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

ED Glass binoculars? (1 Viewer)

I can happily report that the DBA VHD is definitely worth the wait. I have my hands on a review pair and had the opportunity to use them extensively this past weekend.

Very brief initial impressions when using them.

Bright, very, very bright....especially under low light conditions. I can't believe it is just a coating upgrade. I almost think they significantly upgraded the class to something similar to what Zeiss uses in their HTs. The brightness is that noticeable.

Apparent sharpness is excellent within the sweetspot.

Color representation is completely neutral in comparison to every binocular I compared them to.

Ergonomics (open bridge design) is very good for my large hands though the binoculars aren't large by 8x42 standards. Focusing wheel tension is good lending itself to a very precise feel.

The bad?

As mentioned above the field of view is only 7.0 degrees which, though not claustrophobic, isn't at the level of the alpha models that this binocular most certainly can compete with in other areas.

Sweet spot size isn't "edge to edge". True sweet spot size is about 70% in my estimation but the off axis transition is subtle and not distracting.

All for now. ;)
 
Thank you Frank, sounds overall a very decent glass at the price range, though if sharp across only about 70% of FOV, that would be a litlle bit below what I would expect these days.
 
In that one area of optical performance I would agree Ben. The other areas though are very, very good. Color saturation and contrast have really been jumping out at me with regular use. The light transmission has to be very good in order to get this type of performance.
 
Hi Frank, could I ask you 2 questions if you still have the pair (hopefully not too difficult to answer :)

1. What's its weight?
2. How does its brightness compares vs the mm3 x 60 w/ SDL v2 eyepiece at x15? And is it 8x42 or 10x42 the pair you are getting?

Kindest regards
 
Gzoladz74,

1. I still have the pair. They are an evaluation pair I was given at a recent bird festival. They are the 8x42 configuration.

2. I don't know the weight off hand but I can weigh it later today and give you a specific answer. My guess would be in the mid 20's (ounces)...maybe 24 or 25 if I had to hazard a guess. Not sure how that translates into grams.

3. I can actually make that exact comparison as I have both on hand. My "guess" would be that the VHD will be brighter...it is actually "that bright"...but I will let you know for sure later.
 
Weight for the 8x42 is 696g (24.5oz) and for the 10x42 is 714g (25.2oz).

Other basic specs:

FOV 7° and 6°
Eyerelief 22mm and 17mm
Size 145 x 126 x 51.5mm

HTH, Pete
 
Thanks, from what Frank has said about the 8x42, and with FOV 7°, weight at 24.5oz and 22mm eye relief it all sounds very good.
 
Gzoladz74 said:
Hi Frank, could I ask you 2 questions if you still have the pair (hopefully not too difficult to answer :)

1. What's its weight?
2. How does its brightness compares vs the mm3 x 60 w/ SDL v2 eyepiece at x15? And is it 8x42 or 10x42 the pair you are getting?

Kindest regards
Click to expand...

To answer the question about the brightness, it is brighter than the MM3 60 mm at 15x with the SDL V2 eyepiece.
 
Question for the experts... In the context of my research for an upgrade for my 8x42, I have noticed that models with a wider fov tend to be heavier. Is this just a coincidence, or there are physical reasons for this to be the case?
 
Generally wider and or flatter views need a numberb of additional lenses in the eyepiece and potentially bigger prisms which contribute to the extra weight.

David
 
In the strictest sense, depth of field only depends on the magnification and the objective diameter. Higher magnification, shorter DOF. However, as the pupil of the eye dilates and contracts, the effective objective diameter changes. We see a better depth of field in brighter conditions than in dim conditions.

With a flat field designs, the depth of field should be pretty uniform across the didth of the view, but because the eye has higher acuity in the centre of the view than the edges it might not always seem that way. Simpler optical configurations can have field curvature. That means the focal point at the edges is closer than the centre. So if you were standing perpendiculr to a distant hedge for instance, the horizontal edges would be out of focus but the foreground between the hedge and your self might be in sharp focus. This can give a perception of greater depth of field.

The width of the field of view doesn't really come in to it, but I guess altering the FOV could alter the degree of curvature but it changes other characteristics as well.

So a blured edge to a view can be due to field curvature, (which I consider a positive characteristic in some situation), or to optical aberrations such as astigmatism, when the view cannot be brought to sharp focus. I am happy to use both flat and curved field binoculars as both have their strengths, but I'm not keen on soft edges as that's redundant FOV and reduced perceived DOF.

David
 
Last edited:
Gzoladz74 said:
Interesting... That leads me to think that a wider fov would impact adversely the apparent depth of field?
Click to expand...

Gustavo,


Your name came up today when I was in Conn's Cameras. They have agreed to take the DBA VHD 8x42 which will be with them 2nd week in December

Chris Galvin
Opticron
 
typo said:
In the strictest sense, depth of field only depends on the magnification and the objective diameter. Higher magnification, shorter DOF. However, as the pupil of the eye dilates and contracts, the effective objective diameter changes. We see a better depth of field in brighter conditions than in dim conditions.

With a flat field designs, the depth of field should be pretty uniform across the didth of the view, but because the eye has higher acuity in the centre of the view than the edges it might not always seem that way. Simpler optical configurations can have field curvature. That means the focal point at the edges is closer than the centre. So if you were standing perpendiculr to a distant hedge for instance, the horizontal edges would be out of focus but the foreground between the hedge and your self might be in sharp focus. This can give a perception of greater depth of field.

The width of the field of view doesn't really come in to it, but I guess altering the FOV could alter the degree of curvature but it changes other characteristics as well.

So a blured edge to a view can be due to field curvature, (which I consider a positive characteristic in some situation), or to optical aberrations such as astigmatism, when the view cannot be brought to sharp focus. I am happy to use both flat and curved field binoculars as both have their strengths, but I'm not keen on soft edges as that's redundant FOV and reduced perceived DOF.

David
Click to expand...

Thanks David, I need to go through this slowly a few times!
 
Chris Galvin said:
Gustavo,


Your name came up today when I was in Conn's Cameras. They have agreed to take the DBA VHD 8x42 which will be with them 2nd week in December

Chris Galvin
Opticron
Click to expand...

Thank Chris, - I will definitely go to check it out.

I like Conns, their prices are competitive (even vs online) and they are great at cs and letting you try the gear.
 
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