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Nikon SE Hard Use / Water Exposure (1 Viewer)

A dilemma arises because the SE's image sets a very high standard that few roofs can match and good roofs (alphas) cost a lot of money.



For many, the SE is a gateway binocular on the path to expensive alpha roof models. It's not our fault the SE view is so addictive. It was designed that way.

There`s always the 8x30 Habicht for lousy weather, the more I consider it the more I`m liking the idea.
 
The problem of course is, if one has a classic superb porro that´s non-WP, and also a modern WP roof, a distressing element of secondary choice is introduced into the whole matrix of choices upon leaving the house.
First of all, you have to decide which binos to bring. So you have to check the forecast, or try to remember Geography lessons from 40 years earlier and decide on the basis of cloud-types what kind of front is about to pass overhead, and whether it´s likely to bring rain.
But if you choose the porros, you then have to decide which jacket to bring, because if you´ve got your forecasting wrong and it rains, you´ll need a waterproof jacket under which to conceal your porros.
This means (and I´m not being facetious here, it really is the case), that you usually play safe and bring your WP roofs, and your classic porros play Cinderella. Again.
I don´t have a dog in this fight, I have SV 8x32 and also EII 8x30, which I seem addicted to buying, selling and re-buying because they are my favourite ever porro. I´m on my fifth pair, but so far I´ve never had this latest pair outside the house. Haven´t even attached the strap. Might never do so. And for the record, I can never decide which actual view I prefer. Although in fairness the SV are really far more comfortable, and stable, in my girly-hands.
 
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The problem of course is, if one has a classic superb porro that´s non-WP, and also a modern WP roof, a distressing element of secondary choice is introduced into the whole matrix of choices upon leaving the house.
First of all, you have to decide which binos to bring. So you have to check the forecast, or try to remember Geography lessons from 40 years earlier and decide on the basis of cloud-types what kind of front is about to pass overhead, and whether it´s likely to bring rain.
But if you choose the porros, you then have to decide which jacket to bring, because if you´ve got your forecasting wrong and it rains, you´ll need a waterproof jacket under which to conceal your porros.
This means (and I´m not being facetious here, it really is the case), that you usually play safe and bring your WP roofs, and your classic porros play Cinderella. Again.
I don´t have a dog in this fight, I have SV 8x32 and also EII 8x30, which I seem addicted to buying, selling and re-buying because they are my favourite ever porro. I´m on my fifth pair, but so far I´ve never had them outside the house. Haven´t even attached the strap. Might never do so. And for the record, I can never decide which actual view I prefer. Although in fairness the SV are really far more comfortable, and stable, in my girly-hands.

Sancho,

I've probably recommended this to you before -- add a pair of #5 Bushwacker covers to the stubby barrels of the EII. They really do help a lot. The EIIs are now as comfortable for me to hold as the SE.

Do they sell Bushwackers in the UK?

Brock
 

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  • Nikon EII and SE 030 [Desktop Resolution] [].JPG
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Hiya Brockster, yes, I had ´wacker No.5´s on previous EII´s, and they really make a difference to the grip. But nothing compares (IMHO) to the comforting, reassuring and perfectly-balanced feel of SV 8x32´s in my mitts. They feel like a natural extension of the hand, as if they´d been painlessly attached by kind alien surgeons during an abduction-episode.
 
Hiya Brockster,................................

.................................... But nothing compares (IMHO) to the comforting, reassuring and perfectly-balanced feel of SV 8x32´s in my mitts. They feel like a natural extension of the hand, as if they´d been painlessly attached by kind alien surgeons during an abduction-episode.



The "X-Files" Binocular!:eek!: Right from Absam, the Roswell of Austria!

Now the hills really do have eyes!

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...=X&ei=OUsyUoKZIvSz4AP3iIG4Dg&ved=0CIcBEP4dMAw

Bob
 
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Butler Creek Flip-Open Scope Covers for the EIIs?

