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Nikon WX anyone? (1 Viewer)

Price differences for the WX in different shops and countries appear sometimes hard to believe.
If I am correct, B&H quotes the 7x at roughly US $ 4‘500 - a very tempting price, indeed!!
Still quite a sum, though, compared to any other binocular I know - unless you are into crazy stuff like „Leica Zagato Edition“ or „Leica Hermès“... :)

Canip
 
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?....
..... I will go out for a long walk and I am going to carry that heavy beast.....
.....

Ahh, I had forgotten to mention that if you intend to use the WX free-hand style, you need to be working out - 1 hour out with the WX is like 2 hours heavy weight-lifting in your fitness club (Holger is top fit) ... ;)
 
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Price differences for the WX in different shops and countries appear sometimes hard to believe.
If I am correct, B&H quotes the 7x at roughly US $ 4‘500 - a very tempting price, indeed!!
Still quite a sum, though, compared to any other binocular I know - unless you are into crazy stuff like „Leica Zagato Edition“ or „Leica Hermès“... :)

Canip

A few months ago the WX 10x was 3900$ at B&H, and that was tempting (B&H sold them like hot cakes)! But what would I need a WX 10x for? (I have almost no interest in the 7x)? I own the SF 10x42, FL 10x32, 10x 42 and 10x56, SV 10x50 and 12x50, and SE 10x42. What would a WX 10 add to my set of 10x? Yeah the wide FoV of the WX is impressive, but its use for daytime observations is rather limited as pointed out by Canip and other posters, and for stargazing the WX is only a 10x as pointed out by Andy (btw, the close focus is 20m, Allbinos website incorrectly lists it as 8.20m in their review of the WX 10x). In sum, I understand why Chuck is thinking of the WX (there is not much else to think about when you already have a round set of alpha binos) but I am hesitant and I guess I am not the only one.

Regarding super wide FoV binos I own a French 8x30 porro with a FoV of 200m/1000m, so an AFoV wider than that of the WX, and there is a very rare Russian 8x30 with an AFoV of 104* (!)---now that would be a pair that I would like to buy.
 
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.....
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.....I am hesitant .....
......

Rightfully so, at the prices we are talking about!

As Holger pointed out, the views of the WX are somehow addictive - it‘s not just the wide FOV (as you say, there are wider ones), but the combination of wide FOV, edge sharpness, ease of view, perceived brightness of the image, etc.
None of the very nice binoculars which you mention (and apparently own - congrats!) are comparable to the WX in this respect.

Better don‘t even look through a WX!

Canip
 
Two questions if I may:

1. Do you ever carry the WX over your shoulder/neck like a messenger bag?

2. Holger, why did you purchase the 10x rather than the 7x ?

Regards
Andy
 
Two questions if I may:

1. Do you ever carry the WX over your shoulder/neck like a messenger bag?

2. Holger, why did you purchase the 10x rather than the 7x ?

Regards
Andy

Hi Andy,

I carry the WX inside my day pack and pull it out whenever I want to watch. Over shorter distances, I just keep it in my hand (I have not attached any neck strap to it).

Regarding 7x vs. 10x, it was close. Anyone would have been fine with me. But I noticed that whenever I was using the 7x50, I got the feeling that a little extra power would come in handy. I also realized that jitter was no problem with the 10x due to its extraordinary weight (and inertia). Finally, under the stars, the 10x was just a little bit more impressive I guess. So, after a couple of months of thinking it over, I got the 10x.

Cheers,
Holger
 
Thanks Holger, quite logical reasoning.

Chilli6x6, No and yes (both, but probably the 10x...I'd rather have their view 'ruin' my Steiners than my new Leicas LOL).

Regards
Andy
 
No and 1/2 no.

At $3,900/2 i.e. $1,950, I might be willing to have half a Nikon WX 10x50 if someone buys the other half.

A whole Nikon WX is too heavy for me nowadays.

B.
 
"due to its extraordinary weight." That is part about the WX's I don't like. I guess I could hire somebody to carry them for me with a tripod. Carrying a WX would be like carrying four SV 8x32's at once and holding four of them up to your eyes. It would be fine on a tripod and that is what it is meant for. If you had a good observation deck where you were overlooking the ocean or a mountain valley and you had them on a tripod. I really don't see how they would be that great for astronomy with the straight through eyepieces. You are going to have a serious kink in your neck. You need 90 degree eyepieces or at least 45 degree for observing at the zenith where most observing is done. Unless you use a zero gravity chair or lay flat on a lounge.

https://astromart.com/classifieds/a...00-mm-45-90-degree-ed-apo-bino-special-prices
 

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No and 1/2 no.

At $3,900/2 i.e. $1,950, I might be willing to have half a Nikon WX 10x50 if someone buys the other half.

A whole Nikon WX is too heavy for me nowadays.

B.

That was the heavily discounted price. Current price in the US appears to be 6300$:
https://www.opticsplanet.com/nikon-wx-10x50-if-astronomy-binocular.html
or 8100 gbp if you prefer to buy directly from the Nikon-UK:
https://store.nikon.co.uk/sport-optics-binoculars/wx-10x50-if/BAA855WA/details
 
Canip and Holger:

Perhaps a relatively minor aspect but one reviewer complained about side light affecting the view, and felt the need of using winged eyecups. Are the eyecups of the WX comfortable and can you squeeze them into your eye sockets? (they appear to have a relatively large diameter).

