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Review BX-4 McKinley HD (1 Viewer)

Yes, the person at EO felt that the McKinley's were not optically equal to the GR HD's.There is not an 8x32 configuration for me to try against mine, so I asked her opinion on the focuser (aside from the view, I really love the focuser on the GR HD!) and asked if she had looked through both bins - she said yes.

Perhaps I shouldn't have posted the results of the conversation, but that is why I posted what I did at the end. From the most expensive alpha to the decent $200-330 bins, there are a variety of opinions to be had on this forum!!! In fact, I thought I remembered JGraider really liking the GR HD's a lot!!!

Out of curiosity, I asked which bin she would recommend and she spoke highly of the Conquest HD. The opinions on THAT bin certainly hit each end of the spectrum!! I am still in the market for a new 10x and will keep looking til I find one that fits me!! I will make my way to Cabela's and I will take a look at the McKinley's for myself now that I see them listed on their site!! (on back order according to site).
 
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Remember lulubelle, EO own Vortex Optics. I doubt they'll say much good about anything Leupold. While on the subject of EO, I'll say this: The McKinley is every bit as good as the new Vortex Razor IMO. My buddy owns a gun shop here and he stocks lots of glass, including the Razor. I took the McKinley down there late this afternoon and compared the two outside. I'd call it a draw, but the Razor is twice the cheddar.
 
Opticron has started to establish a US presence. The one location that I know has models in stock is the Cape May Bird Observatory. I was there last October and they had several of their models on display and for sale.

JG, Steve,

What are your thoughts on the focusing speed/depth of focus with the new McKinley. That was something I did not comment on in my original post but now took notice of.
 
FrankD said:
JG, Steve,

What are your thoughts on the focusing speed/depth of focus with the new McKinley. That was something I did not comment on in my original post but now took notice of.
Click to expand...

With some trepidation, I did comment on focus characteristics in the McKinley. ;) I say with some trepidation, because that item, seems to be one of the most anally over-obsessed facets of life with a binocular. I am fine with the focus on the McKinley. It is smooth, maybe not quite fast enough in close, but precise with only an almost imperceptible bit of lag before the direction reverses. The fact that it runs counterclockwise to infinity will turn off some users. I think Leupold has the tension needed to move the wheel about right. It also does not stiffen up in 15*F temperatures.

I was impressed with the apparent depth of focus in both the 8x and 10x McKinley, but especially with the 10x. Using either one past 100 feet, there is almost no need to use the focus wheel.
 
Thanks Steve.

I don't find anything objectionable with the tension. No play in my unit.

In a perfect world though I think I would prefer slightly slower speed...or maybe I am not conveying that correctly. I would prefer better "depth of focus". It isn't "bad" but I prefer "perfect focus" to last longer as I rotate the focusing knob. That is one of my favorite aspects of the little Sightron..and most of the other models I enjoy.
 
Frank,

FWIW, as far as I'm concerned, there is no play in the focus of either of the McKinley's I have either. I have to stop and quit looking through the binocular and concentrate on nothing but the back and forth movement of the knob before I can detect the slightest hint. It might amount to a degree. In use it is nothing.

In my view of depth of focus, the McKinley is better than the Theron 8x32, which as far as I could tell is essentially the same as the Sightron. Inside 100', then it could be better, but any binocular is at a disadvantage for depth in at closer distances.
 
FrankD said:
Bob,

I haven't noticed any QC issues on my unit and I have spent a great deal of time staring at the innards of this model.

No specs of dust, no sloppy glue, no fingerprints on the prisms, no shiny interior parts that I can see.
Click to expand...
The one thing that turned me off on the Primes was the difference between barrels!!! And sadly has made me gun shy of Zen binoculars. I'm hoping Leupold keeps a handle on the QC I'm gonna wait a month or so before ordering the 8's hopefully some others get ahold of them so we can see if any problems arise! I think it's highly unlikely with a proven company like Leupold though. As far as better than the GR HD's I will have to see it to believe it! I do know the later hd's like the one I sold to Laura were better! I had an early sample and the focus went tu they replaced it with a second unit that was superior in all aspects! Not doubting you guy's but, I owned it for quite sometime so I know what it's capable of offering as far as the view. Bryce...
 
Keep in mind Bryce, I made specific mention of the fact that my GR HD"s are 10x42, and my Mckinley's are 8x42. That could be the difference I'm seeing, not sure. I'll be interested to see what Steve says when he gets the 8x42's for his comparison.
 
Steve C said:
Keep in mind the original rendition of the Gold Ring, with Kamakura in Japan, did not sell well at its initial price point.
Click to expand...

Steve - My 8 x 42 Gold Ring HD is marked Made in USA, which presumably means assembled by Leupold from mostly imported materials. Discussion on this Forum concerning the HD Gold Rings in the past had hinted that the optical design and perhaps some of the materials used in construction was from the Kowa Genesis. Regardless, the view through the 8 x 42 GR HD is truly breathtaking. I have yet to find anything better, including the current crop of Alphas.
 
chartwell99 said:
Steve - My 8 x 42 Gold Ring HD is marked Made in USA, which presumably means assembled by Leupold from mostly imported materials. Discussion on this Forum concerning the HD Gold Rings in the past had hinted that the optical design and perhaps some of the materials used in construction was from the Kowa Genesis. Regardless, the view through the 8 x 42 GR HD is truly breathtaking. I have yet to find anything better, including the current crop of Alphas.
Click to expand...