Sancho,

I've probably recommended this to you before -- add a pair of #5 Bushwacker covers to the stubby barrels of the EII. They really do help a lot. The EIIs are now as comfortable for me to hold as the SE.

Do they sell Bushwackers in the UK?

Brock

Or Butler Creek [Number/size] Objective Flip Open Scope Cover. I did this for the SEs and they really make them nicer to hold. Measure first and get the next size down.

Here's a chart to select the size


Only problem is that you may not be able to get these in the UK/outside of the US. |:(|

If you could, I think: problem solved.
Hope it helps and let us know if you find them!
 
Hiya Brockster, yes, I had ´wacker No.5´s on previous EII´s, and they really make a difference to the grip. But nothing compares (IMHO) to the comforting, reassuring and perfectly-balanced feel of SV 8x32´s in my mitts. They feel like a natural extension of the hand, as if they´d been painlessly attached by kind alien surgeons during an abduction-episode.

Interesting... now I know why Swarovskis are really green. o:D

<B>
 
Or Butler Creek [Number/size] Objective Flip Open Scope Cover. I did this for the SEs and they really make them nicer to hold. Measure first and get the next size down.

Here's a chart to select the size


Only problem is that you may not be able to get these in the UK/outside of the US. |:(|

If you could, I think: problem solved.
Hope it helps and let us know if you find them!

Tantien,

Do Butler covers flip up at a 90* angle like the old Bushwackers or do they fold straight back (180*)? Unfortunately, Bushwacker no longer makes covers that flip up @ 90*, they all fold straight back on top of the cover, which is good for riflescopes but not for binoculars. What I did with my pair is cut off the plastic cover and just use the rubber collars to extend the barrels.

Brock
 
The problem of course is, if one has a classic superb porro that´s non-WP, and also a modern WP roof, a distressing element of secondary choice is introduced into the whole matrix of choices upon leaving the house.
First of all, you have to decide which binos to bring. So you have to check the forecast, or try to remember Geography lessons from 40 years earlier and decide on the basis of cloud-types what kind of front is about to pass overhead, and whether it´s likely to bring rain.
But if you choose the porros, you then have to decide which jacket to bring, because if you´ve got your forecasting wrong and it rains, you´ll need a waterproof jacket under which to conceal your porros.
This means (and I´m not being facetious here, it really is the case), that you usually play safe and bring your WP roofs, and your classic porros play Cinderella. Again.
I don´t have a dog in this fight, I have SV 8x32 and also EII 8x30, which I seem addicted to buying, selling and re-buying because they are my favourite ever porro. I´m on my fifth pair, but so far I´ve never had this latest pair outside the house. Haven´t even attached the strap. Might never do so. And for the record, I can never decide which actual view I prefer. Although in fairness the SV are really far more comfortable, and stable, in my girly-hands.

I got it covered, if it starts raining on me, I'll just get up and go back in the house.
 
Brock - responding to your question to Tantien about Butler Creek covers. They rotate 180* degrees, actually a few more degrees. They were made in Montana for a while, so I have used them many years now. As you probably already know, they are designed for rifle scopes, not binoculars, but with the right fit and design they work OK, especially for the right porro models

The "right" porro models excludes models with 50 mm objectives if one wants to rotate them inward. My SE 12x50 will not rotate both covers inward, but the SE 8x32 & 10x42 does as will other like porros. Having them rotate inward has always been a boon for me since once opened, the covers do not interfere with holding them at all, i.e., if the barrels are long enough. This feature is a real plus the roofs do not (cannot) have. I intensely dislike tethered covers which seem to snag on everything. I have commented on this several times before.

After continuous use the Butlers will occasionally break at the hinge. By design the Bushwhackers snap in more securely than do the Butlers, and I prefer the Bushwhackers but find them difficult to locate in Montana.

Some of the Butlers feature plastic windows (I guess for the snap shots at close game), but when used with binoculars, there is an appreciable distortion to the view as I have found when I forget to open the covers up. That of course is embarrassing when I momentarily find distortion. Opaque is better.