Thanks, Peter
 
I have never felt that side light affected the view negatively in the WX. I find the eyecups quite comfortable, despite their large diameter, but I never „squeeze them into my eye sockets“ ever (I don‘t do that either with any other binocular, btw). ;)

Canip
 
I've now been able to use the 10x version a number of times for long distance raptor observation. I've been meaning to write up a proper report on the other thread, but in short - the viewing experience it offers is quite unlike anything else. The huge field of view that is practically all sweet spot amazes me whenever I look through it. Ease of view and depth of field are tremendous.

It can be used hand held reasonably satisfactorily if you can brace your elbows on something solid, but is at its absolute best tripod mounted. On this day - having to view through the glass window that can be seen in the photo - I was able to see a peregrine coming up from a building some 3.6km away and follow it for a couple of minutes till it vanished into the distance.
 

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I've now been able to use the 10x version a number of times for long distance raptor observation. I've been meaning to write up a proper report on the other thread, but in short - the viewing experience it offers is quite unlike anything else. The huge field of view that is practically all sweet spot amazes me whenever I look through it. Ease of view and depth of field are tremendous.

It can be used hand held reasonably satisfactorily if you can brace your elbows on something solid, but is at its absolute best tripod mounted. On this day - having to view through the glass window that can be seen in the photo - I was able to see a peregrine coming up from a building some 3.6km away and follow it for a couple of minutes till it vanished into the distance.
That is exactly how I see a WX being used. Set up on a tripod in a static situation. It would also be nice on a tripod at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming scanning the Hayden Valley for wolves. That would be nice to see Peregrines out of your window!
 
Canip and Holger:

Perhaps a relatively minor aspect but one reviewer complained about side light affecting the view, and felt the need of using winged eyecups. Are the eyecups of the WX comfortable and can you squeeze them into your eye sockets? (they appear to have a relatively large diameter).

Thanks, Peter



Hello Peter,

I have experienced such a situation when the sun was low and at a certain angle behind my head - its light got caught by the huge eye-lens and caused some reflections. The eyepiece diameter is too large to be accommodated by the eye-sockets - the eyecups rest on the eye-brows instead. Winged eyecups may be useful in certain, but rare situations.

For astronomy, I used the WX mounted on a tripod but didn't enjoy that much. It is best used hand held while lying on a deck chair or even flat on the ground.

In my humble opinion, Nikon should consider making another, scaled-down 7x35 WX with 10°-11° angle and sharp to the edges, that would be about perfect in terms of weight/performance.

Cheers,
Holger
 
"In my humble opinion, Nikon should consider making another, scaled-down 7x35 WX with 10°-11° angle and sharp to the edges, that would be about perfect in terms of weight/performance."

Would that be a big enough binocular to fit all those lenses in? One of the reasons the WX is so good and has such a wide FOV is it has so much glass in it. I think it has to be big.
 
Yes, the binocular would be smaller and everything should fit: If we assume the same focal ratio as the 7x50, then the diameter of the intermediate image would be smaller by a factor 0.7 and the prism could be scaled down by the same factor. Its volume (and weight) would then be about 1/3 of the present values. It seems that the eyepiece diameter is currently determined by the size of its field-lens (not eye-lens), which would also reduce with the szie of the intermediate image and the new focal length, which is going down by 0.7 as well. All in all, the 7x35 WX may weight perhaps 1.2 kg (a rough guess).

Cheers,
Holger
 
Yes, the binocular would be smaller and everything should fit: If we assume the same focal ratio as the 7x50, then the diameter of the intermediate image would be smaller by a factor 0.7 and the prism could be scaled down by the same factor. Its volume (and weight) would then be about 1/3 of the present values. It seems that the eyepiece diameter is currently determined by the size of its field-lens (not eye-lens), which would also reduce with the szie of the intermediate image and the new focal length, which is going down by 0.7 as well. All in all, the 7x35 WX may weight perhaps 1.2 kg (a rough guess).

Cheers,
Holger
A Nikon 7x35 WX with a 10 degree angle and sharp edges would be sweet! I doubt if we will ever see one though. 1.2kg(42oz.) is pretty heavy for a 7x35 though but I guess with all the glass in it it is to be expected. I would still buy one even at $3K!
 
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For comparisons sake, I weighed the three heaviest/largest binoculars I have; a SV 10X50(35oz), a HT 8X54(37oz), and a SLC 10X56(42.6oz). So, the HEAVIEST, LARGEST binocular I have weighs in at 42.6oz. Let's also take into account that those three are among my least USED binoculars with the SLC 56 the least used of the three. NOW consider that the WX 7X50 weighs in at a published 85.4 ounces. Combined with the weight of the WX, the IF, the 40ft CF distance, AND with birding as my primary use for binoculars by far, my bet is that once the newness wears off the WX WOULD probably become my least used binocular. That would be a tough $4500 pill to swallow...

I don't know......
 

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