Opticron 8x32 SR.GA Binocular (1 Viewer)

Hello,

Opticron is a newcomer to the States [the former colonies, if you prefer] with limited sales outlets. In fact, New York City's largest optics retailer only has the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA binocular for online sale.

The specs strike me as remarkably similar to the Nikon EII. It seems to have poor eye relief but the specs never tell the whole story. Could someone please comment of the binocular's general quality, optical performance with specs, and its handling?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Hi Arthur - if you mean B&H, they list a more or less complete range of our products. If it's another supplier, I'd love to know who that is!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=opticron

Our dealer list now extends to more than 80 outlets:

http://www.opticronusa.com/Pages/dealers.html

and we are distributed to many more via Gold Crest Distributing

Will leave others to comment on how the SR.GA performs.

HTH

Cheers, Pete

pete_gamby said:

.

Will leave others to comment on how the SR.GA performs.

Cheers, Pete

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I own and absolutely love this binocular. Other than very shallow eye relief (and lack of waterproofing which, for me, is not a problem), this is an astonishingly good binocular. I suspect it is a rebranding of the Vixen 8x32 ZWCF Geoma Binocular which is available in the U.S,

chartwell99 said:

I own and absolutely love this binocular. Other than very shallow eye relief (and lack of waterproofing which, for me, is not a problem), this is an astonishingly good binocular. I suspect it is a rebranding of the Vixen 8x32 ZWCF Geoma Binocular which is available in the U.S,

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Hello Chartwell,

I do not think that Vixen model may be generally available.

Thank you,
Arthur

Pinewood said:

Hello Chartwell,

I do not think that Vixen model may be generally available.

Thank you,
Arthur

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Arthur - You're right that the binocular does seem to be generally unavailable although it is still shown on the Canadian Telescopes.com website. The Vixen lacks the rubber armor of the Opticron but in all other respects appears to be identical.

Pinewood said:

Opticron is a newcomer to the States [the former colonies, if you prefer] with limited sales outlets. In fact, New York City's largest optics retailer only has the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA binocular for online sale.

The specs strike me as remarkably similar to the Nikon EII. It seems to have poor eye relief but the specs never tell the whole story. Could someone please comment of the binocular's general quality, optical performance with specs, and its handling?:

Click to expand...

Pinewood

A number of the long term users of binoculars who post on the Forum are, or have been, users of the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA. I am not a long term user of binoculars. And I have never owned or used a Nikon 8x30 EII!

But it's only fair I join in to reply to you, since I am another Opticron 8x32 SR.GA user. The Opticron was my field binocular of choice for bird-watching trips before I went down the 7x/10x road. Since then I have also bought an Opticron 8x42 HR.WP.

I think of the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA, by virtue of its distinctive 'fast' (circa 160* from lock to lock), precise and smooth-operating focussing mechanism, as a specialist tool.

The Opticron 8x42 HR.WP conveniently points up the distinctive character of the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA.

The Opticron 8x42 HR.WP is a relaxed 'Focus & forget' binocular. The Opticron 8x32 SR.GA is more a 'Hair-trigger' one.

You could say, in British birdwatching terms: A Buzzard versus a Sparrowhawk!

I don't use the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA to watch the feeders 40ft (12m) away from the house at the bottom of the garden. I find myself, whether compulsively or for some optical or mechanical reason, too often making repeated 'rocking' fine focus adjustments. It's tiresome, whatever the cause may be. I have 'house binoculars' that are more suitable.

But if I was walking in the country through close cover, I might well prefer the fast focus (and wider field of view) of the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA to the greater depth of focus of a binocular such as the Opticron 8x42 HR.WP. The former thereby excels at shifting point of focus from a far to a near location, or back again. The latter excels more at scanning in open country.

For the rest:
* Build quality of Opticron 8x32 SR.GA: Exemplary
* Ergonomics: In my hands, exemplary - the only exception is that on purchase the diopter adjuster moved too freely. I have since easily fixed it
* Handling: Treated above
* Optics: I pass. My colour sensitivity is low, and I don't have the descriptive ability of other Forum users.

I'd be interested though to hear what other Forum users think, optically, about the outer area of the field of view of the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA. I'd like it to be more 'usable'. But it's one of those aspects of performance where you need to possess a binocular very close in specification to the binocular under consideration in order to know what is practically achievable, and what is not.

I hope this appraisal helps.


Stephen

Hello Stephen,

I thank you for your substantial assistance. I cannot find any New York City retailer who keeps this binocular in stock, which would allow me to evaluate this glass.


Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Arthur

I posted:

I don't use the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA to watch the feeders 40ft (12m) away from the house at the bottom of the garden. I find myself, whether compulsively or for some optical or mechanical reason, too often making repeated 'rocking' fine focus adjustments. It's tiresome, whatever the cause may be. I have 'house binoculars' that are more suitable.

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Since other people with an interest in the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA beside yourself may read your thread, I trust you will bear with my amplifying the above paragraph in the light of a further test today .

The only other binocular in my limited experience that sparks the same behaviour is the Bushnell 7x26 Custom Elite.

