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Minox HG 8x43 BR MIG (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter squidge
- Start date
Common Crane
Active member
I own a pair of these and they are my most used binoculars. Optical quality is very good, though the latest models of Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica may be a small step ahead. I think their view is very close to the older Leica Ultravid BR. They are very well built, nicely designed (by Volkswagen) and it is a pleasure to use them. They are my all purpose travel binoculars.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Thanks common crane, I hope it was the guys who designed the Golf and not the polo otherwise my right hand back light will keep blowing, Oh wait binoculars when I am comparing bins one of the main comparisons I take into account is price and as the minox are considerably cheaper than the alphas (I'm talking about the non apo version), are the Alphas €1000+ better than the HG's, If as you said the alphas are a small step ahead then I cant justify getting a pair of Alphas. I will be able to compare these with my Nikon e11's and give an update. (Disclaimer, As I said I cant justify getting a pair of Alphas doesnt mean I never will
) Ger.
) Ger.I have the Japanese HG 8x33 and really like it. So comfortable to my eyes and a nice view (even if a tad narrow fov), especially for the money. I liked it so much that when the open box German models hit the market I grabbed an HG 8x33 MIG and an HG 8x43 MIG. The latter was just too close in view to my eyes that I returned it in exchange for the HG 10x43 MIG. This was my first 10x bin and I love the view...but my favorite is still the 8x33. I want to write more after spending some quality time with these but for now I'll say that I really REALLY like the Minox HG line, especially the MIG's! The HG 8x33 MIG just has a great view to my eyes but for now I still grab the older 8x33. I think this is because it has been around a little and I have no fear of harming it. But to my eyes the view of the German models is superior. To me the 8x33 is wider, brighter, and sharper than the others. It actually seems very close to a Swarovski porro 8x30W that I also recently aquired if that says anything. If chosing an HG MIG I don't think you can go wrong. Also fwiw, Minox has recently added objective covers! This is very recent so they may not be included on models that have been on a store shelf for a while. (I am in no way affiliated with Minox other than being a happy customer/user)
(When I said the 8x43 was "too close in view" I meant with the 8x33 that I already had. The HG 8x33 MIG seems to have a much wider fov than the Japanese 8x33 and the German 8x43.)
(When I said the 8x43 was "too close in view" I meant with the 8x33 that I already had. The HG 8x33 MIG seems to have a much wider fov than the Japanese 8x33 and the German 8x43.)
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chartwell99
Well-known member
I, too, am a confirmed fan of the Minox HG 8 x 33 and dropped numerous hints to Santa's helper this Christmas about the Camera Land open box MIG models. I'm afraid the "Made in Germany" distinction was lost on her and, to my surprise, Santa left me under the tree a Japanese 10 x 43 HG which is a real treat. Is the German model better - possibly, but the Japanese version is a very nice, surprisingly lightweight and supremely bright and sharp binocular.
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
The 43mm MIGs have a wider FOV which might be the most noticeable feature compared to the MIJ bins.
Wow, I'm glad to hear you got it! I was thinking of you and wondering but with the holidays I hadn't had time to write. As stated, I just love mine but for some reason still grabbing the MIJ (made in Japan) 8x33. I think I will switch soon to the MIG model as the view is just superb. It's view is big (426'), bright, and sharp as a tack. It has a bit different eye relief though. My eyes are actually more comfortable in the older one but I'm not experienced enough to explain why. I will use the MIJ for backpack and in the car most likely. All are of seemingly high quality and feel great in the hand too.
Well I live in small town Ohio and there is no place that I can go try different models. I read a lot on here and other places and concluded the Minox HG was best for the money. I have been told they are fairly close in quality to the big 3 (4 if you include Nikon) but at much less cost, especially if you buy an "open box special". I do have a Swarovski 8x30w porro now and have to say the new HG 8x33 MIG sure is close in view. I have not had enough time to sit down on a sunny day and go back and forth to compare but have enough to at least say they are very close. Although I have never seen or held a Meopta, all that I read make me think it might be a fair comparison. As I've said before, I am very suprised there aren't more of these out there. I was able to get an HG 8x33 MIG and an HG 10x43 MIG to my door for around $1300 us dollars. My HG 8x33 MIJ was $399.00 delivered if I remember correctly. Again, a very good deal in my opinion. So far I'm extremely happy. I am anxious to hear your thoughts when yours arrive. Let us know! :t:
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Will do:t:
Common Crane
Active member
I also have a 8x33 MIG and think too that it probably has the nicest view of all HGs because of the wide angle, at least in daytime. But the 126m/1000m of the 8x43 are just enough for me and with only little more weight and size you get much better twilight performance and also more ease of view. And that is the point, it is a very small full size binocular, well made with very good optics, and at around 700€ (in Germany) not too expensive so that you are afraid to really use it (that happened to me owning a Swarovski El). In my eyes the 43 HGs are also the most pretty binoculars around and feel a little bit more comfortable in my hands than the shorter 8x33.
