Paultricounty
Well-known member
Maybe he has a job or a career. 🤣✌🏼Did you win the lottery?
Maybe he has a job or a career. 🤣✌🏼Did you win the lottery?
So, 7x42 EDG arrived yesterday, and sadly they appear to be very slightly out of alignment. After 20 minutes of optimising IPD, eyecup position and dioptre, the muscles in my left eye were quite uncomfortably strained. Not a hint of strain or discomfort while setting up or using the 10x or 8x, but the 7x really has left my eye feeling bruised. I'm going to double check them this morning (we have snow here today!), but I'm 99% sure they'll be going back.
Sorry, I can't even post my first impressions of them.
The 8x are stunning, however. I'm as thrilled with them as I am with the 10x. I do perceive the focus wheel has a little more tension than my 10x, which I initially found moved a little too easily from the stationary. I haven't tested them side by side, but I 100% have no regrets parting with my 8x32 NL's in order to accommodate their purchase.
Big question, I think, as Brock alluded to, is whether the 8x42 or 7x42 makes the other redundant, in this range. 🤔
Actually, it makes more sense that way!Point them at a star if you get a clear night, that methods never failed me, sometimes you see 2 stars, sometimes a very long star if there out of whack.
Will
Brock - thanks for all these suggestions and info. I agree about the massive size and weight of the 56mm and limited added value of the 8x56 during the day. I like smaller ones to carry around looking for birds, I'm actually starting to think the 35mm E's may be my primary birders this season, the 19-21 ounce weight is appreciated. I do club trips which are walking for 3 hours and the 42's are too much weight to carry on the neck the whole time.Scott,
I have had both the 7x35 E and 12x40 E. I liked the 7x Es optics (though I would have preferrred the FMC version but they are hard to find), but I found the apparent field of view too confined (~51*, I think Henry measured it at 53*?, still rather narrowish). But I w
Sorry to hear the 7x EDG arrived out of collimation. Not as common with roofs as porros. If bought new, I wonder how it got past Nikon's QC?So, 7x42 EDG arrived yesterday, and sadly they appear to be very slightly out of alignment. After 20 minutes of optimising IPD, eyecup position and dioptre, the muscles in my left eye were quite uncomfortably strained. Not a hint of strain or discomfort while setting up or using the 10x or 8x, but the 7x really has left my eye feeling bruised. I'm going to double check them this morning (we have snow here today!), but I'm 99% sure they'll be going back.
Sorry, I can't even post my first impressions of them.
The 8x are stunning, however. I'm as thrilled with them as I am with the 10x. I do perceive the focus wheel has a little more tension than my 10x, which I initially found moved a little too easily from the stationary. I haven't tested them side by side, but I 100% have no regrets parting with my 8x32 NL's in order to accommodate their purchase.
Big question, I think, as Brock alluded to, is whether the 8x42 or 7x42 makes the other redundant, in this range. 🤔
With Marty Feldman, it was pretty obvious.Actually, it makes more sense that way!
Focus left sharply (punctiform), blur the right one as much as possible with the diopter compensation so that a small disc is created.
The binoculars about 15-20 cm. keep away from the eyes, then slowly move towards the eyes, the sharp star (left) should now be centered in the small disk (right).
The problem with the method, some people suffer and have a slight strabismus without it being noticeable, then the method doesn't work.
Andreas
He's already got the 7x42UVHD so hopefully we'll be getting his impressions on the comparison soon. I'd suspect any alignment issue is from the shipping guys playing soccer (football) with the box, not from the factory. But who knows.Sorry to hear the 7x EDG arrived out of collimation. Not as common with roofs as porros. If bought new, I wonder how it got past Nikon's QC?
If you are still looking for a high quality 7x42, the Leica 7x42 UV HD gives similar color rendition and image "sparkle" as the EDG, but with better depth perception.
Brock
You should write to Zeiss about the eye placement problem with the SF. Or better yet, start a website like Better View Desired, and maybe Zeiss will hire you to keep your mouth shut.He's already got the 7x42UVHD so hopefully we'll be getting his impressions on the comparison soon. I'd suspect any alignment issue is from the shipping guys playing soccer (football) with the box, not from the factory. But who knows.
I think for most people a wide-angle 8x will suffice and 7x is not needed, but it's fun to have. For me the viewing comfort is nice because my 8x is the SF, which are difficult with eye placement.
