Hi all,
I have a pair of Jenoptem 8x32 porro prism binoculars that I’m looking to replace, and I’m after some advice. Optically, there’s not much to complain about – they’re nice and sharp, and whilst there’s a bit of field curvature, and some occasional minor purple chromatic aberration (e.g. when watching a blackbird in the snow), I’ve not noticed anything too terrible. However, they simply are not very comfortable to use – they have limited eye relief, and the eye cups are a hard plastic.
So, I’m looking recommendations for a pair of 8x roof prism binoculars - either 32mm or 42mm. I’m looking for something which is about the same size/weight as the Jenoptems (c. 700g), optically no worse, and OK for glasses wearers (I should add that one eye is noticeably worse than the other). Whilst I try to treat my things well, accidents do happen, so I’m looking for something well-built, and backed by a company with good customer service. I’d rather not spend more than £500, although I can be flexible on this, as I’m not looking to buy any further pairs later! I have a preference for purchasing items locally rather than via mail order, although I have a rather limited selection of shops within an hour’s travel – 3 branches of London Camera Exchange (stocking between them Zeiss, Leica, Nikon, Opticron, Swarovski, and Hawke), and an independent stockist who has Opticron.
My initial thoughts were to look at the Opticron DBA VHD+ (£580) or Imagic BGA VHD 8x42 (£450), or Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 (£685), although I’ve yet to find some in stock locally. So far, I’ve had a brief play with a pair of (used) Swarovski EL 8x32 and (new) Opticron Traveller 8x32. The Swarovski’s were really, really nice, and I couldn’t really fault anything about them, other than their £1000 price tag. In comparison, the Opticron pair seemed somewhat “flat” in their rendering, and they did display some visible purple chromatic fringing (I was looking at the end of a brick wall, with a brick building behind it, across the road from the shop). I would add that I struggled a little to get the correct “binocular” image when adjusting the IPD, although that’s likely me not being used to them. Both were very comfortable to use, although the focusing wheel was a little stiffer than I’d like (more so on the Opticrons, being new - the wheel on my Jenoptems has some resistance, but can also easily be turned with one finger).
Any advice much appreciated! Thanks!
P.S. I’d rather avoid Nikon – I’ve got some of their camera equipment, and whilst the equipment is excellent, I have been less than impressed with their service centre!
I have a pair of Jenoptem 8x32 porro prism binoculars that I’m looking to replace, and I’m after some advice. Optically, there’s not much to complain about – they’re nice and sharp, and whilst there’s a bit of field curvature, and some occasional minor purple chromatic aberration (e.g. when watching a blackbird in the snow), I’ve not noticed anything too terrible. However, they simply are not very comfortable to use – they have limited eye relief, and the eye cups are a hard plastic.
So, I’m looking recommendations for a pair of 8x roof prism binoculars - either 32mm or 42mm. I’m looking for something which is about the same size/weight as the Jenoptems (c. 700g), optically no worse, and OK for glasses wearers (I should add that one eye is noticeably worse than the other). Whilst I try to treat my things well, accidents do happen, so I’m looking for something well-built, and backed by a company with good customer service. I’d rather not spend more than £500, although I can be flexible on this, as I’m not looking to buy any further pairs later! I have a preference for purchasing items locally rather than via mail order, although I have a rather limited selection of shops within an hour’s travel – 3 branches of London Camera Exchange (stocking between them Zeiss, Leica, Nikon, Opticron, Swarovski, and Hawke), and an independent stockist who has Opticron.
My initial thoughts were to look at the Opticron DBA VHD+ (£580) or Imagic BGA VHD 8x42 (£450), or Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32 (£685), although I’ve yet to find some in stock locally. So far, I’ve had a brief play with a pair of (used) Swarovski EL 8x32 and (new) Opticron Traveller 8x32. The Swarovski’s were really, really nice, and I couldn’t really fault anything about them, other than their £1000 price tag. In comparison, the Opticron pair seemed somewhat “flat” in their rendering, and they did display some visible purple chromatic fringing (I was looking at the end of a brick wall, with a brick building behind it, across the road from the shop). I would add that I struggled a little to get the correct “binocular” image when adjusting the IPD, although that’s likely me not being used to them. Both were very comfortable to use, although the focusing wheel was a little stiffer than I’d like (more so on the Opticrons, being new - the wheel on my Jenoptems has some resistance, but can also easily be turned with one finger).
Any advice much appreciated! Thanks!
P.S. I’d rather avoid Nikon – I’ve got some of their camera equipment, and whilst the equipment is excellent, I have been less than impressed with their service centre!
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