New birdings binos ~1k price (1 Viewer)

[HHe]

Hello all,

I would like to ask some help. Ive been having these thoughts about getting new pair of birding binos. I had Vortex razor hd 8x42 and they were pretty good for me. I disliked the diopter setup since it used to change. So after few turns i had Zeiss Conquest 10x56 in my hands😅 Not really optimal for birding but have used them with harness and tripod.

So ive had my eyes on GPO hd 10x42/Hawke APO 10x42 or Nikon MHG 10x42s.. And my question is this, how they compare for.ex. agains my Zeiss? I want really sharp and wide image with minimal CA. I also use glasses and that was one reason i let razors go. I havent nor i have an opportunity to test these on these times im afraid so all help is appreciated. Tried to read all i could about those three but not some real comparisons for binos ive personally used since im fairly new to birding.

Thanks in advance,

HHe

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Hi HHe and welcome to BirdForum from all the staff and moderators. Hopefully somebody will be along soon with some experience of those bins you mentioned.

Rich

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Welcome to BF

The Passion HD's are excellent. You may wish to consider the Kowa Genesis as well. Please feel free to give us a call, 516-217-1000, to discuss prices and options

 

[dries1]

Personally HHe and welcome. I would go with the Nikon Monarch HGs out of those three. Just my 2cts.

Andy W.

 

[Rob from Texas]

welcome aboard HHe!

Since you wear glasses while viewing, you might start a search of quality brands and models with eye relief over 18mm. Make a list of likely possibilities and let the members give you feedback on each of those.

 

[jring]

Hi,

how did you like the Conquests? If the weight was your only problem, what about either one of the 42mm models? They have enough ER for sure.

Joachim

 

[[email protected]]

I agree with Andy. I would go with the Nikon MHG 10x42. It is very bright, light and has a big FOV.

 

[HHe]

Thank you all,

Im from Finland so first i try to find binos i can get here more easily. Ordering abroad is no issue for me if i want something that cant be ordered here.

I mostly watch birds with my wife and she also have glasses. We like to walk alot, wander all over, use trails etc so we tend to look close and far. Also we spent big time on shore birds, waterfowl, birds of prey (wifes favourites) so that led me to 10x42.

I could get conquest on smaller size, but im always onto trying different things, brands, models. ER/eyecup design on conquest is really good for both of us thou and we use them mainly on low light hence heavy. They tend to suffer from CA and for that reason i would like others for daily use.. more true colors, good sharpness, better ca control.

 

[Sprite1275]

Hi. A quick Google shows all you've mentioned to have pretty much the same or less eye relief than the vortex.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

HHe,
I do not know whether there is aa Kite dealer in Finland, but if there is, it may be worthwile to try some Kite models: fair price, good quality.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[HHe]

Hi. A quick Google shows all you've mentioned to have pretty much the same or less eye relief than the vortex.

Im aware of that, thats one of the reasons i was hoping to get info from someone who has used those so they can compare.. Many binos eyecups differ quite much and this affects in my opinion quite much (we all have special face anatomy).

 

[HHe]

HHe,
I do not know whether there is aa Kite dealer in Finland, but if there is, it may be worthwile to try some Kite models: fair price, good quality.
Gijs van Ginkel

Hi and thanks for suggestion. It seems we have a dealer for kite. Dont know about the brand, any suggestions on model thats in par with above mentioned? Cheers

 

[[email protected]]

Hi and thanks for suggestion. It seems we have a dealer for kite. Dont know about the brand, any suggestions on model thats in par with above mentioned? Cheers

I had three different Kite binoculars and I had quality trouble with all three and returned them. I wouldn't recommend them to anybody. IMO the build quality is very poor at least on the three I tried. They are built by Kamakura, but somebody is not watching the quality very close.

 

[eitanaltman]

My advice would be to not expect significant gains optically at that price point. The Conquest HD is already among the best at that price point, and dropping down in aperture from a 56mm to a 42mm at the same magnification is not going to result in superior sharpness or brightness. The only real “flaws” of the Conquest HD optics are the mediocre CA control and somewhat green color bias. In nearly all other respects optically they are excellent to outstanding.

To be totally honest you’ll likely have to spend quite a bit more to see real optical gains. So if that’s not in the budget, you should instead be thinking about this in terms of gains in utility — ie lighter weight, wider FOV, etc.

Since you specifically mention being bothered by the mediocre control of chromatic aberration, in my experience the same will be true for most binoculars at this price point. The Monarch HG is no better, in fact your old Razor HD is considered to be one of the best in this regard at the price point! Frankly the only binoculars at this general price level which I’ve found to stand out in this regard are the Razor HD and Meopta Meostar HD (above average) and the Kowa Genesis (superior). The Genesis is the only binocular at this price level that I can think of that has truly superb CA control (ie comparable to the best like Zeiss FL/SF or Nikon EDG).

