Orion Savannah, Fujinon BFL, or Pentax DCF HR II (2 Viewers)

Dear all,

In the market for nitrogen-purged binoculars costing US$250-$300, I am currently choosing between:

- Orion Savannah WP 8x42 Porro prisms ($240)
- Fujinon BFL 8x42 Porro prisms ($250-$270)
- Pentax DCF HR II 8x42 and 10x42 roof prisms ($280 and $300)

Does anyone have direct experience of the optical quality in these binoculars--in comparison either with each other or with other well-known binoculars (like Swift Audubons)?

The prices and other aspects of the feature sets are close enough to being a wash for me that it all really just comes down to how bright, sharp, clear, and well resolved the views through these binoculars appear.

I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Peter

Peter

From another Peter - and on behalf of Admin and all the Moderators - welcome to Bird Forum! I am sure you will receive many replies to your query. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience here.

It would also be nice to know a little more about you and where you are from, what birds you see etc. Why not post something in the forum called Say Hello, which is a useful way of new members announcing themselves.

Enjoy BF!

As Peter said, welcome to BF.
Unfortunately I'm unfamiliar with these binos.... U.S. market is slightly different to Europe, with differing model numbers and badge names.
Optical quality will be pretty similar with all of those mentioned in that price bracket, though porro's do have slight optical advantages.... even if they are bulky and very 'un-trendy'.

Experienced birders will tell you (and it's very true) that is extremely important that the binos feel right in use. They may have brilliant optics, but if they are uncomfortable for extended use.... then think very carefully about buying them! You really need to try them before you buy.... a lot easier in Europe than the states!

These days, espescially with binos from the far-east, they could all be the same bino other than small cosmetic differences.
Pentax do have a very high reputation at the moment, very well thought of in N. America.

Hopefully, a N. American member can offer you more specific advice than myself.
Regards,
Andy

Hi Peter

I do not know any one of these given binocs. I can only state what Andy has already said, that Pentax does have a good reputation. Is there you can compare them? If so, I would go on a sunny day and a cloudy day to make a better comparison.

Peter: One point to note. The more expensive roof prisms are phase coated (also called phase correction coating, or P-correction coating). This increases the sharpness noticeably. Do any of the above have phase coating? If so, that would be a plus point. Without phase coating, the bin will be a bit less sharp than the equivalent porro prism bin.

By the way, I got the following from a US site: "8x32 DCF WP Binoculars with case 269.99". These are waterproof phase coated Pentax bins. Said to be pretty good. The 8x42 version is good value.

It's probably too late after you posted to matter, but I own a pair of Orion Savannah 8x42s. Orion is an odd company and the Orion shop I bought them from went out of businees months after I bought them. But the binoculars are actually wonderful. They get a lot of use in the field, I have owned them for about three years now, and they are as good as ever. AFTER buying them, I tried to find out more about them. Few peeps seemed to own them, but I found the Savannahs were a basic model of binocular that a lot of companies put their name on, including, if I recall correctly, Eagle Optics.