Review: ZEN Prime HD (1 Viewer)

[BruceH]

................ When I see "wow factor" I think "wow" there that is again. I wonder what this user means by it. ..................................

That's easy, it means the view has "POP"!

Bruce, for me Frank's Vixen Foresta 7x50 had the fine details that encompass the wow factor for me. Its view is very reminisce of the SE's. For me the wow factor is the abilitly to resolve fine detail at a distance. ................

I would have expected the 8 power of the Prime to have been better at resolving detail at a distance compared to the 7 power Vixen. Maybe I am mis-understanding here.

..........

There is plenty of wow (however anybody wants to define it ) in the Prime. There is ease of view in abundance too.

.................

Actually, I find "easy of view" more difficult to interpret than the wow factor and sometimes "wonder what the user means by it". (This is even after there was whole thread on it a couple of weeks ago.)

 

[Steve C]

That's easy, it means the view has "POP"!

WOW, silly me some simple things are just hiding right in plain sight! .

 

[stereotruckdriver]

So whats the latest? Are they still shipping July 5???

 

[raindrop1008]

Order mine in April, received it Friday, my father was happy with his father day gift. Thanks Charles.

 

[spacepilot]

Order mine in April, received it Friday, my father was happy with his father day gift. Thanks Charles.

That sounds great! How does your father like the Prime HD? Did you receive shipping information from Zen Ray before the binoculars were delivered?

 

[raindrop1008]

It's been raining here in BC so he did not get chance to try it out. I called Zen Ray customer service 2 weeks before and ask if I will received my order for father's day, and was told that they will prioritized it. Excellent customer service.

 

[spacepilot]

Thanks, raindrop. From my limited experience with Zen Ray, their service is first-class.

 

[idaho john]

Frank...

any further testing in the field? Using to spot/ID birds, how does the field of view look in use? Inquiring minds wish to know...or at least I would |:d|!

John

 

[FrankD]

John,

Sorry, I cannot comment further. I had to send the 8s back to Charles a week or so ago. I think he needed them elsewhere.

 

[Stet]

Interesting experience this weekend. Last week I changed my order for the Prime to a 10x42 and also ordered a refurbished Nikon EDG I 8x32. My thinking was with those two bins I'd be set. Well the Nikon's came in on friday and my first impression when I looked through them was that it looked just like the Prime's. The view is very very similiar. After a weekend of birding with them I am returning the Nikons. I never thought I'd say that but it's true. I actually like the Primes better judging from the 2 hours I spent with them, but the thing is I felt this way the first hour of using the Nikons, but kept thinking they'd come around. For me the Nikons were not worth the extra money. They just were not a good fit for me personally. The balance was off for me and I couldn't hold them as steady and they felt heavy and are quite big for an 8x32. Anyway just thought I'd share my experience. Now do I just order both the 8x42 and 10x42 Primes?

 

[idaho john]

and...

John,

Sorry, I cannot comment further. I had to send the 8s back to Charles a week or so ago. I think he needed them elsewhere.

Frank: I apologize for not getting back to you. Thank you anyway. Am looking forward to reviews from new owners - especially the 8x42 model.

John

 

[jgraider]

Interesting experience this weekend. Last week I changed my order for the Prime to a 10x42 and also ordered a refurbished Nikon EDG I 8x32. My thinking was with those two bins I'd be set. Well the Nikon's came in on friday and my first impression when I looked through them was that it looked just like the Prime's. The view is very very similiar. After a weekend of birding with them I am returning the Nikons. I never thought I'd say that but it's true. I actually like the Primes better judging from the 2 hours I spent with them, but the thing is I felt this way the first hour of using the Nikons, but kept thinking they'd come around. For me the Nikons were not worth the extra money. They just were not a good fit for me personally. The balance was off for me and I couldn't hold them as steady and they felt heavy and are quite big for an 8x32. Anyway just thought I'd share my experience. Now do I just order both the 8x42 and 10x42 Primes?

Wow, denco is gonna crap his pants when he reads this one.............

 

[brocknroller]

"The view is very very [similar]."

That's very, very good news since we already know that the 8x32 EDG is the "best binocular in the world".

It goes to show how important ergonomics are in purchasing decisions. Given two equal choices optically, I'd always go with the one that feels most comfortable.

I spent three years trying to modify the ergonomics of my Nikon 8x32 LX to fit my hands, but to no avail. Bushwackers, extenders, platforms, fat suits, you name it... nada. I successfully modified both my 8x32 SE and 8x30 EII.

