There has always and there always be tons of threads on the Nikon SE and EII. Reason being they represent the best two binoculars you can buy for the money.
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Nikon 8x30 EII (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Stonesy66
- Start date
UPDATE
Thanks to a most helpful and generous Birdforum member who contacted me, I was able to try then buy a pair of 8x30EII's.
After using them for a few weeks now I can say that they are every bit as good as I hoped they'd be and I now fully understand why they are so liked. The view they provide is just so good, I have to admit that they do have the wow factor. I was able to try them along side a pair of 8x32 SE's which also gave an amazing view but I think the slightly wider FOV of the EII's just made me feel that they were a tad brighter but I'm really splitting hairs.
I showed the EII's to a colleague who before he looked through them questioned what I'd bought, he quickly changed his mind after using them, he did admit that if he was in a shop after a new pair of binoculars he'd have dismissed them without even looking through them!
The same BF member also sorted me out a pair of Olympus 8x25 PC I's for my young daughter which she really likes, I must admit they are a smashing little pair for her to start with.
To sum the EII's up, they just make me grin every time I look through them!
Thanks to all those who gave their views on this topic and especially to to our two new friends From Nantwich.
Stonesy.
Thanks to a most helpful and generous Birdforum member who contacted me, I was able to try then buy a pair of 8x30EII's.
After using them for a few weeks now I can say that they are every bit as good as I hoped they'd be and I now fully understand why they are so liked. The view they provide is just so good, I have to admit that they do have the wow factor. I was able to try them along side a pair of 8x32 SE's which also gave an amazing view but I think the slightly wider FOV of the EII's just made me feel that they were a tad brighter but I'm really splitting hairs.
I showed the EII's to a colleague who before he looked through them questioned what I'd bought, he quickly changed his mind after using them, he did admit that if he was in a shop after a new pair of binoculars he'd have dismissed them without even looking through them!
The same BF member also sorted me out a pair of Olympus 8x25 PC I's for my young daughter which she really likes, I must admit they are a smashing little pair for her to start with.
To sum the EII's up, they just make me grin every time I look through them!
Thanks to all those who gave their views on this topic and especially to to our two new friends From Nantwich.
Stonesy.
I bought a Nikon 8x30 EII from Japan through Amazon.com. You have to send them to Japan for warranty service but I would imagine Nikon would repair them here for a nominal cost. I hardly ever have to use a warranty so it is not a big concern for me. The EII's were perfect and brand spanking new and shipped fast for $430. They are the best optics you can buy for the money and $430 is a great price with shipping. No problems.
I don't know it is nice to get them brand new in the box. You know they haven't been dropped or anything. I have bought a lot of used binoculars without any problems though from Astromart and Ebay.
Thank You Denis and oetzi. I'll look for a good seller on Amazon. I am new to birding and even though I love my ancient Swift Ultralite Porro(761), my soon to be ancient eyesight demands a better glass. At the rate I am climbing the Binocular ladder I'll probably buy an alpha roof bin after many years when good porros go from endangered to extinct.
NDhunter
Experienced observer
I have recently been using my newly purchased Nikon 8x30 EII, and have really been enjoying
this binocular. I have owned it in the past, and I really respect the nice, wide and very
sharp view. I think the latest coatings make this thing very special.
Thanks to Brock's idea, I have now equipped mine with the Bushwacker # 5 objective covers, and they add some
length to the barrels, and they really help make them nicer to handle. These are yellow, and black is
available also. No connection, I got mine from "Cheaper Than Dirt", for under $14.00
for both, shipping included.
Jerry
this binocular. I have owned it in the past, and I really respect the nice, wide and very
sharp view. I think the latest coatings make this thing very special.
Thanks to Brock's idea, I have now equipped mine with the Bushwacker # 5 objective covers, and they add some
length to the barrels, and they really help make them nicer to handle. These are yellow, and black is
available also. No connection, I got mine from "Cheaper Than Dirt", for under $14.00
for both, shipping included.
Jerry
Attachments
brocknroller
porromaniac
I didn't like the EII's/SE's one-piece, hard plastic rain guard either so I replaced it with a softer, lighter rubber two-piece Nikon rain guard that Jerry sent me. It worked well, swung out of my way unlike the original heavy rain guard, which once swung back when I quickly picked up the bins and hit me in the eye!
The first two things I do when I buy an EII or an SE, change the rain guard and the straps. The strap that came with the Aculon is actually more comfortable and practical than the antiques that came with the EII and SE. The third thing - add Bushwackers.
Brock
Attachments
![Nikon EII and SE 030 [Desktop Resolution] [].JPG](/data/attachments/504/504817-99fa6d372b4067a90f8d44ffc7ac7db9.jpg)
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Those objective covers look nice Jerry. Is the fit tight?
Using Nikon 8x30 EII for a week has been quite an experience. I have an old Swift Ultralite 8X42 (Model 761) to compare with. Both porros provide a rich and immersive experience. The EII is has a tad more resolution and contrast. I was surprised that the Ultralite could hang in there with the Nikon. The EII FOV is much greater than the Ultralite, but it wasn't very noticeable or rather not important to me. I try to have my "prey" focussed in the center. I only got blackouts and a bad headache looking at edges on the EII. I don't wear glasses and eye placement was okay for me, but I wish the eyecups were a little longer. Like all bins it takes some time to get used to the eyepiece and focuser.
The EII needs perfect focusing to get the image right. There is a lot of adjustment needed. The Ultralite is more forgiving. A minor adjustment is all it takes to get the focus right.
The difference between the two poros is very glaring when it comes to glare! The Ultralite is plagued by all kinds of glare and the EII surprisingly has almost none. In this area it was even better than my neighbor's Ultravid 10x32 I compared with for a few days.