Yesterday my dogs and I were treated to an amazing display on Deer Island as two young bald eagles jousted and played right over our heads. They were locking talons and doing full 360's together in mid-air. I was so close I could hear the talons clicking together and the little grunting noises they made. I had the 8x42 SF's with me, I must say the EDG 7x42 are vastly better at tracking raptors in the air. The SF's black-out and kidney bean with the slightest movement of your eye off center, which is inevitable looking upwards at a moving target. I love their sharpness and the ergonomic grip on them, but the eye placement is a big handicap.
Maybe, I was shocked at the lack of cushioning around the box when it arrived. Probably the most poorly packed binoculars I've ever received via post/courier. The box was wrapped in a length of relatively thin corrugated cardboard and stuffed into a simple plastic mail bag. I've used the retailer several times before and their packaging has always been fine, but this was borderline outrageously inadequate. The only packaging poorer than this was for a pair of used Leica’s I bought on that auction site. The guy had rummaged through his dustbin and stuffed any old bits of cardboard from food packaging that he could find, around the binoculars. There was yoghurt packaging, beef grillsteak packaging, baked beans packaging, tinned beer packaging, laundry powder box, fruit juice carton, etc., and all with a coating of little bits of food residue. I could actually smell 'dustbin' as I opened them. Anyway, despite being advertised as being 'like new', which cosmetically they were, the focus movement was knackered and the diopter adjuster +2 diopters out. Back they went, using all of the waste the seller had sent me from his dustbins, to which I added a choice selection of rubbish from my own dustbin, for his delectation. 😇I'd suspect any alignment issue is from the shipping guys playing soccer (football) with the box, not from the factory. But who knows.
The import duty from Japan is not insignificant, my e2's were about £50 duty. I'm not sure if it goes up with the value of the purchase but would be surprised if it didn't. The deals Uttings have on the edg's are very good.Is there any advantage to buying these in Japan vs the UK? I want to buy the 10x42 and looking for suggestion on where to buy.
Good "war story." Here's mine, which has a twist. Worst packing job I ever got was from a popular eBay seller of old porros, lozack-g, who I bought a Swift 804 FMC 8.5x44 Audubon from. It arrived without a case loose in a box that had three of those large bubbles. Nothing else!Maybe, I was shocked at the lack of cushioning around the box when it arrived. Probably the most poorly packed binoculars I've ever received via post/courier. The box was wrapped in a length of relatively thin corrugated cardboard and stuffed into a simple plastic mail bag. I've used the retailer several times before and their packaging has always been fine, but this was borderline outrageously inadequate. The only packaging poorer than this was for a pair of used Leica’s I bought on that auction site. The guy had rummaged through his dustbin and stuffed any old bits of cardboard from food packaging that he could find, around the binoculars. There was yoghurt packaging, beef grillsteak packaging, baked beans packaging, tinned beer packaging, laundry powder box, fruit juice carton, etc., and all with a coating of little bits of food residue. I could actually smell 'dustbin' as I opened them. Anyway, despite being advertised as being 'like new', which cosmetically they were, the focus movement was knackered and the diopter adjuster +2 diopters out. Back they went, using all of the waste the seller had sent me from his dustbins, to which I added a choice selection of rubbish from my own dustbin, for his delectation. 😇
Not everybody appeciates 3-D views like porro lovers. I'd like to buy an APM 6x30 porro if they have them in stock. I'm hoping the 6x30 will provide the "Better View Desired" of the Fuji 6x30 but with center focus and a closer focus. A lot of ask from a low cost Chinese-made porro, I realize, but after reading the reviews about the APM and reading rave reviews of the OB SE, I'm not as sinopticphobic as I was before (though I'm still presbyopic)James - that's terrible about the packaging, one of the bino-repair guys told me boxes must be packed to withstand a fall from waist height to the ground. That's standard operating procedure for the sorting machines and conveyor belts. So if the box isn't packed well, they're probably out of alignment. I've had people empty out their scrap/recycling bins for packaging before too, but not as bad as your dustbin deal
If I was keeping the 7x Leica's I'd probably stick with them and 8x EDG also, it's fun to have the different designs. I'm not giving up my 8x SF's. They work pretty well if I keep the eyecups in the precisely correct spot, which means unscrewing them a turn and marking with tape, I think they had drifted off a bit last time. I did call Zeiss and asked them for higher eyeguards, like they eventually made for Conquest. Maybe I'll try putting the EDG bat-wing eyeguards on top to extend the height.
