brocknroller
porromaniac
Hi Emma,
It would be great if they made an 8x32 that was as bright and showed as much detail as an 8x42 in the same series, but I've yet to try one. Not sure such an animal exists or will ever exist.
As Mr. Wilson said, the Minox 8x42 APO is smaliish and lightweight, so you might get to have your cake and eat it too. There's a video review of that bin on www.bestbinocularsreviews.com that painted a very favorable picture of the bin.
But will the Minox be a bin that you will keep for the rest of your life? At 26, it's not likely that you will keep any bin you buy now for the rest of your life, or at least not use it as your main birding bin. There's always something better a coming around the bend, the Zeiss HT, for example. The 8x32 will be out next year, but meanwhile, if you can find a deal where you can try the 8x42 version when it comes out, which I believe is this month if they didn't delay the release again, you will get an idea of what the latest Zeiss is like.
You will still probably buy another bin by the ripe old age of 36, because it generally takes that long for real advances to take place and manufacturers are already pushing roof technology close to the limit (both in terms of brightness and price), so it's hard to imagine what's next in high end sports optics besides a percentage or two of light transmission, which you won't be able to detect anyway.
Make a list of your likes and dislikes in binoculars, then take a look at allbinos' list of their top 8x32 models and note how each performs in different categories, and which best matches your list.
Then go out and try them. Or if you don't have any stores that sell top shelf near you but have a good credit line on your card, buy one or two at a time, try them out, send back the one you like least and keep the best.
Here's allbinos' reviews (note that the Leupold-Golden Ring 8x32 HD has been discontinued). The other thing to note is that Arek (allbinos' reviewer) doesn't like distortion. So when he takes points off for "too high distortion" like he did for the 8x32 Ultravid, that's his taste, not necessarily what you will find. OTOH, on a bin he rates highly because of having "low distortion" might be so low that if you find yourself in that small but vocal minority for whom "rolling ball" is not a "non-issue," then you probably won't like it.
So don't take the reviews as "gospel" but as a starting point to get to know what the top contenders are out there, and then once you decide on which ones sound like they might suit you, then come back here again and pick people's brains who have used these bins or own them.
I've owned two of the 8x32s in the top 5 - the 8x32 SE, which I still own, though I upgraded to a later model with the latest coatings, and the 8x32 LX, which I traded for my previous model SE. I like porros and I don't bird in the tropics, so they work for me, and the SEs are just as good if not better than the $1K and $2K roof equivalents I've tried.
The 8x32 LX/HG's image is quite good and the HGL version's image is brighter than the originals, but the prisms have sliver coatings, so the HGL won't be as bright as the top bananas with the latest and greatest prism coatings (dielectric) and so my not be suitable for dense forest. They are also a bit on the heavy side, but not as heavy as the Leupolds, which are the only 8x32s I know that some owners use a binoharness with!
Also note that they haven't reviewed the 8x32 SV EL yet, and if you aren't sensitive to RB, that will likely be on your short list of bins to try.
So my recommendation is to do some homework rather than let us spoon fed your information (or perhaps misinformation), chose some specific models that you think you might be interested in, come back, ask some questions you have about those models, then make your short list and go forth and "try before you buy" if at all possible.
Then you'll be set for perhaps 10 years if you're lucky. If you're going to be a guide, you don't want inferior glass, but remember, IDing a bird takes more than just having the best glass you can afford. You got to live 'em, hear 'em, and smell 'em to be a top guide. IOW, use all your senses and gain as much experience as possible.
Horokuru, one of our members, is a guide in Borneo, he might be able to give you some tips. He uses an 8x32 EDG and an 8x32 SE (yes, even in the forest, he takes care of them and puts them in a "dry box" when he returns from a tour). Which reminds me, allbinos also hasn't reviewed dennis former "best binocular in the world," the Nikon 8x32 EDG (better choice than the HGL for your purposes), but perhaps also a bit too heavy for its size.
In truth, no review or advice will help you match what fits you best, as someone said above. But it could help steer you in the right direction, so you know at least what bins to try. Being these are all top glass, your choice will likely come down to personal preferences ("contrasty" vs. "bright," what fits your hands and face best, and which ones exceeds the sum of its parts).
Here are the reviews: (click on "Test"):
http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x32.html
Good Luck!
