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Message: <blockquote data-quote="klar" data-source="post: 1238870" data-attributes="member: 67495">First impressions of the 7/12x32Receiving this yesterday was surprising since last week this bin was a big guess as to when or if it would be available. I’ve had some mixed feelings about this purchase but think it’ll be an interesting experience.The carrying case, harness, stretchy neck strap and eyepiece and tethered ocular caps are all top quality. I’ve never seen a better original case and one that’s actually big enough for a loose fit and chocolate bar plus a wallet slipped into the pocket under the top flap.The body of the bino had me worried. The engraving on one gold ring, with some letters discolored, said ‘FOV:  5.0*/2.6*’. I was relieved to see the silver sticker on the focus wheel say ‘7.2*/4.1*’. I knew the silver sticker had to be right since it looked like a sticker – the kind that can be quickly made by a sticker shop when the first production models can’t wait for the new gold rings. Also, who would buy a 7x binocular at 5*?  The glue used for the sticker having air pockets, the crudely finished underside of the focusing joint, the strap lug finish and uneven seams all reminded me of the decent but crudely made telescopes coming out of China a few years ago. I have no idea where this was made. My ‘Green Ring’ Katmai has ‘Made in Japan’ stamped on it and, although much less expensive and a simpler body design, it has elegance. I expected a Golden Ring to at least give a similar impression. Ok, these are the trade-offs for not having the patience to wait. Mechanical finesse and detail are part of the allure of spending $850 but I can live with an early production model if it performs.Looking into the objective, switching to the higher power appears to involve a lens element being folded into the light path, near the eyepiece end. The switch is clean although a tiny bit of refocus is needed depending on the distance. In future models, it would be nice to see a bit shorter throw for the switch lever and the lever rest points equa-distant from centre line. Also, there’s a very slight initial play in the focus wheel. I’ve come to like it actually since it intuitively gives a ‘notice’ without being intrusive, similar to steering lag in a car – if it’s too much it’s sloppy but a tiny bit is welcome.Optics: I’m not a birder, yet. Most of my viewing has been astronomy, wildlife, touring and events. Over the past year or so I’m finding myself using binoculars more and more and, having had cataract surgery in both eyes recently, it’s turned out that I have better vision than ever before. What I’m finding is that I have to learn to see more critically. My comparison binoculars are Swift Audubons Model 804 (8.5x44 porro) and Leupold Katmai 6x32s.So far what stands out is: the Switch/Power views give noticeably more color saturation than the Katmais and a bit more than the Audubons. The Switch/Power are slightly sharper than the Katmais and I’m not sure yet compared to the Audubons. Chromatic Aberration in the Switch/Power bothers me. Fringing on leaves against bright sky occurs about 4/5 from centre with the Katmais, ¾ with the Audubons and 2/3 with the Switch/Power at 7x. At 12x, the Switch/Power have a very small sweet spot less than 1/3 from centre. But, and it’s a very big but – how important is that for these types of high-contrast views and what did I expect when an optical system has to have some compromises? The view at 12x is sharp though. I question the prism type used and it would be an incredible binoc had they used that HD glass. I’d gladly spend an extra few hundred bucks. What I did not expect was how easy 12x is to hold. I’m finding myself using 12x often and with a 4* field it’s not bad. 7x is more relaxing for longer scanning but the ability to jump into an area is something I’m finding very addictive. A light, high end spotting scope such as the Nikon ED50 or image stabilizer binocs are other options I’ve looked at but the ability to scan at low power and flip a switch and still hand-hold a good view without a tripod has me intrigued. Oh – pleasant surprise: close focus is better than advertised – about 5 feet at 7x, 6 feet at 12x. This is one of those things that didn’t matter to me before but when I had it with the Katmais the feature became a necessity.I see that the Switch/Powers are listed as ‘In Stock’ just this week so it’ll be interesting to see how others find them. It’s a great adventure for me, trying to figure out whether these are the ones or what direction this journey might take. A top end 10x versus a top end low power or this medium quality that does both? If nothing else, this binoc will help me find out I think.</blockquote>

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