Torview
Well-known member
Cheers NJ, thats actually a £1 cheaper than the used one I`d noticed !
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Regarding Nikon Se (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Odradek
- Start date
Cheers NJ, thats actually a £1 cheaper than the used one I`d noticed !
brocknroller
porromaniac
About 2 1/2 years ago, I bought a 10x42 SE, the 050xxx model with the latest coatings and Eco-Glass. I still had my 505xxx 8x32 SE and I was surprised at how much better the contrast and brightness was in the newer model. So much so, in fact, that I ended up selling my 505 8x32 SE and buying a 550xxx model.
Now, some people don't see any difference between these two models, which were the latest made, the 505xxx ending around 2006-7 and then the first appearance of the 550xxx about 2008-9 (the first time I saw mention of "Eco-Glass" in an SE ad).
Assuming the serial numbers represent sequential numbering like they do on most other binoculars, though we have some skeptics in the crowd, there couldn't be more than 999 550xxx 8x32 SE made between 2008-9 and now, otherwise, we would now be seeing some 551xxx units coming on the market. My unit is in the 300s.
So the SEs are not volume sellers for Nikon. However, people who use that reason to periodically declare the series' demise, I think, are missing the point. Yes, Nikon is a for-profit corporation, they want to sell what they make, but I harken back, as I often do, to the auto industry.
Each auto company has a top of the line sports car. For Toyota, it's the Scion FR-S, for Honda it's the NSX, for Subaru the BRZ, and on and on. These cars don't sell like Corrollas or Civics or Imprezas, but they represent the company's reference standard, and in some cases, features pioneered in the top 'o the line models such as ABS brakes trickle down to more plebeian models.
Almost everybody agrees, even some Swaro fanboys, who are as chauvinistic about their favorite brand as anyone can be w/out being confined to a straight jacket, that when it comes to modern porros, the SEs are the reference standard (except for Zeiss 7x50 B/GA owners
)In addition, many SEs are bought on the second-hard market (all six of my SEs were). Buyers who sell because they want to move up to an alpha roof, others who finally get fed up with the infamous image blackouts, or find they cannot due w/out waterproofing and are not willing to keep them on the roof of their car during a torrential downpour and put them in a dry box afterward. So there's a lot of "recycling" going on with SEs.
But decade after decade, Nikon keeps making them, and waves of SE hysteria appear when stores run out, and the rumor mill starts about their demise. This often spurs some buyers to look hard for SE and pay whatever price necessary for fear that the SEs may be discontinued at any moment w/out notice.
This has become part of the SE's mystique - the premium porro that always has one foot in the grave. The problem with these cycles is that sooner or later (apparently later), the SE will finally be discontinued, but who's going to believe it after so many false death certificates? Even after Nikon confirms their demise, SEs will be spotted at this store or that like posthumous Elvis sightings.
That's what happens when you're a legend in your own time. :smoke:
Anyway, I sold my 10x SE earlier this year to buy an 8x30 EII black body, because they really aren't available in the US anymore and I paid more than I should have, but they are a lot more practical than the 10x SE, which filled a niche, but didn't get used that often as my Nikon 10x35 EII. With my even-stevens philosophy of "sell a bin to buy a bin," something had to go, and the 10x SE was it. Despite the comfortable ergonomics, I found it hard to hold steady for daytime use and a little disappointing for stargazing after having owned the 12x50 model.
I have no regrets and recouped my investment, and recommend them, but with the caveat only if you can hold 10x steady or are willing to mount them. Otherwise, I think most birders will find the 8x32 model provides better utility.
Brock
jaymoynihan
Corvus brachyrhynchos watcher
Having all three of the SE models, how i use them
8x daytime only
10x dual purpose, daytime / handheld at night
12x, night only mounted
Just sayin....
8x daytime only
10x dual purpose, daytime / handheld at night
12x, night only mounted
Just sayin....
Jason Bugay Reyes
Well-known member
An SV Swarovision 8x32. Better optically and everything else you want. The perfect birding binocular.
brocknroller
porromaniac
That's also how I used my three models, but I found the 10x SE harder to hold steady for daytime use than night time, because the weight distribution is different when you're holding the bin out in front of you.
For it's size, it was rather light @ 24 oz. (same weight as the 8x32 LX), it needed more weight, so I added the SE tripod mount at the bottom, which helped reduce bad vibrations, but it was somewhat awkward to use with a tripod mount sticking out at the bottom since I had to hold the bin all the time rather than let it rest against my chest when I wasn't looking through it. I had another centerpost tripod mount, which I sold with my Nikon 8-16x40 XL Zoom binoculars, that would have worked better since it was stubby by comparison. KImmo also mentioned that he had problems keeping the image steady in the 10x42 SE.
