The 8.5x42 ELs are just INCREDIBLE! The rest of the package, well....... (1 Viewer)

Rich N said:

I love my Swarovski 8.5x42EL.

I seldom use a hard case, but when I do I prefer to use my Pelican 1200. It really will protect your binocular and the case can take a beating and still look good. I like the 1200 in yellow. They also have black and silver.
http://www.adorama.com/PL1200YL.html?sid=1113584077738089

Rich

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hinnark said:

BTW the new 10x42 Canon IS has very good accessories coming with the bino so as Leica and Zeiss have.
Steve

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tlb said:

Steve,

Not to take this thread veering off course, but I am quite interested in the new Canon 10x42s. I have unable to find much info so far but it seems that you might have some insights. Is there anything you can share?

Thanks,

Tony

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hinnark said:

Hi Tony,

I wasn´t online around the weekend (because of birding of course ; ) but now here comes the answer. If this is too off topic the admin may move my msg to the Canon forum.

I had a short opportunity to try the new 10x42 IS WP L Canon in a shop. As you probably know the possibilities of testing a piece of optics in a shop are quite limited but I found my own methods. Nevertheless I was very impressed by the view the new Canon was offering. In short words: the optics of this bino are superb and a real challenge for every high end binocular of the 10x42 range. The red rings around the tubes near to the objectives are indicating something special like we know for example with the Nikon ED scopes and some other Japanese high quality photo equipment. I saw bright, contrasty Images, very good sharpness over almost the whole field of view, great fov, good sharpness at the edge. I compared it with a demo Leica 10x42 Ultravid but the Leica must be a lemon (often a problem with demo binos) since the Canon was much sharper. So the optics seemed to be first class ones but additional to that the IS mechanism works in a way that let the view comes to an outstanding experience. BTW the colour of the objective coatings are others than with the big 15/18x50 IS which have a kind of bluish coating. The colour of the coatings so far as visible has turned to green with the 10x42, while the oculars seemed to be quite neutral.

The shape of this 10x42 looks like a little brother of the known 15 or 18x50 Canon IS binoculars. Like with them a tripod mount is included on the bottom side. It is still bulky and a bit heavy but with modern twistable eyecups and as I said before very good accessoiries being on the level we know with recent series of Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski, like a good case, caps for the objectives and eyepieces etc. Remember, these are only first impressions. I´d realy like to compare the Canon with the other kings of the hill ( for example Zeiss Victory FL and Nikon HG) of the 10x42 range.

Steve

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kabsetz said:

Steve,

Thanks for your comments.

A couple of quick questions, but perhaps, if you can be bothered, you could post your answer on the Canon 10x42 thread so this branch of the discussion could continue there.

First, what is the price in Germany?

Secondly, when you say that the Canon was much sharper than the Leica, do you mean centerfield sharpness also, or only edge sharpness. Off-center sharpness in the 10x42 Ultravid is not spectacular, and Canon's field flatteners should easily provide much better off-axis performance. Dead center there could be a noticeable difference also, but if the difference is dramatic, then the Leica must indeed have been a lemon. Leica is very rugged, though, so simply being a demo should not compromise its performance. Any binocular which stands up well to the Ultravid in sharpness, brightness and contrast is definitely top-class.

Kimmo

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