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

GPO 10x50 HD Review (1 Viewer)

Hate to be a contrarian but to really understand where a bin like this stands we need to have a baseline model compared directly in the field.

I have a 25 year old Elite that really gives great views on its' own. It's only when I do the direct back and forth with my newer glass do I see the differences in brightness, contrast, colour-neutrality etc. And memory is too subjective and too fallible to be used as any sort of comparison tool.

All IMO, and I do appreciate the effort and the fine text of the review.
 
Hate to be a contrarian but to really understand where a bin like this stands we need to have a baseline model compared directly in the field.

I have a 25 year old Elite that really gives great views on its' own. It's only when I do the direct back and forth with my newer glass do I see the differences in brightness, contrast, colour-neutrality etc. And memory is too subjective and too fallible to be used as any sort of comparison tool.

All IMO, and I do appreciate the effort and the fine text of the review.

I wouldn't disagree with you James but I didn't have a comparable model to hand. I didn't think it fair or reasonable to compare with the only other 10x I have which is an SF as on the one hand the SF has so much going for it, and on the other, if I had posted this, some folks would say this was always going to be my opinion because I have been pretty Zeiss orientated in the past.

And although I have done comparison reviews that have offered my opinion of a 'winner' (since comparisons always tend to do this) I am increasingly skeptical of the value of this given the personal nature of such judgements.

My point with the review was to discover, not whether it was better or worse than some other model (which may or may not have been relevant to any reader) but whether it could deliver a good experience and therefore whether the model reviewed is worthy of putting on anyone's short list. It is.

I think there is merit in reviewing both in the way that I did it and the way you suggest.

Lee
 
To be clear on the Meopta's... the portfolio currently offers a MeoStar B1 10x50 and a MeoStar B1 12x50 HD. Discontinued 50mm models include the MeoStar B1 7x50 and non-HD 12x50.
 
To be clear on the Meopta's... the portfolio currently offers a MeoStar B1 10x50 and a MeoStar B1 12x50 HD. Discontinued 50mm models include the MeoStar B1 7x50 and non-HD 12x50.

Thanks MM for clarifying this. Meoptas are very fine instruments and should be on everyone's short list for consideration.

Lee
 
I have looked at these, is this the the 8X42 earlier discussed in this thread, it is about the same cost as the Nikon Monarch HG 8X42

Specifications for German Precision Optics GPO PASSION™ HD 8x42 Hunting Binocular:
Magnification: 8 x
Objective Lens Diameter: 42 mm
Prism Material: Schmidt-Pechan
Color: Charcoal/Black
Included Accessories: Ocular Cover, Cleaning Cloth, Hard Case, Objective Cover, Neoprene strap
Exit pupil: 5.25 mm
Eye Relief: 0.77 in
Weight: 29.3 oz
Field of View: 375 ft at 1000 yds
Optical Coating: GPObright
Weather Resistance: Waterproof, Fogproof
Size: 2.2H x 6.1L x 5.1W in
Close Focus: 2 m
Diopter Adjustment Range: Range -4 - 4 dpt

Andy W.
 
Lee,

I forgot to say thanks for the review and sharing the info. They look like quality glass.

Bruce, sorry I posted the wrong bino above, (HD). I think the 8X42 you specified are below. The FOV is the same as the Bushnell Legend and slightly more than the Nikon Monarch 8X42 HG, let us know how you like it. I was curious about this one, prior to getting the deal on the Legend M.

Andy W.

Specifications for German Precision Optics GPO PASSION™ ED 8x42 Hunting Binocular:
Magnification: 8 x
Objective Lens Diameter: 42 mm
Prism Material: Schmidt-Pechan
Color: Charcoal/Black
Included Accessories: Hard Case, Neoprene strap, Ocular Cover, Objective Cover, Cleaning Cloth
Exit pupil: 5.25 mm
Eye Relief: 0.7 in
Weight: 23.6 oz
Field of View: 426 ft at 1000 yds
Optical Coating: GPObright
Weather Resistance: Waterproof, Fogproof
Size: 2.2H x 5.7L x 5.1W in
Close Focus: 2 m
Diopter Adjustment Range: Range -3 - 3 dpt
 
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Bruce, sorry I posted the wrong bino above, (HD). I think the 8X42 you specified are below. The FOV is the same as the Bushnell Legend and slightly more than the Nikon Monarch 8X42 HG, let us know how you like it. I was curious about this one, prior to getting the deal on the Legend M.

