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Oberwerk 8x32 SE (1 Viewer)

It talks about 8x42 instead of 8x32.

I presume the Oberwerk is a Chinese interpretation.

The whole point about the Nikon SE was its restricted field with sharp edges and fine star images.
Expanding from 7.5 degrees to 8.2 degrees will have consequences.

It probably won't have the Nikon Japanese quality.

Incidentally, I don't like the Nikon SE because of blackouts, but those who do will be taking a bit of a gamble with this Oberwerk.

Some samples might be good.

There are numerous Leica camera copies.
But they are copies.

Regards,
B.
 
The only images and info readily available, seem to be on the Oberwerk site.
Though the foreshortened images make it a bit difficult to get a clear idea of what it looks like:

O'Werk a.jpg
O'Werk b.jpg



However, besides the designation, there may be (likely?) little optically in common with the Nikon 8x32 SE
(with a flat field eyepiece, listed ER of 17.4 mm, FOV of 131m/ 1000 m; CF of 3 m, and 630 g):

Nikon SE 8x32.jpg
From Arek's review at: Nikon SE 8x32 CF - binoculars review - AllBinos.com


John
 
That makes it kind of unattractive for birding. The Nikon 8x32 SE is 3 m. Those big eye cups look like they would be uncomfortable. They remind me of the Canon 10x42 IS-L eye cups. I think these will be similar to the Orion ED 8x30 or APM 6x30 MIC porro's that sell for about $200, and I tried them, and I wasn't that impressed with either the build quality or optics. They are nowhere near a Nikon 8x30 E2 or Nikon SE 8x32, and at $200 they can't be.
To me they look like the old vixen Foresters , which weren’t to bad when MIJ. The vixens were definitely not on the level of the E2 or SE. I think 10m might be a mistake.

I have the APM 6x30 and I think optically for $200 they are as close to the E2 of any binoculars available in that price range. The on axis image is very sharp and bright, and the edge fall off is very subtle. The DOF of the 6x and the 9.3 degree FOV is a very nice image personality, very unique. I’m surprised you didn’t like the build quality , the quality was the biggest surprise when I opened the box. I expected Vortex type of build quality. These are solid , dense feeling binoculars.
 

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I have an NL 8x32 and when you have a $2500 binocular, honestly I don't see the point of even having a $200 binocular unless you are just a collector. There is no way the $200 binocular is going to touch the $2500 binocular quality wise or optically. I used to have and use less expensive binoculars than I would think I have an alpha at home, why am I using this CPOS? I have some of the best binoculars and I use them. I know when I am using them I am getting the best view possible and that makes me feel good. IMO, if you can afford the best, why waste time with a lesser binocular? When you resell a Swarovski or Zeiss or Leica you don't lose much either, so it is really not costing you much more to have the best.
Thats mysterious , aren’t you the guy that called Swaro Habicht’s and Meopta’s some of the best binoculars? Why spend double when you had the best, or were they only the best just before you were about to sell them. I think high priced binos , Nocs, NL’s, EL’s SF’s and the like are incredible beautifully built optical instruments. But all non toy binoculars bring pleasure when out observing even if you can afford the best. Each pair of binoculars have there own personality and I never feel at a loss if I have my E2‘s with me on a beautiful day out observing nature. Life is short, and verity is the spice of life.

Be careful with your acronyms , didn’t that get you into trouble once.

Merry Christmas
 
Ok, you talked me into it. I got a pair on the way. The CF is 10 feet like the SE, not 10 meters. Actually, the discontinued Vixen Foresters were pretty good porros. These could be pretty good because they are a porro and the quality out of China is getting better all the time. I like the 8.2 degree FOV and the eyepiece oculars look big, which could be a good thing. Also, I like the fact that they are waterproof and nitrogen filled, have ED glass and adjustable eye cups unlike the Nikon SE. I will let you know what I think about them when I get them. Actually spec wise these are the dream porro's everybody has wanted.
 
