I haven't tried NLs but I am sure they are excellent instruments. When you say they are maybe in 'the top three' if you measure it 'by stats', do you mean it's specifications (i.e fov, close focus), or what you imagine it's sales figures are like?
Lee, I did mean optical stats, definitely not sales numbers. My guess would be that $2500 binoculars dont have huge sales figures. My opinion is the SF, NL and EL’s in 32mm fit into the best birding binoculars in that format. Of course we can throw in one or two more others , but one of these three will most likely fit most birders and check the most boxes of the best for birding.
www.birdforum.net
William , I agree 100%, maybe 95%, no 92.5%, that’s it 92.5%. Now the best has a lot more than just identifying a bird. Its like a wellcraft will float on the water just like a Donzi, a Kea will drive you to your destination, a Poreche will get you there with more enjoyment, a Taurus 1911 will hit the target just fine, but it would be nicer doing it with a custom Ed Brown or Wilson combat.
and in theory they're supposed to stick to the manifesto they were voted in on, but Liz Truss seemed to ignore that (not that Boris didn't break a few manifesto pledges)...
Hmmm, that sounds like a reasonable stance , you follow through on your promises or your gone. The american president has not, you guys can get rid of them without having to wait four years of damage , with a year and a half of campaigning and over $1 billion spent for an election. And even then they can get reelected.
I take solace from Holger Merlitz who apparently uses his eii 8x30 most of the time despite having a wx (and various others) at his disposal. Or Gijs who seems quite content with his meopta's. There's sometimes a nuanced pleasure that comes with using binoculars that are not chasing the clear, flat, wide, sharp, bright, perfect colour rendition criteria that seem to currently define the "best". You could count most leica's along with those that aren't chasing those criteria too.
Thanks, that helps. I couldn't sort that out of the general confusion, who it was that had changed their mind(s) so quickly.
A recent thread has got me thinking that the perfect-flat-field approach is really just an attempt to better distinguish alpha binoculars and help insecure buyers avoid feeling foolish in the face of all the wretched harping on value for money. So I want to be clear that's not why we love our EII.
What I see in this original thread is a 1 dimensional response coming from the O.P., repeated over and over in most of his replies. In this case it was a variant of "very large FOV, sharp to the edges". So, no matter what other folks offer up as preferences, concepts, alternatives, all you get is some version of that response. A meaningful exchange of information isn't really the goal, imho. What seems to motivate that person more is specs like 'post count', which he has trumpeted in the past as being a crucial measure of his value to this forum. One can double the post count on a thread simply by replying to every post with effectively the same information. Bingo!
The word "BEST" does not belong in discussions of any type of consumer optics. It doesn't/can't exist! Engineers know that and only use it when they are placating the novice engineer wannabe. I am honored that my Nikon 8x32 SE was promoted to the ranks of the "alpha." But while it takes it's place among the "alphas" I have owned, my birding binocular is a cheap-o 8x40 B&L. It cost a fraction as much and provides every bit as much resolution, contrast, and enjoyment ... especially with the number of people who have oohed and aawhed that I still have it. Fortunately, I'm not rich and have no need to brag about all the money I can waste. I would rather be remembered as a fellow who was always short on money but one who had a good handle on optical realities.
I will gladly agree with that. If I could afford a lawyer I could blow the doors to my case wide open. Alas, I can't. But I was born into a family that thought poverty was for rich folks. I'm miles better off than that. So while I strive to have someone in authority read my documentation, I will sate myself with counting my many blessings. Like not being bitten by this morning's visitor (attached).
