Hi Brock,
I think it just might be that it is not "clean" all the way at the edges as say compared to my 7x42 Zeiss FL. It's just that it seems that something is getting in the way (not in the center image). It takes some work to move the barrels to get a clear sweet spot. Maybe its my eyes/nose? I thought I had a similar issue when I looked at the 8x32 Zeiss FL.
Thanks,
Ken
Ken,
I had two 8x30 EIIs, my first sample didn't have as good edges as my second. Since the FOV is so wide, the fuzzy edges only bothered me when I was birding close in and had the IPD set closer.
I suspect that there was an alignment issue with that sample. I gave it to someone who wasn't as fussy as I am.
My second sample has a wide sweet spot. In star tests, the horizontal edges go out to at least 70%. Holger estimates 70% edge sharpness on his sample too:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/meopta8x32.html
Seventy percent of an 8.8* FOV yields a 6 degrees sweet spot. Most mid-priced roofs only have 6.3-6.5* total FOV! Even the $1,000 Pentax 8x43 ED only has a 6.3* FOV.
Holger goes on to say that "Zeiss and Leica are not any better here" (i.e., in regard to edge-to-edge sharpness).
However, the fall off at the edges (that is how fast the transition from sharpness to blurriness) with most Nikon Japanese-made optics including the EII is so gradual that your eyes are not usually distracted by a blurry "donut" at the edges.
Here's how Kimmo Absetz describes the EII's edges in his review, which I posted a link to in reply to your Swaro forum post about the 8x32 EL:
"...the E II features an exceptionally wide 8.8° field, which means that its subjective field comes all the way up to 70°. Although image quality at the edge of the field can best be described as acceptable, it is nevertheless much better than in the ultra-wide-angle binoculars of yore, and there are
no particularly disturbing carousel effects in the image. The edges of the E II image are softer than in the EL's or the HG,
but the sharp area around the middle is pleasantly wide." (italics mine)
I also had two 10x35 EIIs. Except for the one 8x30 sample, all the rest had good edges.
As far as it being your eyes, that's possible, because most of the edge blurriness in the 8x30 EII is field curvature. So if your focus accommodation is poor, you will see more blurriness than others would, however, I don't think that's the case, because my focus accommodation is not good and the sharpness fall off in my EIIs still looks gradual.
So I'm guessing that something is not right with your sample. It should not look like the 8x32 Zeiss FL, with steep fall off at the edges, but rather a more gradual transition from centerfield sharpness to blurriness at the edges, with an ample sweet spot that should not obstruct your view.
If you bought it new, you could contact the store and see if you could exchange it for a better sample. If they don't have any more, you could sent it in to Nikon's New York repair shop under your 25-year warranty. If you bought it used, Nikon's "No Fault Warranty" allows you to send it to its CA repair shop for $20.
By many measures, the EII is one of the best birding bins made, and you would have to pay multiple$ more for a roof that matches it and trade-off the 3-D effect.
I would recommend getting it repaired as long as you can live with the rubber eyecups. Perhaps having to adjust the IPD to get a clear view is what's making the eyecups feel uncomfortable for you.
I have deep set eyes and find most rubber fold down eyecups uncomfortable, particularly on WF bins, but the EIIs fit my eye orbits fine.
Sure, I'd rather they had twist ups with thin beveled edges like the Swaro 8x30 SLC, but as fold downs go, I find these quite tolerable.
However, if you bought these used, and the previous owner folded the eyecups down a lot, the cups can become flared at the edge, making the eyecup wider, which would make them less comfortable. If that's the case, when you send them in for repairs, ask Nikon to give you a new pair of eyecups.
Good Luck!
Brock