Brock, I've read Tobias' 3-way contest, it's interesting to read about his preference for 3D depth, I try to look for that, I like it but I'm not feeling it as much as you guys. That's cool you have the 6x30 Fuji, it sounds like a legendary bino. I like the old exit pupil size system. I am realizing the 7x35E's are going to be one of my all-time favorites. I like the larger aperture and exit pupil over the 8x30's, and the 35mm E's only weight 19 ounces. The E-C's have slightly better contrast and sharpness, but the difference is small and 10% more weight. I think I'll use the E's more during the day.
PS, I was wondering the same thing about the eagles, if it was a territorial thing, or a friendly thing, or sibling play. I suspect territorial, I had seen one of them several times in the past week, then the new one showed up, and he/she had a big wing feather missing too. This spot on the river often has multiple eagles during the winter though, I've seen crazy stuff before. My record is seeing 12 at once from the island, during an especially cold winter.
Viewing opportunities are probably better in PA these days, they are moving in from the coasts. I was shocked to see one in my hometown in CT at Christmas, on a lake, they have only come back to that area in the last few years. 18 miles from the coast. They're my favorite bird by far - my birding is like 50% eagles, 50% everything else. They are like a huge pre-historic creature, like a flying dinosaur. Special thrill every time I see one!
I think he's in Utah, USA, so no fees. When I checked, Kyoie Osaka had a better price than any I could find In Europe. The exchange rates go up and down. It would be nice to not have a language barrier, but Kyoei's manager does communicate well in English.The import duty from Japan is not insignificant, my e2's were about £50 duty. I'm not sure if it goes up with the value of the purchase but would be surprised if it didn't. The deals Uttings have on the edg's are very good.
Will
The last Bald Eagles I saw nesting and flying in the air were at Bald Eagle State Park, which was close to where I used to live. The park wasn't named after the bird, but for a local Indian Chief, who was named after the bird before Bald Eagles were nearly hunted into extinction.
I'm already there, believe me.James,
I think you will grow to like the EDG 8X42, it is my favorite all around 8X42. It does many things well with few compromises.
I recently bought a Kowa Prominar 7x35 from this guy Lozack-g. He has a he has a lot of bins on his store and doesnt give much of a description, then if you ask questions he has short gruff answers, kind of like Dennis 🤪. It was packed good but the short description didn’t match the binoculars, it was very dirty (take note Brock) and it was out of collimation. I considered returning it, but overall it was a good piece so I sent it out for service and it’s already on its the way back, so we’ll see how it performs.Good "war story." Here's mine, which has a twist. Worst packing job I ever got was from a popular eBay seller of old porros, lozack-g, who I bought a Swift 804 FMC 8.5x44 Audubon from. It arrived without a case loose in a box that had three of those large bubbles. Nothing else!
Brock , Swift doesn’t seem to have the best consistency with with coating labeling. On the Audubons 804R models I have found that there they might have labeled something FM or FMC but they are re the same coatings. It appears the body labeling and specific optics coating don’t always align. I have two FMC version that have two different coating colors as well as the same on two FM versions. Bill Cook or Elkcub know a lot more about this than me. Here are two of the same Audubon 804R/HR5 MC models, see the completely different coatings. Each renders a different image feel.Naturally, it was out of collimation. At first I couldn't merge the images but neural plastiticy being what it is, I eventually was able to cross my eyes and merge the images. The view was magnificent. I compared it to my Nikon 8x42 EDG, and the resolution was at least as good if not a tad better. Kojack is a poor communicator, answering my PMs on eBay with a few words, not an entire sentence, which made it hard to figure out what he was saying. Finally, he agreed to take them back and refund me the cost minus the return shipping.
I bought a second pair of 804 FMC Audubons. It was in collimation. Even though it was FMC, the coatings weren't as neutral as the first pair,, but had a slight green cast like the MC version, which was most noticeable on cloudy days. The first sample was bright and neutral regardless of the light level. The first sample had a higher serial number than the second, so I'm guessing that the first sample had upgraded FM coatings that were on the first 820 Audubons, which I bought as soon as they came out. Great view, great ergos but the eyecups were not "designed for human faces." Horrible. If you have a face like a bulldog, the eyecups might work for you but not if you have deep-set eyes or a high bridge nose. Now I wish I had kept the first sample, sent them to Corey to collimate properly, and I'd still have them. I'd never be able to recoup my cost, but I probably wouldn't sell them.
Maybe we should start a thread titled "The One(s) that Got Away."
Brock