Opticron tga wp 8x32 'wobbly bridge' question (1 Viewer)

Hi

New to the forum (must go up and say hello).

At the moment I have a pair of Ross Stepruva 9x35 that I inherited from my Grandad. I'd like a new pair of binoculars and was looking at the Opticron Imagic tga wp 8x32 as they are lightweight porros.

However having read around obsessively for the last few weeks it looks as though there is a problem with the bridge of the imagic tga's being 'wobbly'.

Pete Gamby states they have only had a few returned because of this and the Allbinos review states:

"Classic bridge which moves smoothly and evenly but with a slight lateral „play”. You can defocus the device by applying a significant pressure. "

So just how bad is this problem? Is it a deal breaker?

Are there alternatives (I looked at the aspheric wa's on Ebay but the eye relief may be a bit short for a glasses wearer and they are heavier)?

Regards,

carl

Carl,

Welcome to the forum.

I've only tried the TGA WP 8x42 and 7x42 for a relatively short periods and found no problems at all. One thing I have learned is that uneven pressure on my glasses is something to be avoided, so perhaps I'm already preprogrammed to avoid such things. I found the bigger ones very good for the price point, just a shade behind the excellent SRGA 8x32 (short ER) and HRWPs, but way ahead of the roofs at that price.

It's really something you should check for yourself. I haven't looked which retailers might have them. I'm fairly sure InFOcus at London Colney didn't, but Opticron themselves is only in Luton. The industrial park is not ideal for testing, but I've found them very helpful. I think there is usually someone there on a Saturday morning if you can't get there during the week, but best phone to check.

David

Hello David

Sadly the only reason I can even look at a pair of the imagic's is because there are some used ones going. To be honest if I had the money I'd be down at In Focus checking out the HR WP's for handling despite the weight and no, you're right, they don't stock the Imagic range.

I have a budget of less than £100 (having three young kids means I'm short of cash, time and patience)! Reading around it looks like porros are the best bet for optical quality at this price range. I did think about a pair of Nikon Action Extremes but they weigh quite a bit too.

Thanks for the reply.

Carl

Carl.

Go for it. The 'Ex-Demo' price is a bargain. If you figure something needs tightening I've found Opticron very helpful.

In the Action EX range I'd figure the 7x35 would temp me most. Still heavy, but stubbier than the 8x40 with a very wide FOV and sneaking into your price range here.
http://www.microglobe.co.uk/nikon-action-7x35-ex-waterproof-binoculars-p-9460.html
or here
http://www.uttings.co.uk/Product/507/101291/nikon-action-ex-7x35-cf-baa660aa/

800g would bother me quite quickly.

David

Hi Carl

I recently bought an ex-display HR WP from Sherwoods, they have a tga wp 8x32 listed for £75 at the moment, looks good.

John.

carlc said:

Are there alternatives (I looked at the aspheric wa's on Ebay but the eye relief may be a bit short for a glasses wearer and they are heavier)?

Click to expand...

Brand new Opticron Savanna 6x30 there which is certainly lighter and spectacle friendly. Not sure whether you get the paperwork for the 10 warranty with that. The retail price is under £100.

That long eye relief on the Imagic WP is pretty exceptional for an 8x32. Does the 30 year guarantee indicate Japanese manufacture?

David and John: I have spent so much time dithering around the internet that I made my choice and paid my money on the F coated pair at Sherwoods - keeping my fingers crossed.

Hopefully they'll be here by Wednesday as I have an unexpectedly free day and can take them for a test drive at Rye Meads with an Opticron Piccolo I got off the bay (last time I was at Rye Meads I realised just how limiting 9x are for reservoirs and decided to get a cheap scope to try out - that did knock £50 off the binocular budget though).

Normjackson - I have read the 30 year warranty is given with the Japanese made roofs but no one has mentioned the porros. I've not seen much written about the Savanna's but I wasn't prepared to go down to 6x and the eye relief is comparable in the imagic.

Thanks all for the replies.

ETA: If anyone is at Rye Meads next Wednesday and sees some bloke with a bird guide on his lap and a large supply of chocolate in his mouth - that'll be me.

carl

Forgot to say - Torview I really envy you, I lived in Devon for five and a half years (Plymouth and then Exeter) and loved Dartmoor.

I have a set of Opticron tga wp 8x32 and for the price that I paid they are amazing. I can compare them to my Vortex Fury's 8x32's, a roof and optically apart for the fov they beat the fury! The case is horrible though.

flossiepip said:

I have a set of Opticron tga wp 8x32 and for the price that I paid they are amazing. I can compare them to my Vortex Fury's 8x32's, a roof and optically apart for the fov they beat the fury! The case is horrible though.

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Love the 'sting in the tail' (comment about the case) - yes I read your post on the Furys vs the Imagic. I felt the Imagic had better eye relief (nothing to do with the price honest)!

