-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Anyone used the Elite e2 Custom Compact 7x26? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MacGee
- Start date
mayoayo
Well-known member
I once called the Elite 7x a "looser",when I learned that Bushnell didnt improved the weatherproofing in this new version..I still think that is a shame on the part of Bushnell not to have pushed this version to that level.But I gladly Would Eat crow,and say that this binocular IS NOT a looser...
This binocular now more than ever deserves to be weatherproof,but ,this fact aside,the new elites 7x are among the best binoculars You can imagine.I have used them everyday now for a month.and Yes a little dot of dust made already its way in,and can be seen if you do close scrutiny the inside through the objective end,but this of course ,doesnt have the slight impact in performance.A tiny piece of thin,thin fiber or hair ,is also visible,and it was there since day one.I almost returned the bino to Optics Planet for this reason.But since Has no effect in the view,I opted to keep the binocular,because I am astonished about sharpness in this unit,and dont wat to risk receiving something different.
There is a thread about the best porro and roof models ,for people to vote,Most folks give the SE series a vote in the Porro section,..Well,....I LIKE THE ELITE 7x26 BETTER....I have owned the SE 8x32 ,and yes,What a wonderful image they create, but there is Something about getting SO MUCH (sharpness,contrast,DOF,glare control..etc)out of something SO SMALL,that is beyond Optical perfection.
Is called a Great Compromise.:t:
( I still URGE bushnell to review this binocular ,and try to waterproof it,without Changing its design,then send it to the Cornell folks to review,I imagine thumbs up all over the birding community,.After all this glass always was Bushnell's best)
Last edited:
If they's seal the body at the obj end, ala Canon IS, that'd keep out a lotta stuff....maybe wouldn't be imersion capable but would keep out dust and such. I jst wish they's enlarge the obj to 28mm and kick the fov up to 8* and keep 15-16mm er. As far as the Cornell bunch, giving a good review.....unless Bushnell opened the checkbook and became a big-time "supporter", I wouldn't look for a great review from them. And besides, the Bushnell name "isn't right" for them ('course neither is Swift or even Nikon....they did give the new Kowa 88 scope raves, but doubt they had little choice, since it literally blew away their pet Euro scopes and even the Pentax and Nikon...but I'm sure is was with apologies to Swaro, Zeiss, et al).
mayoayo
Well-known member
Yeah,I wasnt being serious about the Endorsement of Cornell,or any other "endorser",...The Bushnell brand is not something that I ,personally,love specially,And honestly ,I dont really care for most of their prodicts..The "Custom" name is a thing of its own though,And its interesting that the elite 7x26 has the Elite series logo in large letters in the side of the body,the Elite and Custom names in the focuser wheel,but No Bushnell brand clearly visible,except for the tiny letters in the round logo where it says (tiny) "bushnell birding series",..
I dont really need the 2mm extra aperture,nor do I care for the extra degree in FOV necessarily either.I am now used to the moderate,distortion free FOV and the LARGE sweet spot.But some type of sealing is needed,as you say,at least to keep dust to move in ..I dont know ,probably it would take 5 years of dust gathering before the view is compromised,But I have been monitoring the progression of specks inside the binos,and with normal use,there are New Friends inside almost every day!:eek!:
mayoayo
Well-known member
Steve...How Old is Your 7x26?..I am curious about the amount of dust and debris accumulated inside,or the impact in image quality of dust particles in the optical path...Now...With all the waterproof binoculars You own,Why in earth Do You take the Customs to Irrigate ?
Steve C
Well-known member
Mine is a B&L label from 2002 (maybe 03). I take it because it is the only real small binocular I own, and on a harness, it is something I really do not notice. I use it to check sprinkler head alignments, maybe 1/4 mile distant before pressuring the line, and I use it to check the distributions of the sprinkler heads (is any partially plugged etc) before I leave. I generally do not get very wet, but I do not see where anything is going to get into that glass anyway.
The real soaking I got was the time a faulty discharge hose chose the time for its complete failure should correspond exactly to the moment I was going to shut off the line and replace it (my mistake for using the bad one in the first place). This is a sort of heavy rubberised fire hose arrangement, 4" in diameter. When it let loose it was pointed right at me and the thing followed my every move. This is fed by an 8" underground mainline and receives water from a 50 hp electric pump. Short story is I got washed down maybe a 6 foot bank into a drain ditch with that blasted hose following my every move. After a couple of seconds that amount of water (and pressure) loss depressurised the system and I was able to get out of the ditch. I now understand why water hoses are effective crowd control devices.
Now the peak pressure of probably 40 psi on the hose dropped pretty fast so what hit me was the equivalent of a 4" garden hose, but that is a lot of water, and I was standing on the downhill slope and all the water made the slope too slippery to stand on and well...I got real wet. The binocular was on the harness. As far as I can tell, there was no damage to the binocular. It is as clear as it ever has been, and examination does not appear to show dust etc inside, although there probably is. Now, I have read other comments about other 7x26 fogging up easily, so maybe mine is the exception. Or maybe I just beat the odds that day.
