I did have the Zeiss 8x56 FL for awhile but I don't think I really gave it a chance. I was so put off by the weight that I didn't try it long enough to appreciate it. I am sure it is a great binocular.
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Alpha porros? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter black crow
- Start date
I have the Trailseekers as well in both 8x and 10x (42) and they are optically quite good. However, I've found their build quality to be a bit junk. They got a little salt in them and rusted right out. Still works though. The rust kind of holds that part together. Celestron said they would mail me another copy when I asked about replacement parts.
black crow
Well-known member
:t:I never thought of putting salt in them and using them as a salt shaker. Great idea!
I'll tell my sister never to use them at the ocean or when crying.
I'll tell my sister never to use them at the ocean or when crying.
Well, Crow, you've been told that only Superman, Thor or God could possibly see “improvements” in performance between your 8x30 EII and anything else; and that any other opinion was errant and embellished. :cat: The observations of other users with much more time behind both binoculars than I do, however, in this and other threads directly comparing the EII and the Habicht, reassure me that what I saw at the UK Birdfair wasn't fantasy. I'll now pick up hammer, don red cape, and note my comparisons of these two binoculars, which I had very much wanted to see. I have to once again express my thanks to Swarovski staff for taking the trouble to locate an 8x30 Habicht for me, and to Nikon staff for opening up the display case to let me look through the EII 100th anniversary edition for what I hope wasn't an unreasonably long time.
- Habicht is distinctly brighter - to my eyes, and, it seems (not that it really should matter, since I can't see through their eyes), others as well. I found this the most noticeable difference between the two. NB. the Habicht did not seem nearly as bright as the 8x56 SLC I had tried earlier, but it's probably not fair to compare an 8x30 to something with nearly twice the objective lens diameter. Brightness, however, may be much more desired under grey Northern European skies than the sunlit uplands of Southern Oregon. Indeed, going by some of your descriptions, glare resistance/baffling may be of more importance. I have a couple of single-coated porros that I use when it's bright and sunny and they work well under those conditions.
- Both can't be used with glasses - you kinda can with the EII, but its field of view is reduced to an unacceptable level. Reversing the eyecups on the EII can apparently help with this, but I have not had the opportunity to try. Focus beyond infinity thus becomes very important for me. The Habicht will focus sufficiently beyond infinity for me (I think I'm -4.5/5) to use it without glasses, the EII won't.
- I agree the Habicht has a sharp, clear and pleasing image; the EII, when I brought closer targets into focus, seemed less so. Habicht field of view is OK, but EII's is definitely wider.
- Stiff focuser on the Habicht - I didn't notice it personally, and a slow and stiff focuser actually suits my birding better. If I have to make a focus adjustment with a binocular that has faster focus I need to be extremely careful I don't overshoot and blur out the distant speck I'm tracking.
I really wanted to like both binoculars - both have their ardent fans on Birdforum, and I can see why. But in the end I felt the old Zeiss West I have sufficiently satisfied my desire for a classic 8x30 porro. I guess one could compare that kind of binocular to an open-top sports car - a real pleasure to use, but needing the right situation. If I had to replace it with one of the two I would probably get the EII despite the Habicht having a nicer image, because I think nearly 20m more field of view at 1000m would be more useful for me, but would have to send it to a service shop to get the focus beyond infinity adjusted (sacrificing close focus, which I don't require).
I'd certainly like to look through more top tier porros, the Nikon SE especially as they are so highly rated by many here. I regret that Leitz and Zeiss ended production of their classic 8x30 and other models before the advent of multi-coating.
- Habicht is distinctly brighter - to my eyes, and, it seems (not that it really should matter, since I can't see through their eyes), others as well. I found this the most noticeable difference between the two. NB. the Habicht did not seem nearly as bright as the 8x56 SLC I had tried earlier, but it's probably not fair to compare an 8x30 to something with nearly twice the objective lens diameter. Brightness, however, may be much more desired under grey Northern European skies than the sunlit uplands of Southern Oregon. Indeed, going by some of your descriptions, glare resistance/baffling may be of more importance. I have a couple of single-coated porros that I use when it's bright and sunny and they work well under those conditions.
- Both can't be used with glasses - you kinda can with the EII, but its field of view is reduced to an unacceptable level. Reversing the eyecups on the EII can apparently help with this, but I have not had the opportunity to try. Focus beyond infinity thus becomes very important for me. The Habicht will focus sufficiently beyond infinity for me (I think I'm -4.5/5) to use it without glasses, the EII won't.
- I agree the Habicht has a sharp, clear and pleasing image; the EII, when I brought closer targets into focus, seemed less so. Habicht field of view is OK, but EII's is definitely wider.
- Stiff focuser on the Habicht - I didn't notice it personally, and a slow and stiff focuser actually suits my birding better. If I have to make a focus adjustment with a binocular that has faster focus I need to be extremely careful I don't overshoot and blur out the distant speck I'm tracking.
