Product Review: A Not So Good Report on the Olympus EXPS I 10 x 42. (2 Viewers)

[Dipperdapper]

Evening all.

Please find a link to my latest review of the Olympus EXPS I 10 x 42 for your perusal.

Product Review: Olympus EXPS I 10 x 42. | Neil English.net

Not such a happy bunny with this one, I'm afraid!

With best wishes,

Neil.

 

[Thotmosis]

Thanks for the link to this review Neil, was interesting to read!

 

[Talster]

Thanks for the link to the review Neil. Very interesting review and I can clearly see the image distortion on the image you provide in the review. Very disappointing.

 

[Binastro]

It seems to me that this is sample variation in a Chinese made binocular.

It could be that in addition to an element wrongly placed the collimation procedure meant that one side had to have a large compensation to achieve collimation.

I have found that lower priced Pentax and Olympus 10x50s were reasonably good, with Nikon Action VIIs being consistently a bit better.
Generally I found Nikon Action VIIs to be acceptable 8.5 times out of ten.
With Lidl type binoculars perhaps one in three were usable and one in six quite good.

There was a 10x50 binocular in a local shop at £10 that was so unbelievably bad, I should have bought it for my rogues gallery.
Mechanically it was unusable and optically terrible.
It is far and away the worst binocular I have come across.

The field lens in the review photo should be eye lens.

My advice, as always, is to try at least three similar binoculars and take the best, even if this is a demonstration binocular.
Buy the one tested, not a boxed similar binocular.
If possible, try six or twelve.

Regards,
B.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Thanks a million for the feedback folks; for the record I bought this unit from Amazon and the box looked pristine and untampered with.

I'm not sure about whether another sample of this binocular would yield any better results.

The allbinos.com review seemed to identify many similar issues to my tests:

Olympus 10x42 EXPS I - binoculars review - AllBinos.com

The best binocular tests on the net. The comprehensive database of binoculars with their parameters and users opinions. Interesting articles and comparisons.

www.allbinos.com

Best wishes.

Neil.

 

[pat mitchel]

What are the return policies of the seller? I've read of a buyer of another bino requiring 3 samples before he received an acceptable product. Considering that Opticron giving you a particularly good Adverturer TWP, I'd go for the 1 degree larger FOV and lose a couple mm ER and procure a 10x42 TWP! (I'd be very interesting in taking the offending EP apart and finding if the fault is a assembly error or manufacture error, kiss the warranty goodbye!) Regards, Pat

 

[Dipperdapper]

Hello Pat,

I think the Opticron Adventurer T WP 10 x 42 is a very interesting alternative for those who want a porro prism instrument in this aperture class. As you pointed out, it has a 6.5 degree field, and is considerably lighter at about 630g. And while the eye relief is reduced to 15mm, it might be just passable for eye glass wearers. I've actually tested both the 32mm models and the larger 10 x 50 model but not the 42mm units. I've not reported on the 10 x 50 but I was quite impressed with it! I'd bet the 10x 42 would be a better shot than the Olympus models at just over half their retail price.

Food for thought.......................

Regards,

Neil.

 

[Thotmosis]

My advice, as always, is to try at least three similar binoculars and take the best, even if this is a demonstration binocular.
Buy the one tested, not a boxed similar binocular.
If possible, try six or twelve.

But how can you test so many similar binoculars at the same time. Mostly the seller don’t have that many in stock even

 

[Binastro]

Three may be possible with a main stockist for expensive binoculars.

With lower priced binoculars I have tested six and sometimes twelve.

For instance a charity shop was given about twenty similar 10x25s.
I went through all of them in about half an hour and bought the best six or so at about £2 each.

Lidl sometimes have piles of maybe dozens of 10x50s.
I don't bother, but one could go through the lot.

I bought six binoculars for £12 each from the Daily Mail plus £1 total insurance.
Two were not aligned.
I phoned them.
They sent two new ones the next day and collected the faulty two.
So I had six good ones.

The 12x50 Japanese Ultraview.
I tested six in the shop and bought the best one that I used for years.

It seems to me that the 10x42 Olympus tested is faulty for whatever reason.
That does not mean that all are faulty or equally faulty.

The good thing about Opticron is that they may test each binocular, so that means one has a greater chance of getting a good binocular.

The Amazon seller of the Olympus is unlikely to test each or any binoculars.

I don't buy anything from the internet.

Regards,
B.

 

[Thotmosis]

Thanks for explaining B. Luckily i never had a bad binocular. Ah i had one bad though: Nikon Aculon Porro. Disaster! Bought at Amazon. After that I never bought binoculars again from this kind of big internet shops and no more MIC for me. From that moment i only buy from small independent shops and people, preferable second hand.

 

[Binastro]

Optics is a numbers game.

Cherry optics usually means testing several or many.

Binoculars, spotting scopes, astro scopes and camera lenses.

Knowing how to test optics is a valuable skill.

At whatever level, there is variation.

With very expensive optics one usually gets the quality expected, but not always.

I have had poor optics, even near the top end.

As to perfect optics, that is probably just a dream that won't happen.

I have had a few essentially perfect optics, or been lucky enough to look through them.

But they are rare.

In my experience, professional or military optics are better quality than consumer optics.

Regards,
B.

 

[Dipperdapper]

Quick Update:

After sending the Olympus back to Amazon, I ordered up another unit. Below is the serial numbers on both instruments (1st and 2nd instrument), together with images of the same patch of roof( 1st and 2nd instrument). The reader will note the left and right side of the roof images.




.

 

[Viraj]

I acquired a 10x50 model 10 years ago as my second pair of binoculars. They didn't get much use and are still at home in SL. I preferred my first pair, a reversed Porro, 8x21 dcp version to the much bigger 10x50.

 

[henry link]

Hi Neil,

Do both the right and left telescopes show the same problem on the left side of the field? What happens if you photograph the same roof through both sides with the binocular turned upside down?

Henry

 

[Dipperdapper]

Good Evening Henry,

Okeydokey, I took a few more pics through the second binocular:

First image: left barrel upright


Second Image: right barrel upright:



Third image: Upside down image through right barrel


Whatja think?

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[henry link]

I should have suggested one more thing. Could you rotate the diopter adjustment ring as far as it will go in either direction and photograph the roof through that side again?

Thanks,

Henry

PS, one last request. Could you closely examine the eyepiece focusing bridge for any sign of tilt or wobble?

 

[Dipperdapper]

I should have suggested one more thing. Could you rotate the diopter adjustment ring as far as it will go in either direction and photograph the roof through that side again?

Thanks,

Henry

Will do. I assume I am to refocus the image with the dioptre ring set to its furthest extent of travel. Two secs

 

[henry link]

Yes refocus, but the diopter can be rotated in either the + or - direction (or both if you're willing to make two photos) The idea is to see whether the bad edge rotates with the eyepiece.

One last thought; can the soft edge be refocused to sharpen it at the expense of the centerfield and opposite edge sharpness?

 

[Dipperdapper]

Here you go! Light fading fast! That's it all the way to negative.

 

[Dipperdapper]

A pic rotated to end of positive direction coming through. Two secs.