8x32 Dilemma? (1 Viewer)

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Dennis,

One thing is for CERTAIN. If it weren't for other peoples opinion, you would't have one. Every single poster here is capable of "cutting and pasting" others peoples opinion. Yet, NO ONE does it, OVER and OVER but one BF member. Really, it makes it look as if you've never even held said binocular in your hand. Trust me....you're not coming across as an expert quoting other folks.

Arguing with Gijs...mercy. Might as well argue with Einstein or Oppenheimer. You should re-read what he has written and produced. Show some respect.

I recommend getting out from behind the laptop, pick up some binoculars, go outside, and go birding. Form your own opinions. Use binoculars for more than an afternoon. You'll develop a good opinion of a binocular and also understand why others like/dislike it.

Dennis,

One thing is for CERTAIN. If it weren't for other peoples opinion, you would't have one. Every single poster here is capable of "cutting and pasting" others peoples opinion. Yet, NO ONE does it, OVER and OVER but one BF member. Really, it makes it look as if you've never even held said binocular in your hand. Trust me....you're not coming across as an expert quoting other folks.

Arguing with Gijs...mercy. Might as well argue with Einstein or Oppenheimer. You should re-read what he has written and produced. Show some respect.

I recommend getting out from behind the laptop, pick up some binoculars, go outside, and go birding. Form your own opinions. Use binoculars for more than an afternoon. You'll develop a good opinion of a binocular and also understand why others like/dislike it.

I have used my binoculars extensively in the field, so these are my own opinions, but I use other people's opinions to support my own.

I disagree with Giijs opinion on the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32, and I don't want people to buy it and then be sorry because they find out, too late, that it has soft edges.

Allbinos is correct on their evaluation of the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32. I know I had one and I experienced the same soft edges.

 

[dries1]

I have the BD IIs, 8/6.5/32 8X42, I prefer the 8X42, there is fall off to the last 10% field of view (blurring) in the 6.5/8X32, a bit less in the 8X32, not really bothersome, however when panning, er... the distortion can take a bit of getting used to for some. For the $$ they are well built and will provide many enjoyable views, however for the purists, that is a different story.
Resolution/transmission is quite good in all three formats.

 

[Cest]

I have the 6.5x Kowa's. They are very wide fov. There is some falling off at the edges, blurring if you will. It will bother some people more then others. Some may hardly notice it. The sweet spot however is pretty generous and the wide view compensates. Like so many things it is a personal matter. Some will be annoyed and others won't care because of the expansive view. I like them and don't mind the fall off. There is give and take in any binocular.

 

[[email protected]]

I have the 6.5x Kowa's. They are very wide fov. There is some falling off at the edges, blurring if you will. It will bother some people more then others. Some may hardly notice it. The sweet spot however is pretty generous and the wide view compensates. Like so many things it is a personal matter. Some will be annoyed and others won't care because of the expansive view. I like them and don't mind the fall off. There is give and take in any binocular.

I like sharp edges and if I can't have a perfectly sharp edge to the field stop like an EL or NL I want a gradual fall off so it is not noticeable.

I really notice abrupt fall offs at the edge like a lot of Kowas have, especially the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32

The Nikon MHG for example has a gradual fall off which is brilliant because, to me, it is not as noticeable as an abrupt fall off as in a Kowa.

Even when I am looking on axis in a binocular, I notice the edges and how sharp or soft they are, and it bothers me. I consider it an imperfection, but we are all different in our tolerance of soft edges.

 

[Cest]

I LIKE sharp edges and if I can't have a perfectly sharp edge to the field stop like an EL or NL I want a gradual fall off so it is not noticeable.

I really notice abrupt fall offs at the edge like a lot of Kowas have, especially the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32

The Nikon MHG has a gradual fall off which is brilliant because, to me, it is not as noticeable as an abrupt fall off as in a Kowa.

Even when I am looking on axis in a binocular, I notice the edges and how sharp or soft they are, and it bothers me. I consider it an imperfection, but we are all different in our tolerance of soft edges.

