I was considering buying a 10X that would be a good choice for backyard birding and night sky viewing.
The 10x50 porros are a little too large/heavy to be comfortable for me; and the close focus is, well...just not very close!
I was thinking of getting the Nikon Action Extreme or Pentax PCF WII...but then I happened upon the specs for the Minox BD 10x44 BP.
The field of view is slightly wider than the Pentax, FMC (the Nikon is only MC), smaller and lighter than both, with a close focus of 13 feet.
The Minox is virtually the same size as my Nikon AE 7x35 (which I REALLY like). It is argon gas filled, waterproof to 5 Meters/16 Feet, has a locking (left eye) diopter on the center focus wheel, ***internal focusing***, 30 year warranty, superior 3-D view, and edge distortion is minimal, made in Japan.
This model is the 'fraternal twin' of the Leupold Cascades...both of which have been discontinued, unfortunately. The small size, light weight, quality optics, 3-D view and close focus make this a great bin for both birding and star gazing for anyone looking for a 10X porro!
The only 'con'...I wish it had a wider field of view.
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62151
I ordered from Doug at the Thanksgiving sale for $175 with free shipping.
The 10x50 porros are a little too large/heavy to be comfortable for me; and the close focus is, well...just not very close!
I was thinking of getting the Nikon Action Extreme or Pentax PCF WII...but then I happened upon the specs for the Minox BD 10x44 BP.
The field of view is slightly wider than the Pentax, FMC (the Nikon is only MC), smaller and lighter than both, with a close focus of 13 feet.
The Minox is virtually the same size as my Nikon AE 7x35 (which I REALLY like). It is argon gas filled, waterproof to 5 Meters/16 Feet, has a locking (left eye) diopter on the center focus wheel, ***internal focusing***, 30 year warranty, superior 3-D view, and edge distortion is minimal, made in Japan.
This model is the 'fraternal twin' of the Leupold Cascades...both of which have been discontinued, unfortunately. The small size, light weight, quality optics, 3-D view and close focus make this a great bin for both birding and star gazing for anyone looking for a 10X porro!
The only 'con'...I wish it had a wider field of view.
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62151
I ordered from Doug at the Thanksgiving sale for $175 with free shipping.
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