Kowa BD ii XD 8 x 42 review

Hello everyone, please forgive my use or not of proper words and phrases for description of the above binoculars.

I'm new to this and this is my first ever review.

My wife and I have approximately 20 years of experience in bird and wildlife watching. We have owned several pairs of binoculars in the 200 to 400 pounds region.

Wanted to upgrade my binoculars. And took several weeks obsessively reading reviews and forum for information.
Managed to narrow it down to 8 pairs.

So arrived at our Norfolk seller at door opening time. And set about comparing our choice.
Hawke frontier edx
Hawke frontier APO. ( This is the model I had chosen in my mind)
Opticron Verano ( new release)
Opticron Aurora.
Leica Trinovid
Zeiss Conquest.
And the kowa BD ii XD 8 x 42.

Now the kowa was last on my list, I was underwhelmed by the remarks and reviews on this binocular.
But I was at the store and thought I would try them out.

The store has a lovely outdoor viewing area of hedgerow and field and wood.

So we had been there about half hour trying and both of us swapping. When another couple turned up and also started to look at the same range of binoculars as us.
We were not together. And they were few metres away from us.
Anyway we looked through all of the above and couple more models.
I really wanted to like the Hawke frontier APO. But didn't.
And we both kept coming back to the kowa BD ii XD 8 x 42.
It was silky smooth to focus and nice and bright and clear.
In fact we went over and over looking and the only model that came close was the opticron Aurora.
They were very close indeed.
Perhaps the aurora being a tad brighter but not for an extra 400 pounds.
So I chose the Kowa BD ii XD.

Now the other couple also trying out various models also favoured the Kowa BD ii XD.

Which is incredible. We are none glasses and they both wore glasses.

So I quickly purchased the kowa because the chap also wanted them, believing that they were the last pair.

But when we met up outside, accidentally, they had both purchased Kowa BD ii XD binoculars.
Now surely that says something, 4 people all trying out various models of binoculars end up choosing the Kowa !!

Seriously these are really good.

The eyecups are thick rubber and fit very smoothly, not overtight, like my old pair.
You can whip them off really easy.

The strap is above average, well made, well stitched, and passed my strong pull test.
Fed up of below par straps with binoculars.
So this is very good.

The rubber armour is well made and very good.

The focus wheel, is beyond anything I've experienced before, silky smooth, and exact and precise.
Brilliant !!

The image is again above average, very good quality.
Clear, sharp. Colours neutral.

Now for the depth of view !!

This is again, superp. Absolutely brilliant. Never experienced anything like that before. It makes watching a moving bird so easy.
And add the silky smooth focus wheel that is precise and accurate, I'm telling you, it's incredible.

Fov.. good.

And this is coming from a place that I didn't think these were going to be up to much.
Going on what I had read.

But believe me, I'm well happy and impressed.

As is said repeatedly, the best way to choose binoculars is to physically actually try them out ! And if like me, you try a good decent pair, purchase that one.

Again, 4 out of 4 people trying various models choose the Kowa. It must of been a good batch off the factory line.

Oh . believe it or not, and I know im putting my head on the block saying this.

The worst pair on the day.

Zeiss Conquest !

Just really didn't like them.

Cheers. Enjoy life. By