I can hold the 10x35 EII much steadier, because it's more compact and my hands wrap around the entire body, unlike the 10x SE.
If I had deeper pockets I would have kept the 10x SE, because the image was so great, but I wanted a BB 8x30 EII and it was one or the other. The optics on my sample 10x42 SE 050xx were excellent. I sold it for $550, somebody got a bargain, but so did I since that's what I paid for it.
Brock
Last edited:
Torview
Well-known member
Brock, purely on optical merit how would you rank the 10XSE and 10XEII ?
And what do you think of this 9x35 ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251329267087?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Just as an indulgent piece of fun to own.
And what do you think of this 9x35 ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251329267087?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Just as an indulgent piece of fun to own.
Dr.SamPoni
Active member
Just became a proud owner of an 8x32 SE and I love it. I bought it new from B and H who just received their stock from Japan. The serial number is indeed 551xxxx.
About 2 1/2 years ago, I bought a 10x42 SE, the 050xxx model with the latest coatings and Eco-Glass. I still had my 505xxx 8x32 SE and I was surprised at how much better the contrast and brightness was in the newer model. So much so, in fact, that I ended up selling my 505 8x32 SE and buying a 550xxx model.
Now, some people don't see any difference between these two models, which were the latest made, the 505xxx ending around 2006-7 and then the first appearance of the 550xxx about 2008-9 (the first time I saw mention of "Eco-Glass" in an SE ad).
Assuming the serial numbers represent sequential numbering like they do on most other binoculars, though we have some skeptics in the crowd, there couldn't be more than 999 550xxx 8x32 SE made between 2008-9 and now, otherwise, we would now be seeing some 551xxx units coming on the market. My unit is in the 300s.
So the SEs are not volume sellers for Nikon. However, people who use that reason to periodically declare the series' demise, I think, are missing the point. Yes, Nikon is a for-profit corporation, they want to sell what they make, but I harken back, as I often do, to the auto industry.
Each auto company has a top of the line sports car. For Toyota, it's the Scion FR-S, for Honda it's the NSX, for Subaru the BRZ, and on and on. These cars don't sell like Corrollas or Civics or Imprezas, but they represent the company's reference standard, and in some cases, features pioneered in the top 'o the line models such as ABS brakes trickle down to more plebeian models.
Almost everybody agrees, even some Swaro fanboys, who are as chauvinistic about their favorite brand as anyone can be w/out being confined to a straight jacket, that when it comes to modern porros, the SEs are the reference standard (except for Zeiss 7x50 B/GA owners
In addition, many SEs are bought on the second-hard market (all six of my SEs were). Buyers who sell because they want to move up to an alpha roof, others who finally get fed up with the infamous image blackouts, or find they cannot due w/out waterproofing and are not willing to keep them on the roof of their car during a torrential downpour and put them in a dry box afterward. So there's a lot of "recycling" going on with SEs.
But decade after decade, Nikon keeps making them, and waves of SE hysteria appear when stores run out, and the rumor mill starts about their demise. This often spurs some buyers to look hard for SE and pay whatever price necessary for fear that the SEs may be discontinued at any moment w/out notice.
This has become part of the SE's mystique - the premium porro that always has one foot in the grave. The problem with these cycles is that sooner or later (apparently later), the SE will finally be discontinued, but who's going to believe it after so many false death certificates? Even after Nikon confirms their demise, SEs will be spotted at this store or that like posthumous Elvis sightings.
That's what happens when you're a legend in your own time. :smoke:
Anyway, I sold my 10x SE earlier this year to buy an 8x30 EII black body, because they really aren't available in the US anymore and I paid more than I should have, but they are a lot more practical than the 10x SE, which filled a niche, but didn't get used that often as my Nikon 10x35 EII. With my even-stevens philosophy of "sell a bin to buy a bin," something had to go, and the 10x SE was it. Despite the comfortable ergonomics, I found it hard to hold steady for daytime use and a little disappointing for stargazing after having owned the 12x50 model.
I have no regrets and recouped my investment, and recommend them, but with the caveat only if you can hold 10x steady or are willing to mount them. Otherwise, I think most birders will find the 8x32 model provides better utility.