There is a second big change in the optics beside the FOV from MIJ to MIG and that is that the MIGs have more contrast.
But as it has been said, all the HGs are superb binoculars.
There is a second big change in the optics beside the FOV from MIJ to MIG and that is that the MIGs have more contrast.
But as it has been said, all the HGs are superb binoculars.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
I received a pair of minox 8x43mig hg's last week but due too unforseen circumstances I've been unable too bring them outside for a test. I only tested them indoors and I have too say it was an excellent buy. While not lightweight I found the weight evenly distributed so when holding them too my eyes they didnt feel heavy. They have a nice feel and the rubber armouring on them will protect them from the knocks and scrapes of everyday use. They come with a nice neoprene strap that fits quite well around my neck. They also come with a padded case which I would mark as average. There are fixed rubber eyecups which I quite like and are easy too take off due too the rubber being quite flexible. There is also a rainguard that fits quite well onto the twist eyecups. There is excellent eyerelief with the twist eyecups.
Optically I will have too wait till I get outside but from usage in the house the image was crisp, clear and bright. there was no blurring around the edges just a nice clean image. If I were too compare them too another binocular I would compare them too the Opticron Aurora's which I found to be an excellent bin. The image is not far off the one you get on the zeiss fl's infact I would put it just one notch below the fl's optics. I will have too wait till I get them outside as using them in the house I cant really judge the fov or image clarity. But on appearances so far these are an excellant bin which is nearly up there with the alphas. A great buy. When i use them in anger I will be able too give a better description of these lovely bins. Thanks Ger.
Optically I will have too wait till I get outside but from usage in the house the image was crisp, clear and bright. there was no blurring around the edges just a nice clean image. If I were too compare them too another binocular I would compare them too the Opticron Aurora's which I found to be an excellent bin. The image is not far off the one you get on the zeiss fl's infact I would put it just one notch below the fl's optics. I will have too wait till I get them outside as using them in the house I cant really judge the fov or image clarity. But on appearances so far these are an excellant bin which is nearly up there with the alphas. A great buy. When i use them in anger I will be able too give a better description of these lovely bins. Thanks Ger.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
After a blood rush too the head were I nearly sold these bins I finally got them out today for a good test. I was looking across fields, In woods and somebodys front garden(Lesser Whitethroat). All I can say is Thank God I didnt sell them as having them outside as opposed to indoors was a completely different experience.
Handle and feel: It said 5 degrees on the cars thermostat but it felt like -5. The hinge felt stiff but once I got the right distance (Cant remember the right terminology) between my eyes there was no chance of the distance moving which IMO is a good charactheristic. The barrels felt nice and smooth and fitted my hands just perfectly. The 3 stage eyecups give great eye relief and I found the perfect eye relief in just one notch up. The focussing knob is brilliant probably the best knob I've seen on a binocular(Please no sniggering) I focussed on trees far away and quickly focussed on trees nearby and it was easily done in half a turn. The silver focussing knob has little nipples that give excellent grip even when wearing gloves which I had on but also tested them wearing no gloves. It also has a distance scale which could be useful on certain occasions. The diopter adjustment on the right hand barrel is the same feel and look as the focussing knob. It pushes up with just enough pressure and turns also with just enough pressure thus the adjuster is very easy too use and there is no chance off it moving as by pushing it back locks it in place. The rubber armouring has a lovely feel and smell(For the bin sniffers). The binocular overall feels well built as some would say its built like a tank.
