Renze de Vries said:Having used the Nikon 8x32SE for some months now, I still feel somewhat uncomfortably with them. Yes, they are optically great, but they are definitely not easy on the eyes. For some they might, especially those with relatively deep set eyes, but for the majority of people they are simply too quirky, too critical, too much of a problem. I think that when Nikon set out to design them, they went to the very edges of what could and what should be done optically. What came out was some kind of Formula One racing car. Spectacular, impressive, but very, very nervous. Certainly not something for everyone to drive comfortably. The problems show up most prominently in the black out problem, but I feel this is not the whole story (I manage quite easily to avoid blackouts, but then there's still something not quite right). I've seen the explanation of this uneasiness - spherical aberration of the exit pupil - mentioned before and whatever this might mean exactly, I feel at least the location of the problem could be right. I have compared the 8x32SE with other 8x32 or 8x30 porro binoculars, and while the size of the exit pupil is rather small to me in all of them, the Nikon is definitely the most problematic. Try to wander around with your eyes through the field of view, and the Nikon goes on the blink time and time again.
I would certainly call this phenomenon an imperfection, and of some magnitude too. It's irritating, period. Of course there's no such thing as a perfect binocular, but when it comes to ease of use, a Leica 7x42 or any good binocular of the same configuration, will never show up this irritation for the majority of users.
I'm still admiring the brightness and beautiful resolution of the Nikon 8x32SE, but that doesn't make me blind for the considerable imperfections of this binocular. And one other thing I always wondered about: as the Nikon would be such a state of the art thing, why wouldn't the other big brands quickly follow the Nikon example and produce something like it? They don't, and I think I know why: the Nikon is too much out of balance, too critically optically, to call it a succesful design. It might be good for the race track, but that doesn't make it a success on the road.
Renze de Vries
One afternoon I stepped out of the car to encounter another birder carrying an SE 8X32. My wife and I had ours so that made 3 SE's on the mountain. Less than an hour later we encountered two more birders with SE 8X32's. That made five SE users in one location and all we're exceedingly happy with the bin, except for one minor complaint about the eyecups wearing out. That user bought his pair soon after the SE was released.
Admittedly, the SE was initially a challenge for me to get comfortable with. My wife, on the other hand, has never had a problem with hers and she absolutely loves the view. Though she appreciates the instant, "relaxed" view of the Ultravid 7X42, she always goes back to using her SE. Both of us, for the record, use the SE with the eyecups folded down. I wear eyeglasses; she doesn't.
Correct eye position is critical with the SE. Steve Ingraham clearly stated this in his classic review and I'll bet every SE user would agree. I quickly learned to completely eliminate blackouts by backing off the eyepiece, and I’m more than willing to sacrifice a bit of the FOV for a blackout-free viewing experience. Under certain viewing conditions the SE also has a tendency to “blink” every so often. I attribute that to the very sensitive eyepiece that delivers the images we SE users love so dearly. On the other hand, I’ve often stared at birds until my arms ached and never once thought the SE image was anything less than perfect. Much of what I’ve seen through the SE is burned into my memory and, until you personally experience that sensation, you will have no idea what I’m talking about. The SE “WOW” factor is off the charts and, if I were limited to one binocular, it would definitely be the SE.
John