Yes, everyone has a different tolerance. Some people's eyes might hardly notice it. For the price they are good binoculars.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Dennis, post 21,
"Gijs is wrong?" I that is how we discuss things?. You are of the opinion that I am wrong and that is something else as stating it as a fact. After some decades of investigating binoculars I can very well judge how a binocular performs and if we look at the different parameters we have measured with the Kowa and by carefully using it in the field and extensively investigating it in the laboratory I strongly disagree with your observations/conclusions.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[MiddleRiver]

I can’t help but wonder what sumo11 is thinking right now… :-o

 

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Dennis, post 21,
"Gijs is wrong?" I that is how we discuss things?. You are of the opinion that I am wrong and that is something else as stating it as a fact. After some decades of investigating binoculars I can very well judge how a binocular performs and if we look at the different parameters we have measured with the Kowa and by carefully using it in the field and extensively investigating it in the laboratory I strongly disagree with your observations/conclusions.
Gijs van Ginkel

I had the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32, and it has a lot of edge fall off even for a SWA binocular, and what is irritating about it is the fall off is uneven.

The fall off is more severe to the right and the bottom than the other directions. The binocular really has that Chinese feel to it also, even though it is an attractive binocular.

I quickly returned mine in less than a week after using it in the Florida Everglades on a birdwatching trip. It was good on-axis, but the way the image fell off at the edges was very annoying. I usually agree with Allbinos evaluation of a binocular, and they were correct on the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32.

Here is an excellent review on the Kowa BDII-XD 6.5x32 that explains the type of edge fall off I saw. I agree with the author that the E2 is a much, much better binocular if you want a SWA binocular.

"Reviews from Galzie1

Kowa BDII 6.5x32 XD first day

Got this pair of binos in the morning. Here's my impression after day 1. For my eyes, my taste, and my particular sample. Positive: - 10 degree TFOV is GREAT. This strucks you immediately - simple but beautifully looking binos. - "Made in China" is printed on the body. Thanks Kowa for the...

www.birdforum.net

Got this pair of binos in the morning. Here's my impression after day 1. For my eyes, my taste, and my particular sample.

Positive:

• 10 degree TFOV is GREAT. That strikes you immediately
• simple but beautifully looking binos.
• "Made in China" is printed on the body. Thanks Kowa for the openness.
• CA nothing to worry about.
• perfect collimation

Neutral:

- almost everything says "China". the play in the focuser. the sloppy eye cups. and the image! Hard to describe. but it's the feel. central sharpness, edge sharpness (or the lack of it), the smoothness of the image, the overall aesthetics of the image, are unevenly distributed across the FOV. having extensive experience with budget Chinese optics, I noticed this immediately. Any old Zeiss or Leica or Swarovski will be superior in this aesthetic aspect, no matter how bleak their images are.

Negative:

- edge sharpness. more than I expected. about 2/3 of the FOV from center when it becomes blurry. Worst is that, the blur is more on the right and at the bottom than in the other directions (to be fair, I have seen things like this in other super wide field binos such as the Komz 6x24 and Bushnell Rangemaster 7x35). I know it is 10 degree FOV and any complaint on edge sharpness should be reasonable, but it is still a bit much to me. I did not notice this in the first few minutes, when I was still overwhelmed by the wide FOV. But once I noticed it, it can't be ignored.

So conclusion:

• Thanks Kowa for offering this. I hope this is a push towards an alpha 6x30 some day
• it is an interesting pair of binos. but quality is no more than 400USD price. its quality is not a bargain for the price. optics-wise, I think $300 is more reasonable.
• if you have to have a 6-7x wide-field pair of binos, then you might get it. But if you can live with 8x, get a Nikon E2 8x30. For less than $100 more (at least for where I live), the Nikon E2 is much, much better: the look, the built, the feel, the image. it is the ultimate small and wide-field binos in my opinion.

In the photo are the Kowa and my 1908 CZJ Telex 6x.



Thanks, David.

Nighttime use:

The Kowa 6.5x32 appeared to me to be better at night than at day. Somehow, its short-comings are not so distracting at night compared to daytime use.

The image is bright, clear, vivid, and reasonably clean.

Huge spikes on streetlights. Lots of internal reflection near bright light sources. But I don't mind this.