The further test was to check with a couple of secondhand purchases of binoculars of similar specification to see if I could repeat the above behaviour with them too.

I couldn't.

A comparison at the same time of depth of focus would have been useful, but it was too difficult to make because of small differences in depth of focus between binoculars as confused by the interfering effect of accommodation.

The common feature of the Opticron and Bushnell that the other binoculars in the comparison lacked is a sensitive focussing mechanism.

So it could be that there is, as I tried to describe my experience with the Opticron, for some persons a compulsive tendency with such binoculars when changing view at short range to a new target in a slightly different plane to change focus rather than wait for the eyes to accommodate.


Stephen

Hello Stephen,

Once again, I thank you. Finicky focussing would be very annoying. Without the opportunity to examine the binocular before purchase, I am unlikely to pursue my interest in the Opticron 8x32 SR.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

I own both the 8x32 SR GA and the Nikon EII 8x30. The rubber eye-cups are surprisingly narrow and the eye relief of the SRGA is very shallow, as has been said, so much so that (as a non-glasses wearer) my eyelashes often brush the glass, in cold weather, spreading moisture from my eyes onto the glass. I found that had to develop a special hold for them that held the rubber eyecups off my face (not as as difficult as it may sound). Mine have a little play in the focus knob, as if a shim were missing from one end. Again, my hold for the bins pushed the focus barrel toward the back and eliminated this play.
It is sharp in its sweet spot and has a wide FOV, the outer edges soft and mushy. I didn't find the focus speed finicky. Mine were knocked out of alignment following a fall in its soft case from knee height out of the back of the car. After being repaired by Opticron (not a warranty repair) they are now not so comfortable to use, I feel that they have some alignment issue still.
Aside from the obvious similarities, my example doesn't compare well with the EII, which, for me, is ergonomically significantly better and gives a better view within its wider sweet spot (although comparison is difficult now, given the status of my SRGA). My EII's are for sale, one of a few aspects that have put me off them is my experience with the SRGA and my other porro in becoming misaligned so easily. Perhaps I have been unlucky.

Hello Cluster,

Thank you. It would seem that this binocular is not for me.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

I cannot comment on the particular instrument under discussion but would observe that in the UK Opticron has had a high (arguably unique) reputation amongst birders for delivering a range of value-for-money yet good quality optics for several decades. You won't go far wrong with one of their instruments, the only question being which price band you opt for.

Arthur

I should not post further, especially now that Cluster has more fully also answered you, but I must end by emphasising, since this is a public forum, why I remain satisfied with the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA.

I could not in a fair review omit to mention my personal issue with the Opticron as a 'feeder watch' binocular. But if I'm right it's not a fault, but goes with the territory.

That's why I mentioned the Bushnell 7x26 Custom Elite as a more familiar--and frequently recommended--binocular that is also for me second choice for feeder watch.

It's the attraction to me of the Bushnell 7x26 Custom Elite (big wheel; smooth & precise in operation; low friction) that in its primary use as a field binocular:
* I can reel in quickly from a tree across the field to a bird in a hedge close next to me, or vice versa
* The focus mechanism functions properly in cold weather that causes the focus mechanisms of some other binoculars to stiffen up.

Ditto the Opticron 8x32 SR.GA (medium wheel; smooth & precise in operation; medium friction; fast 'gearing').

Indeed I bought the Bushnell to replace the Opticron as a 7x in place of an 8x field binocular -- And was pleased to find that, in the above two aspects of operation, I had replaced like with like.

I may refer to the Opticron, especially, as a 'specialist tool'. But really it's just a matter of 'horses for courses'.


Stephen

I had the 8x32 SRGA for many years, they seem to have been around for ever.

The eye relief was no problem for me, but it had a slightly wider minimum ipd than most of my bins and a wider or differently shaped eyecup than say an EII. It could be adjusted to my ipd, but taken together it was never quite comfortable to use for my face contours and wasn't really a go to binocular. It was a pity because optically I had no problems with it and the general balance and handling was excellent.

From other threads, it seems most folks prefer larger eyecups than those found on EIIs and metal Habichts so it is clearly just we neanderthals that have a problem. It affects many roof prism binoculars that are just too uncomfortable to use despite their excellent optics.

Compared to an EII it felt fairly bomb proof with its rubberised covering, with a positive smooth focussing action with no slack.

In the end my head overcame my heart and I parted with it. Without a doubt it would still be with me if the eyecups had been slightly narrower.

Hello Stephen and Jay,

I thank you for the information and your experiences.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Iveljay has posted "........and a wider or differently shaped eyecup than say an EII". We must have very different versions of the 8x32 SRGA and the 8x30 EII binoculars. The rubber eyecups on my 8x32 SRGA are 32mm dia and are 42mm dia on my EII, otherwise the same shape if very different depths.
I wonder if there is a older version with different eyecups, more like the Imagic porros.

I own both Eii 8x30 and SRGA 8x32. I am surprised that no-one has pointed back to the excellent review of 8x30 binoculars by Brin Best which has the SRGA in 4th position just behind the 2 Nikons and swaro. I myself prefer the SRGA in the field as the rubber armour gives me a better sense of security and I feel I lose nothing in performance.