"One-liner" reviews of all the bins you've bought and sold/returned (1 Viewer)

SOLD:
Minolta Weathermatic 10x42 roof (not very sharp, very short eye relief)
IOR Valdada 7x40 porro (very greenish tinted image and not bright at all in daylight)
CZJ Jenoptem 8x30 (nice grip, wide angle, not suitable for spectacle wearers)
CZJ Notarem 8x32B (heavy yellow/brown tint. Broken)
Bushnell H20 10x25 (dim and dull)

SELLING: Minox HG 8x33 BR (anticlockwise focuser, very light and compact, very bright, very rugged, not needed thanks to Vortex 6,5x32)

INHERITED: Zeiss Dialyt 10x40 B/GA T* (relaxed view, beautiful image, not as crisp as phase-coated models and not waterproof)

BOUGHT:
Nikon Mikron 6x15 (much better than a monocular and quite sharp. Beautiful item)
Minox BV 8x25 BRW (much better than the Bushnell H2O it replaced, but much ghosting and straylight compared to top models. Anticlockwise hyperspeed focuser)
Vortex Fury 6,5x32 (2#) (Absolutely marvellous. See the thread!)
Swift Newport Mk II 10x50 (AFOV exceeds 75 degrees but very bluish cast and small sweet spot. Wonderful walk-in view. Used from my balcony)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/looksharp65/3535853651/

LOOKING FOR: 10x40>>10x52 waterproof, long eye relief, wide angle, phase-coated, clockwise to infinity focuser.
Seems I am lost here. Would have bought the Opticron Imagic BGA SE 10x42 if it were clockwise focusing. Need advice or stick with the Zeiss Classic.

I gave up on the clockwise counterclockwise long ago. If I had not, I would have missed half the fun.

I no longer have a preference, both work.

Tero said:

I gave up on the clockwise counterclockwise long ago. If I had not, I would have missed half the fun.

I no longer have a preference, both work.

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Sure. And I can wear my tee back to front and feel the annoyance all day, or just be sure to make it right.

We have to live with all kinds of aanoyances. Right now, shoes of any sort are an annoyance to me. Binos are just a hobby and in the field, I find the bird. The focus goes one way and seems worse, I quickly go the other way.

Now if it were a car and the wheel direction were changed...

The focuser goes the other way as does the bird.

Tero said:

The focus goes one way and seems worse, I quickly go the other way.

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I have to agree. To be honest, of many binoculars I´ve owned, and a few I still own, I don´t know which way they focus - my brain and fingers work it out automatically when necessary!

[email protected] said:

That was an OLD post! But at that time that was how I felt.

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In fairness to Dennis, I think most bino-obsessives (i.e. us lot) change our minds frequently, and each one of us has a fave-du-jour that may shortly be cast aside and forgotten. Or maybe our requirements genuinely change over time as well.

Swaro 8x32 EL. Best overpriced alpha I've tried so far, and the best midsized roof I've tried. I was expecting the view to be "compressed" as it has been in every 8x30/32mm roof I've tried, but the midsized EL gave a 3-D view that was more like what I usually see in a full sized roof (though not all).

Color, contrast, and resolution were all superb, but no better than my 8x32 SE, which I now consider to be even more of a bargain than before.

Great handling too and for once, here was a Swaro with a focuser that turned smoothly in both directions. Unfortunately, I did experience "image blackout" with it as I did with the 8x30 SLC. I think I need more ER because of my presbyopia. When I pulled back an inch or so from the EPs, there were no "blackouts".

brocknroller said:

I think I need more ER because of my presbyopia. When I pulled back an inch or so from the EPs, there were no "blackouts".

BNR

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What?

I really doubt an inch would do any difference as far as your presbyopia is concerned. The blackouts occur because you are too close to the eyepiece, thus the eye relief of the bin is longer than you need.
Your eye must be placed within the range where full field of view can be obtained, not too close and not too far away.
If the bin's eye relief were shorter you would not have to back away from it.

looksharp65 said:

What?

I really doubt an inch would do any difference as far as your presbyopia is concerned. The blackouts occur because you are too close to the eyepiece, thus the eye relief of the bin is longer than you need.
Your eye must be placed within the range where full field of view can be obtained, not too close and not too far away.
If the bin's eye relief were shorter you would not have to back away from it.

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You might be right that the blackouts are not due to presbyopia, because I've used bins with 20mm ER, and some cause blackouts and some don't.

