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Battle of the $400 x30/32's - what's your pick? (1 Viewer)

My wife has a pair of Travellers I bought her and she loves them. Nice wide fov and bright. the eyecups don't extend out far enough for me but she wears glasses and they work well for her.

I've owned the newest version of the Minox 8x33 BL HD as well. For me it was just ok optically, not particularly sharp or bright. Nice build quality though. I also owned the previous version of the new Kowas in 8x32. They were quite nice but i had a very bright halo effect on the outside edge. Sounds like the new ones are getting good reviews though. I liked the Maven 8x30s a lot and found them to be much better optically than the M7 8x30. Smaller than what you are looking for though.

Had the Endeavors as well and the build quality was horrible and the optics so so. Had the Styrka S7 in 8x42 and the CA was horrible and I don't usually notice it. I'd suggest adding one of the older Leica Trinovids in 8x32. I've never owned a pair but have checked out a friends and they are very nice. A little on the heavy side though.

Funny how different people's eyes can see things. I compared the Maven 8x30's to the M7's and was not impressed with the Mavens at all. The fellow who owned them sure was though. I guess that's all that matters!

I do like how robust those older Trinovids are but I'm trying to downsize a little from my full size 8x42's for those quick and light trips.
 
Loved my Mavens. Eyecups were a little short. Talked with Maven recently and they are planning to get longer replacements like Zeiss does with the Conquest.

The M7s I had had so much glare they looked like Vaseline was smeared over them. Had them at a BBQ and about a dozen people who checked them out said the same thing. Thought they were defective and tried another pair and the same thing. Everyone’s eyes are different. Wish I had ones that could cut through glare.
 
Of those models on the list I am familiar with the Opticron Traveller 8x32 and like this a lot. How it stacks up in brightness compared with the Sightron, I couldn't say, but I would be surprised if it wasn't better in this regard. The trouble is I really wonder whether you can possibly find any improvement in light transmission that would actually be of practical value.

Maybe you should be looking for a small and light 42mm.

Lee
 
Loved my Mavens. Eyecups were a little short. Talked with Maven recently and they are planning to get longer replacements like Zeiss does with the Conquest.

The M7s I had had so much glare they looked like Vaseline was smeared over them. Had them at a BBQ and about a dozen people who checked them out said the same thing. Thought they were defective and tried another pair and the same thing. Everyone’s eyes are different. Wish I had ones that could cut through glare.

Mine were the latest and I didn't see glare issues, but I did think the eyecups were short on the M7 8x30's as well. It annoyed me.
 
Of those models on the list I am familiar with the Opticron Traveller 8x32 and like this a lot. How it stacks up in brightness compared with the Sightron, I couldn't say, but I would be surprised if it wasn't better in this regard. The trouble is I really wonder whether you can possibly find any improvement in light transmission that would actually be of practical value.

Maybe you should be looking for a small and light 42mm.

Lee

You may be right. Or looking at the 6.5x32 Kowas and just accept the 1.5x less magnification. Those Sightrons got awfully dim in a dense canopy on a cloudy day.
 
I've owned a pair of the Zeiss 8x25's and they are just too small for my extremely large hands. Honest mid-sized 8x32's are about as small as I can deal with honestly.
 
Those [Meopta] were not on my list because I've already owned (and sold) a pair. I did not get along with the handling of the body. Hard to explain, but they got lost in my hands. Not having full round barrels toward the objective proved problematic for me...

I've owned a pair of the Zeiss 8x25's and they are just too small for my extremely large hands. Honest mid-sized 8x32's are about as small as I can deal with honestly.

I always wonder about these sort of comments. I think the mismatch must have more to do with preferred grip than bin vs hand size. A pencil is much smaller than any of my bins, but I have no trouble holding one. A small pebble fits the center of my fist very nicely. Many handles are quite small but comfortable to hold.

--AP
 
Nikon 10x30 Monarch 7 are what I’ve recently acquired and they are in your price range and very nice indeed. Go for the 8x30 if the light is critical.
 
I always wonder about these sort of comments. I think the mismatch must have more to do with preferred grip than bin vs hand size. A pencil is much smaller than any of my bins, but I have no trouble holding one. A small pebble fits the center of my fist very nicely. Many handles are quite small but comfortable to hold.

--AP

Alexis, for reference, my "fingerspan" from my thumb to my pinky, when fully extended, is 11" - and that is not a typo.
 
Wow! I appreciate that that might bring some challenges. ! Especially if your digits are proportionally wide. ?
And everything a "tea cup" grip?

--AP

It does make many things feel like they disappear in my hands. I have decided that a good, robust midsize binocular (think 8x30 SLC) is about as small as I care to handle anymore. I recently acquired a mintly pair of 8x32 Bushnell (original) Legends and those are nearly ideal in size, weight and shape for me.

Swaro CL's are do-able, but on the small side in size and eyecup diameter for my taste.
 
The Monarch 7 8x32 rises to the top in this price range, it is a very nice, sharp and bright binocular.
Many positive posts on the forum, go back and read up.

Just go this direction, you won't need to look back. These are very good.

Jerry
 
I'm by no means an expert, but here goes my opinion, being 8x30/32 my favourite format (and the one I've had a largest number of binoculars, most in that price range).
I'd say in terms of «pure image quality» the Nikon EII 8x30 puts the widest smile on my face every time I use them. However, the Nikon M7 8x30 is so versatile, being lighter, smaller and way tougher (I've brought it kayaking with me, laying on the wet inside of the kayak and coping with it so well, the same can't be said about the EII).
If I think of selling one... something inside of me tells me I just can't part with the EII, if this is any valid confirmation of a favourite optic :)
 
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If only those M7's were a little better to the edge, and a little bigger. And the eyecups didn't quite cover the amount of eye relief for me. I would get blackouts and kidney beans if I brought the eyepieces into my eyes with any force at all. I found myself "hovering" with them too much.
 
The new Kowa BD IIs only weigh 22 oz in 42mm and have great fov. Pretty small in size for a 42 mm as well. Try a pair and return them if you don’t like them or exchange for a 32 mm model if you do and want the smaller size.
 
The new Kowa BD IIs only weigh 22 oz in 42mm and have great fov. Pretty small in size for a 42 mm as well. Try a pair and return them if you don’t like them or exchange for a 32 mm model if you do and want the smaller size.

You're reading my mind. I was looking up those specs earlier today, thinking the same thing. The x42's are only a hair larger and 1.5 oz. heavier than my Bushnell Legend 8x32's, and I don't have a 10x42 pair anymore...

Trouble is, I told myself I was done with chinese made optics from now on. I've been burned so many times now.

Decisions decisions.
 
If only those M7's were a little better to the edge, and a little bigger. And the eyecups didn't quite cover the amount of eye relief for me. I would get blackouts and kidney beans if I brought the eyepieces into my eyes with any force at all. I found myself "hovering" with them too much.

I mentioned the Maven B3 in your other "brightest 8x32" thread and I feel it deserves mention here as well. It is a better glass than anything on the list in your OP. I have some experience with most of those. Of the list I own the Opticron Traveller ED, and of the list this is the best one, and it gets a fair bit of use. However it is not quite as bright as the Maven B3, particularly in dim light scenarios. I am of the strong opinion that the Maven B3, for $500 is the most binocular you can buy for less than $2,000. It will hold its own optically with anything, regardless of cost and who makes it or sells it. This seems to irritate the cognoscenti, but it is what it is, IMO. It comes down to your personal choice on what you like as far as any brand preference is concerned.

The 30-32 mm class binoculars seem to have more issues with improper eye cup extension than the 42 mm class does, making eye placement more problematic. The Maven eye cups unscrew and an O-ring can be used to extend the eye cup. The Traveller is in a case in the Swather, some five miles from here and since it is now snowing pretty hard, I'll leave them there for now, but I don't think the eye cups are removable.

Now as to the hand size issue, you may well be best served, as upland has suggested above, to deal with a more compact 8x42. He suggested the Kowa, which may be a good one. I'll also add the Styrka S7, the Opticron DBA HD, and the Leupold Pro Guide. I had some initial CA issues (very unusual for me) with the S7. However after the first use, that issue was evidently taken care of by my eyes somehow...whatever, at any rate is is a non issue now. My hands are above average in size but they are an inch behind yours. I have no issue size wise with most 8x32, but I have no idea what an extra inch might do.
 
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