As I understand my current conversations with Leupold is that Kamakura was their partner in the Gold Ring binocular. Originally Leupold did the assembly in their facility in Beaverton, OR. Glass was from Kamakura and some, but I don't know how many parts from Kamakura. Leupold did some of the parts manufacturing. They ran into an nearly immediate problem as the world decided that Leupold was evidently not capable of doing something that good...in spite of reviewers like Steve Ingraham at BVD and many positive comments on forums like this telling us otherwise. One of the reasons for the HD upgrade was to see if that would spike the sales. Sadly, that did not happen.

People groused about how they were too heavy, mostly without ever feeling how well balanced they felt, they complained about the brown color, and they complained that if you were going to spend that kind of money, might as well buy a real binocular,. etc, etc,... ad nauseum.

So Leupold eventually backed off the USA aspect of the GR and most of them were made by Kamakura. And eventually the price backed down to about the $600 range where they sold.

I do remember the comments by the ex- Gold Ring engineer who did seem to make some references to Kowa. The Gold Ring does look like a Genesis. I just asked them about the Kowa link and they said it was always Kamakura, never Kowa.
 
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Steve C said:
One of the reasons for the HD upgrade was to see if that would spike the sales. Sadly, that did not happen.

People groused about how they were too heavy, mostly without ever feeling how well balanced they felt, they complained about the brown color, and they complained that if you were going to spend that kind of money, might as well buy a real binocular,. etc, etc,... ad nauseum.

So Leupold eventually backed off the USA aspect of the GR and most of them were made by Kamakura. And eventually the price backed down to about the $600 range where they sold.

I do remember the comments by the ex- Gold Ring engineer who did seem to make some references to Kowa. The Gold Ring does look like a Genesis
Click to expand...

Interesting that the end of the Gold Run HD run was made by Kamakura in Japan and not by Leupold in Oregon. The HD optics on my 8 x 42 were actually noticeably better in all respects (think WOW factor) than the non-HD predecessor, and the eyecups were a vast improvement. The non-HD eyecups were just plain huge and looked as if they had been designed for either Cro-Magnon or Neanderthal users.
 
Steve C said:
As I understand my current conversations with Leupold is that Kamakura was their partner in the Gold Ring binocular. Originally Leupold did the assembly in their facility in Beaverton, OR. Glass was from Kamakura and some, but I don't know how many parts from Kamakura. Leupold did some of the parts manufacturing. They ran into an nearly immediate problem as the world decided that Leupold was evidently not capable of doing something that good...in spite of reviewers like Steve Ingraham at BVD and many positive comments on forums like this telling us otherwise. One of the reasons for the HD upgrade was to see if that would spike the sales. Sadly, that did not happen.

People groused about how they were too heavy, mostly without ever feeling how well balanced they felt, they complained about the brown color, and they complained that if you were going to spend that kind of money, might as well buy a real binocular,. etc, etc,... ad nauseum.

So Leupold eventually backed off the USA aspect of the GR and most of them were made by Kamakura. And eventually the price backed down to about the $600 range where they sold.

I do remember the comments by the ex- Gold Ring engineer who did seem to make some references to Kowa. The Gold Ring does look like a Genesis. I just asked them about the Kowa link and they said it was always Kamakura, never Kowa.
Click to expand...
The market, as always, rules.
 
chartwell99 said:
Interesting that the end of the Gold Run HD run was made by Kamakura in Japan and not by Leupold in Oregon. The HD optics on my 8 x 42 were actually noticeably better in all respects (think WOW factor) than the non-HD predecessor, and the eyecups were a vast improvement. The non-HD eyecups were just plain huge and looked as if they had been designed for either Cro-Magnon or Neanderthal users.
Click to expand...

I always had the hd's, I did want to to try the non hd's but, unfortunately never had the opportunity to try them out! The hd's were labeled made in the USA while the standard GR were labeled made in Japan, go figure!!! Bryce...
 
stereotruckdriver said:
I always had the hd's, I did want to to try the non hd's but, unfortunately never had the opportunity to try them out! The hd's were labeled made in the USA while the standard GR were labeled made in Japan, go figure!!! Bryce...
Click to expand...

I take that back, my hunting budds use the standard GR's I just checked! Thought they were hd's also. Still fine glass even after the abuse! Bryce...
 
stereotruckdriver said:
I'm really tempted to order the 8's! I have an e-mail inquiry about the 8x32 format first. The GR HD's had impressive optics. I really wish I had kept the 8x32's I had. Bryce...
Click to expand...

I have been away from the forum for awhile & did not know about Leupold's new lineup of HD Bino's. Just out of curiosity I just ordered a pair of the 8x42 Mckinley. I too wish I had kept my GR HD's, I should have them this Fri or Sat. & maybe these will make that wish go away .... gwen
 
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