Plus, I have deep set eyes so my eyes sit farther from the EPs than those with flat facial features like my friend:

http://funnyfidos.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/glasses36.jpg

Of course, what manufacturers claim to be the ER and the actual ER (and particularly the usable ER for eyeglass wearers) can vary considerably, as you can see if you go over to Cloudy Nights and read Edz's technical reports where he measures the actual ER in a number of bins and gives their listed ER.

For example, the Orion 8x42 Vista claims 18mm ER, Edz measured it as 11mm.

The full sized EL has a listed ER of 18mm, and I had no problem with "blackouts". Same eyecup design as its smaller sibling and the 8x30 SLC with 15mm ER.

I read in a professional bin review awhile back that said people with age-related farsightedness need greater ER in bins. I no longer have that reference, but in this article, it states that "The near-point of accommodation gradually moves outward from about 10 inches (20 cm) at age 40, to 12 inches (30 cm) at age 45, and 16 inches (40 cm) at age 50 years."

I was estimating how far back from the EPs I had to be, could have been farther. I didn't have a ruler, I was on a beach. But far enough to shrink the FOV appreciably.

The 8x32 SE has 17.4mm ER, and it's notorious for "image blackouts," but it doesn't do that for me except when I quickly dart my eyes to the horizontal edges.

Here are some other examples:

No blackouts with these bins

804 Audubon -- 14.5mm ER
8.5x42 EL - 18mm ER
10x42 HG - 18.5mm ER
10x42 HGL - 18.5mm ER
8x42 HG - 20mm ER
8x42 Regal LX - 20mm ER
8x30 EII - 13.5mm ER
8x32 LX/HG - 16.5mm ER
8x35 WF (Nikon) - 12mm ER
10x42 SE - 17.4mm
12x50 SE - 17.4mm
6x30 FMTR-SX - 20mm
Fuji 10x50 FMT-SX - 19.8 mm


Blackouts with these bins:

8x30 SLC - 15mm ER (moderate amount)
8x32 EL - 15mm ER (moderate amount)
6x30 Yosemite Sam - 20mm ER (worst, dadburnit, I have to back off from the EPs to even see the image)

I've tried or owned many other bins, but those were before I became farsighted. The list above are ones I've used since getting presbyopia.

In my pre-presbyopia days, the only bin I remember that caused blackouts for me was the Pentax 20x60 PCF-V, which had 20mm ER.

So I always related "image blackouts" to long ER, but as you can see above, it ain't necessary so, at least now at middle age.

Brock

Sancho said:

In fairness to Dennis, I think most bino-obsessives (i.e. us lot) change our minds frequently, and each one of us has a fave-du-jour that may shortly be cast aside and forgotten. Or maybe our requirements genuinely change over time as well.

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Or we try a new binocular that we haven't tried before. I hadn't tried the Zeiss 8x32 FL or the Nikon EII. These two are my favorites right now. Everything just works for me with these two. Maybe in the future I will make a new discovery and decide I like it better. Who knows.

[email protected] said:

Or we try a new binocular that we haven't tried before. I hadn't tried the Zeiss 8x32 FL or the Nikon EII. These two are my favorites right now. Everything just works for me with these two. Maybe in the future I will make a new discovery and decide I like it better. Who knows.

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Dennis:

Good for you to reply back, I just found this older thread on a search, and thought it was fun to bring it back. You are right, many of us may try some new things all along the way. I was not trying to pick on you but only liked your post.

Jerry

Bought & sold (or got for birthdays)? That's almost a 50 yr span.....so sat down w/pencil & paper and tried to recount.....near as I can recall, it's been between 55 & 60, with most being in the last 10yrs since I stumbled headlong into ebay (after finally breaking down & getting a PC).

There have been a plethora of brands....lesser known, like Manon, Selsi, Hambletonian, Belmont, Sans & Strieffe, Mercury, Jamaican, and probably some others....nearly all these were gotten by bid just to see what they were like....virtually all were sold within a month. Only returned 2....a Tasco 12x40 skeleton-style (ala Nikon Mikron) that I ordered as a tryout offer from my Texaco card (in about '75) because it was hopelessly out of collimation, and an Oberwerk 20x80 for the same reason in '02.

Noteworthy binos....

First one...Sans & Strieffe 8x30 (Nipponese Deltrintem) 13th bday present in '59....used incessantly, took to Vietnam in '67, sold to my replacement when I left country for $10.

Replacement...8x50 Belmont Zbody w/7* fov, lightweight, kept 20 yrs, sold in '87. Bought at PX just before leaving 'Nam for $20.

