New EDG 8x42 (1 Viewer)

Visited my favorite optics shop this today and found a brand new EDG 8x42 in the discontinued case marked down to $1399. Beautiful sample with the quickest, most smooth focus knob I've ever felt.

Giving hard thought to trading in my SLC WB's. Probably not an overly sensible idea; however. the butter smooth Nikon, as well as it's other positive traits are tough to resist.

GoldenBear said:

Visited my favorite optics shop this today and found a brand new EDG 8x42 in the discontinued case marked down to $1399. Beautiful sample with the quickest, most smooth focus knob I've ever felt.

Giving hard thought to trading in my SLC WB's. Probably not an overly sensible idea; however. the butter smooth Nikon, as well as it's other positive traits are tough to resist.

Click to expand...

GREAT binocular and a great price! :t:

GoldenBear said:

Visited my favorite optics shop this today and found a brand new EDG 8x42 in the discontinued case marked down to $1399. Beautiful sample with the quickest, most smooth focus knob I've ever felt.

Giving hard thought to trading in my SLC WB's. Probably not an overly sensible idea; however. the butter smooth Nikon, as well as it's other positive traits are tough to resist.

Click to expand...

The Nikon EDG 8x42 is my favorite binocular so you know what I am going to tell you to do. That is an excellent price and the EDG's are getting harder and harder to find as the supply from Japan dwindles. The EDG has IMO the best, smoothest focuser of any binocular and it will have much less distortion and sharper edges than the SLC. Look for those thing's when you compare them.

https://www.allbinos.com/215-binoculars_review-Nikon_10x42_EDG.html
https://www.allbinos.com/122-binoculars_review-Swarovski_SLC_New_10x42_WB.html

I had never really looked that closely at the EDG line before, although I've read a bit about them. They were pretty sweet.

Focus knob feel has become a bigger issue to me over time. When I bought the SLC's in 2016 I didn't give it much thought because the view was so stellar. I now find the speed and feel less than ideal

The EDG focus knob feels vastly better IMHO. If I want the EDG's, either my SLC or the Victory FL 7x42's I mentioned in other threads would have to go.

May take both back with me and do side-by-side.

GoldenBear said:

I had never really looked that closely at the EDG line before, although I've read a bit about them. They were pretty sweet.

Focus knob feel has become a bigger issue to me over time. When I bought the SLC's in 2016 I didn't give it much thought because the view was so stellar. I now find the speed and feel less than ideal

The EDG focus knob feels vastly better IMHO. If I want the EDG's, either my SLC or the Victory FL 7x42's I mentioned in other threads would have to go.

May take both back with me and do side-by-side.

Click to expand...

I have the 7x version and love it for many reasons - search and you will find my review from about a year ago (sorry I can't look for a link for you just now).

All the same I'm going to wear a black hat for a moment before you proceed. I expect the 8x you have seen is an even better instrument than the 7x but bear in mind the following. A well-respected binocular repair technician with many years experience cautioned me that he wouldn't have bought an EDG because of his experience in Britain (at least) of great difficulty getting any parts needed for service if things go wrong. This may be different in the USA. Weigh against that the high reputation Swarovski enjoys for customer care, probably built into their new item pricing in advance.
The EDG may feel a bit heavier and have a narrower field of view.

I still don't regret at all getting an EDG while still available and you have already found a good one at a good price. But weigh up the info above if you weren't aware of it already.

Read Tobias Mennle's review of the 8x42 EDG at greatestbinoculars.com and also for comparison Roger Vine's review of the 10x42 EDG at http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/NikonEDG8x42.htm

Unfortunately Roger Vine doesn't tend to date his reviews and from Tobias' article it appears as is altogether likely that Nikon may have tweaked their coating recipe at some stage along the line.

Good luck with your decision and/or purchase!

Tom

SeldomPerched said:

I have the 7x version and love it for many reasons - search and you will find my review from about a year ago (sorry I can't look for a link for you just now).

All the same I'm going to wear a black hat for a moment before you proceed. I expect the 8x you have seen is an even better instrument than the 7x but bear in mind the following. A well-respected binocular repair technician with many years experience cautioned me that he wouldn't have bought an EDG because of his experience in Britain (at least) of great difficulty getting any parts needed for service if things go wrong. This may be different in the USA. Weigh against that the high reputation Swarovski enjoys for customer care, probably built into their new item pricing in advance.
The EDG may feel a bit heavier and have a narrower field of view.

I still don't regret at all getting an EDG while still available and you have already found a good one at a good price. But weigh up the info above if you weren't aware of it already.

Read Tobias Mennle's review of the 8x42 EDG at greatestbinoculars.com and also for comparison Roger Vine's review of the 10x42 EDG at http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/NikonEDG8x42.htm

Unfortunately Roger Vine doesn't tend to date his reviews and from Tobias' article it appears as is altogether likely that Nikon may have tweaked their coating recipe at some stage along the line.

Good luck with your decision and/or purchase!

Tom

Click to expand...