Looking up the sky, star images are quite OK. 10deg FOV gives a lot of context to what you are looking at. Stars at the edges of FOV, surprisingly, are not bad.

However, nighttime use confirmed observations during daytime.

1/ the circle of sweet spot and circle of FOV are not concentric (first photo)

2/ within the sweet spot, sharpness is not evenly distributed. putting a star at the center of the FOV, then moving it towards the outer edge. sometimes you see it sharp, then slightly blur, then sharp again, then really blur when reaching near the edge. It is slight, but it is there. (second photo) And this happens with most Chinese optics that I know.

These binoculars are all about the 10 deg FOV. But it is ordinary Chinese optics.

I got this pair for a discount price of $350. I think that is a fair price point. $300 would be spot on.

But it is a very good-looking binocular. very beautiful. better to look at than to look through."

 

[Upland]

I really like my Maven B3 8x30 for a small lightweight bino in that size range. Also love my EDG 8x32s for a step up in performance but also size and weight. Lots of Great deals on used Swaro EL 8x32s which are excellent.

 

[Upland]

I can’t help but wonder what sumo11 is thinking right now… :-o

I bet he’s smart and bailed out awhile ago 😱🤣

 

[Sumo11]

@Upland @MiddleRiver -definitely not smart

It's been very informative for me as a novice and confirmed my initial thoughts which were:

1. Binocular choice is very personal
2. There's no right or wrong answer
3. If you get a good pair of Kowa's you'll be very happy
4. If you're prepared to spend more you'll get a better experience (subjective)
5. There are an awful lot of people that are very knowledgeable in this field
6. As with any field there will be contrarian reviews which is absolutely OK

I'll probably start another thread with "How do I check I haven't got a lemon" just to see where that goes.....

So, I'd like to thank everybody that contributed to the thread - I've learnt a lot.

@Gijs van Ginkel - Thank you for your positivity and taking the time to contribute - have had a look at House of Outdoor reviews - what an excellent resource and very informative.
@jring @A2GG - thank you both for the welcome and steers.

To everyone else that has taken the time to contribute - very many thanks.

Sumo11

 

[[email protected]]

@Upland @MiddleRiver -definitely not smart

It's been very informative for me as a novice and confirmed my initial thoughts which were:

1. Binocular choice is very personal
2. There's no right or wrong answer
3. If you get a good pair of Kowa's you'll be very happy
4. If you're prepared to spend more you'll get a better experience (subjective)
5. There are an awful lot of people that are very knowledgeable in this field
6. As with any field there will be contrarian reviews which is absolutely OK

I'll probably start another thread with "How do I check I haven't got a lemon" just to see where that goes.....

So, I'd like to thank everybody that contributed to the thread - I've learnt a lot.

@Gijs van Ginkel - Thank you for your positivity and taking the time to contribute - have had a look at House of Outdoor reviews - what an excellent resource and very informative.
@jring @A2GG - thank you both for the welcome and steers.

To everyone else that has taken the time to contribute - very many thanks.

Sumo11

You're correct on all six points except number 3 unless you like soft edges. 😁

 

[Cest]

I decided to take my Kowa 6.5's out and do a bit of testing. There is some fall off at the edges. However, eye placement can alleviate some of discomfort it causes to those sensitive to it. I found you have to look for it or pay attention to it for it to be distracting. At least that's how it is for me. While it doesn't bother me much, it might others. At night I didn't notice any issue at all when stargazing, which is what I use them for the most. I compared them to my Maven B.3 6x30's. The Maven's are great. Clear and sharp images. Very little fall off until the edges, not noticeable at all to me. The Maven would win, but it also costs $150-200 more. It also has a smaller fov. It's like any binocular, there are trade offs. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

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I decided to take my Kowa 6.5's out and do a bit of testing. There is some fall off at the edges. However, eye placement can alleviate some of discomfort it causes to those sensitive to it. I found you have to look for it or pay attention to it for it to be distracting. At least that's how it is for me. While it doesn't bother me much, it might others. At night I didn't notice any issue at all when stargazing, which is what I use them for the most. I compared them to my Maven B.3 6x30's. The Maven's are great. Clear and sharp images. Very little fall off until the edges, not noticeable at all to me. The Maven would win, but it also costs $150-200 more. It also has a smaller fov. It's like any binocular, there are trade offs. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Do the Maven's B.3 6x30's eye relief match their eye cup length? The Nikon MHG 8x30's have too short of an eye cup for the eye relief if you don't wear glasses, so you end up floating them in front of your eyes to avoid black-outs. Other than that, they are nice.

