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What should SE's cost? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter CLRobles
- Start date
The dealer is asking too much. They will probably be sitting there for a while longer, I'd venture. The 8 x 32 SE's never cost close to $899.00. $599.00 was the highest price I remember. There was a period of time when the 10 x 42 SE cost in the neighborhood of $900.00. If you are a good haggler you might be able to get them both for $1000.00! That's in the neighborhood of what they are selling for now. They are worth that much anyway.
It would be interesting to know their approximate Serial Numbers. We are trying to determine (in another thread here) how to use their SN's to determine their date of manufacture. (See "so few high end bins seem to be sold" thread)
Bob
It would be interesting to know their approximate Serial Numbers. We are trying to determine (in another thread here) how to use their SN's to determine their date of manufacture. (See "so few high end bins seem to be sold" thread)
Bob
clive ward
Active member
$499 for the 8x32's from Adorama camera.
Went back down to the sporting good store here and showed the owner the going rates on-line and he matched them! So, I came home today with a new pair 8x32 SE's and a new pair of 10x42 SE's..... I am thrilled to say the least! I paid $499 for the 8's and $749 for the 10's out the door. I spent at least 45 min outside the shop comparing the 10x42 SE with a new pair of Zeiss 10x42 FL w/LotuTec. After the comparison I came away with the feeling that the SE's were as good as or better than the FL's in every catagory but one. The Zeiss were quicker to focus and that's it... Now this was a day light observation so no comparison in low light... But I felt that the SE's were as sharp, had better color saturation, a better 3-d effect, and more magnification. Also, I felt that the SE's were as easy to hand hold... Anyway, just my first impressions. I will take them to the mountains on Wed and compare them to my Swarovski 10x42 EL and Leica Geovid 10x42 BRF binoculars in all light conditions. My intention is to use the 10x42 SE's this coming fall and winter regardless of weather conditions and see how they hold up?
By the way, these Nikon's were dated on his shelf as 04/04 for the 8x32's and 04/02 for the 10x42's....
The ser # for the 8 is 504xxx and the 10 is 007xxx. The coatings are a greenish tint on the 8's with a magenta undertones and exactly the opposite on the 10's with a magenta tint and green undertones?
Good move, CL!!:clap:
You won't regret it! They set the optical standards the alpha roofs aspire to.
Bob
Thanks for the info: See thread here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=141348&page=3 Pick up at thread #65.
Bob
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John M Robinson
Well-known member
After I bought my 10x42 SEs last spring I did the same thing as you in comparing them to various alpha 10x42s including the latest Zeiss FLT. To my eye they were clearly superior to all but the 10x42 SLC that was in the shop. I don't know if that was a cherry unit because my SEs are way better than my buddy's four year old 10x42 SLC.
John
So I see that the new Nikon Action Extreme Poro Bino is fully sealed, nitrogen purged, water proof, fog proof, with twist out eye cups? What gives? Why would they not do this for the Superior E's? Just baffling to me? Anyway, I couldn't get up to the mountains to do a full low light comparison to my Euro binos so I spent the day at the Candillaria wetland preserve here and just love the new SE's! Couldn't be happier! What a great view!
CL,
It appears from the current analysis that is going on now in a couple of different threads here that most of the SE's were manufactured in large batches in the late 1990's and early 2000's and, like the one's you just purchased, have been sitting on shelves at Nikon and other places until they were sold and replaced. There were changes in the optical coatings at some time but basically that is the only significant change they underwent. The tooling, apparently, never changed; probably because of cost considerations. These have always been expensive binoculars.
The eyepieces on your 8 x 32 and 10 x 42 are the same and I understand that they have a unique and expensive design. If you examine the prism housings on your 8 x 32 and 10 x 42 you will see that they are also the same. Only the objective housings are different. Changing their construction to make them Nitrogen purged, Water proof and adding twist out eye cups would have been costly. The new models would have been even more expensive and Nikon still would have been left with selling the ones left on the shelf at a loss.
