balanced and compact for a 7X40. The neck strap is dead (I have to find a new one). Rubber eyepieces are confortable.

Did someone else try these old Kowa ? No information for the production date...

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Congratulations! I have been watching that particular glass for quite a time now, but I haven't had the possibility to purchase it. The price was definitely right to make this a bargain!

//L
 
Congratulations, that looks like a great porro, and a 7x should be in everyone`s arsenal.
A 7x42 porro was lacking in my equipment. Not anymore now !

I understand now all 7X lovers : they are very pleasant to handle and allow a very relax viewing.
These little Kowa should be also very good for astro observations but it's rainy in France :C
 
I find a pair of this old porro Kowa 7X40 ZCF. They are FMC and not too heavy (760g). Here for the features : http://www.praxistrading.com/kowa7x40zcf.html
It's difficult to find some review online. I give my impression.

OPTIC
It's a very nice little bino : very sharp edge to edge and very bright for this price range. Not a hudge FOV (7,5°) for a 7X40 but not bad. Image is very fine at infinity (better feeling than the Sightron 8X32 for landscape viewing -thanks porro !)
Flare is very well controled and contrast is nice but a bit less than the Sightron.
Great CA control (better than my old Jenoptem 10X50 with 3TM coating) and I can see purple fringing at extem border in high contrast.
Field curvature : medium but visible in proxy viewing.

ERGONOMY
Well balanced and compact for a 7X40. The neck strap is dead (I have to find a new one). Rubber eyepieces are confortable.

Did someone else try these old Kowa ? No information for the production date...

Dadra,

Nice find! When you say "old" do you mean the Kowa porros are discontinued? Must be, I don't see them listed on allbino's Kowa page:

http://www.allbinos.com/31-Kowa-binoculars.html

I see that Praxis has stores in the U.S. I wonder if they have those Kowa porros over here.

The barrels remind me of the "prostheses" on my 8x32 SE (see photo).

Brock
 

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They may have been discontinued in the first few years of 2000; I recall at about time joined BF (2003) that WarehouseExpress here were selling off their last one. The advertised 22mm eye relief caught my eye at the time.
 
Dadra,

Nice find! When you say "old" do you mean the Kowa porros are discontinued? Must be, I don't see them listed on allbino's Kowa page:

http://www.allbinos.com/31-Kowa-binoculars.html

I see that Praxis has stores in the U.S. I wonder if they have those Kowa porros over here.

The barrels remind me of the "prostheses" on my 8x32 SE (see photo).

Brock
"Old" for "discontinued", yes. I have no information for the production dates. Your NikonSE should be a lot superior because these Kowa were the medium/low class range. There are not waterproof and the field curvature is medium but visible. The very good sharpness, color and the huge E/R make them very confortable. For the price, it's not bad !
 
"Old" for "discontinued", yes. I have no information for the production dates. Your NikonSE should be a lot superior because these Kowa were the medium/low class range. There are not waterproof and the field curvature is medium but visible. The very good sharpness, color and the huge E/R make them very confortable. For the price, it's not bad !

Yes, well, it is named "Superior E". ;)

However, as I've learned from the Nikon 7x35 WF, ZR 7x36 ED2, and Celestron 7x50 Nova, 7x provides noticeably better depth of field than 8x, and particularly in porros gives a Super 3-D Effect™.

The Kowa 7x40 porro also provides plenty of "real estate" for my large hands compared to Kowa roofs. If the company would have kept these 7x and 10x40 porros in their line-up, they would now have the company's latest and greatest anti-reflective coatings and have light transmission on par with their top roofs.

But alas, my dear Dadra, the Day of the Premium Porro is drawing nye, but at least Kowa has its Chinbin version of the Leupold Yosemites to offer.

Brock
 
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