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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Waterproof 8x32 (ish) and maybe older bino advice? (1 Viewer)

If you're concerned about weight, be wary of the recommendations for used Nikon HG/L and Trinovid BA/BN bins, they are heavy beasts. I personally would take a Conquest HD over either of those if I wanted the best performance at the price, and the Conquest is also very durable and has a modern warranty.

Well, the weights for all of them in 8x32 are like this: Conquest 600g, Trini BA/BN 640g, Nikon HGL 695g, Nikon HG almost 715g. The wonders of all metal construction. All of them have decent (Conquest/Trini) or better (HG/L) eye relief, field is around 135-140m

None of them are light examples - for comparison a Nikon M7 is 436g (its clones Opticron Traveller, Kite Lynx and Maven C1 are a bit heavier), Nikon Discovery is just shy of 400g, both of course plastic. M7 has borderline unusable with glasses eye relief and a wider field of 145m, Discovery has decent ER and little narrower field of 131m.

The Nikon Monarch HG 8x30 would be 450g, 145m of field and ER somewhere in the middle between borderline and decent. But I would be astonished if you can find it used inside the budget as it's fairly new.

Joachim
 
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I won't repeat what others have said, but if you are in agreement with Joachim et al., this link may be of interest (they're a bit cheaper than those linked by dipped). I can't guarantee they will make cups of tea, but they could perhaps substitute as a spoon in a pinch I suppose. You'd need a bloody big cup mind.
I would also like to add an extra vote for the Nikon HGL 8x32, an excellent choice even if it is a bit long in the tooth and on the heavy side. I've used mine heavily for a few years (previously had the 8x42) in some extreme environments, and hasn't let me down. Used ones can be a bargain, and with patience can be found for around £300. Unbeatable at that price!
 
I have the Nikon HG in 8X32, and it is not 800 grams in weight, it is 715 grams, approximately 20 grams heavier than the later model HG L 8X32 at 695 grams. The larger difference in weight between the HG and HG L models were the 8 and 10X42 formats. I still think they are a good performer, and very durable.

Andy W.
 
Thank you all again!
The more you look the more you see!
It does seem so far that £500 is an odd price point as pbjosh hints at I think. Especially with a few days remaining of the Zeiss winter sale, I could go up a bit and get a better new pair. But then a bit more than that is a used 8x42 FL with Locu Tec. A spiral of cost and spec ending in?!?!
An older pair I like the look and sound of is a later Zeiss DIALYT 10 x 40 B GA T*P* which would then seem to come with a 30 year warranty? But rain proof not waterproof. 8x is the preference though. Newer old models seem to be limited to 10 years and many sellers don't seem able to say how old they are.
The low levels of light where I live during the winter leans me towards a 40/42 despite many saying a 30/32 with modern coatings will be bright enough. It's one thing to my mind saying upgrade to this newest model because of a marginally improved lens coating, but the bigger objective must (?) let in more light for any given pupil size as long as that pupil is big enough? So I seem to have persuaded myself that an 8x40/42 is my aim.
So an Opticron Countryman BGA HD+ or a Monarch 7, both below £400 in 8x42 unless I can persuade myself a Zeiss Conquest or Nikon HG, new or old, is worth the extra.
And I do have a big tea mug :)
 
PriceSpy shows the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x42 new from £806; with Zeiss giving you an extra €100 cashback that sounds like a great deal.
 
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So an Opticron Countryman BGA HD+ or a Monarch 7, both below £400 in 8x42 unless I can persuade myself a Zeiss Conquest or Nikon HG, new or old, is worth the extra.
And I do have a big tea mug :)

You really need to try before you buy. The Opticron Countryman has a relatively narrow field of view at 7 degrees while the Monarch 7 has 8 degrees, but has less eye relief. Quite different views and you may prefer one over the other.

Living in the UK also with our dark overcast winters I'm quite happy using an 8x32 a lot of the time and don't feel I'm missing out. For the same pupil size as long as the exit pupil of the binoculars are equal or greater than it, my understanding is the brightness is purely determined by the transmission of the binoculars and that dosen't depend on objective diameter.

I've heard good things about the Monarch 7, but if I just had £300 to spend on a pair of binoculars I'd go with the Opticron traveller BGA ED 8x32 that Pbosh mentioned. I've tried it a couple of times and each time have been really impressed and much more so than the Monarch 7 8x30 which had a lot of glare when I tried it.
 
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The low levels of light where I live during the winter leans me towards a 40/42 despite many saying a 30/32 with modern coatings will be bright enough. It's one thing to my mind saying upgrade to this newest model because of a marginally improved lens coating, but the bigger objective must (?) let in more light for any given pupil size as long as that pupil is big enough? So I seem to have persuaded myself that an 8x40/42 is my aim.

Hi,

in daylight it's quite improbable that your pupil will be a lot larger than the 4mm exit pupil of an 8x32 pair.

You will gain a few minutes at dawn or dusk or have a better view when observing in very dense forest or jungle.