Last edited:
jaymoynihan
Corvus brachyrhynchos watcher
I have used a pair of B&L 7x26 Customs for years. The unarmored black pebble-covering finish late 1980's version.
Due to their versatility etc. I quite recently purchased a pair of the successor Bushnell Elite version (which is i guess now superceded by the "E2").
Anyway, a few observations.
1. I think the optical quality of the Elite is superior to the late 80's one. Obviously, that means Excellent, still the top compact, yad,a yada.
2. Build quality is of course, not as good as the late 80's version, though i suspect they may be a tad better re resistance to dust/moisture.
3. The eyelets for attaching the strap are not fixed, rather they rotate. They are also not as substantial as on the late 80's version. This could be a weakness in the design over time.
4. The eyelets are simply round tiny rings that will not directly accept a standard strap, absent the inter-positioning of a small ring.
5. Normally, I do not criticize the straps that come with a binocular, since they seldom are designed well below the Alpha level, and i replace them right away. This strap though deserves special mention. The material it is made of abrades easily, including on the edge points of the tiny ring used to attach it to the tiny rings. This is important given the tiny non-standard attachment rings, and you will probably use the strap given the lack of an obvious alternative.
Due to their versatility etc. I quite recently purchased a pair of the successor Bushnell Elite version (which is i guess now superceded by the "E2").
Anyway, a few observations.
1. I think the optical quality of the Elite is superior to the late 80's one. Obviously, that means Excellent, still the top compact, yad,a yada.
2. Build quality is of course, not as good as the late 80's version, though i suspect they may be a tad better re resistance to dust/moisture.
3. The eyelets for attaching the strap are not fixed, rather they rotate. They are also not as substantial as on the late 80's version. This could be a weakness in the design over time.
4. The eyelets are simply round tiny rings that will not directly accept a standard strap, absent the inter-positioning of a small ring.
5. Normally, I do not criticize the straps that come with a binocular, since they seldom are designed well below the Alpha level, and i replace them right away. This strap though deserves special mention. The material it is made of abrades easily, including on the edge points of the tiny ring used to attach it to the tiny rings. This is important given the tiny non-standard attachment rings, and you will probably use the strap given the lack of an obvious alternative.
I have also owned the ealier model B&L 7x26 & regret selling it. The bushnell model just did not have the same quality. Its sad ,that more times than not some products loose their quality as the product line is changed over the years. Bausch & Lomb's binoculars & scopes that came out of Japan were first class. Of the six spotting scopes I have owned over the years, one being a Leica , I have kept just one, a B&L Premier HDR .......Gwen
jaymoynihan
Corvus brachyrhynchos watcher
Yes. I think the actual optical quality though is actually a bit better. But the build/ergonomics are certainly on a lesser level. Optically, for a compact, they are quite amazing if you actually compare them to others. Bushnell should house the optics accordingly. They are not Nikon 8x32 SE level, but they are pretty darn good.
Bushnell 10X43 Elite
I used to have a pair of Swarovski 10X42 SLC's that I picked up for a good price. I also picked up a pair Bushnell Elite 10x42's for about $500.00 less and compared them both. The Swars's where made a little better but optically it was difficult to see any difference between the two. Needless to say I sold the Swar's and kept the Elite's.
I used to have a pair of Swarovski 10X42 SLC's that I picked up for a good price. I also picked up a pair Bushnell Elite 10x42's for about $500.00 less and compared them both. The Swars's where made a little better but optically it was difficult to see any difference between the two. Needless to say I sold the Swar's and kept the Elite's.
mayoayo
Well-known member
All of the Custom versions were and are made in Japan...the custom line has kept their quality pretty much up over the years...the new version ,the e2,is actually a GREAT binocular.period.Is better than ANY of the previous versions in the optical arena.ans it is housed in a GREAT body.the ergonomics,size,weight ,etc ,are very ,very nice
A first line of dust/moisture protection is needed,though,to honor this binocular first class status...If it not in par with the SE,is for very little..Not other binocular,including my current glass,the FL 8x32 ,manages glare like the little giant. color ,saturation are BETTER than the FL..CA better too..and sharpness is amazing for such small aperture...
Custom compact experience
I agree with mayoayo. This is an exceptional binocular for its size. I originally bought it as a travel binocular for the car glove compartment and for back-yard feeder viewing. I was astonished at the sharpness and clarity of the view this binocular provides. I have since taken it out several times for more "serious" birding and have not been disappointed. It is very easy to handle. While the focusing is precise and the image snaps into view, the focus wheel is not particularly fast. Some will not be bothered by this. I have used high end Zeiss, Swift, and Leupold binoculars and this Bushnell Custom Compact belongs in their company.
I agree with mayoayo. This is an exceptional binocular for its size. I originally bought it as a travel binocular for the car glove compartment and for back-yard feeder viewing. I was astonished at the sharpness and clarity of the view this binocular provides. I have since taken it out several times for more "serious" birding and have not been disappointed. It is very easy to handle. While the focusing is precise and the image snaps into view, the focus wheel is not particularly fast. Some will not be bothered by this. I have used high end Zeiss, Swift, and Leupold binoculars and this Bushnell Custom Compact belongs in their company.