Pros
EII image is stunning and crystal clear in the center
Immersive 3D Porro experience
***Superb glare control***
Almost no CA
Focusing is smooth
Small Size
Build quality is nice
Fits my hands quite well
Cons
Edges are soft
Wish the eye cups were a little longer
When the setting sun is behind I see reflections off the oculars. A pair of winged eyecups should fix this
For $370 paid I don't think there is any bin that can match the EII for value.
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Told ya. HaHa! The Nikon 8x32 SE has even better glare control but the FOV is not nearly as big. Porro's don't have much CA in general. It is really difficult to make a binocular with the huge FOV of the EII without having soft edges but actually the EII's edges are surprisingly good. There is nothing that will match the value of the EII for quality and optics. It is a real bargain. It has the biggest FOV of any 8x binocular made and there is nothing quite like it. It is a lot of fun to use. I feel the EII's are the best porro's you can buy for birding.
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albatrosviajero
Well-known member
Hi.
For curiosity. Anyone have using this binoculars for astronómicas observations wide ángle?
Best regards
Al.
For curiosity. Anyone have using this binoculars for astronómicas observations wide ángle?
Best regards
Al.
brocknroller
porromaniac
Albatross,
I have, although the aperture limits the number of faint stars and nebulae you can see. The last sample I had was sharp to over 70% out and the fall off at the edges was gradual, so it was decent for casual stargazing though most of the time I used my 8.5x44 804 Audubon for stargazing since its sweet spot and fall off at the edge were similar, but the larger aperture and slightly more magnification pulled in more.
I also had a 10x35 EII, which I preferred over the 8x for stargazing, same EWA AFOV of 70*, higher magnification and larger aperture.
I feel your pain around my neck!
The Ancient Mariner
The 8x30 E2 does work reasonably well for backyard astronomy if you can live with the images being dimmer than with a 4mm or 5mm exit pupil. The wide sharp view on a dark clear night is enjoyable. My go to bins for night sky observation are Celestron 9.5x44 ED.
albatrosviajero
Well-known member
But, maybe the Nikon 8*30 EII can be a more versatile bino?
Hi Brock,
Do you know what binocular they were for? Do you have a part number or a source?
I do think the Nikon 8x30 EII's are very, very good. The cons are mostly obvious:
They are not as robust as roofs. (I wouldn't want to drop them or loan them to the neighbor's kids. Blue Sky's are probably indestructible in comparison.)
They are not fully waterproof... You probably don't want to expose them to a salt water environment.
The lens covers need upgrading (easily fixed with an aftermarket purchase).
The field is not as flat as some modern designs.
The eye cups aren't adjustable.
They are bright for 30mm's... but can't compete with a set of high-quality larger objectives.
There seems to be some falloff in brightness as you go off center... more falloff than I've noticed with roof prisms.
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I was also a bit concerned about the rainguard that came with EII, for the first week or two. Another issue people talk about is the way these binoculars hang on the neckstrap. However, I realized there is a simple solution to both of them. I threaded the neckstrap through both loops on the rainguard. Because the loops are loose, the rainguard can easily be slid up and down along the neckstrap by ~12 cm. In this way, the rainguard is out of way, under my chin when viewing.
The rainguard can be pulled off very fast in this way, as it doesn't stick to the eyecups. When putting it back on the oculars, it is important to push the rainguard fully down the strap, as long as it goes, living no slack on the strap. This fixes the second issue: the binoculars hang on the strap naturally, as rainguard aligns them vertically.
I am still amazed by the simplicity and effectiveness of this solution (I assume this was the design intention). It was made in true spirit of the EII overall design: low cost, simple, yet effective and of highest quality where it counts. The rainguard does the job of keeping the dust off the oculars pretty well, too, despite being wider than the eyecups. It does need re-adjustment occassionally, but there are usually birds around often enough not to need this re-adjustment .|=)|
Joseph
An update for ordering an E2 from amazon. Yesterday I ordered one for myself from a Japanese vendor via Amazon, with fulfillment by amazon.com. This means that Amazon is shipping directly to you with full amazon support for returns. A couple other Japanese vendors had Amazon fulfillment advertised as well. I had not seen this possibility before so wanted to give others on the forum a heads up.
Also, the price yesterday was $409.99. I took advantage of the $50 gift card offer for opening an Amazon (Chase) credit card, plus I'll get 3% cash back for using that card. So, total price comes out to just under $350.
I'll update this post as soon as the E2s arrive.
Update 1: just notified they have shipped - from Tennessee
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brocknroller
porromaniac
For at least five years, the EIIs were not sold by US stores. it wasn't until the very month when I had to sell my two EIIs that Nikon decided to sell the EIIs through US stores again. A BF member, whose butt I'd like to kick swiftly, wrote a post on my classified ad, that my price was higher than what Amazon was selling them for.
I had no idea they were being sold here again, but my sample was "cherry picked" and laser collimated by none other than that old Navy Optical Man Bill Cook, and it thad the largest sweet spot of any sample I've tried (best of three, sharp to 75% and then very gradual fall off to 90% out), so it should have been worth more, but thanks to the interloper, I had to lower my price and undersell Amazon to get it sold.
I don't know why Nikon allowed Amazon (and one other store, which is selling through Amazon) to sell directly to American buyers again, perhaps it's because the SE was discontinued. The EII's centerfield sharpness is identical to the SE's, and the focusing rack, the centerpost, diopter and focus wheel are the same on both models. The EP housing, however, is different. You can't take an SE EP and drop it into an EII EP housing or vice versa (tried that, I was hoping to get the WF of the EII in the more ergonomic and robust body of the SE. That would be my ideal bin).
Brock
