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Imagic BGA VHD anouncement (1 Viewer)

I think these look very interesting. I'm glad Opticron have increased the field of view. The 0.2 difference isn't much but I think, for me, 7.2 is the minimum I'm comfortable with.
 
We've been told it uses the the same chassis design as the previous generation of Imagic models which "feature a lightweight magnesium body".

David

Pete is strangely silent. I hope they are not polycarbonate, a material that gives the Nikon Monarch 7 a cheapish feel IMHO
 
My Monarch 7 8x30 doesn't feel cheap to me even considering that it cost less than $400.00

At 26.6 ounces with its large AK prisms neither does my Zeiss Victory 7x42 FL T* which cost a lot more. Its casing is made of fibre reinforced plastics. It is and it does feel much lighter than both my Leica 7x42 Trinovid BN and my Swarovski 7x42 SLC B which have aluminum frames.

Polycarbonate plastics can be very tough but people still don't seem to trust them although the Optical industry has been using them for years.

Bob
 
The Imagic BGA VHD construction is a combination of aluminium alloy, magnesium and some polycarbonate parts and as David notes is the same as the previous generation models (and many generations before!). So we have a good 15 plus years of knowing and trusting the build quality of this model.

HTH

Cheers, Pete
 
I wonder how these will compare to the DBA VHD's ? I know they are quite a bit cheaper than the DBA's and should theoretically not be quite as good... but with all the talk of them being the same as the much discussed and allegedly alpha equalling Tract toric could they actually be better than the top of the range Opticron?
The DBA's are really lovely bins.I own the 8x42's but I'm not sure they quite approach alpha level.

Later edit: Then again I sold my Nikon SE's after getting them so they must be pretty good!
 
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I think these look very interesting. I'm glad Opticron have increased the field of view. The 0.2 difference isn't much but I think, for me, 7.2 is the minimum I'm comfortable with.

I agree... FOV is the main reason i haven't bought an Opticron binocular before.
 
I see these are showing as in stock in some dealers now. I'm looking forward to comparing them to the DBA VHD when I get the chance. ( after a year clean I've had a binocular addiction relapse )

I have a renewed appreciation for the DBA VHD 8x42 after spending a week or so comparing them to some Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32's.
I always assumed that in good light a quality 8x42 and an 8x32 would not differ too much in brightness but the difference between these two really surprised me. The Opticron made the Zeiss seem like an 8x25 when switching back and forth, the difference was that obvious, it really sold me on the benefits of a lightweight x42 as one's main binocular, and the Zeiss, as good as they are, went up for sale pronto. I would gladly sacrifice a little field of view for a lighter weight binocular. I think Opticron's philosophy of ' smaller , lighter, brighter, sharper' is eminently sensible.

Anyway, the Imagic BGA VHD have a usefully wider field of view advantage over the DBA VHD'S plus the oilphobic coating that I don't think the DBA has, PLUS with the rumour of it being the same as the Tract toric I think it's gonna be a very interesting comparison. Man, do I love my DBA's though!
 
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They are not on their website Chris.
Sean

I know that they are selling them as fast as they get them in stock. I have had several repeat orders so far. I was there on Thursday when they ordered some more, give them a ring. The shop is always very busy and so the website may not be 100% accurate
 
First impressions: Opticron Imagic DBA VHD 10x42

I have just had the chance to try the new Imagic DBA VHD 10x42, comparing it with two other binoculars I have on hand, Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 and Zeiss FL 10x42, so all three models with exit pupils round 4mm.

I had high expectations of the Opticron, having been very impressed with the performance of my MM3 50 ED with HDF 12-36 eyepiece. To my eyes the image at 12x (i.e. a 4 mm EP) is very close to ideal in terms of brightness, resolution, contrast, colour, size of sweet spot and flatness of field.

Size and ergonomics:

Small and light for x42s, making the FLs look and feel big and bulky. They are still relatively long (152mm according to Opticron’s website) but slim and comfortable to hold. The armour looks lightweight (thin) but is well-fitted, with a noticeable seam between top and bottom halves of armour.
Eyecups operate very smoothly with three click stops, and stay where they are put in normal operation.
Eye relief was ample, as advertised.
Dioptre adjustment ring on right barrel was smooth but stiff enough not to shift accidentally; I had some difficulty getting satisfactory adjustment and found I was changing the setting for use at different distances. This may have been because eye placement was sensitive, more than in either Zeiss model.
Focus wheel operates smoothly, approx. 1.25 rotations anti-clockwise to infinity, with moderate tension; there was just a hint of play when reversing focussing direction. Opticron’s website states that focus is geared so that just 180 degrees of rotation will cover distances from 5m to infinity; I found this was the case in actual use. I found close focus to be as listed, at slightly under 2m.

Optical performance:

Bright, but noticeably less so than either Zeiss, and with a very slight hint of warm colour bias.
Field of view narrower than the FLs, without feeling restrictive. To my eyes, not obviously more flat-field than either Zeiss model.
Resolution was good, but contrast less so to my eyes, noticeably less than the Zeiss – I could readily see more definition and detail with either Zeiss model. Because I wear multifocal lenses to correct myopia and astigmatism I’m cautious in commenting on extent of CA, but it was there, certainly more apparent than in the Zeiss. I had difficulty defining the size of sweet spot, but put it at approx. 60%, dropping off in sharpness quite quickly to the edge, though brightness was still good.

In summary I found these to be very functional binos but a little underwhelming, perhaps because I was expecting something closer to alpha performance. For me the negatives were an ongoing difficulty in getting eye placement right wearing glasses, and a lack of crispness (snap) in the view which left me searching for precise focus in some situations. I can’t rule out the possibility that these are QC problems.
 
Thanks for the comparison, but I'm confused by your post heading. Was that the dual hinge DBA VHD or the single hinge Imagic BGA VHD you looked at?

David
 
Thanks for the clarification. Interesting observations and perhaps not quite what I was expecting either. I look forward to having a look myself, but not sure when I'll have a chance.

David
 
Very interesting comparison ABCY1. I've not been able to try them yet so will be fascinating to see more reviews when they come trickling through.

Was particularly interesting to hear about your brightness observations in comparison to the two Zeiss. Too early to draw any conclusions yet but I too was hoping for something a bit more alpha like, perhaps better than the DBA VHD I have. As mentioned in my earlier post the difference in brightness between the DBA 8x42 and some Conquest HD 8x32 on a slightly overcast early afternoon was really quite staggering. Maybe nice to know the extra expense of the DBA over the new Imagic BGA VHD indeed equates to better performance.
 
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I bought an Imagic VHD 8x42 10 days ago and have been using it ever since. It's a very good binocular . I prefer it to the DBA VHD. It handles better, has a wider FOV and I can't see any difference optically. It's bright, sharp with excellent contrast. I'm very pleased.
 
Hi, Petrus,

Please see my post 13 of thread

Home > Forums > Photography, Digiscoping, Art & Equipment > Binoculars > Opticron > Opticron Traveller ED 8x32 review

Did you have any sun over the last ten days? Did you notice flare, glare or whatever?
 
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