Best 10x50 Porro for under $200 (2 Viewers)

[rdnzl]

What is the best 10x50 porro binocular for under $200 in your opinion? For birds, wildlife and the stars.

And why?

 

[yarrellii]

For less than that, Stephen Tonkin spoke wonders about the Opticron Adventurer WP 10x50. You can check his review here:

BinocularSky - Reviews

The one-stop resource for choosing and using binoculars for astronomy, Binocular Astronomy

binocularsky.com

 

[rdnzl]

How would they compare to Nikon Action EX 10x50?

 

[Binocollector]

How would they compare to Nikon Action EX 10x50?

Better coatings, more neutral colors, brighter. The Nikon Action EX might have better eye-relief though. And twist-up eyecups.

 

[rdnzl]

Really? They are better than the Action EX? Eye relief is not an issue. I'm just interested in the best quality views both for daytime and the skies.

I am also considering the Pentax SP 10x50 WP.

 

[lilcrazy2]

Says the Adventurer has bak-7 prisms. Would think many binos with bak-4 would be better.

 

[rdnzl]

• Adventurer T WP 10x50​

  
  
• 
  
• Porro prism design for enhanced 3D viewing
• Stylish leatherette-look semi rubber armor
• BAK-4 glass prisms with fully multi-coated lenses on all air glass surfaces
• Long eyerelief eyepieces
• Fold down rubber eyecups
• Center wheel focusing
• Close focus to 7m/23ft

 

[lilcrazy2]

sorry looked at the regular Adventurer

 

[rdnzl]

I am intrigued. Bino collector says they would be brighter than the Nikon Action EX.

One thing I noticed on the specs is NO nitrogen or argon purging, so they might tend to fog up when going from inside the house, into the cold?

Seems odd that they are waterproof, but no purging.

 

[pat mitchel]

price point economics. I noticed on my 8x40 ae that the inside of the objective appears uncoated when a light is shown on the objective (3 yrs old) Pat

 

[rdnzl]

Wait a minute. You are telling me that the Nikon Action EX 10x50 has BK-7 prisms? I have no idea what a Bak 7 prism is.

I believe it uses Bak-4 prisms. Where are you getting this information?

And 28 feet at 100 yards is not that big of a difference.

 

[Binocollector]

I have two Adventurer T WP, 6.5x32 and 8x32. Both are excellent. Definitely a step up from the Nikon Action EX. Coatings on the prisms are better and the Nikon Action EX even has one uncoated surface in the objective doublet. They are really not that good.
My Oberwerk Mariner 8x40 also easily beats the Nikon Action EX. I'd never recommend a Nikon Action EX, especially NOT for Astro use because of the mediocre light transmission.
Edit: no Chinese bino really uses true Bak-4 BTW. Refractive index is different. Never bothered me. It says little about the optical quality.

 

[Binocollector]

Never used the Pentax but I read they are quite good, too. Might be an even better choice.

 

[rdnzl]

When they advertise Bak-4 I would think they would have a standard they have to meet.

All around the 'net, people rave about the Action EX 10x50, especially on CN.

 

[NDhunter]

I am intrigued. Bino collector says they would be brighter than the Nikon Action EX.

One thing I noticed on the specs is NO nitrogen or argon purging, so they might tend to fog up when going from inside the house, into the cold?

Seems odd that they are waterproof, but no purging.

I suppose we could talk about purging using a gas to push the normal air out of a binocular. It does not matter
much, it often does not stay in there very long. As far as fogging, the only issue is internal fogging, you may be
thinking of condensation. That is a common winter thing, not a worry.
Jerry

 

[rdnzl]

Never used the Pentax but I read they are quite good, too. Might be an even better choice.

The pentax has a pretty narrow FOV. Something like 262 feet. But I could live with that for superior views.

 

[rdnzl]

I have two Adventurer T WP, 6.5x32 and 8x32. Both are excellent. Definitely a step up from the Nikon Action EX. Coatings on the prisms are better and the Nikon Action EX even has one uncoated surface in the objective doublet. They are really not that good.
My Oberwerk Mariner 8x40 also easily beats the Nikon Action EX. I'd never recommend a Nikon Action EX, especially NOT for Astro use because of the mediocre light transmission.
Edit: no Chinese bino really uses true Bak-4 BTW. Refractive index is different. Never bothered me. It says little about the optical quality.

But you are comparing roofs to a porro. I wonder how good of a comparison that is, considering that a $150 porro is almost always better than a similarly priced roof.

 

[Binocollector]

All around the 'net, people rave about the Action EX 10x50, especially on CN.

True but I tell people the same on CN, too .

But you are comparing roofs to a porro. I wonder how good of a comparison that is, considering that a $150 porro is almost always better than a similarly priced roof.

No, I'm not. All of them are porros. I thought you were looking for a porro?

 

[Binocollector]

Yup, many people on CN quite like those. Most if not all are Kunming United Optical products.

 

[rdnzl]

I was wrong on that the Nikon AE 10x50, it has Bak 4 prisms. Bak 7 prisms are usually considered better than Bak 4. 28 feet is pretty significant at 100 yards. You will definitely notice the FOV is wider. If you could scratch up another $400 you could pick up a Fujinon FMTR-SX 10x50 on the used market, and they are way better than the Opticron or Nikon. The Fujinon FMTR-SX 10x50 is probably the best 10x50 binocular on the market, outside of the Nikon WX 10x50.

Ok. You are all over the place. WHAT is a Bak 7 prism? Maybe I'm ignorant, but I've only heard of BK-7, and they are definitely not considered superior to Bak-4 prisms. And why are you talking about me spending $400?? READ THE TITLE OF MY POST.