Serviceability with Nikon is a concern. Should there be a problem or mishap, I'm not even sure there is much that can be done on them, at least not in the way Swaro, Leica, or Zeiss bins are serviceable.

If the EDG's are under warranty Nikon has to fix them or replace them or refund your purchase price. You don't even have to register your binocular's just provide proof of purchase. My new EDG 10x42's had a slightly loose IPD adjustment and I sent them into Nikon for service and they covered it under warranty and they adjusted the IPD perfectly and cleaned and aligned the binoculars and sent them back to me in less than two week's. In other word's excellent service. I remember a post by Steve O4B from Optics for Birding that said Nikon couldn't fix a customer's pair of EDG's so they paid him full retail for the EDG's and then he bought a new pair of SF's. The Nikon EDG 8x42's weigh about the same and have almost an identical FOV as the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL and are ranked very close to them on Allbino's at 1/2 the price and with a smoother focuser to boot. I picked my new EDG 8x42's up for $1400.00 also. Good deal for an alpha when Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski want $2.5K and the EDG is every bit as good.

FROM NIKON'S WARRANTY
"If a component of this Binocular, Rangefinding Binocular or Fieldscope is found to be defective in material or workmanship, Nikon will at its option, either repair or replace this Binocular, Rangefinding Binocular or Fieldscope, with a product of comparable specifications and value, without charge, or refund the purchase price shown on your purchase receipt."

https://www.nikonimgsupport.com/ni/NI_article?articleno=000042756&lang=en_CA

https://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x42.html

GoldenBear said:

If I want the EDG's, either my SLC or the Victory FL 7x42's I mentioned in other threads would have to go.

Click to expand...

Hello GoldenBear,

I exchanged my Zeiss 7x42 T * FL for an EDG 7x42, the optics in the Nikon I find to be significantly more harmonious.
When it comes to service, you can be lucky or unlucky, I've already read negative and positive reports, Swarovski probably has the best service.

Andreas

Conndomat said:

Hello GoldenBear,

I exchanged my Zeiss 7x42 T * FL for an EDG 7x42, the optics in the Nikon I find to be significantly more harmonious.
When it comes to service, you can be lucky or unlucky, I've already read negative and positive reports, Swarovski probably has the best service.

Andreas

Click to expand...

Unfortunately the EDG came out a little while after I got my 7x42 FL’s, and haven’t got round to trying the EDG. I understand the FL gives a slightly brighter image, mainly due to AK prisms v SP, and the EDG much better edges, hence the name - although I am not sure if I would be susceptible to the possible rolling ball effect, assuming that was still a thing, so will likely stick to what I have - the slight soft edge on the FL I can put up with for the lovely bright centres. I did try the only other alpha 7x42 at the time, a Leica Ultravid, maybe HD?, but for whatever reason they really didn’t work for me, where the FL’s just immediately clicked with me. Such a shame there aren’t more 7x42’s available, and even 7x30/2’s, but hopefully my bins will serve me out.

GoldenBear said:

Focus knob feel has become a bigger issue to me over time. .

Click to expand...

Agree....for me the ergonomics of a binocular as well as the focus knob (quickness and smooothness of) determines how well I like a binocular. One would think optics but to be honest, any alpha or near alpha or even mid-priced bins are 'so close' in optics that while minor differences occur, you will be happy with all.

But not true with the ergonomics or focus knob...When you find one you like, you grab it. I have a Victory HT and wow, one smooth focus + ergonomics.

lmans66 said:

Agree....for me the ergonomics of a binocular as well as the focus knob (quickness and smooothness of) determines how well I like a binocular. One would think optics but to be honest, any alpha or near alpha or even mid-priced bins are 'so close' in optics that while minor differences occur, you will be happy with all.

But not true with the ergonomics or focus knob...When you find one you like, you grab it. I have a Victory HT and wow, one smooth focus + ergonomics.

Click to expand...

Well, I have to say I am total agreement with this.

giosblue said:

Well, I have to say I am total agreement with this.

Click to expand...

Me too. A smooth focuser is very important. It makes your birding so much more enjoyable if you don't have to worry about slack, or stiction or uneven focuser tension in one direction. So many binoculars even at the alpha level have sticky or uneven tension in the focuser's. That is one reason I like the EDG's. It has the smoothest focuser I have ever used, although Zeiss is close on the HT and SF. The EDG is a very comfortable binocular to use also.

Just returned from the optics shop... Decided against a trade. Didn't see them yesterday, but they have a mint demo of the same EDG, except it's the 1st Gen with dual bridge. Equally awesome focus, more firm hinge tension, and much better objective covers IMHO.

I decided to stand pay until the new Zeiss SF 8x32 lands on U.S. soil.

Pros and cons of EDG 8 x 42 purchase

My primary birding binoculars presently are Nikon 8 x 42 EDG, second generation. I really love the ergonomics, and the view is excellent. People considering EDG should be aware that in designing them Nikon aoparently emphasizes fighting glare and an "easy view" over optimal brightness, and some people are disappointed at what they consider to be a "dark" image.

