Expecting a possible price inrease, which may not happen, and because I've been thinking about this for a while, I got one.
Initially, I was very disapponted as there is a light pillar almost vertically above a street light just out of view at the bottom, and the same thing with the Moon.
This compares with the 10x42 HD, which I rate 8.5/10 for ghosting. Superb.
There are no real ghosts here.
The Bausch and Lomb 10x42 1990s P coating I rate 7.5/10 and I use this for observations at night just above the street light. The small problem here is veiling glare, but it has had a hard life.
Back to the 8x32 HD.
I reasoned that it was likely that if I masked the bottom of the objectives the ghost light pillar might vanish. The improvement is instant and I guessed correctly. The light pillars are from each barrel at a slight but opposite angle to the vertical.
If I cut off the bottom 4mm, no ghosts.
This reduces the binocular to about 8x31 if the whole 32mm is normally used.
There is no perceptible effect.
I will try a circular mask to reduce the size of the mask.
I will also try to identify the root cause of the light pillar.
In areas of sky away from the Moon or street lights the star fields are excellent.
In the day the performance is similar but different to the 8x30 EII.
In dull conditions the 8x32 is brighter, but in brighter light equal. It seems that my eyes open to 4mm readily in the daytime.
The field of the 8x32 I measured at 8.1 degrees (8.11), as against 8.0 degrees stated.
If I mask the bottom of the objectives the field size should stay the same.
Ghosting of 8x32, as is, 7/10.
With mask 8/10, maybe better.
The Moon looks slightly squashed with the 8x32 at the field edges top, bottom, left and right but this is not a problem. A change of magnification at the edges. This is less severe than some binoculars that I don't like at all bacause of field edge contortions.
Initially, I was very disapponted as there is a light pillar almost vertically above a street light just out of view at the bottom, and the same thing with the Moon.
This compares with the 10x42 HD, which I rate 8.5/10 for ghosting. Superb.
There are no real ghosts here.
The Bausch and Lomb 10x42 1990s P coating I rate 7.5/10 and I use this for observations at night just above the street light. The small problem here is veiling glare, but it has had a hard life.
Back to the 8x32 HD.
I reasoned that it was likely that if I masked the bottom of the objectives the ghost light pillar might vanish. The improvement is instant and I guessed correctly. The light pillars are from each barrel at a slight but opposite angle to the vertical.
If I cut off the bottom 4mm, no ghosts.
This reduces the binocular to about 8x31 if the whole 32mm is normally used.
There is no perceptible effect.
I will try a circular mask to reduce the size of the mask.
I will also try to identify the root cause of the light pillar.
In areas of sky away from the Moon or street lights the star fields are excellent.
In the day the performance is similar but different to the 8x30 EII.
In dull conditions the 8x32 is brighter, but in brighter light equal. It seems that my eyes open to 4mm readily in the daytime.
The field of the 8x32 I measured at 8.1 degrees (8.11), as against 8.0 degrees stated.
If I mask the bottom of the objectives the field size should stay the same.
Ghosting of 8x32, as is, 7/10.
With mask 8/10, maybe better.
The Moon looks slightly squashed with the 8x32 at the field edges top, bottom, left and right but this is not a problem. A change of magnification at the edges. This is less severe than some binoculars that I don't like at all bacause of field edge contortions.
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