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Used habicht advices (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ce2613
- Start date
Hi Denis,
I'm in a similar position to you, relatively new to binos and have tried several in the entry-level price range including the papilio and the Kowa YF ii which is similar to the opticron you have. I ended up purchasing an EII (found for a good price on Amazon Japan a couple months ago) and just recently the new Prostaff P7 8x30 because I wanted something waterproof to take kayaking and in inclement weather. Comparing the two, I am very satisfied with the P7. The biggest difference is the 3D effect that porros have and roofs don't. Otherwise, the EII's seem slightly sharper and slightly clearer but its not a night and day difference to my eyes. Ergonomics of the P7 are excellent, pupil alignment is even easier for me than the EII (I don't wear glasses), focus wheel feels perfect to me, at least I haven't tried one I like more, materials and finishes are grippy but not overly so, the bino is compact and light but fits nicely in my medium sized hands. The sweet spot is large enough that I don't notice drop-off at the edges although I'm sure it's there. Of course, 8.7* FOV is wonderfully immersive, after trying the EII I found anything less than about 8* FOV to appear distractingly narrow. All that to say if you have a limited budget at the moment I recommend trying to new P7 8x30, I would be perfectly happy if this were my only bino, I've even started ruminating about selling the EII
Tristan
I'm in a similar position to you, relatively new to binos and have tried several in the entry-level price range including the papilio and the Kowa YF ii which is similar to the opticron you have. I ended up purchasing an EII (found for a good price on Amazon Japan a couple months ago) and just recently the new Prostaff P7 8x30 because I wanted something waterproof to take kayaking and in inclement weather. Comparing the two, I am very satisfied with the P7. The biggest difference is the 3D effect that porros have and roofs don't. Otherwise, the EII's seem slightly sharper and slightly clearer but its not a night and day difference to my eyes. Ergonomics of the P7 are excellent, pupil alignment is even easier for me than the EII (I don't wear glasses), focus wheel feels perfect to me, at least I haven't tried one I like more, materials and finishes are grippy but not overly so, the bino is compact and light but fits nicely in my medium sized hands. The sweet spot is large enough that I don't notice drop-off at the edges although I'm sure it's there. Of course, 8.7* FOV is wonderfully immersive, after trying the EII I found anything less than about 8* FOV to appear distractingly narrow. All that to say if you have a limited budget at the moment I recommend trying to new P7 8x30, I would be perfectly happy if this were my only bino, I've even started ruminating about selling the EII
Tristan
Hi I’d like to edit some stuff I’ve said that might not be exactly precise.
The ca of the Opticron are not unbearable. I’ve said this because compared to the Papilio ca are higher but the latter’s characteristics are perfect for low ca.
The worst con of the Opticron is the false image that happens when looking towards high intensity lights.
The armor stinks less but i still think it could have been off better quality even for this price.
At close range (3m) image feels fake but it is a porro drawback mainly, i suppose.
Apart from that the image quality is of good quality.
For a cheapish price they are good value. I’ve tried some vanguard endeavor of more than twice the price and the image wasn’t superior (in fact imo it was inferior due to yellowness of the image).
The ca of the Opticron are not unbearable. I’ve said this because compared to the Papilio ca are higher but the latter’s characteristics are perfect for low ca.
The worst con of the Opticron is the false image that happens when looking towards high intensity lights.
The armor stinks less but i still think it could have been off better quality even for this price.
At close range (3m) image feels fake but it is a porro drawback mainly, i suppose.
Apart from that the image quality is of good quality.
For a cheapish price they are good value. I’ve tried some vanguard endeavor of more than twice the price and the image wasn’t superior (in fact imo it was inferior due to yellowness of the image).
It is great that you are enjoying your Opticron. I would say that I am having similar reflection issues with my Habicht. For me, it is better suited for open areas. I see the worst reflections in dark woodlends. I think your Opticron is already very good binoculars at this price point. IMO if you want to go for the next step better buy something around 400-500 euros pricetag. I would suggest Nikon Monarch 7/ M7, GPO, or Hawke frontier. I bought my Monarch 7 8x30 for 300 euros and still, I don't miss many things compared to the full-size NL Pure 8x42.
Indeed, I went for a Pentax zd ed 10x43. I’m trying to buy just one pair of binoculars for the rest of my life and for long term usage 8x wasn’t satisfying me. I use the binos in open areas like mountains or lakes and a 10x does the job better imo. Sure, if your heart rate is up because of the walking, holding them steady is a bit of a challenge but for me it’s more about finding a panoramic place, sitting down and enjoy the view. I usually rest my arms on my knees.