John
 
My first real good binocular was the EII. Last year we made a trip to a area where you can see often some of the more uncommon birds. During the walk we got surprised first with a longer period of drizzling rain, later the rain becomes more and more. The EII was around my neck the whole time, not in a bag and not under the jacket. I also used it during the rain. After the trip there was no fogging inside. I also had never a problem with fogging on misty mornings.

Last week i made a trip to trying to find the eurasian dotterel in the fields. And even if i already own a Conquest HD, i went back to the EII. Searching on the fields with the better dof is a lot easier :)

I dont want to judge anyone because of his binocular. All i want to say is that i dislike this splitting in real birders because of the use of a roof binocular. I think how good you are as a birder has nothing to do with the bino you use. No matter if Porro or Roof. It seems that the line between optics enthusiast and birder are bluring together sometimes. On the other hand, the one does not exclude the other. Its hard to explain for me because of my bad english. Maybe you know what i mean.

But before i loose the topic completely, i am pretty sure that it is not necessary to run back home with your SE when there is a drizzling rain. As far as i am experienced it with the EII, maybe Porros are not so much sensitive to rain as some people think. Maybe somewhere between waterproof and a sponge ;)

And if the rain becomes to heavy i also have a Rucksack with me for my Svensson book :-O
 
Well that's it. |=\|

Thanks HoruKuru!

I think I'm going to give up on looking for a waterproof version of the SE and just take this sucker out.

You're welcome :king:

I'm still away on tours until this Sunday and it has been raining everyday at my place. Once I get back home, will do more test by leaving my 8x32 SE until the rain stopped which is usually more than 1 hour ;)
 
By the way, what ist the real problem with Porros and water in general? Just the rain alone or using the focus while the bino is wet?
 
Tantien,

Do Butler covers flip up at a 90* angle like the old Bushwackers or do they fold straight back (180*)? Unfortunately, Bushwacker no longer makes covers that flip up @ 90*, they all fold straight back on top of the cover, which is good for riflescopes but not for binoculars. What I did with my pair is cut off the plastic cover and just use the rubber collars to extend the barrels.

Brock

Hi Brock:

This picture will illustrate how they work for my SE's; flipping them not up but rotated so that they flip out of the way, inwards toward the hinge, keeping a balance (not that they are heavy at all--and look how they extend the objectives, making the SE even nicer to hold now).

Hope this helps! I really like this arrangement. The objectives really feel protected-the lids have a satisfying "click" when they snap shut. And these have lessened my need for keeping them in their original carrying case.
 

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But if one uses BC or ´Wacker extensions, is it not simpler to cut off the flip-up covers entirely? The extensions add so much extra length to the ob-tubes, that nothing´s going to damage the hugely-recessed ob-lenses anyway,
So anyway, here´s my current existential dilemma, far more trite than anything Beckett even considered over his cornflakes, but my current favourite 8x combo is my SV 8x32 (best roof in the galaxy), and EII 8x30 (best porro in the galaxy). Strangely, this is also Dennis´s current fave-combo. I would love to combine both, and the only contender is the Swaro Habicht 8x30. But this would be either a solution, or a disappointing compromise.
Gee, living in the First World is tough. Maybe I should try to have no food or water for a month and see how that goes.
 
.......... But nothing compares (IMHO) to the comforting, reassuring and perfectly-balanced feel of SV 8x32´s in my mitts. They feel like a natural extension of the hand, as if they´d been painlessly attached by kind alien surgeons during an abduction-episode.

Sancho .... Since you may have had actual alien contact, I can not think a better person to declare the SV 8X32 as the best in the "galaxy". The fact that it is not the best in the universe gives me hope that there yet remains something better. ;)

............, but my current favourite 8x combo is my SV 8x32 (best roof in the galaxy), and EII 8x30 (best porro in the galaxy). Strangely, this is also Dennis´s current fave-combo............

Don't ponder about sharing the same space in the continuum of time with Dennis. He has had these two for several months now so I suspect he will be moving on soon and you will return to earth with the rest of us.
 
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