Hold a ruler in front of your nose for comparison and make a selfie in different lighting situations (no flash or led light obviously) to get an idea of what your pupil size is...

If you want a new pair, trying the Opticron Traveller ED 8x32 is probably a good idea... has the low weight, small outline and wide field of its Nikon M7 brother but less susceptible to glare and longer ER for use with glasses (although I guess there is not really 19mm of usable ER as stated)...

Joachim
 
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I know you are supposed to get what you pay for but I have been amazed by the Helios Lightwing HR range. They make an 8x32 with BaK4 prisms which are both phase and silver dielectric coated, fully broad band multi coated lenses, water proof and nitrogen filled, rubber armoured and twist up eyecups for just £111. Weight is 500 gms.
I would love to be able to compare one with a Nikon Monarch.


I might be able to help you there, my son in law has a pair of 8x32 lightwings.
He's visiting us at the weekend and he going to bring the bins with him
He likes them, I'll do mini review over the weekend and let you know.

Helios 8x32
Nikon Monarch 7 8x30
Vortex Razor 8x42
 
It's funny, I was going to suggest the Victory pocket, when I read this thread previously. Better you find it for yourself though I guess.

I think if you are buying a first pair, or upgrading from an older pair of binoculars, the pockets are to be seriously considered. Won't be to everyone's taste, and I need a few days out with my pair before I go selling my older 8x42s!
They certainly worked as good as or better than any other 8x20, or 8x32 in the shop that I tried when buying.
Having said that, I'm not particularly critical with my binoculars, I look thru them and either i like them or i dont!
All the technical stuff goes over my head mostly.

Question: did the strap fit the binocs? I had to buy an additional connector to make mine compatible
 
Thank you for the replies and suggestions.
One Victory Pocket and one Papilio is the end result! Not what I started out aiming at but so far so amazing :)

Hi,

well, neither is an 8x32 nor super bright, but both certainly are lightweight and nice... and two pairs are much better than one when there's more than one person to use them...

The Zeiss is the closest you can get to the performance of a good "real" pair of bins - that is 8x30 or larger - in a pocket pair. Although it's more like jackets rather than shirts... If I was hiking more and my 8x30 pairs would get too heavy, I'd look at it too..

The Papilio has its own special charm - while as a pocket binocular its only ok, the use as a stereo microscope is kinda unique... I love my 6.5x21 pair a lot... although I have currently mislaid it...

So congratulations and enjoy them!

Joachim
 
It's funny, I was going to suggest the Victory pocket, when I read this thread previously. Better you find it for yourself though I guess.

I think if you are buying a first pair, or upgrading from an older pair of binoculars, the pockets are to be seriously considered. Won't be to everyone's taste, and I need a few days out with my pair before I go selling my older 8x42s!
They certainly worked as good as or better than any other 8x20, or 8x32 in the shop that I tried when buying.
Having said that, I'm not particularly critical with my binoculars, I look thru them and either i like them or i dont!
All the technical stuff goes over my head mostly.

Question: did the strap fit the binocs? I had to buy an additional connector to make mine compatible

Peter,

I agree. For me the VP 8x25 is the best all around, if slightly large, "pocket" format.
Regarding your question and the OP's choice of the VP: Strange that you couldn't get your Zeiss strap to fit without additional connectors. I was worried the 1 mm connector threads on the Zeiss strap were too thin and might break over time, but had no trouble installing them in the tiny lugs. I eventually replaced the original Zeiss strap with the Op/Tech Bin/Op strap with 1.5 mm connector threads (a bit more durable) and was able to install it with a little work and using a toothpick. Most recently, I installed a Rick Young Ultralight harness using small zip ties which works very well. On a side note, the Opticron compact rainguard fits the VP perfectly.

Mike
 
Hiya,

Maybe I'm missing something, but since the bino lugs are closed loops, and the one piece strap ends have a one piece closed loop thread on each end, how can both strap ends be attached without either a pair of scissors or an additional connector???
 
Hiya,

Maybe I'm missing something, but since the bino lugs are closed loops, and the one piece strap ends have a one piece closed loop thread on each end, how can both strap ends be attached without either a pair of scissors or an additional connector???

Greetings Cheeseontoast,

Easy to do, hard to explain in writing. The threads are attached to the strap with little two piece plastic connector clips. You disconnect the thread parts from the strap, insert the thread loop through the lug and pass the attached female connector piece through the loop on each side. Then you reconnect the thread parts to the strap. Easy to do but doesn't seem at all robust or reliable so like many other owners I use an aftermarket strap or harness as above.

Hope this helps.

Mike
 
Hi
Thank you the reply.
I'm not sure this strap is as you describe, but that did prompt me to look again, and read the massive (not) instructions which were no help but still.
The main strap does in fact have openable loops at each end which I had missed for some reason, so disconnecting them would seem to work. So thank you for the prompt :)
But I have some shock cord, some connectors and a toggle to make a harness which should I hope work better with the Lowepro Dashpoint 20 case which does, as suggested in this bino's thread, fit very well.
Incidentally, on the Uk auction site you can buy a pepper red case like that for a good price if red is your thing, no connection etc.
 

