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Message: <blockquote data-quote="PhilR." data-source="post: 3208990" data-attributes="member: 118722">Hello all,The following is an informal comparison between four 8x30/32mm binos - the Zeiss Terra, Vanguard Endeavor EDII, Sightron SII Blue Sky (B.S.), and Nikon Monarch 7 (M7).  None of these are my "primary" viewing binoculars.  The M7 and B.S. are my "car/truck" binos.  The Terra and EDII were purchased as a possible replacement for the B.S..  Also incuded are some comments on a few other 32mm binos, but as they are of different magnifications, the view will not be compared.  Also included is a picture of a few of these as well, for size comparison.  Please keep in mind that no optical instruments were used, other than the two brown ones in my skull.  Also, these are OPINIONS only, and are not presented as absolute fact.  Lastly, the opinions were developed by using the actual binoculars, and not by supposition based on the use of another model.Terra ED:  Purchased new for $359.  Wide view, almost equal to the M7 and B.S..  Not quite as sharp though, and does not snap into view like the M7.  The barrels are wider than the EDII, and much wider than the M7.  Focus wheel has a lot of slop.  When one considers how much better the others wheels are and how expensive these are, there is no excuse for this.  The wheel is also not smooth to turn either.  Turning effort is minimal, but it feels cheap when compared to the others in it's price range.  Feels like there is no lube in the mechanism.  Eyecups turn with some effort, and don't easily collapse.  There are several mushy detents.  I don't care for the feel of the outer armor.  It is too slick, and feels more like cheap plastic instead of the nice and grippy rubber of the EDII and M7.  Overall, the bino just feels cheap.  The case is the same as what comes with the Conquest HD, so it is quite nice.  It was not enclosed in the bino packaging, so I have to wonder if the vendor just decided to throw one in the shipping box.  I did not evaluate the neckstrap, as I did not remove it from the box.  Also greatly disliked the objective covers, which are the same as the ones on the Conquest HD, and are the worst covers I have ever seen or used.  I like Zeiss (own three others), but I do not feel that the 32mm Terra is worth it's price.  Given how much the Sightron Blue Sky costs, this should be a $139 bino.  I will not be keeping this one.EDII:  Purchased new for $359.  Sharp view -- almost as good as the M7,  about as good as the B.S., and better than the Terra.  Brightness is better than the B.S. and Terra, and about as good as the M7.  Where it is lacking is FOV, which is noticeably less than the others.   The M7 and B.S. kinda spoils you when it comes to FOV, and makes the EDII seem to have "tunnel vision".  Overall, the view is pretty good, but it just doesn't offer enough performance increase over the B. S. for the money spent.  Things I liked -- great handling, grippy rubber, good lens covers, and really nice case and neckstrap.  It is heavy for it's size, so it has a great impression of an extremely solid build.  Focus wheel is very good.  Not as smooth as the M7, but good enough to make me happy.  I could not tell there is any slop in the wheel.  Turn effort is very low.  Eyecups turn extremely easy, so they feel a bit cheap.  However, they work fine, and do not collapse when in use.  The diopter ring is of the locking type, and moves very easily when unlocked (obviously).  I have never felt the need for a locking diopter ring, but it works just fine and I could tolerate it if I were to keep them.  Hinge tension is less than most, but it does not collapse when I use it.  Overall a nice package that out-performs the Terra, but does not outperform the B.S. enough to make them worth keeping, and certainly does not out-perform the M7.  I will be sending these back as well.Nikon 8x30 Monarch 7:  Purchased new for $229.  Very bright, wide, and sharp  view.  Moreso than the others.  It does have some stray light/glare issues when pointed towards the vicinity of a low-angled sun.  The EDII and B.S. are slightly better in this respect, but as the M7 is better in every other aspect of the view that is important to me, I prefer it's overall view over the rest, and by quite a margin too.   The way it snaps into view is unmatched by the rest.  It also handles extremely nicely as well, as it is the smallest in footprint, and the lightest in weight.  It is my preferred hiking bino when I don't want to use my CL Pocket (during bad weather as the CL does not have a rainguard).   Eyecups turn easily, and stay in place.  They have a more solid feel than does the EDII or Terra. Focus wheel takes a bit more pressure to turn than the EDII or Terra, but it is the smoothest of all, and has no slop that I can discern.  Overall the best focus wheel of the lot.   The M7 also has the best objective covers by far, and they lock in the barrels with what seems like an almost airtight seal.   Hinge tension is average, and does not collapse with normal use.  