Why No More High End Porros? (1 Viewer)

[Neil G.]

Isn't that Porro model a Individual Focus system?

Jan

They still possess a cf wheel for fine adjustments........cracking binoculars.

 

[ceasar]

The only waterproof porros I am aware of are individual focus, so live and learn.

Water proofing isn't an issue with me in Porros. Eye placement and comfort are.

Bob

 

[henry link]

There is one modern center-focus waterproof Porro. This binocular, without the rangefinder, is what I was hoping the Noctivid would be.

https://us.leica-camera.com/Sport-Optics/Leica-Hunting/Rangefinders/Leica-Geovid/Geovid-Range

 

[jring]

There is one modern center-focus waterproof Porro. This binocular, without the rangefinder, is what I was hoping the Noctivid would be.

https://us.leica-camera.com/Sport-Optics/Leica-Hunting/Rangefinders/Leica-Geovid/Geovid-Range

Hi,

yes, the Perger prism is closely related to porros, but obviously different enough to have gotten it patented - and Leica who owns the patent has put it in the bottom drawer to gather dust...
The Geovid series are the only ones to use it due to the ease of projecting data into the field of view.

Joachim

 

[Highway Dog]

There are advanced Porros, but you have to look globally.

Right now APM is selling a Low dispersion glass porro that some say it better than what Fujinon offers.
http://www.apm-telescopes.de/index.php?page=categorie&cat=1291&filter_id=4&sorting=

Lunt Engineering also has a modest list of some of these binoculars.
http://luntengineering.com/lunt-engineering-magnesium-series-binoculars/

Sometimes on Astromart, Markus Luddes advertises that his binoculars are APO corrected.
http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/bin...-x-70-ed-apo-magnesium-series-binoculars.html

Rob.

 

[Canip]

The only waterproof porros I am aware of are individual focus, so live and learn.

..... except for the Swarovski Habicht line of binos - 7x42, 8x30, 10x40. They get often overlooked and they are fully (4000 mm water column) waterproof. By the way the only bino for which Swarovski still gives a 30 year warranty.

Canip

 

[Hermann]

The only waterproof porros I am aware of are individual focus, so live and learn.

You're wrong.

Hermann

 

[tenex]

I tried a Habicht 10x40 once (courtesy of Eagle Optics, RIP) and was very surprised that I couldn't like it. It felt stiff and awkward, somehow less vivid than the roof-prism competition (possibly glare?), and had a stingy sweet spot. (I suppose trying to waterproof a CF Porro does make it stiff, and I do need CF, so forget Fujinon etc.) Also a Nikon SE 10x42, no longer made; it seemed nice but just didn't win me over. Even Docter/Jena doesn't make Porros anymore, and those (like most) were seriously heavy. Perhaps Porros would seem more competitive if the same R&D effort had continued to be put into them for decades, but that didn't happen.

I do think there could still be a market for special editions. Sometime in the 1980s Zeiss did one with their 10x50 Porro; I don't know whether it had improved coatings, probably not oculars (which it badly needed). In the 90s they actually reissued the 15x60 with improved, larger oculars. I'd like to see more of this done today myself.

 

[[email protected]]

..... except for the Swarovski Habicht line of binos - 7x42, 8x30, 10x40. They get often overlooked and they are fully (4000 mm water column) waterproof. By the way the only bino for which Swarovski still gives a 30 year warranty.

Canip

I would be all over the Habicht's if it weren't for the veiling glare and stiff focuser. I like the optics so much I tried 3 of them. On-axis they are gorgeous.

 

[Theo98]

BTW, I'm a new member; this is my first post.

I need someone to explain to me how the binocular industry has come to a stage where the production of really fine porro prism instruments have faded away, where even nice mid-level binos like the Nikon E II are getting harder to find? A Nikon E 8x30, which I bought new for my wife over 20 years ago, is still giving great views. There are so many advantages to porros - important among them the illusion of three dimensional space - which IMO just can't be bettered by a roof instrument, except perhaps in the most expensive of them. If Zeiss or Swarovski took the pains to produce a great porro-based bin, I have a feeling it would blow their present instruments out of the water. Can someone kindly explain why a more efficient, easier to make, in my view superior, optical system is being lost?

Hello "fleurviola" and Welcome to Birdforum!! :hi:

Production Faded away...Only from the US market place! Several years ago, these Swarovski Habicht Porros were available through SONA (Swarovski Opik North America-US Headquarters) in retail and on-line sales stores throughout the US. However, sales weren't competitive with the newer roof prism designs, thus Swarovski pulled those offerings from the US marketplace. As you can see in the URL reference above, "Absam in Austria" is still creating and marketing their Porro line throughout Europe!