Andy W.

Andy,

My comments on the GPO ED 8X42 are posted in this thread.....

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=348225


The ED is less expensive than the GPO HD yet it has a wider FOV.

Here are the FOV numbers for the models you mentioned:

GPO HD 8X42 375 ft
GPO ED 8X42 426 ft
Bushnell Legend M 8X42 426 ft
Nikon Monarch HG 435 ft

A couple of pace setters ......

Zeiss SF 8X42 444 ft
Nikon EII 8X30 462 ft
 
Great review, Lee. Your fondness for birding and optics is very evident. You have a very poetic style. Do you have an English or Creative writing backround? The GPO sounds like a very high quality instrument and it looks beautifully designed and well priced. It certainly is a good solid choice in the mid-priced category. The FOV is very comparable to other binoculars in this price range. Bruce is correct in that it is a cost issue to obtain a wider FOV like the SV 10x50 because of the complexity of the eyepiece design. Did you prefer the GPO 8x42 HD or 10x50 HD for your style of birding?
 
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Great review, Lee. Your fondness for birding and optics is very evident. You have a very poetic style. Do you have an English or Creative writing backround? The GPO sounds like a very high quality instrument and it looks beautifully designed and well priced. It certainly is a good solid choice in the mid-priced category. The FOV is very comparable to other binoculars in this price range. Bruce is correct in that it is a cost issue to obtain a wider FOV like the SV 10x50 because of the complexity of the eyepiece design. Did you prefer the GPO 8x42 HD or 10x50 HD for your style of birding?

Thanks for your kind words Dennis. Whatever style of writing I have comes, I think, from being an avid reader of books since I was a nipper, and I guess I must have soaked up a lot of influences.

To answer your questions, probably 8x42s are my preferred all-rounders although I did experiment this year by going on a 4 week trip to Scotland with a handful of 32s and no 42s at all. The 10x50 review was aimed at the USA where this format is far more popular than over here and you don't see a lot of reviews of them. Actually I enjoyed using it although SF 10x is easier to hold steady for longer periods. Don't forget I am not a specialist birder but more a general nature observer and watching behaviour is more what I do although I do my share of quick bird identifications too.

Lee
 
I am more a general nature observer also. The 10x50 format is probably more popular over here because of more open terrain in some cases or it could be Americans like everything bigger and more powerful than sometimes necessary. 32's are all you need a lot of times and they are a lot nicer to carry.
 
I am more a general nature observer also. The 10x50 format is probably more popular over here because of more open terrain in some cases or it could be Americans like everything bigger and more powerful than sometimes necessary. 32's are all you need a lot of times and they are a lot nicer to carry.

In the States there are vast areas where you need to travel for days to find a different kind of landscape so its not too surprising that big magnifications and big objectives are more popular. Over here the landscape can change dramatically within 25 miles.

32s can indeed provide satisfying viewing and I wish I had begun trying them out many years ago but I am ashamed to say that for a long time I regarded them as junior instruments not to be taken seriously. My loss.

Lee
 
I think in 10x, a 50 mm objective is better than the 42. I would say most 10x50 I have experience with are better than the same make and model 42 mm. In particular the SV EL 10x42 vs 10x50. However I don't think the 50 mm is very popular. Mostly the users of high magnification in wide open spaces are hunters and the extra size is not real appealing to pack around. Where I go, I can sometimes see three different counties in three different states from the same place, yet like Lee mentions, the country can change dramatically in a few miles travel. The 10x50 can be a nice pairing with a decent 8x32.
 
"I think in 10x, a 50 mm objective is better than the 42"

Steve I agree totally, to my eyes so much more of a relaxed view.

Andy W.
 
I know this thread is a year old, but any comments on the CA control? Good, bad or so so?

Hi Anansi

In the centre field I can't see any CA at all with a high contrast object against bright white cloud. Moving off the centre field at about 40% of the distance to the field edge there is a tiny bit of CA which gets a little bit worse by the time you are looking at the very edge of the fov. In short, its a good performance.

Hope that answers your question.

Lee
 
Tell us how you gathered that fact, about undoubtedly being premium alpha brand ?

Tell us all about your comparisons.

Jerry
 
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