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Academy Awards For Binoculars! (1 Viewer)

D

[email protected]

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I know we have had alot of "Best Binocular Lists" but this is different. We are going to have winners in different categories just like the Academy Awards for motion pictures. Just copy and paste the categories and then enter your winners in each category. Here we go!

1)BEST OPTICS PERIOD: Nikon 8x30 EII

2)BEST OPTICS IN A ROOF PRISM COST NO OBJECT: Zeiss 8x32 FL

3)BEST OPTICS FOR LESS THAN $400.00 IN A ROOF PRISM: Zen Ray 8x43 ED

4)BEST OPTICS FOR LESS THAN $250.00 IN A ROOF PRISM: Nikon Monarch 8x42

5)BEST MONOCULAR: Zen Ray 8x42 ZRS HD

6)BEST ALL AROUND BIRDING BINOCULAR COST NO OBJECT: Zeiss 8x32 FL

7)BEST COMPACT 25MM AND UNDER: Zeiss 8x20 Victory

8)BEST MID-SIZE 28-33MM: Zeiss 8x32 FL

9)BEST FULL SIZE 40-45MM: Zeiss 8x42 FL

10)BEST BINOCULAR FOR GLASSES: Zeiss 8x42 FL
 
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[email protected] said:
If you have never tried my category winners state that in your post after you have voted for your category winners.
Click to expand...

Ay, there's the rub. How can you vote if you haven't seen all the nominees? And who really has?

In any case, we need additional categories:

Best compact 25mm and under.

Best mid-size 28-33mm.

Best full-size 40-45mm.

And then Best for glasses...in all categories.

And then...big can of worms as near as I can tell.

8x32 FL gets best all-rounder? Only if size/weight are critical (and they are for me, so I might agree). If not a full-size SV wins. The thing flat-out disappears in hand, except maybe for that rolling ball thing, which is another can of worms.

I look forward to the debate.
 
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One can envision quite a few categories to reward all our binoculars:

Best waterproof binocular playing a supporting role to non-sealed porro

Best binocular under $100

Best chinese bino big-three owners refuse to buy

Best bino for "I'm not an optics person" birders

Best bino never to win any silly Best of contests

etc.
 
We probably should limit participation to those who "have probably tried and compared over 50 different binoculars."
Bob
 
Other nominees:

11. Best Binoculars in a Toss-on-the-Ground Contest - 8x42 EDG

12. Most CA During Daytime Use - 1999 Oberwerk 15x70

13. Most "Rolling Ball" in a Bin - 8x42 HG/HGL/Premier

14. Smallest Sweet Spot in a Midsized Bin - TIE Celestron 8x32 (Japanese-made) Noble and Celestron 8x32 (Japanese-made) Ultima

15. Best Binoculars to Focus with a Brimmed Hat while Holding Coffee in the Other Hand - Swaro 8x30 SLC

16. Best Binoculars to Focus with Your Tongue - Swaro 7x30 SLC

17. "Fastest Draw in the West" Focuser - Nikon 8x32 HG

18. Most Legendary Birding Bins of All Time - Zeiss 7x42 B/GA

19. Best "Stand Out Effect" Bins - Fuji/Viewmaster 6x30 FMTR-SX

and last but not least...

20. Most Hyped Binoculars by Dennis - Leica 8x32 BN :)
 
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brocknroller said:
Other nominees:

11. Best Binoculars in a Toss-on-the-Ground Contest - 8x42 EDG

12. Most CA During Daytime Use - 1999 Oberwerk 15x70

13. Most "Rolling Ball" in a Bin - 8x42 HG/HGL/Premier

14. Smallest Sweet Spot in a Midsized Bin - TIE Celestron 8x32 (Japanese-made) Noble and Celestron 8x32 (Japanese-made) Ultima

15. Best Binoculars to Focus with a Brimmed Hat while Holding Coffee in the Other Hand - Swaro 8x30 SLC

16. Best Binoculars to Focus with Your Tongue - Swaro 7x30 SLC

17. "Fastest Draw in the West" Focuser - Nikon 8x32 HG

18. Most Legendary Birding Bins of All Time - Zeiss 7x42 B/GA

19. Best "Stand Out Effect" Bins - Fuji/Viewmaster 6x30 FMTR-SX

and last but not least...

20. Most Hyped Binoculars by Dennis - Leica 8x32 BN :)
Click to expand...

Funny!
 
[email protected] said:
I know we have had alot of "Best Binocular Lists" but this is different. We are going to have winners in different categories just like the Academy Awards for motion pictures. Just copy and paste the categories and then enter your winners in each category. Here we go!
Click to expand...

Best Of Class threads are always great entertainment. Pass the beer and peanuts please.....
 
Has anyone mention Canon IS L 10x42 yet? Because there´s a guy in Dublin selling an as-new, unused 1-year old pair for half-price.
 
Sancho said:
Has anyone mention Canon IS L 10x42 yet? Because there´s a guy in Dublin selling an as-new, unused 1-year old pair for half-price.
Click to expand...

Sancho,

Half price here would mean a little over $500, which would be a great buy. However, you have to ask yourself do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk? :)

Why did they go unused for a year and how come he's selling them for half price? If there's a good reason (he was in an accident and lost his hands or eyes), then you should jump on them.

According to Edz of Cloudy Nights fame, the actual aperture of the IS L is 37mm. So it competes more with the 10x35 EII than 10x42 bins.

But it has the "L" glass and stabilization and it's WP. However, 2.3 lbs is hefty for a "mid sized" bin. And since the warranty is non-transferable, if the electronics fizzled after a short time, it could cost you almost (or more) to repair as the purchase price, depending on what went wrong.

OTOH, if you can't afford the full price this may be your one and only chance to own an IS L.

I'm reluctant to buy another IS bin. One I tried had a lot of "swimming". The other was very stable, wish I kept it, but the owner wanted to buy it back, and at the time I was on the QUEST, and I was looking for greener pastures only to later find what seemed greener turned out to be a mirage.

At this point, I'm looking for a "Grand Canyon" rather than a beautiful but ephemeral rainbow.

B.
 
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brocknroller said:
Why did they go unused for a year and how come he's selling them for half price? If there's a good reason (he was in an accident and lost his hands or eyes), then you should jump on them.

B.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I´m a bit suss about super bargains. I´d worry about where they came from. Don´t want to fence no hot IS-binos, man, don´t need the Bino-Feds knocking my pad´s door down, capisce?
 
Sancho said:
:-O! Tell you what, though, these deserve an Academy Award all right. Kimmo was right. (Actually Kimmo´s always right).
Click to expand...

I tell you what, I'm convinced stabilized bins are the next big step forward in binocular design. Unfortunately I can't cope with the stabilization artifacts of all the different Canon models I looked at. Not at all. I find them very disturbing, but I sure envy those who don't see them.

Can we look forward to reading a detailed comparison between the Canon 10x30 and the 10x42L in the near future?

Hermann
 
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