Carl, I`m sure you`ll be happy with the service from Sherwoods, mine were listed as "looking slightly secondhand", well I don`t think they`d ever been handled !, they were pristine.

Oh, and on the 100 odd days a year it stops raining ! few places top Dartmoor. I actually live just off the Western edge, but enjoy a panoramic view of around a dozen Tors, which looked stunning cloaked in snow yesterday morning.

Torview said:

Carl, I`m sure you`ll be happy with the service from Sherwoods, mine were listed as "looking slightly secondhand", well I don`t think they`d ever been handled !, they were pristine.

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The TGAs turned up today just as I was leaving work so I delayed for a few minutes to open the package.

It is very difficult to spot they are ex-demo. To be honest the only reason I could tell is due to dust in those hard to reach places.

I must say the service from Sherwoods has been excellent. Shipping was fast (and cheap) I was even emailed the hour slot for expected delivery and the driver's name, communication was great.

A quick squiz before I got in the car to go home was quite impressive. However I wont say any more until I get a chance to give them a proper run (and the honeymoon period is over).

Thank you all again for the replies.

carl

flossiepip said:

The case is horrible though.

Click to expand...

Yes it is isn't it -what's with the half attached/half velcro'd semi hard sides?

carl

"Field test"

The promised day off came today and I went out to Rye Meads and Amwell.

Please keep in mind that my binocular history is rather limited and doesn't include any decent size modern binoculars.

First thing to say is that the objective caps are rubbish - they fall off in a light breeze. Thus by the time I'd got to the first hide I'd lost one.

Weight wise these are a nice weight to me and they feel an adequate size in the hands. I had no problems holding the Imagics for prolonged periods.

The rubber coating seems well applied and I can see no 'weak' spots - however these binoculars are cold to touch, luckily the focus wheel is perfectly usable whilst wearing gloves.

The dioptre adjustment isn't marked but it is stiff so once set it wont be moving - so only a problem if you share bins.

The eyecups are the twist up type and whilst they don't lock at varying levels they are quite stiff and so it shouldn't be too easy to move the adjusted height accidentally - but again this may be a problem when sharing.

Considering my total history with binoculars I don't feel able to make much comment on the optics beyond they seem bright and sharp to me. Field of view is very usable and depth of field seems good.

Now the central question - focussing - I didn't feel the focus 'snapped to' like I see described for other bins but it wasn't a big problem. Occasionally I felt I had to move the focus back and forwards a couple of millimetres to find the right spot but that could have been due to a relative lack of control due to wearing gloves leading to me over/under shooting the point. Interestingly as far as I could understand it from the posts I've read I couldn't detect the wobbly bridge issue myself. One thing I have noticed is that when focussing from a further distance to a nearer distance there was a 'click' at the beginning of the move as if a piece of the mechanism has to re-engage with the rest. However despite the 'click' focussing seemed to be fine if a little slow.

So all in all I would say these were a good buy - would I pay full price? I've no idea as I haven't had a try of the competition but if I had paid full price I wouldn't have felt like it was wasted money.

Overall - a nice pair of binoculars with poor accessories (objective caps and case). For most birding they are well worth a look - for birding in woods where rapid changes in focus may be required I think I would prefer something that didn't require as many 'degrees of turn' to go from end to end.

Glad to hear you`re pleased.

Regarding the twist up eye cups, they should click at the top of their travel (my HR WP do) just try a little extra pressure when they are all the way up.

John.

Sorry I should have been more specific - yes they do 'lock' at full extension just not in between.

I forgot to say - eye relief is good for glasses wearers.

Carl,

Glad the they worked out for you. External focus porros tend to be fairly stiff in the cold. Expect it to improve as the weather warms. I always forget to check out the accessories when I try out pairs. Shame they are not up to much.

I occasionally get down to Rye Meads, Amwell etc.. Bitterns? I think they are having us on. They always disappear just 5 minutes before I arrive. Have fun.

David

Thanks David

Let's face it the accessories are not the be all and end all but they are nice to round off the package.

I was going from hide to hide at Rye Meads seeing report logs including Bitterns and Water Rails as if they were lining up and doing a fan dance - as I left I spoke to the guy on reception who said they had another report that morning, probably whilst I was in the Warbler hide thinking this is nice quiet spot with lots of reeds - and sure enough a report of a bittern on the report log from a few days before.

At Amwell I was sat in the upper storey of the James hide (by the Bittern pool) and was just about to leave to look elsewhere when two blokes walked down the path from the White hide chatting away. Despite being the other side of the fence the noise flushed a Bittern from right under the lower storey of the hide (which projects out beyond the upper storey and block your view of that bank) and I saw it for about 2 seconds as it flew across the pool and straight into the reed beds on the other side of the pool. I count myself lucky because if I'd gone into the lower storey the noise of the shutters opening probably would have scared it away before I knew anything.

carl