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Peter,

I agree. For me the VP 8x25 is the best all around, if slightly large, "pocket" format.
Regarding your question and the OP's choice of the VP: Strange that you couldn't get your Zeiss strap to fit without additional connectors. I was worried the 1 mm connector threads on the Zeiss strap were too thin and might break over time, but had no trouble installing them in the tiny lugs. I eventually replaced the original Zeiss strap with the Op/Tech Bin/Op strap with 1.5 mm connector threads (a bit more durable) and was able to install it with a little work and using a toothpick. Most recently, I installed a Rick Young Ultralight harness using small zip ties which works very well. On a side note, the Opticron compact rainguard fits the VP perfectly.

Mike

Mike, I pretty much have the same setup, except I haven't gotten to the Rick Young Harness yet. Photo 1 shows the Lowepro Dashpoint 20 pouch, the Optech 1.5 mm loop connectors, with a Nikon AN-4B strap, and the Opticron
Compact Rainguard. Photo 2 shows how it nests into itself when folded to minimize packing size. Photo 3 shows it next to a Nikon MHG 8x30. Last photo is how I carry it on a hike or a packtrip, in a wide, Ex-Officio shirt pocket, for easy access, and no weight on the neck, as I usually have a pack on as well.

I don't consider it my everyday binocular, but for its intended purpose, small size and weight, plus the quality of the image, it fills that niche extremely well.
A well designed product that unfortunately did not have accessories either provided, or produced with the same degree of thought by the manufacturer.

-Bill
 

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Hi
Thank you the reply.
I'm not sure this strap is as you describe, but that did prompt me to look again, and read the massive (not) instructions which were no help but still.
The main strap does in fact have openable loops at each end which I had missed for some reason, so disconnecting them would seem to work. So thank you for the prompt :)
But I have some shock cord, some connectors and a toggle to make a harness which should I hope work better with the Lowepro Dashpoint 20 case which does, as suggested in this bino's thread, fit very well.

Cheeseontoast,

Sorry, you are quite right and I was confused, the original Zeiss strap does not have plastic disconnector clips like the Op/Tech. See WDC's very helpful pictures and post above. Sounds like you were able to disassemble and attach the Zeiss strap after some experimentation?

Mike
 
We have been roaming the hills and coasts of Harris, Uist, Islay and Ardnamurchan for decades and at your budget would recommend Opticron's Imagic BGA VHD binos if 42mm is what you decide or Traveller BGA ED if you settle on 32mm. If you decide to push the boat out a bit further then Zeiss Conquest HD in 42mmm or 32mm will suit and performs better than the old Dialyt 10x40 BGA T* P* which I used for over 20 years.

Lee
 
Mike, I pretty much have the same setup, except I haven't gotten to the Rick Young Harness yet. Photo 1 shows the Lowepro Dashpoint 20 pouch, the Optech 1.5 mm loop connectors, with a Nikon AN-4B strap, and the Opticron
Compact Rainguard. Photo 2 shows how it nests into itself when folded to minimize packing size. Photo 3 shows it next to a Nikon MHG 8x30. Last photo is how I carry it on a hike or a packtrip, in a wide, Ex-Officio shirt pocket, for easy access, and no weight on the neck, as I usually have a pack on as well.

I don't consider it my everyday binocular, but for its intended purpose, small size and weight, plus the quality of the image, it fills that niche extremely well.
A well designed product that unfortunately did not have accessories either provided, or produced with the same degree of thought by the manufacturer.

-Bill

Bill,

Very nice set up on the VP and helpful pictures, thanks. Since you are currently using shirt pocket carry with a strap, if the Opticron rainguard interferes with in- and - out of the pocket or case, you can trim off the unused attachment lugs with small sharp scissors and even trim down the stand up slats along the bridge using small wire cutters to further reduce the profile.

IMO (no connection with) the RYO harness is the handiest one for binoculars 8x32 and smaller. I think you would find it a great choice or option for your Nikon as well as the VP.

Mike
 
Bill,

Very nice set up on the VP and helpful pictures, thanks. Since you are currently using shirt pocket carry with a strap, if the Opticron rainguard interferes with in- and - out of the pocket or case, you can trim off the unused attachment lugs with small sharp scissors and even trim down the stand up slats along the bridge using small wire cutters to further reduce the profile.

IMO (no connection with) the RYO harness is the handiest one for binoculars 8x32 and smaller. I think you would find it a great choice or option for your Nikon as well as the VP.

Mike

Thanks Mike for the pointers. When I was taking the pictures, I did start thinking about trimming down some of those pieces of the rainguard. I haven't found they interfered with removal, but they are unnecessarily large.

I do use the RYO harness on several binoculars, and like it a lot. I can see how it would work fine on this, but felt that the multiple straps might be a bit fiddly when I also had a pack on, as well as take up more volume than the single strap.

-Bill
 
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