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Nikon WX anyone? (1 Viewer)

The WX IMO is a tripod binocular for terrestial or best used with a zero gravity chair or laying down for astronomy. If you had a mountain home overlooking a valley or a third floor condo on the beach overlooking the ocean or even a New York apartment it would be nice permanently set up on a tripod. You probably don't use your bigger binoculars because your smaller ones give you all you need to bird without the weight and size. But if you are a bino enthusiast it would be cool to have the WX as a toy because it is so unusual. If you can afford it and you want it get it. Forget about how unpractical it is. Kind of like having an exotic car. Impractical but fun to take out for a spin once in awhile.
 
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Patudo,

Is that tripod adapter in the illustration original Nikon? It looks a lot more substantial than the flimsy one initially supplied.

John
 
Samolot said:
12% off on Optics planet with the coupon... I wouldn't mind partnering up 50/50 with someone local and own it 6 months out of the year.
Click to expand...

The 10X50 comes out to $6082.52 for me including tax. I really don't know it that's a good price in the US or not. :smoke:
 
Tringa45 said:
Patudo,

Is that tripod adapter in the illustration original Nikon? It looks a lot more substantial than the flimsy one initially supplied.

John
Click to expand...

It looks like the one they used at Bird Fair last year. It passes between the objectives and so limits the minimum IPD that can be used. My IPD is 58mm and I couldn't close the binos up enough to take a look through them.

Lee
 
I have looked through both 7x and 10x, and played with 10x quite extensively.
I have no interest in 7x, though 10x is one of a kind so that price is not relevant here. After all I find nothing like it in the market.
The view is just addictive...you must see to believe. The biggest problem is not handholding it, but the heavy weight on my shoudlers.
 
In searching for an illustration of the WX tripod adapter, I stumbled across this site: https://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/sportoptics/wx/. There's a lot of interesting stuff here on the design considerations, the initial development and quality control.
The tripod adapter is shown below the specifications and after a second look at Patudo's photo, it does appear to be the same. With a 2,5 kg binocular one doesn't need to lighten the adapter by milling out voids! It's so flimsy that the WX can oscillate on the adapter. However, IMO that's the only criticism one could level at the WX. Weight, bulk and price are just inevitable consequences of the optical requirements.

John
 
Resurrecting an old yet rather interesting thread to re-read...

What suddenly puzzled me is that both WX are x50.
If the 7x is a 50, why is the 10x not a x56 or 63 or 70?
Or why is the 7x not a x42?

Given the supposedly limitless resources & design possibilities, why do you think both magnifications were produced in a x50 shell?
 
CharleyBird said:
Resurrecting an old yet rather interesting thread to re-read...

What suddenly puzzled me is that both WX are x50.
If the 7x is a 50, why is the 10x not a x56 or 63 or 70?
Or why is the 7x not a x42?

Given the supposedly limitless resources & design possibilities, why do you think both magnifications were produced in a x50 shell?
Click to expand...



it would be interesting to know the planning, idealism, marketing issues considered in the concept and development of the WXs

edj
 
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CharleyBird said:
Resurrecting an old yet rather interesting thread to re-read...

What suddenly puzzled me is that both WX are x50.
If the 7x is a 50, why is the 10x not a x56 or 63 or 70?
Or why is the 7x not a x42?

Given the supposedly limitless resources & design possibilities, why do you think both magnifications were produced in a x50 shell?
Click to expand...

Are the two not identical apart from the eye pieces?
Nikon is not rolling in dough these days, so I'm sure there was a tight budget.
I suspect there was a lot of unpaid engineering effort put in by the team involved.
They did Nikon proud for its 100th anniversary!
 
I'm a layman trying to understand the process in pretty simplistic terms here...

So the Nikon engineers started with the aim of an astronomical binocular with the finest image ever produced.
At this formative point, all ideas of the usual compromises of birding binoculars went out the window. Together with centre focus.

The choice was AK prisms, in an instrument that was to be hand-holdable for long periods sitting on a comfy supportive deck-chair.

The AK prisms they designed would dictate the minimum diameter of the barrel & objective lenses, as well as the correspondingly long objective focal length, hence the length of the binoculars?
This length and corresponding weight and balance of the overall instrument meant that, (to answer my original question) in order to be comfortably hand-holdable, the objective lenses were kept at 50mm.
Each barrel must be about 60mm in diameter?

What magnifications? I suppose they considered that 10x is the effective hand holding limit many people will tolerate, especially looking at stars; while 7x gives a truly steady view and the natural feeling of depth & width in their image.

And then, I'm guessing, the fun really started designing the oculars?


Obviously I have too much lockdown time on my hands, and must admit that in these days when darkness (such as London has) falls at 5pm, my mind turns to low light binoculars. And of going to try a pair.
 
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Not sure how much they earned with this exotic product line if ever.
Still if you ask me Nikon should have done some maritime version of the WX. Sort of a waterproof and armored "U-Boat"-glass. (8x60?) There would have been a market for sure.
I hope they continue to build those exceptional pieces from time to time in the future as well. This shows some great spirit of perfection and truly lifts the company image beyond anybody else.
 
Sebzwo said:
Not sure how much they earned with this exotic product line if ever. .
Click to expand...

after this thread popped up, I looked for a WX for sale. I found only one 7x50 listed as available; and I have rarely seen a used one on the market. It seems like the 100 or so made have been sold and people are keeping them.

edj
 
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