I have been wanting to look thru a pair ever since they came to market. At the price of USA $449. I held off but when I saw today that B & H Photo NY now has them discounted to $314. shipped my Buy It Now finger just took over. I know they are a specialty Binocular not really practicale for birding. They caught my interest for night sky star gazing with double duty as a binocular for viewing landscapes/stationary wide life at moderate distances. I will post my thoughts on theses after they arrive in a few days. I did own a pair of the Minox BF IF Green 6.5x32 binocular years ago. It will be interesting to see how the Vixen with its ED glass and updated coatings compare to the Minox.
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Vixen Astro SG 6.5x32 WP ED IF Binocular (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gcole
- Start date
Wishing you much fun with your new Vixen !!
I own an SG 6.5x32 since March 2017 and have been very happy with them. With their individual focusing, they are marketed as astro bino, but at 6.5x magnification, I find them quite usable also at daytime.
They got very good reviews recently here
http://binocularsky.com/reviews/Vixen_SG_6.5x32_WP_ED.pdf
and here
http://www.binomania.it/vixen-sg-65x32-wp-ed-sotto-il-cielo-con-nove-gradi/
(there is a translate button at the top of the website)
I am looking forward to your comments.
Canip
I own an SG 6.5x32 since March 2017 and have been very happy with them. With their individual focusing, they are marketed as astro bino, but at 6.5x magnification, I find them quite usable also at daytime.
They got very good reviews recently here
http://binocularsky.com/reviews/Vixen_SG_6.5x32_WP_ED.pdf
and here
http://www.binomania.it/vixen-sg-65x32-wp-ed-sotto-il-cielo-con-nove-gradi/
(there is a translate button at the top of the website)
I am looking forward to your comments.
Canip
Minox had a 6.5x32 IF a while back. It sold pretty well for an IF. It had green armoring. See picture below.
https://www.allbinos.com/228-Minox_BD_6.5x32_IF-binoculars_specifications.html
Review here from Cloudy Nights.
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/240655-little-minox-bd-65-x32-if-binos/
Bob
https://www.allbinos.com/228-Minox_BD_6.5x32_IF-binoculars_specifications.html
Review here from Cloudy Nights.
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/240655-little-minox-bd-65-x32-if-binos/
Bob
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They arrived today and I had a chance to use these for about 20min. this afternoon. My impression was very positive indeed, inline with the positive reviews I had read on this binocular and more. The only thing these binoculars lacked was a really nice case. Other than the crappy case these little Gems left me thinking Vixen did everything right. What did surprise me, is when I got around to checking the serial number which was 00021 I read the word " China ". No way ... China ? The reason I was totally surprised, is because I did not know they came from China til after I had used them for that short period. The impression they gave from their handling, high build quality and the sharp view I was seeing with my corrective glasses on and off ... I just assumed they were made in Japan.
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I now also own the Vixen Artes J 8x42 binocular which to my eyes gives the same crystal clear sharp view as the Vixen SG 6.5x32. Now if Vixen could only produce a 6x32 center focus rubber armor roof prism using the same ED glass used in both the SG 6.5x32 and the Artes J binocular.
There is such a binoculars - Maven B3 6x30.
I was choosing between B3 and SG 6.5x32, and went with SG. Cause it has more TFOV 9* vs 8.5*.
After a week of using SG 6.5x32 i can share my initial impressions.
This is very good binoculars for general daytime use.
AFOV around 57* plus 6.5x gives good panorama for landscapes. I found 3D is quite good, almost as in 8x32 Porro. Very good axis sharpness
and contrast. Plus neutral color reproduction. The picture is close to the picture through Habicht 8x30 Porrro. And even more contrasty because of better baffling in SG.
It looks that Vixen has used same eyepieces from Vixen Foresta 8x32 Porro.
Same AFOV, same low level of pincushion distortion, same level of aberrations correction in both binoculars.
