Advice needed on Pentax DCF ED (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I got a NIB Pentax DCF ED for what I think is a good price a 8x43 for $600 US.

I also have a Minox 7x42 BD BR. Really like it. To me the 8x shakes a little bit. This is not only with the ED but with other 8x also. I am debating to keep it or not. If I return it most likely I will never buy a ED bino for this price or buy another one period.

I do like the Minox is nice resolution is good, but of course the ED is sharper.

However I have looked at the 10x32 ED Swaro and it did not shake at all. Can it be maybe the design of the open bridge? Can it be the 32 mm size? I am just guessing. I am pretty sure the shaking is me. All 8x bino do shake when I hold them.

My ideal bino would be the new Nikon 7x42 EDG but way out of price range.

My question also is does the open bridge design is more stable? I mean does not shake as much as a traditional design?

What you guys think. First time posting here

Welcome.

No, I think shake is mostly to be counteracted by some weight and maybe how it is distributed. Everybody has some shakyness. I have learned to live with it and get as much information as I can. I bird a bit from my car, and I can set the window such that the binoculars rest on it. I also rest on the roof of the car with elbows when I am outside.

A Finn Stick...discarded hoceky stick...may be of some help.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=27844&highlight=finn+stick

I think ED is somewhat overrated. A good binocular in 7x is what you are happy with, go with it. Forget the ED part. Some non ED glass is good, and at 7x, well, who cares? It does not distort much.

Sounds like the open bridge of the Swarovski suits you. It's EL, though, not ED.
I like the open bridge designs, as well. The ELs I've tried, and the 8x42 Vortex Razor were more stable for me than closed bridge models, and the 10x42 EL was rock steady, too. Haven't tried the 10x32.
Everything I'll say after this is about compromise of one kind or another, but the open bridge really makes a difference to me.

I have the 8x32 Pentax DCF ED, and have had half a dozen other 8x binoculars, along with several 7x. The 7x were always steadier for me, particularly a 7x50 porro that I've been using a lot, but it was still true for the 7x35s.
Having begun to gain more appreciation for larger exit pupils, even at the expense of FOV/AFOV, I've been trying to talk myself into saving for a 7x42 SLC instead of the 8.5x42 EL that tops my want list(can't afford either, right now).
I like how the bigger exit pupil seem to minimize shake-though I'm sure the combination of porro prism design, size, and weight of the 7x50s are contributing a lot to this. Since I have a hard time with the idea of committing to a 7x, as 8x makes a big difference to me, I'm also considering something along the lines of a 8x50, 8.5x50, etc. That makes size an issue, so the debate starts all over again!
Other peoples' opinions and experiences are great to draw on(a reason I LOVE this forum), but in the end we all have to make our own choices to suit our individual preferences-and accept that those can change, too.