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Ok, you talked me into it. I got a pair on the way. The CF is 10 feet like the SE, not 10 meters. Actually, the discontinued Vixen Foresters were pretty good porros. These could be pretty good because they are a porro and the quality out of China is getting better all the time. I like the 8.2 degree FOV and the eyepieces look big, which could be a good thing. Also, the fact that they are waterproof and nitrogen filled and have adjustable eye cups unlike the Nikon SE. I will let you know what I think about them when I get them.
I thought these were only pre orders and delivery sometime in January. I really am curious myself. Are we sure its MIC? Could it be assembled in Philippines 😝.
 
Oberwerks are MIC, but they are inspected by the founder before being shipped. I hear their customer service is excellent. I have had no experience with them.

"Oberwerk is an Importer/Distributor of mostly 56 mm and bigger binocular binoculars made in China. Unlike Leica, Swarovski or Zeiss, Oberwerk does not manufacture any binoculars. They source binoculars from China and have the Oberwerk name applied. There are at least a dozen other companies in the US importing from China. Oberwerk is one of the most established and have more consistent quality control. You can think of Oberwerk as the Bushnell of the 21st Century. Oberwerk binos are an excellent value. IMO, some of the better models offer 90-95% performance of the premium brands at a fraction of the cost."

"Every Oberwerk binocular is tested and tuned to perfection in Dayton, Ohio by Oberwerk founder Kevin Busarow, and comes with a hand-written check-out list. An Oberwerk serial number is assigned and laser-engraved only after a binocular completes this quality assurance process. Over the last two decades, Kevin has tested well over 30,000 binoculars (including around, 7000 Long-Range Observation binoculars and Binocular Telescopes), and is one of the most-experienced (and fanatical) optical techs in the business. Kevin’s testing involves numerous optical and mechanical checks, with a special emphasis on “collimation” (alignment). After training on the Navy Mark V collimator, Kevin built a collimator from a surplus spy plane camera lens. Since then, Oberwerk has obtained the real deal- an ultra-rare genuine Navy Mark V. As the world’s leading supplier of high-power binoculars, we understand how important it is that our binoculars are as perfectly-aligned as mechanically possible, in order to provide well-merged images with no eyestrain, at any IPD setting. Kevin applies the same level of precise alignment required by our high-magnification binocular telescopes across the entire product line, down to the least-expensive low-magnification models, making Oberwerk binoculars the most perfectly-collimated binoculars on the market."

oberwerk_checklist-scaled-e1667405705810-510x680.jpg
 
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Oberwerks are MIC, but they are inspected by the founder before being shipped. I hear their customer service is excellent. I have had no experience with them.

"Oberwerk is an Importer/Distributor of mostly 56 mm and bigger binocular binoculars made in China. Unlike Leica, Swarovski or Zeiss, Oberwerk does not manufacture any binoculars. They source binoculars from China and have the Oberwerk name applied. There are at least a dozen other companies in the US importing from China. Oberwerk is one of the most established and have more consistent quality control. You can think of Oberwerk as the Bushnell of the 21st Century. Oberwerk binos are an excellent value. IMO, some of the better models offer 90-95% performance of the premium brands at a fraction of the cost."

"Every Oberwerk binocular is tested and tuned to perfection in Dayton, Ohio by Oberwerk founder Kevin Busarow, and comes with a hand-written check-out list. An Oberwerk serial number is assigned and laser-engraved only after a binocular completes this quality assurance process. Over the last two decades, Kevin has tested well over 30,000 binoculars (including around, 7000 Long-Range Observation binoculars and Binocular Telescopes), and is one of the most-experienced (and fanatical) optical techs in the business. Kevin’s testing involves numerous optical and mechanical checks, with a special emphasis on “collimation” (alignment). After training on the Navy Mark V collimator, Kevin built a collimator from a surplus spy plane camera lens. Since then, Oberwerk has obtained the real deal- an ultra-rare genuine Navy Mark V. As the world’s leading supplier of high-power binoculars, we understand how important it is that our binoculars are as perfectly-aligned as mechanically possible, in order to provide well-merged images with no eyestrain, at any IPD setting. Kevin applies the same level of precise alignment required by our high-magnification binocular telescopes across the entire product line, down to the least-expensive low-magnification models, making Oberwerk binoculars the most perfectly-collimated binoculars on the market."