I’d like to try a conquest just to be sure that I’m not losing anything but Zeiss doesn’t have any dealers in northern Italy sadly
I’d like to try a conquest just to be sure that I’m not losing anything but Zeiss doesn’t have any dealers in northern Italy sadly
I also like 10x power even in forest areas because of the extra power. It might be a psychological thing but I prefer 10x over 8x.
I hope you made the right choice for your next purchase. I like Papilio 6.5x21 however, don't know much about high-end Pentax binoculars. Personally, I would go for either a Monarch 10x42, Conquest 10x42, or a Trinovid 10x42. I also like my Habicht except for the reflection issue so it is not for everyone. It is difficult to find a good 10x than an 8x.
I hope you made the right choice for your next purchase. I like Papilio 6.5x21 however, don't know much about high-end Pentax binoculars. Personally, I would go for either a Monarch 10x42, Conquest 10x42, or a Trinovid 10x42. I also like my Habicht except for the reflection issue so it is not for everyone. It is difficult to find a good 10x than an 8x.
Yeah, 10x is harder to make nicely I agree. Well the Pentax are nice, compared to the endeavor mechanically are of an other league but sure double the price. You can feel it’s getting in the instrument league rather than consumer goods.
The ergonomics are really well thought (like the Papilio) with the thumbs indents and also some really smart indents on the bridge for index and middle fingers that make the hold very comfortable.
The armor is nice. Its texture is just right. A quality rubber.
This and the ergonomics are where i think the conquest might be worse and it’s certainly an important part of binos. Optically i feel like there aren’t any flaws honestly. Distortion comes at 70% or so and it might be worse than the conquest. The colors are very true to life which is nice but if a day is dull, the binos will show dull images. This is why i feel Leica goes with yellow tints.
Image brightness is an I don’t know point. They are the brightest of the binoculars I’ve owned but the others were also cheaper or of different formats. I wonder how conquest/hg/trinovid perform to them. Allbinos rates 89% for the Pentax and 93% for the conquest. I wonder if it’s noticeable and by how much.
Eyecups have 4 positions and of good quality.
Warranty is 30 years.
Objectives caps are attached to the tripod screw.
Overall a very refined product.
Your suggestions are interesting for sure. I might be able to try out the monarch but the shop is far away and I’m lazy XD. Also the Leica might be available but far enough to trigger my laziness too. Even so, I wonder how much can you understand of a bino in a shop. In my experience you need a week or so to really produce the nuanced assessments of these high end products.
I could buy and return the Conquest but they are 350€ more and Zeiss gifts European customers with a 10 year warranty instead of the lifetime one in the us which to me is total joke. Yet I’m still curious about them somehow.
I’ve ditched the used Habicht because they were sold and for a too high price
The ergonomics are really well thought (like the Papilio) with the thumbs indents and also some really smart indents on the bridge for index and middle fingers that make the hold very comfortable.
The armor is nice. Its texture is just right. A quality rubber.
This and the ergonomics are where i think the conquest might be worse and it’s certainly an important part of binos. Optically i feel like there aren’t any flaws honestly. Distortion comes at 70% or so and it might be worse than the conquest. The colors are very true to life which is nice but if a day is dull, the binos will show dull images. This is why i feel Leica goes with yellow tints.
Image brightness is an I don’t know point. They are the brightest of the binoculars I’ve owned but the others were also cheaper or of different formats. I wonder how conquest/hg/trinovid perform to them. Allbinos rates 89% for the Pentax and 93% for the conquest. I wonder if it’s noticeable and by how much.
Eyecups have 4 positions and of good quality.
Warranty is 30 years.
Objectives caps are attached to the tripod screw.
Overall a very refined product.
Your suggestions are interesting for sure. I might be able to try out the monarch but the shop is far away and I’m lazy XD. Also the Leica might be available but far enough to trigger my laziness too. Even so, I wonder how much can you understand of a bino in a shop. In my experience you need a week or so to really produce the nuanced assessments of these high end products.
I could buy and return the Conquest but they are 350€ more and Zeiss gifts European customers with a 10 year warranty instead of the lifetime one in the us which to me is total joke. Yet I’m still curious about them somehow.
I’ve ditched the used Habicht because they were sold and for a too high price