Brock
It would be great if they made an 8x32 that was as bright and showed as much detail as an 8x42 in the same series, but I've yet to try one. Not sure such an animal exists or will ever exist.
As Mr. Wilson said, the Minox 8x42 APO is smaliish and lightweight, so you might get to have your cake and eat it too. There's a video review of that bin on www.bestbinocularsreviews.com that painted a very favorable picture of the bin.
But will the Minox be a bin that you will keep for the rest of your life? At 26, it's not likely that you will keep any bin you buy now for the rest of your life, or at least not use it as your main birding bin. There's always something better a coming around the bend, the Zeiss HT, for example. The 8x32 will be out next year, but meanwhile, if you can find a deal where you can try the 8x42 version when it comes out, which I believe is this month if they didn't delay the release again, you will get an idea of what the latest Zeiss is like.
You will still probably buy another bin by the ripe old age of 36, because it generally takes that long for real advances to take place and manufacturers are already pushing roof technology close to the limit (both in terms of brightness and price), so it's hard to imagine what's next in high end sports optics besides a percentage or two of light transmission, which you won't be able to detect anyway.
Make a list of your likes and dislikes in binoculars, then take a look at allbinos' list of their top 8x32 models and note how each performs in different categories, and which best matches your list.
Then go out and try them. Or if you don't have any stores that sell top shelf near you but have a good credit line on your card, buy one or two at a time, try them out, send back the one you like least and keep the best.
Here's allbinos' reviews (note that the Leupold-Golden Ring 8x32 HD has been discontinued). The other thing to note is that Arek (allbinos' reviewer) doesn't like distortion. So when he takes points off for "too high distortion" like he did for the 8x32 Ultravid, that's his taste, not necessarily what you will find. OTOH, on a bin he rates highly because of having "low distortion" might be so low that if you find yourself in that small but vocal minority for whom "rolling ball" is not a "non-issue," then you probably won't like it.
So don't take the reviews as "gospel" but as a starting point to get to know what the top contenders are out there, and then once you decide on which ones sound like they might suit you, then come back here again and pick people's brains who have used these bins or own them.
I've owned two of the 8x32s in the top 5 - the 8x32 SE, which I still own, though I upgraded to a later model with the latest coatings, and the 8x32 LX, which I traded for my previous model SE. I like porros and I don't bird in the tropics, so they work for me, and the SEs are just as good if not better than the $1K and $2K roof equivalents I've tried.
The 8x32 LX/HG's image is quite good and the HGL version's image is brighter than the originals, but the prisms have sliver coatings, so the HGL won't be as bright as the top bananas with the latest and greatest prism coatings (dielectric) and so my not be suitable for dense forest. They are also a bit on the heavy side, but not as heavy as the Leupolds, which are the only 8x32s I know that some owners use a binoharness with!
Also note that they haven't reviewed the 8x32 SV EL yet, and if you aren't sensitive to RB, that will likely be on your short list of bins to try.
So my recommendation is to do some homework rather than let us spoon fed your information (or perhaps misinformation), chose some specific models that you think you might be interested in, come back, ask some questions you have about those models, then make your short list and go forth and "try before you buy" if at all possible.
Then you'll be set for perhaps 10 years if you're lucky. If you're going to be a guide, you don't want inferior glass, but remember, IDing a bird takes more than just having the best glass you can afford. You got to live 'em, hear 'em, and smell 'em to be a top guide. IOW, use all your senses and gain as much experience as possible.
Horokuru, one of our members, is a guide in Borneo, he might be able to give you some tips. He uses an 8x32 EDG and an 8x32 SE (yes, even in the forest, he takes care of them and puts them in a "dry box" when he returns from a tour). Which reminds me, allbinos also hasn't reviewed dennis former "best binocular in the world," the Nikon 8x32 EDG (better choice than the HGL for your purposes), but perhaps also a bit too heavy for its size.
In truth, no review or advice will help you match what fits you best, as someone said above. But it could help steer you in the right direction, so you know at least what bins to try. Being these are all top glass, your choice will likely come down to personal preferences ("contrasty" vs. "bright," what fits your hands and face best, and which ones exceeds the sum of its parts).
Here are the reviews: (click on "Test"):
http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x32.html
Good Luck!
Brock
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