View: What can I say Outside these binoculars are just brilliant, Crisp clear and bright images. Looking across fields I found there was great dept of view with having to use the focussing knob very little when scanning across the field. I saw no evidence of blurring towards the edges. There was also a nice wide fov. I've looked through Swarovisions and I would put the image in them from neutral too warm. In the Minox I would put it at neutral too cool. I'm sure somebody will understand what I'm talking about. Looking at Bluetits in trees with a very bright background with the naked eye all you could make out was a silhouette of the bird but with the Minox you could easily see the Bluetits colours and was easily recognisable with the image showing up bright. In the woods it was quite dark and this is were the Minox showed its difference between them and cheaper binoculars. Looking into a very dark hedge the image was bright and clear, I could easily make out the wren that was busily feeding and hopping from branch too branch. Everywhere I looked in this dark wood the image was bright and clear. I was finding birds in dark places were too the naked eye you could not see anything. Just brilliant.
Extras: The Minox come with a neoprene strap which has a nice spongy feel around the neck. While the Minox are not light nor are they heavy the strap makes them feel alot lighter than they are which is very important too me. They also come with a padded soft case that has a waterproof canvas feel(Not sure if it is Waterproof though)
Overall impressions: These Minox Hg 8x43 are an excellent binocular which is built very well with great optics too match. Build wise they are the same as the alphas, Optically just one notch below. Taking into account the big price difference they are up there with the Alphas as an excellent binocular. I would recommend these bins as a birding bin without hesitation and they seem to be built too last a lifetime. Score 8.5 out of 10, Reason, I had a pair of Nikon E11's which are the best binocular optically that I've looked through. I looked through the SE and could not make out any difference optically between them. My perfect binocular would be a Minox build with the Nikon E11 optics but I can only dream.
PS. I cant believe I put these up for sale. I think thats what some people call optics madness. All I can say is Phewww that was a close one. Ger.
Handle and feel: It said 5 degrees on the cars thermostat but it felt like -5. The hinge felt stiff but once I got the right distance (Cant remember the right terminology) between my eyes there was no chance of the distance moving which IMO is a good charactheristic. The barrels felt nice and smooth and fitted my hands just perfectly. The 3 stage eyecups give great eye relief and I found the perfect eye relief in just one notch up. The focussing knob is brilliant probably the best knob I've seen on a binocular(Please no sniggering
) I focussed on trees far away and quickly focussed on trees nearby and it was easily done in half a turn. The silver focussing knob has little nipples that give excellent grip even when wearing gloves which I had on but also tested them wearing no gloves. It also has a distance scale which could be useful on certain occasions. The diopter adjustment on the right hand barrel is the same feel and look as the focussing knob. It pushes up with just enough pressure and turns also with just enough pressure thus the adjuster is very easy too use and there is no chance off it moving as by pushing it back locks it in place. The rubber armouring has a lovely feel and smell(For the bin sniffers). The binocular overall feels well built as some would say its built like a tank.View: What can I say Outside these binoculars are just brilliant, Crisp clear and bright images. Looking across fields I found there was great dept of view with having to use the focussing knob very little when scanning across the field. I saw no evidence of blurring towards the edges. There was also a nice wide fov. I've looked through Swarovisions and I would put the image in them from neutral too warm. In the Minox I would put it at neutral too cool. I'm sure somebody will understand what I'm talking about. Looking at Bluetits in trees with a very bright background with the naked eye all you could make out was a silhouette of the bird but with the Minox you could easily see the Bluetits colours and was easily recognisable with the image showing up bright. In the woods it was quite dark and this is were the Minox showed its difference between them and cheaper binoculars. Looking into a very dark hedge the image was bright and clear, I could easily make out the wren that was busily feeding and hopping from branch too branch. Everywhere I looked in this dark wood the image was bright and clear. I was finding birds in dark places were too the naked eye you could not see anything. Just brilliant.
Extras: The Minox come with a neoprene strap which has a nice spongy feel around the neck. While the Minox are not light nor are they heavy the strap makes them feel alot lighter than they are which is very important too me. They also come with a padded soft case that has a waterproof canvas feel(Not sure if it is Waterproof though)
Overall impressions: These Minox Hg 8x43 are an excellent binocular which is built very well with great optics too match. Build wise they are the same as the alphas, Optically just one notch below. Taking into account the big price difference they are up there with the Alphas as an excellent binocular. I would recommend these bins as a birding bin without hesitation and they seem to be built too last a lifetime. Score 8.5 out of 10, Reason, I had a pair of Nikon E11's which are the best binocular optically that I've looked through. I looked through the SE and could not make out any difference optically between them. My perfect binocular would be a Minox build with the Nikon E11 optics but I can only dream.