I was thinking since the Mavens are similar, they might be the same way. It has been a long time since I tried the Maven B.3 6x30. How are they for glare and ease of eye placement? They are probably good with a 5mm EP. Doesn't the 51 degree AFOV seem narrow?

I am surprised the Kowa BDII XD 6.5x32's are good on the night sky because usually binoculars with a significant amount of fall off like they have distorts star fields at the edge of the image.

 

[lmans66]

I would suggest the 8x32 Opticron Verano or the Nikon 8x30 HG. I opted for the Opticron Verano.

I also opted for the Leica 7x35 which is not far off from a 8x32. Now Discontinued you will find these floating around for good prices.

 

[Cest]

Do the Maven's B.3 6x30's eye relief match their eye cup length? The Nikon MHG 8x30's have too short of an eye cup for the eye relief if you don't wear glasses, so you end up floating them in front of your eyes to avoid black-outs. Other than that, they are nice.

I was thinking since the Mavens are similar, they might be the same way. It has been a long time since I tried the Maven B.3 6x30. How are they for glare and ease of eye placement? They are probably good with a 5mm EP. Doesn't the 51 degree AFOV seem narrow?

I am surprised the Kowa BDII XD 6.5x32's are good on the night sky because usually binoculars with a significant amount of fall off like they have distorts star fields at the edge of the image.

I wear glasses and the eye relief works fine with me. I tried them without and they also worked fine. I didn't notice any blackouts. The fov is is 8.5 degrees and any fall off is way over close to the edge. They don't have the wide view of the Kowa, but it doesn't seem narrow to me. I really like them.

I think when stargazing fall of is not as noticeable. The view is so wide that any distortion is lost on the edge. I actually prefer to use them at night for scanning the Milky Way.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Do the Maven's B.3 6x30's eye relief match their eye cup length? The Nikon MHG 8x30's have too short of an eye cup for the eye relief if you don't wear glasses, so you end up floating them in front of your eyes to avoid black-outs. Other than that, they are nice.

No, unfortunately they have the same issue with blackouts as most binoculars in the 8x30 class. However, the eyecups unscrew easily, and have enough thread to accommodate an M2 o-ring, which is just enough to make them significantly more comfortable for me. They're extremely compact, so I tend to use them a lot more than my 8x42s.

 

[mwhogue]

I decided to take my Kowa 6.5's out and do a bit of testing. There is some fall off at the edges. However, eye placement can alleviate some of discomfort it causes to those sensitive to it. I found you have to look for it or pay attention to it for it to be distracting. At least that's how it is for me. While it doesn't bother me much, it might others.

That is my experience with the Kowa 6.5 x32 as well. if specifically looking for edge fall off and distortion I can see it. But in actual use I don't notice it at all.

Mike

 

[Upland]

No, unfortunately they have the same issue with blackouts as most binoculars in the 8x30 class. However, the eyecups unscrew easily, and have enough thread to accommodate an M2 o-ring, which is just enough to make them significantly more comfortable for me. They're extremely compact, so I tend to use them a lot more than my 8x42s.

I did the same on my Mavens and it made a huge difference. The build quality on the Mavens is great. Hard to believe Maven includes screw out eyecups on a $500 bino and Nikon HGs don’t on a bino which costs twice as much! The focus wheel is much smoother on the Mavens too. Optics are quite close with a slight edge to the HGs. Love mine and they’re always in the car.

 

[Cest]

Given the recent price decrease I have been tempted by the Zeiss 8x32 Conquest. I wear glasses, so the eye cups are not a problem for me. I also considered the Verano or Vortex Razor UHD, but the Conquest seems better then the former and the price is better then the latter. $679.00 is a good price.