Bob
It appears from the current analysis that is going on now in a couple of different threads here that most of the SE's were manufactured in large batches in the late 1990's and early 2000's and, like the one's you just purchased, have been sitting on shelves at Nikon and other places until they were sold and replaced. There were changes in the optical coatings at some time but basically that is the only significant change they underwent. The tooling, apparently, never changed; probably because of cost considerations. These have always been expensive binoculars.
The eyepieces on your 8 x 32 and 10 x 42 are the same and I understand that they have a unique and expensive design. If you examine the prism housings on your 8 x 32 and 10 x 42 you will see that they are also the same. Only the objective housings are different. Changing their construction to make them Nitrogen purged, Water proof and adding twist out eye cups would have been costly. The new models would have been even more expensive and Nikon still would have been left with selling the ones left on the shelf at a loss.
Bob
Guess what just showed up at my door step today? The Nikon 12x50 SE's I won last week on EBAY! So now I own the full set and am happy as a clam..... What a deal on these, they were bought two years ago by the seller and look as new as the units I bought new last week. I won them for $483 :t:
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
I belive they are. All the EP related parameters are the same.
Jason Bugay Reyes
Well-known member
Ah I need to find all those SE !!!
What a great set indeed! I am very pleased with them... I have been out with them here at our small wetland preserve this whole last week and do love there performance.
Bob, the 12x50's are identical to both the 8x32 and 10x42 SE's except for the length of the barrel and the size of the objective. So yes the prism housing is the same on all three. The similarities do not end there though, the handling is virtually the same with the "feel in hand", sweet spot, and eye relief. Only the FOV is different between the three with a smaller field as you go up in power.
So, if you like (or LOVE) the 8x32's you will like all three! My girlfriend has already claimed my 8x32's and will not give them back! So I guess I'm in the market for a second pair!!!!! hahahah!
I still will provide a comprehensive low light comparison with my Swaro EL's and my Leica Geovid BRF's in a few weeks here to come but I have to tell you I really love these Nikons. I'm torn between the 8's and the 10's as to which is a better all around but would probably go with the 8's for birding and the 10's for watching game. The 12's are really something special but you do need a rest or a tripod for extended views. So I purchased a Nikon tripod adapter for them. I was worried that they would scratch or just be generally hard on the bino due to the design but they just came in today and are of superior design. The part of the adapter that comes in contact with the bino is of a hard plastic design and looks like it will protect the bino very well while having great clamping force.
By the way the 12's were originally purchased 2 yrs ago... The have a green dominant tint to the coatings and the ser # is 301xxx.
Bob, the 12x50's are identical to both the 8x32 and 10x42 SE's except for the length of the barrel and the size of the objective. So yes the prism housing is the same on all three. The similarities do not end there though, the handling is virtually the same with the "feel in hand", sweet spot, and eye relief. Only the FOV is different between the three with a smaller field as you go up in power.
So, if you like (or LOVE) the 8x32's you will like all three! My girlfriend has already claimed my 8x32's and will not give them back! So I guess I'm in the market for a second pair!!!!! hahahah!
I still will provide a comprehensive low light comparison with my Swaro EL's and my Leica Geovid BRF's in a few weeks here to come but I have to tell you I really love these Nikons. I'm torn between the 8's and the 10's as to which is a better all around but would probably go with the 8's for birding and the 10's for watching game. The 12's are really something special but you do need a rest or a tripod for extended views. So I purchased a Nikon tripod adapter for them. I was worried that they would scratch or just be generally hard on the bino due to the design but they just came in today and are of superior design. The part of the adapter that comes in contact with the bino is of a hard plastic design and looks like it will protect the bino very well while having great clamping force.
By the way the 12's were originally purchased 2 yrs ago... The have a green dominant tint to the coatings and the ser # is 301xxx.