PS. I cant believe I put these up for sale. I think thats what some people call optics madness. All I can say is Phewww that was a close one. Ger.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
If you do go for the minox definitaly go for the ex demo models as there is no difference between them and new pairs except a few hundred quid. In the meantime do what I do smile through gritted teeth and tell the her that she is right about eveything and who knows it may pay dividends
. Ger.
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
As I posted in another thread, I have just ordered an ex-demo pair of 8x43s from Sherwoods. Since then I have been trying to find out as much as I can about these bins and have come across this glowing review:
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Minox8x43HG-66.htm
It's not the most technical of reviews but it seems to cover most things and also includes a video by the reviewer, which gives plenty of shots of the bins and the accessories. He is not a natural in front of the camera but it's a bonus to have a video review. The highlight is about 8 minutes in when a spider drops down in front of the camera lens and then climbs back up again. Everyone wants to be a video star these days!
Ron
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Minox8x43HG-66.htm
It's not the most technical of reviews but it seems to cover most things and also includes a video by the reviewer, which gives plenty of shots of the bins and the accessories. He is not a natural in front of the camera but it's a bonus to have a video review. The highlight is about 8 minutes in when a spider drops down in front of the camera lens and then climbs back up again. Everyone wants to be a video star these days!
Ron
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brocknroller
porromaniac
Thanks for that detailed review, squidge. The MIGs sound excellent, particularly at Sherwood's discounted price.
But the Nikon EII porro still beats them? Could you give more detail about this? What is it about the EII's optics that trumps the much more expensive Minox HG roofs?
Wider FOV? 7.2° is pretty good, but it falls a bit short when compared to other top of the line roofs, and it's a far cry from the EII's 8.8* FOV.
The depth perception sounds good, that's something I often find lacking in roofs, particularly when paired with a fast focuser.
Rather than keep guessing, I let you tell us what Minox could do to the optics to make them on par with the EII.
Brock
squidge
Wha Whassssat
What trumps the Minox image wise is the Nikons fov and 3d effect. I havent seen another bin that beats the E11 view that include swaros and the Nikon Se which I could not see any difference when I compared the two. On saying that I was really impressed with the image of the Minox when looking into a dark hedge and there is a hint of 3d which was nice too see in a roof.
If they made a waterproof, solidly built E11 then I would only need that bin. The Minox which I got from cameralandy are built too last and could take a few knocks whereas the Nikon E11 were becoming an ornament only coming out for a quick look then lovingly put back in their case and put in the top cupboard and that is why I sold my Nikons. I wanted a good tough binocular with excellent views too match. So when I saw the ex demo migs at cameralandy I took the chance. It paid off I got an excellent bin for an excellent price, the image doesnt quite match the nikon's but it is still crisp,clear and bright with a decent fov and built like a tank.
What more could I ask for in a binocular, Well maybe a waterproof Nikon E11 thats built like a tank or a pair of Minox with 8.8* fov and excellent 3D.
If they made a waterproof, solidly built E11 then I would only need that bin. The Minox which I got from cameralandy are built too last and could take a few knocks whereas the Nikon E11 were becoming an ornament only coming out for a quick look then lovingly put back in their case and put in the top cupboard and that is why I sold my Nikons. I wanted a good tough binocular with excellent views too match. So when I saw the ex demo migs at cameralandy I took the chance. It paid off I got an excellent bin for an excellent price, the image doesnt quite match the nikon's but it is still crisp,clear and bright with a decent fov and built like a tank.
What more could I ask for in a binocular, Well maybe a waterproof Nikon E11 thats built like a tank or a pair of Minox with 8.8* fov and excellent 3D.
whitneymuse
Member
I also have these; agree with the writer quoted; own the 8X33 HG, the 8.5X43 HG, and the 10X43HG, and they are really light and that allows hand held imaging using corrective lenses, too. (very good eye relief); when compared to Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski or Nikon EDGE (never tried those) but they are ~ 3/5 the cost
of those. Look at the the NIKON EDGE, and see what those are about, too. I believe they are slightly heavier. The magnesium chassis on the Minox HG is light.
