Russian 8x30 Center Focus (1 Viewer)

Has anyone had any experience with this binocular? I do not expect much for the price, but I do not want to damage my eyes looking through it.

Perhaps they would be worth keeping at work, in case a kestrel turned up.

Russian binoculars are usually categorized as good glass, poor mechanics.

http://www.russianoptics.com/011.html

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

Hi Arthur

They look the same as my pair - bought a number of years ago but hardly used...(!)

Basically they're fine for the price but images have quite a yellow cast due to the yellowish objective coatings used. Also LOTS of flare whenever looking in sunlight...

At the same time, the build quality / supplied case and sharpness of image is much better than you might imagine... so it's not all bad!

Try finding a pair of 7x35 Foton (Russian) binoculars instead if you can - the price might be higher but they give a better image (Reduced flare / much less colour cast - due to purple / blue coloured lens coatings)...

Hope this is of use even if I've just focused on what I see as the main points...

Regards

Jeff.

Jeffintercamb said:

Hi Arthur


Basically they're fine for the price but images have quite a yellow cast due to the yellowish objective coatings used. Also LOTS of flare whenever looking in sunlight...



Regards

Jeff.

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Dear Jeff,

Thanks for the information,
Arthur Pinewood :scribe:

Pinewood said:

Has anyone had any experience with this binocular? I do not expect much for the price, but I do not want to damage my eyes looking through it.

Click to expand...

Well, where should I start... I have used a pair for almost 20 years (almost embarrassing to admit). Not quite Nikon SEs, but at least they never black-out on you

I completely agree with Jeff about the yellow color cast and reflections due to poor coatings. I think the prisms are totally uncoated, but they are large and don't cause vignetting, and I wasn't even too disturbed by the flare. Mechanically it feels very nice, focus wheel has a smallish diameter, but it is broader than in most porros. The binoculars are quite heavy, but the weight is acceptable and to me it expressed durability.

I had a chance to cherry-pick my pair in a local photography store which had just received a huge batch of them. They were packed in brown greasy paper, which smelled funny. I screened through about ten pairs before I found a unit that was both optically and mechanically acceptable. Some were poorly aligned, some had dirt inside, many had stuck focus (and diopter correction) wheels. I think this was mainly due to the black paint which was spread on the "sliding surfaces". I think the QC must have been improved since that time.

Optically the binos are IMO surprisingly good: they are sharp, easy to view, good depth-of-view, no CA. The field of view is not very wide (don't know the angle ...6.5?) and the edges are quite soft but the "sweet spot" is large enough to give a "good" view. The eye-relief is very small and the eyecups are not adjustable, so spectacles must be always taken off.

The hard case and the straps are made of real leather, which seems to wear very well. The rain guard work much better than those of the SEs.

If you are not easily disturbed by the color casts, and you have a chance to select from a few units, you may find a nice and durable pair to complement your collection . I have seen many kestrels with my pair.

Ilkka

BTW If you think the image is still not yellow enough, a pair of yellow (yes!) click-on filters are included... (at least in my bins).

iporali said:

Optically the binos are IMO surprisingly good: they are sharp, easy to view, good depth-of-view, no CA. The field of view is not very wide (don't know the angle ...6.5?) and the edges are quite soft but the "sweet spot" is large enough to give a "good" view. The eye-relief is very small and the eyecups are not adjustable, so spectacles must be always taken off.

I have seen many kestrels with my pair.

Ilkka

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Dear Ikka,

I thank you for your kind response to my posting. The United States importer claims to pick the units at the factory.


Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

They look the same as my first pair of bins I bought about 20 yrs ago. For the money they were and probably still are a bargain. Tough, reasonable optics with a sharp centre focus declining a bit towards the edges. A little prone to flare but not terrible. They were definitely better than any of the equivalant priced Japanese optics at the time.

Richard D said:

They look the same as my first pair of bins I bought about 20 yrs ago. For the money they were and probably still are a bargain. Tough, reasonable optics with a sharp centre focus declining a bit towards the edges. A little prone to flare but not terrible. They were definitely better than any of the equivalant priced Japanese optics at the time.

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Dear Richard,

Thank you for the information. I am thinking of buying it, if I cannot find a used Deltrintem, which would cost about the same.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood