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ULTRALITE 8x32 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mayoayo
- Start date
I was wondering about this too. Unfortunately, I can't think of a way they could improve the optical quality for just one year's run. If they changed the optical design or tightened manufacturing tolerances or used better coatings, I'm sure they would have kept the improvement in subsequent production runs. So, it is probably just a cosmetic thing. If the optics are better, I'll have no way of knowing because I don't have another one to compare them too.
mayoayo
Well-known member
70th Anniversary
Hey John,thanks for sharing the serial number of your unit..You could have posted the whole number..is not Your credit card!:-O
This makes easier to read the serial number in the pictures of Binoboy´s pair..what I thought to be a 2 could very well be a 9 and the second number looked already like a 6.....but still does not help me with my pair´s serial number starting in 20(xxxx
)
Hey John,thanks for sharing the serial number of your unit..You could have posted the whole number..is not Your credit card!:-O
This makes easier to read the serial number in the pictures of Binoboy´s pair..what I thought to be a 2 could very well be a 9 and the second number looked already like a 6.....but still does not help me with my pair´s serial number starting in 20(xxxx
)
mayoayo
Well-known member
Ultra Lite
Hi again..
BinoBoy...any thoughts about Your Ultra Lite 8x 32?...Did they make it ?..I am very curious about what You think of the optics ,....I know You own the 8x30 EII and some of the Nikon SE models,Among others...., it will be nice to know how they compare side by side...
Let us know
Hi again..
BinoBoy...any thoughts about Your Ultra Lite 8x 32?...Did they make it ?..I am very curious about what You think of the optics ,....I know You own the 8x30 EII and some of the Nikon SE models,Among others...., it will be nice to know how they compare side by side...
Let us know
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Yes, I've finally had a chance to use them a little. It's been rainy this week. I even got some snow.
The optics are great, but the eye relief is a little short for me. I can see the entire field of view if I remove the eye cups. That means direct metal to eyeglass contact unfortunately. The metal is nice and smooth, so I don't think they will scratch my glasses. They're kind of slippery, though.
My particular unit seems to have a wandering diopter. The correct settings seems to vary from zero to -2. When the diopter is set right, the image is pretty spectacular. I haven't done a side by side comparison with the Nikon 8x30 eII, yet. I don't have the 8x32 SE (I do have the 10x42 SE). There is definitely some fall off at the edges, but the center is great.
I love the ergonomics. They are tiny and very light. They feel good in the hand. I already had the 7x50 Ultralite and love them except for the close focusing distance. The close focus on the 8x32s is 12 feet, which is fine.
I hope to spend some more time with them this coming week, weather permitting.
The optics are great, but the eye relief is a little short for me. I can see the entire field of view if I remove the eye cups. That means direct metal to eyeglass contact unfortunately. The metal is nice and smooth, so I don't think they will scratch my glasses. They're kind of slippery, though.
My particular unit seems to have a wandering diopter. The correct settings seems to vary from zero to -2. When the diopter is set right, the image is pretty spectacular. I haven't done a side by side comparison with the Nikon 8x30 eII, yet. I don't have the 8x32 SE (I do have the 10x42 SE). There is definitely some fall off at the edges, but the center is great.
I love the ergonomics. They are tiny and very light. They feel good in the hand. I already had the 7x50 Ultralite and love them except for the close focusing distance. The close focus on the 8x32s is 12 feet, which is fine.
I hope to spend some more time with them this coming week, weather permitting.
Renze de Vries
Well-known member
Did you see John Dracons solution? It's here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=199977
With respect to the 'wandering' diopter, sometimes this is caused by a 'wandering', i.e. uneven, sloppy ocular bridge. If so, the bridge should be tightened.
Renze
Congrats! on finally finding an 8x32 Ultralite. I've always wanted to try one myself. John Cota, who has owned more binoculars than Dennis, liked this bin and held on to it more than two weeks, which if you knew John's buying and selling habits, speaks volumes.
I read somewhere that the Carton Adlerblick 8x32 was the same bin re-badged. However, the Carton is Überlite, at 16.8 oz. From the posted resolution numbers (not sure how those were arrived at, but I'm sure we will find out soon enough), relative to the 8x42 model, the 8x32 has almost 2 SOA less resolution. You seem to suggest that the 8x32 Ultralite has higher resolution than the 8x42 model? If so, the Ultralite and Carton are two different animals
Carton 8x32 specs:
http://www.carton.ca/binoculars1.html
I had the Celestron 8x32 Ultima, another Japanese made 8x32. The centerfield was among the sharpest I've seen, but the edges were, to quote reviewer/weatherman Todd Gross, "crummy".
It was my first exposure to significant field curvature. Small, very sharp sweet spot, but the sharpness fell off quickly although most of the wide "edge" could be refocused, but of course, not at the same time as the centerfield.
I bought it because Steve Ingraham had the bin listed as the "Best Buy" in midsized birding bins on Better View Desired. I sold the Ultima to Cota, who flipped it in 60 seconds (he uses his bins primarily for stargazing, so he likes sharp edges).
I then bought a Swift 8x42 Ultralite, which was on Ingraham's reference list as "Best Buy" in the full sized category.
I liked the 8x42 Ultralites, smaller FOV but much better edges. Though not as razor sharp on axis, it was still quite good. I bought it new from Adorama, one of the few bins I've bought new. I traded that to Cota for another bin... 10x35 EII or 820 Audubon. For some reason I still have a fondness for the 8x42 Ultralite, but I was on the Quest.... for the best.
So I moved up the food chain (and Ingraham's list) to his "top of the pops" 8x32 SE. For years it was the top bin in my (now scant) binocular collection. Now I would rank the 8x30 EII a rung higher because it offers the same sharpness in almost the same size sweet spot as the 8x32 SE, but with a larger FOV (8.8*). Colors look a bit more vibrant too.
Sounds from your description of the 8x32 Ultralite that you'd also like the 8x30 EII. I'd be interested in reading comparative review of the two bins.
But wait at least two weeks before buying one.
Brock
Who owns more binoculars than me? It should be HAS HAD more binoculars. I only OWN two. The 8.5x42 Swarovision and the Nikon Prostaff 8x25. I have owned quite a few though!
mayoayo
Well-known member
BinoBoy...
..The Eye relief is ok for me,but I use super thin Flexon frame eyeglasses,(by the way highly reccomended for birding!)that sit pretty close to my eyes.
I have similar experience with the diopter setting,but this seems to be caused by my eyes,needing to compensate from near to far focus...usually i need one touch + for near and one touch- for far..
I really want to hear your comparison with the EII..If Weather allows...I know Spring time can be crazy in the Rockies!
..The Eye relief is ok for me,but I use super thin Flexon frame eyeglasses,(by the way highly reccomended for birding!)that sit pretty close to my eyes.
I have similar experience with the diopter setting,but this seems to be caused by my eyes,needing to compensate from near to far focus...usually i need one touch + for near and one touch- for far..
I really want to hear your comparison with the EII..If Weather allows...I know Spring time can be crazy in the Rockies!
I did get a chance to compare the Ultralite 8x32 with the Nikon eII. The Nikons have more eye relief and a wider field of view, but the optical quality is surprisingly close between the two. I was comparing them hand held, so I couldn't see as much fine detail as with a tripod. I was having a hard time seeing much difference in the two. The Ultralites have a fairly thin ring at the outer edge that is out of focus, so when panning I was conscious of things coming into focus as they moved towards the center. I didn't notice this with the Nikons. Still, the Ulltralites have a pretty good sized usable area.
If the two were the same price, I was not hesitate to go with the Nikon. But, considering that I paid four times as much for the Nikons, the Ultralites performed amazingly well. I think they are a spectacular value for the money at the prices they are selling for used, especially if you don't wear eyeglasses.
Later, I tried the Ultralites with a monopod. It seems like the tail wagging the dog to use a monopod with 18 oz 8X binoculars. But the Ultralites really shone with that setup. Bins as short and light as the Ultralites and eII's can be a little hard to hold completely steady. The steady view provided by the monopod allowed me to see all the detail the optics are capable of. I really fell in love with the Ultralites!
I considered the 3M nonskid tape that John recommended, but I don't think it will work unless it is really, really thin tape. The folded down eyecups only cost me about a millimeter of eye relief. Even without the cups, I would love to have another millimeter. With the monopod, they work just fine without the eyecups. Handheld, they are a little harder to hold steady without the eyecups.
I can't feel any looseness in the bridge. The diopter has a very low gear ratio. The difference between zero and minus two is not that great. I tried leaving it at zero and things seemed sharp. However, when I was trying to compare the sharpness of the Ultralites and the Nikons by looking at cracks in a weathered plank, I found I could sharpen up the Ultralites a little by tweaking the diopter.
If the two were the same price, I was not hesitate to go with the Nikon. But, considering that I paid four times as much for the Nikons, the Ultralites performed amazingly well. I think they are a spectacular value for the money at the prices they are selling for used, especially if you don't wear eyeglasses.
Later, I tried the Ultralites with a monopod. It seems like the tail wagging the dog to use a monopod with 18 oz 8X binoculars. But the Ultralites really shone with that setup. Bins as short and light as the Ultralites and eII's can be a little hard to hold completely steady. The steady view provided by the monopod allowed me to see all the detail the optics are capable of. I really fell in love with the Ultralites!
I considered the 3M nonskid tape that John recommended, but I don't think it will work unless it is really, really thin tape. The folded down eyecups only cost me about a millimeter of eye relief. Even without the cups, I would love to have another millimeter. With the monopod, they work just fine without the eyecups. Handheld, they are a little harder to hold steady without the eyecups.
I can't feel any looseness in the bridge. The diopter has a very low gear ratio. The difference between zero and minus two is not that great. I tried leaving it at zero and things seemed sharp. However, when I was trying to compare the sharpness of the Ultralites and the Nikons by looking at cracks in a weathered plank, I found I could sharpen up the Ultralites a little by tweaking the diopter.
Renze de Vries
Well-known member
If it's not the diopter setting or the bridge, it's probably your eyes. Don't worry though, it's normal. Eyes don't operate consistently over the day, and fatique will play a role too I guess. I've read somewhere, possibly on this forum, that the best time to visit your optician is at 11.00 AM (?). Anyway, it's just a matter of time to find the optimum setting.
Also, it's possible that binoculars with different optical designs, i.e. different from what you're used to, can throw your eyes (brain!) somewhat into disorder (my explanation). Again, the brain will learn and get back to normal.
Lastly, binoculars of different make may give different results. For instance, Leica binoculars are always set perfectly right for my eyes (diopter at 0), while for most other makes I have to adjust into minus a bit.
good luck,
Renze
mayoayo
Well-known member
BinoBoy ...thanks for the review and the comparison....It seems like You like the Ultra Lite´s alright!..
So if You get almost the full FOV in the Ultra´s and feel that the EII have better eye relief,that means that You have no problem at all seeing the massive FOV of the EII with your eyeglasses on...I see the full FOV of the Ultra´s but I wont mind one or two more mm of ER either,for total comfort.....
Edge performance is better too in the EII!! well,seems like i would love that bino..I can see the image breaking towards the very edge of the FOV of the Ultras,but only if I move my eye side to side looking through a single barrel..in field use ,with both eyes working and centered in the sweet spot,image look sharp all across to my brain.
Well....I had my Ultralite for sale,but ill keep them ,at least until I find an EII !!!
So if You get almost the full FOV in the Ultra´s and feel that the EII have better eye relief,that means that You have no problem at all seeing the massive FOV of the EII with your eyeglasses on...I see the full FOV of the Ultra´s but I wont mind one or two more mm of ER either,for total comfort.....
Edge performance is better too in the EII!! well,seems like i would love that bino..I can see the image breaking towards the very edge of the FOV of the Ultras,but only if I move my eye side to side looking through a single barrel..in field use ,with both eyes working and centered in the sweet spot,image look sharp all across to my brain.
Well....I had my Ultralite for sale,but ill keep them ,at least until I find an EII !!!