Replacement...10x50 Celestron Nova, heavywt B body w/8* fov, bought in '86
to see Halley's Comet....great glass, kept 15 yrs, but not enough for the comet, so....

Added...16x70 Celestron Deluxe, bigeye w/5* fov, could just see the comet's tail...kept it and the Nova until '02, sold on ebay when I started to get an "inventory".

B&L 7x26 Custom....first compact bought in '96, almost wore it out, sold when new model came out in about '02.

Nikon 7x35E...bought in 2000 when I stopped in at Astronomics to pick up a Barlow for my telescope....main bird glass for 3 yrs...fantastic, but narrow, view...sold because of eyecups, no armor and fov...and because diopter moved when breathed on heavily....

B&L 8x36 Custom....bought used on ebay in '01....one of the great ones, best hold of any glass I've had, super eye relief....gave to friend who still has it.

B&L 7x35 Zephyr....a pre '62 US made model, found at estate sale....sat in closet in case for over 30yrs....1st glass acquired when I became a "collector". Sold (along with many others) a couple yrs later when I decided NOT to be a "collector".

Canon 6x30's (3), 7x35 (1), 8x30's (2)...all bought on ebay during "collector" phase....fine, single coating B bodies w/BAK4's (surprisingly). Sold with Zephyr & others....

Swift 10x50 Kestrel....the replacement for the Nova (which I wore out). Wonderful, wide view (7*), but about this time ('02) I began to realize I saw better thru binos with glasses on (slight astignmatism) and the Kestrel had only about 10mm (and the stiffest rolldowns I've ever seen), so sold after about a yr.

Nikon 10x42 SE.....bought in Jun '01 after reading the BVD rave....the 1st really "alpha-class" bino I had....made most of the others in the "collection" irrelavent, so began to sell off all except the 7x26 and the 7x35E. The 10x later was traded, see below....

Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX....fantastic optics, used for about a year, decided IF too clumsy, sold.

Second 7x26 Custom....got after selling original metal body model, kept until 7x26 Elite released....IMHO, still the best compact for anyone with big mitts.

B&L 7x42 Discoverer....replaced the Nikon E....not quite as sharp, but armored, wide fov, popup eyecups......used incesssantly, armor was getting loose by the time I sold it after 6 yrs....a favorite. My 1st roofie...


Swift 820 Audubon....another glass bought after BVD review....to this day haven't seen a better view (not the best, but every bit as good as the best)....but about this time, I began to realize I saw better wearin' specs, the the big Swift's major flaw is abysmal er, in spite of its stated spec of 17mm. Resolved to keep in anyway, but it became part of a trade.....

Pentax 8x32SP...got a good deal on ebay, so bought to try out. Nice size, very quick, ccw focus, adequate er, pretty good resolution, but the only glass I've ever had that showed objectionable ca, someting I don't normally see. Part of the aforementioned trade....

Swift 8.5x44 HHS....good deal on ebay, got to try out. Early model with rt diopter adj and only fair coatings. Sharp in center, but noticable edge distortion and rolling ball effect. But nice size and handling...sold.

Bushnell 7x26 Elite.....replaced earlier model (sold). Really fine, but a friend thought so too, so it became part of a trade.....along with Pentax SP, Swift 820, 10x SE and a Pentax 65ED scope w/XL eyepiece, for a vintage motorcycle & a rifle.

I have 6 remaining which I seriously doubt I'll replace or sell, because I don't believe I can really improve on any of them.....and have finally, after all these years, realized they're tools rather than toys. The only thing optical I may sell is my 4" Orion ED refractor and all its accessories, because I just don't get out to the darksky country enough any more to justify keeping it. I can still do enough astro viewing in town with my little spotting scope and the 6 binos.

So there you have it....

spyglass said:

Bought & sold (or got for birthdays)? That's almost a 50 yr span.....so sat down w/pencil & paper and tried to recount.....near as I can recall, it's been between 55 & 60, with most being in the last 10yrs since I stumbled headlong into ebay (after finally breaking down & getting a PC).

....

I have 6 remaining which I seriously doubt I'll replace or sell, because I don't believe I can really improve on any of them.....and have finally, after all these years, realized they're tools rather than toys. ...

So there you have it....

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Wow! You've had a long, illustrious history with bins. Which six binoculars did you keep? I'd be interested in finding out which ones made the "final cut".

Brock

[email protected] said:

Or we try a new binocular that we haven't tried before. I hadn't tried the Zeiss 8x32 FL or the Nikon EII. These two are my favorites right now. Everything just works for me with these two. Maybe in the future I will make a new discovery and decide I like it better. Who knows.

