An Open Letter to Oberwerk Regarding the SE 8 x 32 ED Binocular (1 Viewer)

[Paultricounty]

Please help me understand:
This binocular is very good for the price (and a few years warranty) OR it is good as an 1000USD binocular? Thanks.

Ted,

The warranty is disappointing for sure, especially considering the build quality is not up to its optical level. Although the build is not bad, the materials seem robust and solid, but the focuser is lacking a bit with a very spongy feel with some slack changing direction, but it is only a $250 optic. I think all the juice went into the optics, where is falls in the optical price points compared to others is hard to say because we don’t know its coating longevity.

Here’s my breakdown, optically it’s as sharp or more so than the Nikon E2 , and close to the SE (latest model). Id say the brightness is as least equal to the Nikons and CA is better than both of them, almost non existent. The edge is pretty close to the E2 , but not as good as the SE. If I had to place a price point on them , based on other porros and roofs , I’d put them somewhere in the $500 range. These certainly imo are optically as good as Nikon E2’, M7, Vortex Viper HD’s, and a few other in that price point. I’m speaking visually, the image itself, not wether they’re as good as the others mentioned. If they degrade optically in few years , (which I doubt) then theyre not on the actual level of the others. Unfortunately these are another MIC product, and I’d much prefer it coming from anywhere else. But at this price point for this level of optics is very impressive , imo.

Paul

 

[Rg548]

I agree with Dennis.
Loose eye cups, which won't stay put.
They were also the most uncomfortable... for me at least.
The eyecups feel so cheap, yet the rest of the bino doesn't.
Optics were 'quite good' on the 10x42.... but from memory they don't hang with my old Nikon 10x42se's
But for the money.... well... thats personal.
I think a bit of tweaking, and more spent on the eyecups, which would raise the low price a bit, would be very beneficial.

 

[Patudo]

I haven't seen, let alone used an APM yet, but from what I've seen in photos etc they look fairly well made. The Cloudynights crowd and even Pinac seem fairly positive on their build quality - not Nikon Tropical or Fujinon FMT good I don't think, but not too far off. I wonder how much it'd cost to have the "SE" optics in a body/housing made to those standards. They probably all come from the same factory anyway. A binocular doesn't need to have 1960s West German build quality - the better JB/JE builds are/were more than good enough, and there's no way the PRC can't manage that if specified.

 

[Paultricounty]

I haven't seen, let alone used an APM yet, but from what I've seen in photos etc they look fairly well made. The Cloudynights crowd and even Pinac seem fairly positive on their build quality - not Nikon Tropical or Fujinon FMT good I don't think, but not too far off. I wonder how much it'd cost to have the "SE" optics in a body/housing made to those standards. They probably all come from the same factory anyway. A binocular doesn't need to have 1960s West German build quality - the better JB/JE builds are/were more than good enough, and there's no way the PRC can't manage that if specified.

You had a like from me until the end of the last sentence 😢.