Mid range 10x42, advice required (1 Viewer)

[florken]

I'm located in Belgium but we don't have a nice forum like this one, I am asking for some advise:

I'm looking for a decent 10x42 Bino with good optical performance and clear image, after reading onto the internet I managed to narrow it down a little:

Pentax DCF ED 10x43 (this is rated at a higher price but I can buy it second hand, only 6 months old)
Vortex Viper 10x42
Bushnell Elite ED 10x42
Nikon Monarch 10x42, this one is less expensive but acc. to several reviews it fits in nicely between the others.

Bino will be used for bird and nature watching, not for insects on close range. I realy like a bright, clear and highly contrasted image. Someone who has experience with the Pentax ?

Thx

 

[florken]

Nobody ?

 

[squidge]

Not on your list but I would suggest the Minox hg 10x43. I have had both the 8x43 and 8x33 versions and both have excellent build quality and optical performance.

I've compared them to Zeiss fl and swaros and both are very close to these alpha bins.

I have also had the earlier version of the Nikon monarch and though not as good as the minox they were still a very good binocular.

If you can try before you buy.

Ger.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

If you know how much you want to spend, then maybe we could make some suggestions? I would also recommend the Minox binoculars.

 

[Digbert Doobrey]

How about the Hawke frontier ED 10x43?

 

[florken]

If you know how much you want to spend, then maybe we could make some suggestions? I would also recommend the Minox binoculars.

I want to spend about 500 EUR

 

[brocknroller]

florken,

If you have around 600 USD to spend, then fagetabout the regular 10x42 Monarchs. You can do better than a narrowish 5.5* FOV for that much money.

The new 10x42 Monarch 7 ED has a whopping 6.7* FOV. But I haven't read any reviews yet. At 500 USD it could be your best buy. You might hold off for a month or two while the reviews come in on it if you have another bin to use for the rest of this birding season.

Check out the Pentax forum, a new member just bought a 10x43 ED. If you can get them for $600, that's a good price. However, remember that if something goes wrong with it, you're stuck for the repair bills.

Brock

 

[florken]

florken,

If you have around 600 USD to spend, then fagetabout the regular 10x42 Monarchs. You can do better than a narrowish 5.5* FOV for that much money.

The new 10x42 Monarch 7 ED has a whopping 6.7* FOV. But I haven't read any reviews yet. At 500 USD it could be your best buy. You might hold off for a month or two while the reviews come in on it if you have another bin to use for the rest of this birding season.

Check out the Pentax forum, a new member just bought a 10x43 ED. If you can get them for $600, that's a good price. However, remember that if something goes wrong with it, you're stuck for the repair bills.

Brock

My current (Nikon) was also second hand, never had problems, however I wonder in how many cases something goes wrong ? I can buy the Pentax for 400 dollar, I have pictures and it looks brand new. FOV is less important to me as I use it for observing, not for tracking. A clear bright image is critical to me.

Another option would be the Bushnell Elite ED 10x42 which I can buy new for 397 dollar, prices in Europe are far more expensive than in US.

 

[SPOTTED FLYCATCHER]

Hi,

I'd go Pentax DCF ED 10x42. It is a truely excellent optic with the Pentax SMC coating, Dielectric prism coatings and Hybrid Aspherical eyepieces. It gives a very bright, transparent and high contrast image. True, FOV is quite narrow but its image quality is close to Alpha.

Steve

 

[lmans66]

Vortex talon is good too... vortex in general is coming out with some solid optics, ....bino's and scopes. So at least view some of them...jim

 

[Ratal]

Hawke Frontier ED 10x42s. Solid build, stunning optics, cannot fault them. One happy owner here.

 

[Star Farmer]

I like the Bushnell ED a lot. Very sharp, optically almost comparable to Zeiss fl. It's a little darker, and smaller.

Very well constructed, but I do have issue with eye cups sliding in now and then.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Seeing as you are from Belgium then why not your very own Kite optics binoculars? Perhaps the Petrel or Forster around your price range?
http://www.kiteoptics.com/

 

[brocknroller]

My current (Nikon) was also second hand, never had problems, however I wonder in how many cases something goes wrong ? I can buy the Pentax for 400 dollar, I have pictures and it looks brand new. FOV is less important to me as I use it for observing, not for tracking. A clear bright image is critical to me.

Another option would be the Bushnell Elite ED 10x42 which I can buy new for 397 dollar, prices in Europe are far more expensive than in US.