View attachment 1484269
Wow, I’m impressed, good info. Thank you .

Paul
 
Be interesting to hear what connection Oberwerk feel there is between this model and the other SE "from a well-known Japanese brand" to justify saying it is based on it. Clearly the specs indicate it isn't an attempt at a clone.

I do recall the brand Levenhuk offering vaguely similar looking Porro models in their line which had the same spec with the more expensive model offering the promise of "improved eyepieces". Maybe there has been an attempt to emulate the "field flattener" which Henry has suggested might have had a large part to play in the lack of astigmatism in the Nik.., Japanse model even if some field curvature was still present (though of course we're talking about a wider FOV eyepiece here).

Anyways indeed does seem a little optimistic to expect it to perform at the level of a model which fetches twice the price in the used market (if you can find one). Hopefully it will offer an attractive option at the price point. There was a thread here last week where someone was looking for a 10x50 Porro model for $200. A bit of research lead me to conclude that no current options above that price point.
 
I knew I've seen that binocular before... and I've finally remembered. The x42 version of these has been available (still is) for years under the name Visionary V1 8.5x42 (and probably under other brands too). You can not only buy it through a British shop called Northern Optics, but you can even enjoy their lovely mini-reviews on Youtube. There's one about the 8.5x42 model in particular. I've taken some screenshots of their review of the bigger 42 mm.

Captura de Pantalla 2022-12-19 a las 19.07.17.png
Captura de Pantalla 2022-12-19 a las 19.07.43.png
Captura de Pantalla 2022-12-19 a las 19.08.14.png

As you can see, it seems to be the same basic design, but adapted to accommodate bigger 42 mm lenses.

You can find the binoculars here:

and the review here:

And the good news don't stop there, we are lucky to count the man responsible for the reviews here in Birdforum: @beacon hill (he seems to ve a very nice chap, maybe you can ask him about the bigger brother. Judging by the review, it seems to be a very capable device). But, honestly, to expect a 250 $ bino to match a 900 $ is really asking a lot (especially since Nikon is quite well known for offering good value).
 
The fact that the Nikon SE was made in 8x32, 10x42 and 12x50 shows that the above range of 8x32, maybe 8.5x42 and perhaps others is quite different.

I think that just the name SE and the shape are similar, but the binoculars are quite different.

With early Leica camera copies, some are very similar clones, say the Feds or Zorkis, perhaps the Canon and early Minoltas,
while some bear little resemblance to the Leicas.

With the Oberwerk binocular it seems that the blurb is more or less made up.
Without actually seeing the binocular I cannot compare them, but I see little in common with the Nikon SE.

Regards,
B.
 
I knew I've seen that binocular before... and I've finally remembered. The x42 version of these has been available (still is) for years under the name Visionary V1 8.5x42 (and probably under other brands too). You can not only buy it through a British shop called Northern Optics, but you can even enjoy their lovely mini-reviews on Youtube. There's one about the 8.5x42 model in particular. I've taken some screenshots of their review of the bigger 42 mm.

View attachment 1484357
View attachment 1484358
View attachment 1484359

As you can see, it seems to be the same basic design, but adapted to accommodate bigger 42 mm lenses.

You can find the binoculars here:

and the review here:

And the good news don't stop there, we are lucky to count the man responsible for the reviews here in Birdforum: @beacon hill (he seems to ve a very nice chap, maybe you can ask him about the bigger brother. Judging by the review, it seems to be a very capable device). But, honestly, to expect a 250 $ bino to match a 900 $ is really asking a lot (especially since Nikon is quite well known for offering good value).
That one was available from another brand before it appeared with a Visionary label on it. But I can't recall the brand name.
I owned it briefly but didn't take to it because it had a small sweet spot.
If my brain catches up with itself, I'll remember the brand and let you know it
 

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