Kowa Genesis 8.5x44 questions (1 Viewer)

[Stino]

Hi All
I am interested in getting the Kowa Genesis 8.5x44 binoculars. I currently have the Kowa 6.5x32 BD II XD binoculars and a Kowa TSN 603 scope. The 6.5x32 are nice, light weight binoculars and they have an amazing field of view. Great for birding in the woods.
Sometimes I feel the need for a bit more magnification though. I have an old Zeiss 10x40 BGAT pair, but it is not in great shape and the 10x is a bit too much for me (too much shaking). At one point I also had the Zeiss 10x42 Victory FL, but I sold those. I positively hated those Victory bins. The optics were great, I spent the entire day focusing them it seemed. More so than with my old Zeiss 10x40 BGAT, which is weird because they have the same magnification, so I expected the same depth of field.
My interest in the 8.5x44 Kowa Genesis is because it seems a nice compromise as far as magnification goes. And hopefully it will still have a reasonable depth of field and not require as much focusing as the Victory binoculars.
I realize that they are heavy, but I'm ok with that. The reviews I found were mostly from more than 10 years ago. Are there any current users who can tell me what they like and dislike about the Kowa 8.5x44?
Thank you!

 

[Canip]

Here is my take on the large Kowa Genesis:

Kowa Genesis XD 8.5×44 – Binoculars Today

Sorry, part of the materials in the further links are in German.

Overall a great binocular, the only slight disadvantage is the relatively modest field of view, compared to its competitors.

Canip

 

[Stino]

Thank you Canip. I can read German so those links are helpful!

 

[Stino]

Quick question for Canip. You mention that the useable eyerelief is only a bit more than 12mm? Are the lenses that far recessed?

 

[Stino]

Here is another question: did any ever compare the Kowa 8.5x44 with the Maven B2 9x45?

 

[Canip]

Quick question for Canip. You mention that the useable eyerelief is only a bit more than 12mm? Are the lenses that far recessed?

Well, they are not hugely recessed, but their surface lies a good 5mm "below" the edge of the retracted eyecups, see pic.
Canip

 

[Stino]

Well, they are not hugely recessed, but their surface lies a good 5mm "below" the edge of the retracted eyecups, see pic.
Canip

Hmm that makes me wonder if they will work with glasses? My glasses are thin, but 12.5mm is not a whole lot of eyerelief. Has anyone here tried them while wearing glasses?

 

[[email protected]]

I had the Kowa Genesis Prominar 8.5x44, and they are excellent binoculars, but I think for only $100 more I prefer the Swarovski SLC 8x42. They have a bigger AFOV, better glare control, they are smaller and lighter, they are not as finicky for eye placement with fewer blackouts, and they have sharper edges. The Kowa is little better controlling CA but not much and has a better close focus of 5.5 feet versus 10.5 feet for the SLC. Also, I feel Swarovski has a better warranty and better customer service. The SLC 8x42 has been discontinued, but Swarovski will continue to support them for a long time, and they are a great bargain right now.

greatestbinoculars: Swarovski SLC W B 8x42

 

[Canip]

Hmm that makes me wonder if they will work with glasses? My glasses are thin, but 12.5mm is not a whole lot of eyerelief. Has anyone here tried them while wearing glasses?

They do work with my relatively slim glasses (I only wear those when I test binoculars, not when I observe), I can oversee the entire field of view without any particular effort (in my experience, those binos with an eye relief of 11.5 mm and less pose generally a problem with glasses).

Canip