$400 is a horse of a different color. The repair cost, if necessary at some point, is built into your savings, which is more than a 50% discount here in the U.S. ($999).

The FOV is decent in the 10x42 version, 6* TFOV/ 60* AFOV. It's the 8x43 that's too stingy (6.3* TFOV/50.4* AFOV).

<B>

 

[ceasar]

Florken,

You don't indicate whether you require waterproof binoculars or whether you prefer Roof Prisms over Porro Prisms.

Nikon makes 2 Porro Prisms priced somewhere around the 500 Euro price range. A 10 x 42 SE and a 10 x 35 EII which will be more than bright enough and clear enough and contrasty enough for you. They are regarded as "reference standards" among 10x binoculars. Neither is waterproof.

I don't know if both are available in Europe. The 10 x 35 EII is priced lower. It also has the advantage of having one of the widest fields of view among 10 power binoculars.

The 10 x 35 EII looks like this: http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/nikon.pl?page=nikon7411

Bob

 

[winwinbino]

I am a proud owner of Minox HG 8x33 MIG just now. Excellent and comfortable view.
Very worth to try.

 

[CliveP]

Maybe off track a little but if you don't mind some more weight then maybe a 10x56. Much more useful in low light as well as just a more comfortable view and better flare resistance with the big lenses.

I just returned a Hawke Sapphire ED 10x42 that I wanted to replace my less expensive Hawke Prostalk 10x56 ED but it didn't come up to the job and the Prostalk only cost about £170 as an ex demo but still has a 10 year guarantee which I had to make use of as soon as I bought them to have a few things fixed but they're good to go now.

Why I chose to try the Sapphire 10x42 was because I have an excellent Sapphire 8x43 as my main binocular and I am finding more and more that I prefer it to anything else although I still like the Prostalk 10x56 but the 8x43 Sapphire is better as an allrounder. The fov and dof just seem about perfect and the brightness, sharpness and lack of CA are all superb so much so that I sold my Leica 10x32 HD because in comparison the Leica was less good because of the CA and narrower afov and I only lost a little in distant detail but gained much more in the wider fov to track moving things and also find them in the first place.

The 10x42 Sapphire in comparison with the 8x43 Sapphire was less bright, less colour and contrast, harder to focus, less dof and narrower fov and slightly more CA and less relaxed and natural view. The 10x42 does have more magnificaion and is more compact but against the list of positives for the 8x43 it wasn't really much of a contest.

Haven't tried the 10x43 open bridge Sapphire (as oppsed to the 10x42 single bridge design which I returned) but I'm pretty sure this 8x43 I have is the optimum choice although I still hope some day to have the opportunity to try the 10x43 version but i can't see me prefering it over this 8x43 as the brighness would be less and the brighness and clarity of this 8x43 sapphire is addictive.

I changed to the 8x43 Sapphire from an 8x56 Prostalk which I really used to love using especially over distance and of course in the evening it was fantastic also. Narrow fov but always absolutely beautiful images.

Some have suggested the Hawke Forntier ED 10x43 (not tried it personally) and apparently its just as good as the Sapphire so if you definitely want a 10x42/43 that could be a good choice as they are well priced and with good warranty but for better low light (very useful with nature) and more comfortable view you need really to go to a larger exit pupil and with good glass to something like a 10x56 or 8x43. Just something to bear in mind. 10x42 will be fine for most light level uses.

 

[florken]

Florken,

You don't indicate whether you require waterproof binoculars or whether you prefer Roof Prisms over Porro Prisms.

Nikon makes 2 Porro Prisms priced somewhere around the 500 Euro price range. A 10 x 42 SE and a 10 x 35 EII which will be more than bright enough and clear enough and contrasty enough for you. They are regarded as "reference standards" among 10x binoculars. Neither is waterproof.

I don't know if both are available in Europe. The 10 x 35 EII is priced lower. It also has the advantage of having one of the widest fields of view among 10 power binoculars.

The 10 x 35 EII looks like this: http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/nikon.pl?page=nikon7411

Bob

It has to be waterproof - my current Nikon was a porro but suffered water damage...

 

[vkalia]

Of your list, I'd pick the Pentax 10x42. I have it and really like the optical quality. Nice and bright, and very sharp.

And have abused the hell out of it on my photography tours and workshops, and it's still going strong, optically speaking.

However, if I was buying again, I'd buy a pair of Zen Ray 10x42s. Comparable optics, and cheaper.