A few on-line sales still linger in NA ( O4B, EO, CL, OT ), but purchases don't carry the SONA Lifetime Warranties (optics obtained directly from Europe)! Many BF members carry the same feelings you have for the Porro advantages, but ultimately, public support means profitability and as we see everyday, things change...Sometimes Quickly!! :eek!:

MERRY CHRISTMAS to Everyone!

Ted

 

[H K]

While not fashionable , the old rubberised /armored 7X50 fujinon individual focus glasses are great . They can take a soaking , 6ft drop and KICK by a tuna captain that just missed a 350 ton school of yellow fin . Crystal clear for the next day's kick .

 

[Maljunulo]

You're wrong.

Hermann

That's why I said "live and learn".

 

[[email protected]]

While not fashionable , the old rubberised /armored 7X50 fujinon individual focus glasses are great . They can take a soaking , 6ft drop and KICK by a tuna captain that just missed a 350 ton school of yellow fin . Crystal clear for the next day's kick .

They also weigh 3 1/2 pounds.

 

[Theo98]

While not fashionable , the old rubberised /armored 7X50 fujinon individual focus glasses are great . They can take a soaking , 6ft drop and KICK by a tuna captain that just missed a 350 ton school of yellow fin . Crystal clear for the next day's kick .

Rugged...Yes! Good for bird watching....Well, Yes, as in one monocular near field focus, one monocular far field focus... |:S| :-O :gn:

Ted

 

[chill6x6]

Chuck,

Isn't that 1st binocular a Meopta 7x42 rather than a Swarovski 7x42 B? They both have long eye relief. 20mm and 19mm. The Zeiss 7x42 has 16 mm ER.

Nikon's EIIs and SEs would be even better if they got rid of those thin folding rubber eye cups and replaced them with modern hard eye cups that had a couple of positions.

Bob

Hey Bob,

I should have posted what those binoculars are....left to right 7X50 Meopta B.1, Zeiss FL 7x42, and the Habicht 7X42. That 16mm for the FL....it's more than that actually. I think 16mm is just Zeiss's "number."

It's a shame the Swarovski Habichts can't be modernized. They have such nice optics and are so lightweight with great handling qualities...

The Nikon porro I have is the 8X32 SE. It "almost" works too. Yes fold down rubber eye cup. I don't fold them down...don't want to wear it out. THEN what?

 

[etudiant]

Afaik, all the Canon IS binoculars are porros.
They are probably the most modern models currently on the market, as none were adaptations/modernizations of older designs.
By all accounts, the 10x42 is optically the best and is fully waterproof, but the 15x50 and the 18x50 also get some love.

 

[Chosun Juan]

Afaik, all the Canon IS binoculars are porros.
They are probably the most modern models currently on the market, as none were adaptations/modernizations of older designs.
By all accounts, the 10x42 is optically the best and is fully waterproof, but the 15x50 and the 18x50 also get some love.

Yep, these are Porro II (or Porro-Abbe) design prisms 👍


Chosun :gh:

 

[Sancho]

The Nikon porro I have is the 8X32 SE. It "almost" works too. Yes fold down rubber eye cup. I don't fold them down...don't want to wear it out. THEN what?

I got a new pair of eyecups for my SE's from Nikon UK. I think they cost about 19 euro. Alternatively fashion a pair from a pair of bicycle inner-tubes and glue, the advantage being that you can tailor these to your exact requirements.:t:

 

[Nixterdemus]

I was going to start a thread though this one fits nicely. A blast from the past:

https://books.google.com/books?id=Y...kQ6AEIZDAM#v=onepage&q=Pop-up eyecups&f=false

WP, armour, pop-up eyecups plus, it's under a grand!

 

[Sancho]

I was going to start a thread though this one fits nicely. A blast from the past:

https://books.google.com/books?id=Y...kQ6AEIZDAM#v=onepage&q=Pop-up eyecups&f=false

WP, armour, pop-up eyecups plus, it's under a grand!

I had a pair of those too! Got them in a secondhand shop for 200 euro. Foolishly sold them. They were the 12x50, and a bit odd in the hands because the offset is vertical rather than horizontal...in other words, they look like roofs but the eyepieces are on a different plane to the objectives. Fantastic view. I sold them because I had some 15x bino at the time.