Brock
bonesmalones
Well-known member
I was waiting for a pair of 8x32SE from Optics Planet when I decided that because I already own an 8x32 EDG, it would make more sense to get a 10x42SE. So I cancelled my 8x32 and ordered the 10x42SE. I expect arrival some time next week. I'm really looking forward to having one of the best porros made in my hands.
Different names on Nikon 10x42 Se
Hello everybody
I'm new here and this is my first post.
There are already some posts regarding this but I want to sum it up.
We have:
Nikon SE CF 10x42 from UK , Sweden or Japan
Nikon 10x42 Superior E Manufacturer Code: BAA554AC from UK
Nikon 10x42mm Premier SE Binoculars Mfr # 7311 from USA
It is strange that there are two different manufacturing codes.
Are they all the same product?
Microclobe in UK has a quit low price and I asked them if it was a recently manufactured item with serial number beginning with 550 or higher.
I gott the answer that it was recent and the serialnumber starts with 05xx|:S|
Hello everybody
I'm new here and this is my first post.
There are already some posts regarding this but I want to sum it up.
We have:
Nikon SE CF 10x42 from UK , Sweden or Japan
Nikon 10x42 Superior E Manufacturer Code: BAA554AC from UK
Nikon 10x42mm Premier SE Binoculars Mfr # 7311 from USA
It is strange that there are two different manufacturing codes.
Are they all the same product?
Microclobe in UK has a quit low price and I asked them if it was a recently manufactured item with serial number beginning with 550 or higher.
I gott the answer that it was recent and the serialnumber starts with 05xx|:S|
NDhunter
Experienced observer
Welcome to the Birdforum.
You have a good question, and the ser. #'s you are referring to are different for the 8x32 and the 10x42.
The newer 8x32's are as you have referred to, as they are
550xxx or higher.
The 10x42 SE's more recent production starts with 050xxx, as you were
told.
They just have different ser. # sequences for different models.
Jerry
Hi Uruguru,
Welcome to Bird Forum!:hi:
Don't worry about the different manufacturers numbers and codes. All 10 x 42 SEs are the same product. The same goes for all 8 x 32 SEs and 12 x 50 SEs.
Jerry is right. All 8 x 32s have SNs that begin with 5. All 10 x 42s begin with 0 and all 12 x 50s begin with 3.
For instance, my 10 x 42 SE, which is quite old, has a SN that begins 0053xx.
Bob
steve@37n84w
Well-known member
I indulged on a mint 9x35 a few years ago and was rewarded with one of my sharpest binoculars on axis. Many of these older Japanese porros are very, very good, just giving up a little on contrast due to their dated coatings.
Steve
bonesmalones
Well-known member
I received the 10x42 SE pair I ordered yesterday. After looking through them for a short while I can say they are sharp edge to edge, rivaling the 8x32 EDG I own, they have great DOF, and the most pronounced 3D effect of any porro I've looked through. Very impressive. Definitely lives up to the hype so far. Awesome build quality too.
brocknroller
porromaniac
First question: I had both 10s, and they both are excellent. I would have to give a slight nod to the SE for "sharpness," particularly edge to edge, but the sweet spot in the 10x35 is quite large, in fact, I use the EII for stargazing. But most importantly, for me, I found the 10x EII was easier to hold, so I kept it and sold the 10x SE.
The 10x SE has excellent ergonomics - same prism housing as the 8x - but at 24 oz., I found it too lightweight for its size, at least for my shaky hands. The EII's weight and balance is better for my hands, and I do like the extra wide FOV and AFOV.
That's comparing the latest models (or at least late models, the 051xxx 10x SE might be out now) with advanced AR coatings. The EII is slight warmer in its color balance than the SE, but both have excellent resolution and contrast. Really, it comes to personal preferences. Either is a fine choice.
Second question. I have tried the Nikon 9x35, though I do like that configuration. I had a NIkon 8x35 Action with 8.2* FOV, and the optics were amazingly sharp, close to the 8x32 SE. They must have had the last single blue coatings before Nikon switched over to MC in 1992, because the image is so good that it rivaled MCs, although there was some flaring. I see this on most single coated optics and even some 80s/early 90s MCs.
I see b***p was the winning bidder. Wonder who he is?
BP
bonesmalones
Well-known member
After owning and using the 10x42SE Premier for a few days, I have to say I'm blown away by the view through them. They are easily as good as my EDG 8x32, at a fraction of the cost. I suppose the tradeoff is weatherproofing, but I think it's worth it. Amazing binoculars. You may now call me Master of the Blatantly Obvious.
Gary
Gary