Hello, my fellow birders!
As my only child graduated from college and moved away at the beginning of the year, I found myself experiencing the classic empty nest syndrome.
My first binoculars were a Canon 10x42 IS, which I bought nearly two decades ago. However, they were only used occasionally—mainly on trips to national parks or for tasks they weren’t exactly designed for, like surveying the condition of my roof! Over the past couple of months, though, I’ve rediscovered their magic and wondered why I hadn’t used them more in the past. I’m lucky to have three acres of woodland surrounding my home, allowing me to watch birds from my balcony and even from my bedroom window. The local sky is free of light pollution, as there isn’t a single large city within 50 miles of where I live, and the night sky through the Canon binoculars is absolutely breathtaking.
As much as I love the Canon, they’re simply too big and heavy for everyday birding. I needed something more compact and lightweight—so my journey began, just like that of a new birder! After two months of searching and reading extensively on this forum, I think I’ve finally found the one: the Nikon 8x32 EDG II.
I’ve tested four binoculars in the 8x–10x range:
From a photographer’s perspective, the image quality was also underwhelming compared to the Kowa. The chromatic aberration was quite noticeable, especially when looking at tree trunks against the sky. The image had an artificial, oversharpened look—particularly when compared to the Kowa’s smooth, natural rendering. As a fan of Zeiss photography lenses, I had high expectations, but my first experience with their binoculars wasn’t a positive one. I returned them without much hesitation.
When I moved my eyes slightly away from the eyepiece, the image improved, but that wasn’t a practical solution. The Meopta had a larger sweet spot than the Kowa, but the colors weren’t as pure, and there was visible chromatic aberration even in the center of the view—especially when looking at dark shrubs against the snow. Unfortunately, it strained my eyes even more than the Kowa, and after just a few minutes, I felt dizzy. So, back to the store it went.
Unlike the Zeiss and Meopta, there were no blackout issues whatsoever. I could comfortably see the full image circle whether the eyecups were fully extended or shortened by one stop. Yes, the lens caps are terrible, but that’s a minor and easily solvable issue. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have found them!
So, that’s my little journey—hope I haven’t bored you with its length! I look forward to reading more of your stories and sharing more of my own in the future.
Greetings from a beautiful rural New England town in the northeastern U.S.!
As my only child graduated from college and moved away at the beginning of the year, I found myself experiencing the classic empty nest syndrome.
My first binoculars were a Canon 10x42 IS, which I bought nearly two decades ago. However, they were only used occasionally—mainly on trips to national parks or for tasks they weren’t exactly designed for, like surveying the condition of my roof! Over the past couple of months, though, I’ve rediscovered their magic and wondered why I hadn’t used them more in the past. I’m lucky to have three acres of woodland surrounding my home, allowing me to watch birds from my balcony and even from my bedroom window. The local sky is free of light pollution, as there isn’t a single large city within 50 miles of where I live, and the night sky through the Canon binoculars is absolutely breathtaking.
As much as I love the Canon, they’re simply too big and heavy for everyday birding. I needed something more compact and lightweight—so my journey began, just like that of a new birder! After two months of searching and reading extensively on this forum, I think I’ve finally found the one: the Nikon 8x32 EDG II.
I’ve tested four binoculars in the 8x–10x range:
- Kowa Genesis 8x33
- Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42
- Meopta Air 8x42
- Nikon 8x32 EDG II
Kowa Genesis 8x33
The Kowa was the first binocular I tried, and it’s an impressive one. The view is bright and clear, with vibrant colors and virtually no chromatic aberration. However, I did notice a strong rolling ball effect, which strained my eyes after only a short time. I also wished the sweet spot was a little wider. I still have the Kowa for now.Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42
I picked up the Zeiss on sale for under $600, but unfortunately, I was very disappointed. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t eliminate the kidney bean effect. The eyecups were simply too short, and although I later learned that Zeiss offers longer replacements, I couldn’t understand why they weren’t included in the first place.From a photographer’s perspective, the image quality was also underwhelming compared to the Kowa. The chromatic aberration was quite noticeable, especially when looking at tree trunks against the sky. The image had an artificial, oversharpened look—particularly when compared to the Kowa’s smooth, natural rendering. As a fan of Zeiss photography lenses, I had high expectations, but my first experience with their binoculars wasn’t a positive one. I returned them without much hesitation.
Meopta Air 8x42
Next, I tried the Meopta Air 8x42, based on the many glowing reviews I had read. However, as soon as I held them up to my eyes, I encountered the same blackout issues as with the Zeiss. I don’t wear glasses, yet even with the eyecups fully extended, they were too short for me. I found this surprising—surely such an obvious design flaw could have been easily addressed?When I moved my eyes slightly away from the eyepiece, the image improved, but that wasn’t a practical solution. The Meopta had a larger sweet spot than the Kowa, but the colors weren’t as pure, and there was visible chromatic aberration even in the center of the view—especially when looking at dark shrubs against the snow. Unfortunately, it strained my eyes even more than the Kowa, and after just a few minutes, I felt dizzy. So, back to the store it went.
Nikon 8x32 EDG II – The Jackpot!
Finally, I came across a refurbished Nikon 8x32 EDG II at a fantastic price, and the moment I looked through them, I knew I had found the one. Everything just felt right—it was as if I weren’t even looking through binoculars at all, but simply seeing the world with my own eyes.Unlike the Zeiss and Meopta, there were no blackout issues whatsoever. I could comfortably see the full image circle whether the eyecups were fully extended or shortened by one stop. Yes, the lens caps are terrible, but that’s a minor and easily solvable issue. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have found them!
So, that’s my little journey—hope I haven’t bored you with its length! I look forward to reading more of your stories and sharing more of my own in the future.
Greetings from a beautiful rural New England town in the northeastern U.S.!
