Alpen Teton ED HD Abbe (1 Viewer)

[hopster]

Hi all

Does anyone here have experience of this binocular, in either 8x42 or 10x42?

Alpen Teton 10x42

It seems to be a very reasonable price for an A-K roof with a magnesium chassis and ED glass, and has garnered some decent reviews though there is not as much exposure as the bigger brands. If it has higher than average CA or low contrast like some of the cheaper MIC gear then it won't be a good match to my needs.

I'm thinking about the 10x42 as a fairly affordable way to dip my toe into 10x power for waterfowl and birds of prey at a distance. I'm not going to get a chance to look at one before I buy which makes me a bit nervous so I have asked about their returns policy.

M

 

[w.travis]

I have heard good reports about Alpen (can't recall the model), but have no 1st hand experience. Have you tried searching the forum?

 

[has530]

I have heard good reports about Alpen (can't recall the model), but have no 1st hand experience. Have you tried searching the forum?

The original Alpen went out of business a few years back and the current company has no relation to that one other than they bought the name. I believe it is currently owned and operated by explore scientific known mostly for their nicer MIC astro gear.

 

[dries1]

The original Alpen went out of business a few years back and the current company has no relation to that one other than they bought the name. I believe it is currently owned and operated by explore scientific known mostly for their nicer MIC astro gear.

To add to to this is that the investment may not pan out, and the binocular production could go the way of Stryka. I had always thought of the Alpen Rainer in 8X42, but with the current economy, who knows if they will survive, I made a pass.

 

[hopster]

I have heard good reports about Alpen (can't recall the model), but have no 1st hand experience. Have you tried searching the forum?

Yes but not much to find here.

 

[hopster]

To add to to this is that the investment may not pan out, and the binocular production could go the way of Stryka. I had always thought of the Alpen Rainer in 8X42, but with the current economy, who knows if they will survive, I made a pass.

Yes I wonder about servicing etc, and the lack of reviews. I just found that Allbinos reviewed the 10x50 and said it had high CA which is a killer for me.

 

[dries1]

Well, I know that you are not looking for an 8X56 but, as a suggestion, there is one for sale on Cloudy Nights, a Zeiss 8X56 FL for $1,100. The seller (I am not affiliated with) is in Sweden or Finland. I have this glass, heavy but no issues with CA or glare.

 

[hopster]

Well, I know that you are not looking for an 8X56 but, as a suggestion, there is one for sale on Cloudy Nights, a Zeiss 8X56 FL for $1,100. The seller (I am not affiliated with) is in Sweden or Finland. I have this glass, heavy but no issues with CA or glare.

Thank you I'm sure that's a lovely glass and A-K prisms too I guess. It's going to be a bit of a beast for what I have in mind though, maybe better for tripod/astronomy?

 

[adhoc]

There's a review of this model in Best Binocular Reviews. To get an idea of their assessments I think you'll also need to read a review by them of a binocular you're familiar with.

The Teton model line of the 10x50 reviewed by AllBinos is a different (non-AK) line by the earlier co., and I'm surprised the present co. use the same name for this line. I have the 15x50 of that earlier line, its CA is disastrous, but its packing was posh, with a fine leather case and all. In a post by me in BF: "...CA was so bad it was to me unusable, in good light at times I could not tell the purple flowers on a tree from its green leaves (literal truth)..."

 

[hopster]

Sounds awful!

 

[adhoc]

Hopster, others, now I feel bad about having written that!

I'm pretty sensitive to CA. I had said that not in reviewing or to criticize that model, but in another context, using cut-out objective caps, effectively "stopping down" the obj. diameter, to improve the image. In that post, in the thread linked here on that subject, here is my paragraph:

"In the Alpen Teton 15x50 CA control is improved dramatically by such caps. See the first photo. In the new bino CA was so bad it was to me unusable, in good light at times I could not tell the purple flowers on a tree from its green leaves (literal truth), but now the image is 'alpha' class!"

If they had limited the obj. diam. they would have had a fine binocular, and at a much smaller size and weight.

Also, I repeat, that model was of the earlier Teton line. Here's the link to the review I mention above of the current model inquired about in this thread, and here's the link to the video version of that review.

 

[hopster]

Hopster, others, now I feel bad about having written that!

I'm pretty sensitive to CA. I had said that not in reviewing or to criticize that model, but in another context, using cut-out objective caps, effectively "stopping down" the obj. diameter, to improve the image. In that post, in the thread linked here on that subject, here is my paragraph:

"In the Alpen Teton 15x50 CA control is improved dramatically by such caps. See the first photo. In the new bino CA was so bad it was to me unusable, in good light at times I could not tell the purple flowers on a tree from its green leaves (literal truth), but now the image is 'alpha' class!"

If they had limited the obj. diam. they would have had a fine binocular, and at a much smaller size and weight.

Also, I repeat, that model was of the earlier Teton line. Here's the link to the review I mention above of the current model inquired about in this thread, and here's the link to the video version of that review.

Your review of the current 10x42 sounds pretty positive to me in terms of optical quality. Reading between the lines, was CA the only issue that you thought required improvement - and if so was that everywhere like typical cheaper binoculars or just at the edges?

 

[adhoc]

Hopster, that reviewer is not me! I'm not aware that he, Jason Whitehead, is a member of this forum, for you to address a query to him here.

 

[hopster]

Hopster, that reviewer is not me! I'm not aware that he, Jason Whitehead, is a member of this forum, for you to address a query to him here.

Thanks, do you know his username?

 

[adhoc]

Looks like I'm consistently not making myself clear to you. Repeat, I am not aware that he's a member here.

 

[hopster]

Looks like I'm consistently not making myself clear to you. Repeat, I am not aware that he's a member here.

Ah, now I understand. I'll try to address my query to him elsewhere.