I really wanted to like both binoculars - both have their ardent fans on Birdforum, and I can see why. But in the end I felt the old Zeiss West I have sufficiently satisfied my desire for a classic 8x30 porro. I guess one could compare that kind of binocular to an open-top sports car - a real pleasure to use, but needing the right situation. If I had to replace it with one of the two I would probably get the EII despite the Habicht having a nicer image, because I think nearly 20m more field of view at 1000m would be more useful for me, but would have to send it to a service shop to get the focus beyond infinity adjusted (sacrificing close focus, which I don't require).
I'd certainly like to look through more top tier porros, the Nikon SE especially as they are so highly rated by many here. I regret that Leitz and Zeiss ended production of their classic 8x30 and other models before the advent of multi-coating.
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black crow
Well-known member
Thanks for the hands on review. I'm envious. You might have heard I sprung for the 10x35 EII instead of adding the Swaro to my collection. More practical for my needs at this time and less expensive. Plus I'm very happy with the what I see in the EII. To the point where I'm not craving more right now. It would be a damn shame to be over the joy of finding it so soon were I to feel the Swaro was really far beyond the EII. That discovery will be saved for when I reach middle age or some far off time in the future. I'll bet it was major fun being at the Birdfair. If this was a sane world binoculars would be popular enough to have such an event even in a small town like mine.
Highway Dog
Well-known member
I have used the Nikon EII 10x35, and I think it is special. It seems bright for me. I have no trouble matching my eye pupils to the exit pupil of the eye piece. I traded it away and then I missed it and got another. I recently gave it to my brother who lives in New Mexico. Of course I miss it but I continue to buy other goodies. I couldn't let my brother not have an exceptional binoculars and let him use an old one from the sixties. --And his special wife who I think the best about. He is well off, and could afford the best. I hope he will now consider how he could have one more to match his use.
Right now APM Telescope in Germany has asked the chinese OEM to make one of the finest stargazing binoculars that could match the Fujinon Polaris or could even be better. It has low dispersion glass that could make it even better. It is too heavy for most casual use. Here is an add for the 7x, 10x , 12x and even other huge binoculars telescopes (mid-size). The ad even says it has an APO like focusing of the color wavelengths. That 12x is tantalizing me for only $450. Still I have other 12 power ones....
www.astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/apm-new-ms-ed-binocular-507080100-mm-in-stock
I consider it might be alpha performance.
What do you say?
Rob.
Right now APM Telescope in Germany has asked the chinese OEM to make one of the finest stargazing binoculars that could match the Fujinon Polaris or could even be better. It has low dispersion glass that could make it even better. It is too heavy for most casual use. Here is an add for the 7x, 10x , 12x and even other huge binoculars telescopes (mid-size). The ad even says it has an APO like focusing of the color wavelengths. That 12x is tantalizing me for only $450. Still I have other 12 power ones....
www.astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/apm-new-ms-ed-binocular-507080100-mm-in-stock
I consider it might be alpha performance.
What do you say?
Rob.
black crow
Well-known member
That's all great to hear. I got a few pros and some reserved cons about adding the 10x but I think I'm going to really like them and use it often along with the 8x.
It's really amazing to me after seeing what the EII can do for the money that there are not a lot of other great porros on the market. Even the famous Swift Audubon is down to only one meager offering and they quit selling the ED version which I heard was a good binocular. I now wish I had kept the pair I bought about 6 or 7 years back. I was new to the game of better optics and thought the porro was for the ignorant and old guys stuck in the nostalgia of a bygone era. It was going to be Roofs or nothing cause I was in the know finally. What a dumb move that was lol.
Now to check out your link.
Edit: Man those guys are heavy. Too bad as they sound great.
It's really amazing to me after seeing what the EII can do for the money that there are not a lot of other great porros on the market. Even the famous Swift Audubon is down to only one meager offering and they quit selling the ED version which I heard was a good binocular. I now wish I had kept the pair I bought about 6 or 7 years back. I was new to the game of better optics and thought the porro was for the ignorant and old guys stuck in the nostalgia of a bygone era. It was going to be Roofs or nothing cause I was in the know finally. What a dumb move that was lol.
Now to check out your link.
Edit: Man those guys are heavy. Too bad as they sound great.
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wachipilotes
Well-known member
I personally love binoculars porro, I am a big fan of Astronomy also and I have had myself and now I have some bino porro, 7X35, 8x40, 10x50 and 25x70 .. I had a classic Carl Zeiss Jena 7x50 jenoptem ago that was fantastic, had a lot of light, lifted the weak objects of the night sky with astonishing ease ... and I think that those Swarovski Habicht 8x30 should be even better ...
On the other hand I had a Nikon Superior 10X42 and I had to leave because the blackout they presented was huge, I was more time trying to properly place the eyes than watching through them. !!
Wachi
On the other hand I had a Nikon Superior 10X42 and I had to leave because the blackout they presented was huge, I was more time trying to properly place the eyes than watching through them. !!
Wachi
black crow
Well-known member
I now have two Oberwerk in 11x56 and 25x100 and now the EII in 8x and 10x. I like both roof and porros. My porros are the best optics at this time. I'm very impressed by my 25x100s. They have amazing clarity and sharpness when used for terrestrial viewing. Mind numbing views of the stars also. They do gather some light.
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