IF focusing is ok for me. I can look at targets from 25-30m till the infinity. Like in any 7x35\7x50 binoculars with CF. Flying birds in 30-50m are beautiful. No fringing around a silhouette.
Close focus is 4m (to my eyes).
6.5x is enough for distances up to 100-150m.
Concerning the main purpose of the binoculars - StarGazing, SG is not very good in this. It gives big TVOF, but the aberrations correction over the field of view is average. Much worse than in Fujinon FMT 7x50. The outer one third of the field is very soft. Stars are invisible at the edge because of strong eye pupil vignetting and aberrations.
Eye relief is around 11-12mm from collapsed eyecups. I can see almost all TVOF through the sun glasses.
I was choosing between B3 and SG 6.5x32, and went with SG. Cause it has more TFOV 9* vs 8.5*.
After a week of using SG 6.5x32 i can share my initial impressions.
This is very good binoculars for general daytime use.
AFOV around 57* plus 6.5x gives good panorama for landscapes. I found 3D is quite good, almost as in 8x32 Porro. Very good axis sharpness
and contrast. Plus neutral color reproduction. The picture is close to the picture through Habicht 8x30 Porrro. And even more contrasty because of better baffling in SG.
It looks that Vixen has used same eyepieces from Vixen Foresta 8x32 Porro.
Same AFOV, same low level of pincushion distortion, same level of aberrations correction in both binoculars.
IF focusing is ok for me. I can look at targets from 25-30m till the infinity. Like in any 7x35\7x50 binoculars with CF. Flying birds in 30-50m are beautiful. No fringing around a silhouette.
Close focus is 4m (to my eyes).
6.5x is enough for distances up to 100-150m.
Concerning the main purpose of the binoculars - StarGazing, SG is not very good in this. It gives big TVOF, but the aberrations correction over the field of view is average. Much worse than in Fujinon FMT 7x50. The outer one third of the field is very soft. Stars are invisible at the edge because of strong eye pupil vignetting and aberrations.
Eye relief is around 11-12mm from collapsed eyecups. I can see almost all TVOF through the sun glasses.
My vixen SG had a very early serial number. Here in Florida ,when I took them outside only the outside lens would fog up from the humidity along with my glasses. Never had a problem with inside fogging.
It came out, that it were dew traces at outer lenses only. I was able to clean it with stronger than isopropyl liquid for photo lenses.
But anyway, Vixen SG has strange feature: eyepiece lenses fogged out almost every time, i take them in house. I need to mention, that i live in a high humidity area. In house humidity is around 35-45%, while outside is 80-95%.
Before cleaning
But anyway, Vixen SG has strange feature: eyepiece lenses fogged out almost every time, i take them in house. I need to mention, that i live in a high humidity area. In house humidity is around 35-45%, while outside is 80-95%.
Before cleaning
Attachments
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Dew traces? Hmmm, I have had that issue of spotting a few times on lenses but mine was attributed to me sneezing and not covering my equipment well enough. That spotting could have been a lot of things. Unless the foreign material that gets accidentally on your outside lenses is clean water, it’s always going to be a big pain to clean them back completely clean. Here in North East Florida(Jacksonville) which is about 7-8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean as the crow flies, it’s a fifty fifty toss every time I leave my condo because of the high humidity that the lenses on my equipment will fog up on the outside when leaving or exiting my car to go back inside where it stays until it evaporates or I wipe it off. The Vixens are supposed to fog on the outside instead of the inside, that shows the binocular is still sealed properly.
Condensation on the exterior lenses occurs frequently when one returns from a cold environment to a warm environment. Even after it has evaporated it still sometimes leaves visible traces.
In winter I put the tethered objective covers back on my bins and after a birding session cover up the objectives and the eyepieces (with the rainguard) before coming back indoors.
John
In winter I put the tethered objective covers back on my bins and after a birding session cover up the objectives and the eyepieces (with the rainguard) before coming back indoors.
John