So back to utility... let’s review your criteria: something lighter and smaller for long walks, bright wide FOV, excellent sharpness, true color, minimal CA. ~1K price.

In my mind you’ve just described the Kowa Genesis 8x33. I think it would make an excellent complement to the big Zeiss; it is very bright, very sharp, extremely neutral color, superior CA control, has a very wide FOV, and great ergonomics, with only 600g of weight to show for it.

I don’t think you should discount the benefits of the slightly lower magnification with the increase in FOV and depth of field.

The kicker is the eye relief — the Genesis is right on the edge where some eyeglass wearers are fine, others are not.

Another option is a second hand “alpha”. A used Zeiss FL 8x32 or Swaro EL 8x32 seems like they would be great fits as well, and both are above average in eye relief for an 8x32.

 

[CaptRedbeard]

In Europe the Bresser brand, and in the U.S. the Alpen brand, have been revived and my 10x42 are now mounted in my chest pack. I find them tack sharp and good with or without glasses. I have Nikons as well and they are very good. Whatever you get, assure that they are water and fog proof, have rubberized or other good grips and multi or full coated lenses.

 

[HHe]

My advice would be to not expect significant gains optically at that price point. The Conquest HD is already among the best at that price point, and dropping down in aperture from a 56mm to a 42mm at the same magnification is not going to result in superior sharpness or brightness. The only real “flaws” of the Conquest HD optics are the mediocre CA control and somewhat green color bias. In nearly all other respects optically they are excellent to outstanding.

To be totally honest you’ll likely have to spend quite a bit more to see real optical gains. So if that’s not in the budget, you should instead be thinking about this in terms of gains in utility — ie lighter weight, wider FOV, etc.

Since you specifically mention being bothered by the mediocre control of chromatic aberration, in my experience the same will be true for most binoculars at this price point. The Monarch HG is no better, in fact your old Razor HD is considered to be one of the best in this regard at the price point! Frankly the only binoculars at this general price level which I’ve found to stand out in this regard are the Razor HD and Meopta Meostar HD (above average) and the Kowa Genesis (superior). The Genesis is the only binocular at this price level that I can think of that has truly superb CA control (ie comparable to the best like Zeiss FL/SF or Nikon EDG).

So back to utility... let’s review your criteria: something lighter and smaller for long walks, bright wide FOV, excellent sharpness, true color, minimal CA. ~1K price.

In my mind you’ve just described the Kowa Genesis 8x33. I think it would make an excellent complement to the big Zeiss; it is very bright, very sharp, extremely neutral color, superior CA control, has a very wide FOV, and great ergonomics, with only 600g of weight to show for it.

I don’t think you should discount the benefits of the slightly lower magnification with the increase in FOV and depth of field.

The kicker is the eye relief — the Genesis is right on the edge where some eyeglass wearers are fine, others are not.

Another option is a second hand “alpha”. A used Zeiss FL 8x32 or Swaro EL 8x32 seems like they would be great fits as well, and both are above average in eye relief for an 8x32.

Well thats why im here. To find tips and users with opinions of these binos. Razors were somehow not so easy on my eyes, so i guess im looking for something easy as well. I didnt mean that the image quality would be better that my zeiss but still good/sharp. And that 10x was just a thought for those viewing conditions i explianed earlier. I dont have that much experience to tell what really matters so i came here for a reason. Im in a learning curve and hopefully can make good decisions😁

 

[HHe]

Would it be better to stay at 8x42? Opinions? Extra max vs wider fov? Does that 10x give any gains compared to 8x? I still have conquest 10x56 and also kowas 883... so basicly i just answered to my own question🤦🙆

 

[eitanaltman]

That’s why I was suggesting more of a contrast, something different (an 8x instead of a smaller 10x). Wider FOV, more DOF, plus the larger exit pupil makes for easier eye placement and better low light performance.

For general walk about birding, I think 8x is far more useful, especially if you are also packing a scope for more distant targets. Much of the resolution increase is lost to increased hand shake, and in 90% of birding situations the benefits of the wider and deeper field and larger exit pupil will outweigh the slight reduction in magnification.

In fact my favorite birding binocular is a 7x

 

[CaptRedbeard]

I think that eitanaltman is correct in advising that a 8x42 would be the best all around. I keep 7x35's in both vehicles for quick views, 8x42's mount in a harness for birding and 10x50 for long distance glassing over a large area.

 

[Rob from Texas]

Yes..., 8x if you wear glasses. I've found that in most brands, the 8x42 has more eye relief than the same model in 10x42!