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I am currently saving for the Zeiss 8x42 FL, By the time I have the cash maybe I will have changed my mind for the latest must have or the way the cash flow is at the moment Zeiss will have a new model out.:t:

Brock, I goofed....2 c the ans to yr ?, look in Binocular Bargains.....sometimes I doan pay the reel close contention....

spyglass said:

Brock, I goofed....2 c the ans to yr ?, look in Binocular Bargains.....sometimes I doan pay the reel close contention....

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Got it - "Permanent inventory is a 7x42FL, an 8x32SE, a 10x56FL, a 12x50SE, a 15x50IS and the piece de resistance, a Garrett 20x80 TWP-CF."

Looks like you have almost the entire range covered from 7 (no 6x) to 20x.

Thanks for the history lesson. Glad to hear Dan went fishin' that day! I used to have a coon skin hat when I was a kid, which I called my Daniel Boone hat. I also had a "Bowie knife" (plastic, of course).

Boy, I thought I had a presbyopia problem with bins. Check out this girl (attachment).

Uh, whoizzat? She looks really......intense....

Please excuse the digging up of this thread, a few of my brief reviews of some of the bins I've had for a while:

1st binocular - Miranda 16x50 with 'gold' coated optics, bought as an xmas present when I was about 10 - used extensively for watching aircraft. Probably rubbish compared to what I have now but loved them back then. Went out of collimation, might still be in Mum's loft somewhere.

Pentax 8x21 roofs - pretty good though was never quite sure about the collimation, quite sharp though. Given away.

Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 & 10x50 Jenoptems: Lovely and sharp, slight yellow cast, quite bright. Treated carefully as fairly fragile. Got the 10x50s in a charity shop for £15, sold a year later for £100. 8x30s also got sold.

Zeiss Dialyt 8x30B - Late '60s 'long tube' variant, pre rubber coating. Lovely bright, sharp image, focusser a bit loose but probably down to age. Sold but miss them!

'Rocktrail' 10x50 Bak 4 - Brought from Lidl (a discount store in UK/Europe) for £19.99, surprisingly good views, though had to tweak the collimation screws. Still have, not used much.

Hensoldt Wetzlar 8x30 IF ex-military - Quite sharp though could benefit from a clean internally. Rubber armour perishing, attached lens caps went years ago. Reticle still in situ. Good depth of field but fiddly to focus due to being IF. Still own, nice ergonomics.

Soviet Tento 10x50IF - Sharp, yellowy tint as with many Soviet optics, comes in original case with orange filters for when that yellowy tint just isn't enough. Easy to hold steady though IPD very stiff. Still own.

Leica 10x32BN - Wonderful view though surprising amount of CA off-centre. Loved the 'set & forget) locking dioptre adjustment, amused me the manual said to clean the binoculars to hold them under a running tap! Sold when needed money when car got very unreliable and expensive. Sadly missed.

Minox BD 8x32 BR (non-aspherical) - Bright, sharp, contrasty though focus is a bid finicky. Excellent customer/warranty service (replaced my battered pair with a near-mint refurb pair!) Light but still a quality feel. Still own.

Vortex Diamondback 8x42 - Very bright, excellent contrast, focus snappy. Reluctantly for sale as taken with the replacement Minoxes I got.

Bausch & Lomb 8x24 Legacy (I think - they're some sort of Olympic merchandise tie-in circa 1992). Picked up for a song on Ebay. Image quality close to the Minox BD BRs, snappy focus, nice to hold but cheap plastic body creaks and flexes a bit in the hand. Easy to hold steady. Still own.

Zeiss 8x20B (large circular focus wheel version) - As sharp as you'd expect from Zeiss, surprisingly bright for 20mm objectives. Very compact and pocketable. Currently at Zeiss being given a warranty service. Can't wait to get them back!

Best leave it at that, this is becoming a bit long-winded, sorry!

I tend to keep what I buy. I'm not looking for the next best thing. I do recall selling some Leupold 7x50 Wind Rivers that I bought for astronomy as I simply never used them. And I would sell in a heartbeat some Garrett 25x100 IF bins that I also never use. They're too big and I'm too old.

I still have some BAK7 Jason 7x50 bins I bought in 1976-77 but I keep them mostly for sentimental reasons. At the time, I thought they were decent, were all I could afford, and introduced me to learning the night sky. I'd returned one of their wobbly overpowered telescopes which was unusable on most everything. I subsequently learned about telescopes and now have a couple of good ones (Televue Pronto and Questar) but bought and sold a few teles over the years.