Eagle Optics Raven, 8.5x32 ? (1 Viewer)

NDhunter · Jul 8, 2009

I see the 6.5x32 has been getting some good reviews here, and was wondering how the 8.5x32 has been performing. I'm looking for a nice light
bino and thinking I would prefer the 8.5 power. I have plenty of others in
my collection so these would be for general use, they are lightweight so
easy to carry on a walk. How would they compare to the Nikon 8x32SE? I know that would be a different level. They are priced @ $130 at
Eagle Optics. For the money what else is out there in a nice lightweight
choice.

FrankD · Jul 8, 2009

For the money what else is out there in a nice lightweight
choice.

The Leupold Yosemite 8x30s.

..or the Pentax DCF HS 8x36s.

ND,

I posted some comments about the 8.5x32 over in Steve's 6.5x32 thread. I don't find them as appealing optically as their lower powered siblings. The eye relief is shorter and the close focusing distance is longer. I can just barely see the field stop with the eyecups fully collapsed.

Still, the image is sharp and better than I expected for such a small exit pupil binocular (I prefer at least 4 mm at a minimum and preferrably 5 mm in most cases). Contrast is decent though and brightness isn't "bad" by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe if I would have received it "on its own" instead of at the same time as the 6.5x then I might think more highly of it.

Hope this helps.

NDhunter · Jul 8, 2009

Frank: Thanks for the advice. I have been looking for another Porro, and have not heard much about the Leupold Yosemite, and they sound like a good bet in the $100
range. I bought a pair of Nikon 8x40 actions earlier this spring for my son, and I did'nt
think they were too bad, but these sound like they perform better. At only 18 oz. they
really are like a compact. I like to carry my 8x32 SE's but want something else.

Kevin Purcell · Jul 8, 2009

I bought a set of Nikon Action 7x35 EX ATB (silly name ... the waterproof Actions).

They are very nice bins. Nice view: sharp and bright with a big 9.2 degree FOV (a real 7x!). Nice focus action that is quite light for a waterproof porro. And a good close focus too < 10 feet. I think they don't have a lot of pincushion so there is some rolling ball.

Nice grip particularly aided by a design tweak where they've rotated the prism cluster so the objectives are below and outside the eyepieces by 30 degrees (rather than zero degrees - all on the same line -- in a conventional porro like the Celestron DX 8x32). That makes the porro a lot easier to hold with a natural hand position and avoiding a "seagull stance".

I got mine as a Cameraland "demo" for $90 + shipping (about $100 shipped).

Recommended.

I suspect all in this Action (if you don't need the ER and waterproofing) are similar as they seem to share a "common exit pupil size" design (7x35, 8x40, 10x50) so I suspect the EP and prism designs are the same with the objectives and barrels changing.

falcondude · Jul 8, 2009

Kevin Purcell said:
I bought a set of Nikon Action 7x35 EX ATB (silly name ... the waterproof Actions).

They are very nice bins. Nice view: sharp and bright with a big 9.2 degree FOV (a real 7x!). Nice focus action that is quite light for a waterproof porro. And a good close focus too < 10 feet. I think they don't have a lot of pincushion so there is some rolling ball.

Nice grip particularly aided by a design tweak where they've rotated the prism cluster so the objectives are below and outside the eyepieces by 30 degrees (rather than zero degrees - all on the same line -- in a conventional porro like the Celestron DX 8x32). That makes the porro a lot easier to hold with a natural hand position and avoiding a "seagull stance".

I got mine as a Cameraland "demo" for $90 + shipping (about $100 shipped).

Recommended.

I suspect all in this Action (if you don't need the ER and waterproofing) are similar as they seem to share a "common exit pupil size" design (7x35, 8x40, 10x50) so I suspect the EP and prism designs are the same with the objectives and barrels changing.

Are you saying that Ravern, Nikon Action, Leupold Yosemite all come from the same supplier?

Kevin Purcell · Jul 8, 2009

falcondude said:
Are you saying that Ravern, Nikon Action, Leupold Yosemite all come from the same supplier?

No just answering the OPs original question.

For the money what else is out there in a nice lightweight
choice.

Though the Actions aren't "lightweight" they're not that bad but they are 10oz heavier!

Nikon run their own plants to build their own designs.

I speculate the Yosemite and the Raven (and Raptor) might be related though. They do seem very similar. Even things like the bump in objective size and the bump in magnification are bysimilar amounts. That might be because the same OEM is involved or due to "convergent" design or due to shared components.

Just giving Nikon as another option in the cheap but good porro end of the market.

FrankD · Jul 8, 2009

I hesitated in recommending the Action (and EX), Celestron Ultima DX, Bushnell Legend porro, etc... series simply because of the weight issue. All of them are close to 30 oz if memory serves me. Still, you are correct, they all provide excellent image quality for the price. I had the 7x35 EX for some time and was very satisfied with the image quality...even after it took a tumble off the back deck.

Thank heavens for Nikon's No-Fault policy.

I think you would find the comparison between the Action and Action EX in 7x35 interesting Kevin. Though most of the specs (field of view for example) are very similar they each have a bit of difference in eye relief and apparent depth of field.

Kevin Purcell · Jul 9, 2009

Not so much a comparison, as I haven't actually looked through the Action (though I friend of mine was birding with one but I failed to ask for a look, but on the face of it (i.e. the specs say) it seems to be an old school low ER wide angle bin. So if one doesn't need the ER then one can save some money (they're about $60 or less).

Their depth of field should be the same (given the magnification) though the field curvature may make it seem different.

Did the Action EX suffer from the drop?

And I think the Action EX 7x35 weights 28 oz so not light but it doesn't feel heavy -- it has good balance in the hand.

FrankD · Jul 9, 2009

Yes, it was knocked out of alignment. I sent it back to Nikon and it came back to me as good as new.

I may still pick another one up depending on how the Zen ED 7x36 turns out.

Eagle Optics Raven, 8.5x32 ? (1 Viewer)

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NDhunter

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FrankD

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NDhunter

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Kevin Purcell

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falcondude

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Kevin Purcell

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FrankD

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Kevin Purcell

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