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Leica, Swaro, Zeiss... Nikon? (1 Viewer)

After all that hype, I'd still be interested to look through Zens or similar. But in my part of the world, I cannot just order and send back. That's why a more complete review would be welcome.
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Dalat,

What exactly are you looking for? I think all of the open-bridge ED bins have been written about extensively on here.

However, considering your comments and those just recently posted about low light performance I would be more than happy to pull several of my bins out to do a twilight/low light comparison this evening. I no longer have any of the high end Zeiss, Swaro or Leicas but I do have the 8x32 SE and the 8x42 Meopta Meostar for direct comparison.
 
Well, I don't want to dig too much in this discussion. It's just that I remember a lot of rather general praise of those bins, also a lot of comparison regarding resolution and edge-to-edge sharpness, but not so much comparison for the different difficult light conditions that I mentionned above (especially back-light, which i found being the most challenging situation for most optics). But as I also said above, maybe I just missed it, because i surely did not read all of the thousend posts.

But I am happy with the bins I have, so please no efforts of testing just for me. ;)
 
Hi again, did some more research in the forums and found a post that also answers that question. Sorry for bothering then. :)
 
bluesinlondon said:
How about this... You're going to be cast away on a desert island (where it rains as often as it's sunny) for at least the next ten years and you can take one pair of binoculars with you (that you don't have to pay for). What are they gonna be?
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Aaaaargh! That question will have many optics-obsessed BF folk sleepless for many nights. But my instant, un-filtered response, despite all I´ve said about the merits of Nikon SE 8x32, Canon IS 12x36, etc. etc., is Swarovski EL 8.5x42. If I were allowed just one bino. On a desert island. Where it´s rainy and sunny. For ten years. (But in real life, I use the SE´s, the IS, and the EL´s about equally, Spoiled rotten, me).

dalat said:
Hi again, did some more research in the forums and found a post that also answers that question. Sorry for bothering then. :)
Click to expand...
Dalat, you´re not bothering anyone, and your contributions are informative and thought-provoking. We´re just a bunch of sad folk obsessed with dual-tubes with glass in them.;)
 
bluesinlondon said:
... You're going to be cast away on a desert island (where it rains as often as it's sunny) for at least the next ten years and you can take one pair of binoculars with you...
Click to expand...

Of the brands being mentioned in this thread, Leica or Swarovski.

What I'd really want is Fujinon FMT-SX 10x50s as I probably will be scanning the horizon for rescuers far more than birding ;), and ultimate reliability in addition to kick ass performance sounds right. Better for night sky as well!
 
Bluesinlondon........i tried out all the 'big' brand bins.....got nikon HG's 8X32's....preferred them to the swaro 32's...[better colour..to my eyes]...leica ultravids?...everyone i've 'had a go on' in the field has got a dodgy focus wheel...as do swaro's...tho the amount of 'play' in wheels is variable...some are ridiculously bad for high price bins! Quality control seems to be down the pan these days. All prices?...going up on July 1st...! All 'top' brands you mentioned are great optically.....[beware Zeiss FL's have had trouble with rubber armoring coming off].....all personal preference obviously...try em all..!!...quickly....!
 
username said:
Bluesinlondon........i tried out all the 'big' brand bins.....got nikon HG's 8X32's....preferred them to the swaro 32's...[better colour..to my eyes]...leica ultravids?...everyone i've 'had a go on' in the field has got a dodgy focus wheel...as do swaro's...tho the amount of 'play' in wheels is variable...some are ridiculously bad for high price bins! Quality control seems to be down the pan these days. All prices?...going up on July 1st...! All 'top' brands you mentioned are great optically.....[beware Zeiss FL's have had trouble with rubber armoring coming off].....all personal preference obviously...try em all..!!...quickly....!
Click to expand...

I guess I'm one of the few people to have had an extended audition with the Nikon EDG, but for what it's worth, they are alpha bins in every way. They would look nice on the leather upholstery of a Jaguar, and they hit all the right tactile buttons. Oh, and the image is pretty good too.
 
My desert island glass would be a Canon 15x50, hands down. It'll do more things better than any bino I have or have tried. (Well, except flutterby watching). 'Course, wd also need a few womenfolk, a good supply of comestibles and a large cooler of Sam Adams....oh, and a very good hammock.
 
spyglass2 said:
My desert island glass would be a Canon 15x50, hands down. It'll do more things better than any bino I have or have tried. (Well, except flutterby watching). 'Course, wd also need a few womenfolk, a good supply of comestibles and a large cooler of Sam Adams....oh, and a very good hammock.
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I agree with the Canon IS because I have the 12x36 IS and it or the 15 or 18 would be excellent looking for ships passing by but I would worry about the waterproofness issue. Maybe the waterproof Canon IS would work. I think I could do without the womenfolk I would cherish the peace and quite! Oh and a computer so you could read Bird Forum. This is kind of sounding good!

Dennis
 
Fireform said:
I guess I'm one of the few people to have had an extended audition with the Nikon EDG, but for what it's worth, they are alpha bins in every way. They would look nice on the leather upholstery of a Jaguar, and they hit all the right tactile buttons. Oh, and the image is pretty good too.
Click to expand...

Would you say the optics on the Nikon EDG's are equal or better than the top ED alphas?

Dennis
 
spyglass2 said:
My desert island glass would be a Canon 15x50, hands down.
Click to expand...

Hands down?

[email protected] said:
I agree with the Canon IS because I have the 12x36 IS and it or the 15 or 18 would be excellent looking for ships passing by but I would worry about the waterproofness issue.
Click to expand...

Another one, eh?


I hope you guys aren't on the plane or ship with me when it wrecks ;)
Do you play chess one move at a time as well?

