BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Theo98" data-source="post: 3697123" data-attributes="member: 132099">Tale of Three PorrosGot my 8X30 EII last week...marked on IPD hinge cap, "Made In Japan"! Amazon delivery was quick but poorly packaged. Due to the thin bubble wrapped envelope (no other protection provided), the OEM Nikon box had tears and damage, however the case\optics survived the ordeal perfectly... Now onto the "-My Eyes-IMHO-ME" observations...as always, YMMV!   Have been glassing through many daylight conditions and during late dusk evenings, taking in the local birding and landscapes I live in. Unfortunately, I limited outside excursions due to weather issues (90%+ humidity), but feel I've given them a fair shake. Overall, these are some serious quality porro optics. IMO, they have a solid build, posses wonderful clarity, great center field sharpness and deliver very accurate color fidelity. With their relaxed and natural view (I do not wear glasses), I seem to be able to use all of the sweet spot area (to my eyes, about 75% of their expansive FOV). They are very comfortable in hand, overall ergonomics are great classic design and focus, IPD and diopter functions are superb. I can easily see the attraction and personal commitment some have to these venerable optics. As I stated in post #19, I was able to directly compare my 1999 Swarovski Habicht 8X30 W GAs to the EIIs. Did this become a "tale of two cities"...not really. Specs, Optics, Mechanics and Ergonomics are closer than I expected! However, in all lighting situations and various venues, the Habichts actually displayed just what phenomenal optics they really are! The swaro porro offered center field sharpness that allowed me to discern greater details in feather textures and bark structures with equal 3D depth, but in a wider sweet spot of clarity (to my eyes, about 90% of FOV). In focus DOF was slightly greater in the Swaro, allowing me to maintain focus with less adjustments. Overall ease-of-view was extremely close, but have to give the nod to the EII. The swaro is brutally sharp, so much that the EII view falls into place immediately, versus a split second later for the swaro. Shadows, low light performance and color fidelity all appear virtually equal, with the only major difference I could find being waterproof (Swaro) versus non-waterproof (Nikon).During this time frame, decided to throw in my other nice 8X30 porro, the Leupold Yosemite 8X30! I really like these little waterproof jewels. As for the very modest investment of $65, they have a lot going for them. Actually in several areas (sharpness, clarity, color fidelity), I find the EIIs were closer to these Yosemites than to the Habicht. However, the EII build and overall handling is certainly superior to these bargain porros (at 7X the price, should be)!Considering the Habicht 8x30 W GA (Gummi Armierung-thanks Lee) is no longer available and the Habicht 8X30 M black leatherette armored binocular runs about $1K new on the bay, the Nikon EIIs do appear to still be a great value in high quality optics. Since I already have in my optic arsenal the wonderful "Habicht Waterproof W GA" porro, find keeping the EIIs in use, in my region of the globe, is an issue that I don't need to face. Alas, I'm not in 100% due to this only issue I could find! However, if Nikon ever introduced an EIII that preserved the handling and optics of the EII and offered full environmental exposure protection, now That would be a Big Deal!!  <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />Ted</blockquote>

Verification