Also, despite the alpha binocular engineering overall, my EDG binocs have experienced chipping of the finish on the focus wheel and other parts of the central bridge area. This does not affect functionality, obviously, but I always thought that this reflected badly on the way the binoculars were designed.

As for service by Nikon, we all know by now that customer service is not Nikon's strong suit, and one decides to purchase Nikon gear despite the unpredictability of service. Sometimes Nikon does very well: I recently lost one of the tethered objective covers on my EDG binocs and Nikon sent me two replacements in the mail, free. It took a few weeks but I got them. On the other hand, when I lost one of the thin rubber coverings on the front eyepieces Nikon made me send the binoculars in for a "free" servicing. That cost me $15 in shipping for a part they could have thrown in an envelope and mailed to me.

Also: I still own a pair of 10 x 42 SE porro prism binoculars, which I have always really liked. However, there are no longer parts available (such as the extendable rubber eyepiece coverings). If you extend and retract these repeatedly (as would someone with eyeglasses) they eventually crack. This can be postponed through judicious usage of ArmorAll or another rubber conditioner, but eventually the pieces will wear out. When this happened to me I asked Nikon for replacements and was told these were not available. However, since there is a lifetime warranty on the SE's they said if I sent them the binoculars they would replace them with a brand new pair of Monarch HG binoculars. At the time, I thought that was ridiculous and I turned them down. But the Monarch HG's are actually quite good, so maybe I should have accepted the offer.

My point is not that Nikon customer service is monolithically "bad," but that it is kind of unpredictable. With Zeiss, Leica, and (especially) Swarovski, you get first-class service as befits a large purchase such as alpha binocs. I do think Nikon will continue to do what they can to service EDG binoculars, but since they are discontinued we just know they will run out of parts before long. Also, it seems that most of the EDG optics sold these days, (e.g., on ebay) are items marketed in Japan, so it is dubious as to whether Nikon in other countries will service them (because they are considered "gray market.")

All things considered, there is a lot militating against buying EDG binoculars at this point; on the other hand, if the price is right, why not?

Hello GrandNagus50,

very nice post!

In fact I would be interested in an EDG 10x42 but the uncertainties regarding service and procurement of spare parts make me distance myself from it!
The EDG are really high levels, unfortunately you can't always say that from the Nikonservice.
Incidentally, I'm not so enthusiastic about the Nikon MHG, I wouldn't have exchanged the binoculars either.

Andreas

GoldenBear said:

Just returned from the optics shop... Decided against a trade. Didn't see them yesterday, but they have a mint demo of the same EDG, except it's the 1st Gen with dual bridge. Equally awesome focus, more firm hinge tension, and much better objective covers IMHO.

I decided to stand pay until the new Zeiss SF 8x32 lands on U.S. soil.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't pay $1400.00 for the EDG I 8x42. The price is too high and there were too many problem's with those. The 1st generation EDG's were going for $800.00 to $900.00 on Ebay when there were some available. If you had trouble with an EDG I and sent it into Nikon they would send you an EDG II but I am sure they don't have any more EDG II's now.

Conndomat said:

Hello GrandNagus50,

very nice post!

In fact I would be interested in an EDG 10x42 but the uncertainties regarding service and procurement of spare parts make me distance myself from it!
The EDG are really high levels, unfortunately you can't always say that from the Nikonservice.
Incidentally, I'm not so enthusiastic about the Nikon MHG, I wouldn't have exchanged the binoculars either.

Andreas

Click to expand...

Andreas. What MHG do you have? What don't you like about it? Just curious.

"I do think Nikon will continue to do what they can to service EDG binoculars, but since they are discontinued we just know they will run out of parts before long."

"In fact I would be interested in an EDG 10x42 but the uncertainties regarding service and procurement of spare parts make me distance myself from it!"

FROM NIKON'S WARRANTY
"If a component of this Binocular, Rangefinding Binocular or Fieldscope is found to be defective in material or workmanship, Nikon will at its option, either repair or replace this Binocular, Rangefinding Binocular or Fieldscope, with a product of comparable specifications and value, without charge, or refund the purchase price shown on your purchase receipt."

Don't worry about spare part's! If Nikon can't fix your EDG's they refund you the full purchase price and then you can go buy the Zeiss SF 8x32!

[email protected] said:

Andreas. What MHG do you have? What don't you like about it? Just curious.

Click to expand...

Hello Dennis,

I had the 8x42 for 14 days to try it and I didn't like it!

The housing was very appealing, focusers very neat from the side of everything OK.

Optics

1. The center sharpness was a bit soft for me!
2. I also found the edge sharpness a little too low for a flat field!
3. I could see too much chromatic aberration!

Visually, it had no chance against an EDG, EL or SF, good, maybe for the lower price ok, but nothing more.
I can't say anything about the 10x42, maybe that's better ?!

Andreas

[email protected] said:

Don't worry about spare part's! If Nikon can't fix your EDG's they refund you the full purchase price and then you can go buy the Zeiss SF 8x32!

Click to expand...

No I don't want a Zeiss 8x32, I have a Nikon EDG 8x32,I think you understand what I mean?

Andreas