What'll you guys do for um, batteries?
And, when those batteries die... do you think that IS Canon will resist the elements for 10 years of rain, sun, and sand?
Aren't there little servos and such in those things?

As far as steadiness with my preferred Fujinons, I'll have plenty of time to improvise a tripod for scanning for ships. :t:
 
Kevin Conville said:
Hands down?



Another one, eh?


I hope you guys aren't on the plane or ship with me when it wrecks ;)
Do you play chess one move at a time as well?

What'll you guys do for um, batteries?
And, when those batteries die... do you think that IS Canon will resist the elements for 10 years of rain, sun, and sand?
Aren't there little servos and such in those things?





As far as steadiness with my preferred Fujinons, I'll have plenty of time to improvise a tripod for scanning for ships. :t:
Click to expand...

Use rechargeables and a LONG cord to charge them with or just take a case of Lithium batteries with you they have a ten year shelf life or so.

Dennis
 
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The Canon IS 10x30 works fine WITHOUT batteries. That's one of the reasons I like it.

For some reason I really don't fully understand I can hold this 10x more steady than any other 10x. It's weird. It's so weird that I'd like to see some other companies think about making rather boxy compact porro 2 bins. Think SE in a very odd box. Then the IS on top of that when you need it is just great.

BTW, I use a pair of NiMH (which last multiple days) and carry a backup pair of alkalines to help me through the rest of the day. If I was in an really cold environment I'd keep a spare pair of lithium. I I was really organized and really did full days birding I'd still probably only need one pair of NiMH per day but I'd carry a aspare apir. I've had it conk out once in the field. And swapped the alkalines in until the next day.

After using so many different bins and seeing the odd improvement (Chinese EDs, alphas, decent porros and now these) I'm surprised that I'm so happy with these despite the way they don't control stray color or have somewhat fiddley eye placement or aren't waterproof or have a pretty lousy warranty.

What I regret is I don't have more choice in IS bins. But perhaps when the patents expire ...

The servos work fine. I'm sure these may be more delicate and these ones arent' waterproof. But on the alpha scale of $100 per year they only have to last the US warranty period (3 years). In fact that's rather a problem for the 10x42 L waterproof bins. They need to last 10 years for that payback. And I really do wonder about that. Still I'm tempted but I suspect the easy focus and the easy grip are part of the 10x30.

And just think of all those IDs you'll miss over those 10 years that the IS bin guy with you will get ;) Seriously, I've already done it a couple of times birding with some friends ("Did you see the heads of the ospreys in that nest ... No? Oh?" for a nest 1km or so distant.
 
Hee hee. No scanning for ships allowed in the 'Dessert Island' scenario. Nor is there any electricity for recharging batteries! You are allowed to look at the night sky, but only for astronomy, not for navigation off the island.
 
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Fireform said:
I guess I'm one of the few people to have had an extended audition with the Nikon EDG, but for what it's worth, they are alpha bins in every way. They would look nice on the leather upholstery of a Jaguar, and they hit all the right tactile buttons. Oh, and the image is pretty good too.
Click to expand...

You are 'spot on' with the hitting the right 'tactile buttons'...my HG's just 'feel' the 'biz'..well balanced...solid...[oh yeah....and it has a focus wheel that's actually smooth]! I always make a point to check out all the latest binoculars and have been doing so since the mid seventies. Thing that really 'bugs me' is that with all the great optical advances in recent years....the build quality n design seems to have become almost secondary....plus quality control...which i have stated before...is crap with some companies. I lost faith in Leica..[as they are known now]....they slowly went downhill since my trinovid 'black spot' [german] Leitz bins...and the focus wheel is still smooth! Don't know how useful 'bluesinlondon' is finding all this info...;)

ps...message to the 'big' companies...get the basics 'sorted' will ya?...oh yes...and while i'm at it...if you're gonna charge such 'top dollar' prices then you'd better improve you're quality control too!
 
Jenoptens 10x50 MAGIC archie tannyer Mugsie Spanyer and a large VAT

POP
 
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spyglass2 said:
My desert island glass would be a Canon 15x50, hands down. It'll do more things better than any bino I have or have tried. (Well, except flutterby watching). 'Course, wd also need a few womenfolk, a good supply of comestibles and a large cooler of Sam Adams....oh, and a very good hammock.
Click to expand...

Of course, if we bring our Canon IS binos, we need to bring a solar panel, a recharger and whole lot of rechargeable batteries. But if it´s cloudy....
And if we bring the women, we need to bring large trunks for their shoes. And we need some matches or basic scout-troop fire-making skills because at some stage we´re going to get sick of seawatching and eating fruit, and a Big Barbecue might relieve the monotony.
 
Sancho said:
Of course, if we bring our Canon IS binos, we need to bring a solar panel, a recharger and whole lot of rechargeable batteries. But if it´s cloudy....
And if we bring the women, we need to bring large trunks for their shoes. And we need some matches or basic scout-troop fire-making skills because at some stage we´re going to get sick of seawatching and eating fruit, and a Big Barbecue might relieve the monotony.
Click to expand...

This is beginning to sound like Gilligan's Island |:d|
So stay prepared, theirs was but a three hour cruise!
 
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Actually can I have a Polynesian Island populated entirely by Cheerful Maidens enthusiastically running their own Binocular Factory? If they´re irresistibly attracted to Hiberno-Caucasian mediocrities with incongruously Hispanic online monikers, that´s a bonus.

Back in wakey-wakey land, I´ve been debating the issue with Myself, and Myself still reckons EL 8.5x42, because they´re bomb-proof. (Look what they did to Bikini Atoll).
 
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