Neckstrap is much heavier/wider than it needs to be. Obviously more suited to a 42mm bino.   I don't use it.  Case is average.  It has a velcro flap instead of the zipper that I would prefer.  Overall, a great little bino in a great-handling package, and is my favorite low-priced 8x30/32mm bino so far.  BTW- the 10x version failed to impress me. Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32:  Wide and sharp view that is almost as good as the M7, essentially as good as the EDII, and better than the Terra.  It handles the glare of a low-angled sun  better than any of them.  One area where it is not nearly as good as the M7 is in the brightness of the view, where there is an easily noticeable decrease.  Overall though, it has a great view, *especially* when the price is concerned.  The Terra and EDII were purchased to possibly replace the B.S..  They will not be doing this.  Focus wheel is almost as good as the M7's, which is good indeed.  Easy to turn, but not too easy, and with no slop/backlash that I could detect.  Handling is very good, although my personal preference is for slightly grippier rubber armoring.  It feels somewhat cheap, not unlike the Terra.  I don't fault it for this however, because of it's low price.   Overall footprint could be a bit smaller too, but it is what it is.  Eyecups turn easily, with a quality of build commensurate with it's price.  Hinge tension works just fine.  The only thing I don't care for are the accessories, which, unlike the view, are also commensurate with it's low price.  Overall a great little bino, especially when the low price is concerned.  IMO it is not quite as good overall as the M7, but when one considers it's price, it really is the value leader by far in the $400 and under price category for 8x30/32mm.  The following are not 8x, but are included to compare physical characteristics of a few other 30/32mm binoculars.Zeiss Conquest 10x30:  Excellent build quality, and feels extremely solid in the hand.  Costs the same ($399) as the EDII and Terra, but a much, much better feel of build quality.  Better than the Sightron and M7 too.  I really like it's handling.  It is bigger than the M7 and Terra and EDII, but the slight bulge in the middle of the barrels makes it fit the hand very well, and the rubber armor has for me what is the perfect amount of "grippiness".  Focus wheel is smooth, with only the slightest hint of backlash that is really not noticeable in normal use.  Be warned -- some of these will have very stiff focus wheels (kinda like Leupolds, now that I think about it).  Eyecups are very solid in feel, much moreso than the rest.  There are no detents between collapsed and extended.  Case is a simple cordura affair, but without a zipper.  Neckstrap is the same very nice affair as what comes with 42mm Conquest HD's, so more width and weight than what is need for a bino of this size.  It does not have objective covers.  This does not bother me, as I keep them cased when not in use, and I don't use the covers when I am looking through them, as one could reasonably expect.  The only downside to these is the weight, as they weigh close to 20oz..  However, they seem to me to have the best build quality of any 32mm bino under $500.  They don't get used a lot, but I really like them.Leupold Mojave 10x30:  Purchased used.  I keep them in our touring motorcycle.  Similar in size to the Terra and EDII, and a bit shorter in height than the B.S..  Handles very well, with fairly grippy rubber.  Eyecups twist easily, and feel about as solid as the EDII.  Focus wheel turns easily, with only a very slight amount of slop.  Fine for the price.  I don't care for the way the diopter mechanism works, as it is more complicated than is necessary.  Case, lens covers average, but the neckstrap is very comfortable, and perfectly sized for this weight class.  Overall a very nice little bino, and I would bet that an 8x version would give the M7 and B.S. a run for the money, and be better overall than the EDII and Terra.Meopta Meopro 6.5x32:  Purchased used.  Originally listed for $299 when still in production.  Excellent build quality, much more so than any other $299 bino I've encounted so far, and better than the Terra or B.S. or EDII.  Extremely smooth focus wheel that is easy to turn, and with a diopter mechanism that is the easiest to use of any I have ever seen.  Very solid eyecups too.  Case is built very well, but it is just barely larger than the binos themselves, so you can't get the neckstrap in it too.  Neckstrap is obviously designed for 42mm binos, and although made very well, is too much neckstrap for this weight.  Overall a very nice if slightly heavy package.  We use it for sports/stadium viewing, and for which it excells.  Too bad they don't make an 8x version for $299.Left to right:  Meopta Meopro, Zeiss Conquest (non-HD), Zeiss Terra, Endeavor EDII, Nikon M7, Sightron SII Blue Sky, Swarovski Habicht W GA.<img src="http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x182/philmarie/medium%20binos.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></blockquote>

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