Sometimes it's worth holding on to a bin to see if you can modify it to fit your hands, other times, there's simply no way for that to happen - the proverbial round peg in a square hole scenario.

Or as Kenny once said:

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to return 'em... or something like that.

The shoot out I'm waiting to see:

ZR Prime HD vs. Nikon Monarch 7 ED


<B>

 

[eitanaltman]

Given that the ED3's already outperform the Monarchs by a good margin, I would think the Prime will win that one. But that's speculation. There do appear to be changes with the Monarch 7 as it has a wider FOV than the regular Monarchs.

I am more interested in the Prime HD vs. the new H-body piano hinge Vortex Razor HD. Has anyone on this forum reviewed one of these redesigned Razors yet? There is now a review on the "best binocular reviews" website: http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vortex8x42RazorHD-104.htm

Given that the ED3 was by all accounts very very close to the original (open bridge) Razor HD, I am curious how the new Razor HD performs relative to the Prime at 1/2 the price.

 

[BruceH]

The shoot out I'm waiting to see:

ZR Prime HD vs. Nikon Monarch 7 ED


<B>

Brock, what is it about this comparision that appeals to you? What I see are two similar priced roof binoculars with ED glass and dielectric coatings but with a flat view vs a traditional view. Is there something else?

My comparision choice would be between the flat field contenders:
10X42 Zen-Ray Prime HD
10X42 Swarovski EL SV
10X42 Nikon EDG II

They are all ED glass, dielectric coated prisms, the same magnification, same object size, all roof models and each offer flat field views. This is a good apples to apples to apples comparision.

The two alphas sell for about $2,500 (sometimes less) and the Prime HD 10X42 is now just under $600 before shipping. I would like to see what the additional $1,900 brings to the table.

 

[Steve C]

I have to admit to being curious about the new Monarch 7 as well. I have a very hard time buying the idea that Nikon will build a Prime level glass and take a chunk of their own high end sales. But maybe business is business and if they can sell it, fine. Lots of folks will like it for no other reason than it's a Nikon product.

On the other hand I have to wonder if the new 7 is more like a Bushnell Legend Ultra HD, and they will sell it for twice the $$, business being business. They will do what they will do and I guess I'll wait till I can get my hands on a 7 to compare to the Prime.

Nikon is certainly capable of giving the Prime a run, but Nikon has blown chances to really improve the original Monarch for a long time and seems literally to have to have been embarrassed into producing a mid level glass to their standards.

 

[jgraider]

Nikon's sport optics division is really pretty clueless if you ask me. Nothing would surprise me.

 

[ceasar]

I have to admit to being curious about the new Monarch 7 as well. I have a very hard time buying the idea that Nikon will build a Prime level glass and take a chunk of their own high end sales. But maybe business is business and if they can sell it, fine. Lots of folks will like it for no other reason than it's a Nikon product.

On the other hand I have to wonder if the new 7 is more like a Bushnell Legend Ultra HD, and they will sell it for twice the $$, business being business. They will do what they will do and I guess I'll wait till I can get my hands on a 7 to compare to the Prime.

Nikon is certainly capable of giving the Prime a run, but Nikon has blown chances to really improve the original Monarch for a long time and seems literally to have to have been embarrassed into producing a mid level glass to their standards.

Nikon has 4 Monarchs currently listed on their 2012 website.

http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/index.page

Monarch X,3,5 and ATB. The Monarch 7 is not listed. But they do have a Prostaff 7. You have to click on "Birding" in the above link and then Click again on Binoculars on the new screen to find this listing.

If you click on "Products" and then click on Binoculars in that list you will get only the Monarch X and Monarch ATB.

Great Website! Play "Find The Binocular!"3

Bob

 

[CliveP]

Looking forward to that one also.

Seems fine listed here except the broken thumbnails in the main menu.

http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/product/sport-optics/binoculars/monarch/monarch-7-10x42

I suspect it will be somehow inferior to the higher ranges. Probably go off a lot in low light and have soft edges otherwise be a great midranger and therefore nothing really groundbraking.

Hope I'm wrong of course and it might not be very much out but there must be something that will be lessor. Don't think it wil threaten the Prime ED? Probably more of a Legend HD as was suggested.

 

[raindrop1008]

Some pictures of the Zen Ray Prime HD. My dad loves it.