Should I sell my Kowa bd ii xd for Swarovski 8x25 CL/Zeiss pocket victory 8x25? (1 Viewer)

[bigfarma]

Hi I just got my first real set of nocs, kowa bd ii xd 8x32. I like the view a lot but they are still a bit large and a little uncomfortable on my face. Was considering selling them and throwing some more $ at either the swarovski 8x25 CL or Zeiss pocket victory 8x25. Is this an upgrade that you think I'll be happy with or should I just keep the kowas at 1/3 of the price. These will be my general use binoculars: birding, hiking, boating, travel, general nature, security. If I replaced the kowas with a pocket pair I would likely get a 10x32/42 at some point down the road for more of a base-camp rig, trying to find my do-it-all always-with-me pair first. As I said, I am not unhappy with the image from the kowas, in fact i love the wide view and close focus. Just thinking I should have gotten a smaller 8x and gotten the kowa in a 10x32. Is there another pair I should be looking at other than the 2 pockets mentioned? Thanks!

Edit: also looking at the curios

 

[[email protected]]

I would. I think you will like the Swarovski 8x25 CL or Zeiss Victory 8x25 better, and they will be more compact. They won't have as large of FOV as your Kowa's, but they will have a higher quality view with sharper edges.

If you wear glasses, I would get the Zeiss because it will give you a bigger FOV than the CL, but if you don't wear glasses, get the CL. Both of these will be slightly more finicky for eye placement than your Kowa's because their EP is smaller at 3 mm, but they are still very good.

The Zeiss Victory 8x25's eye cups aren't long enough for the eye relief so if you don't wear glasses you will have to float them in front of your eyes to avoid blackouts and with the CL the eye cups are long enough to match the eye relief. The CL has sharper edges than the Zeiss, so it makes up for some of its smaller FOV.

 

[edwincjones]

I would suggest keeping the KOWA, at least for now, and getting the compact.
If the compact meets your needs, then sell the kowa.
I have the BD11 6.5x32 and a Zeiss terra 8x25 compact, but find the compact harder to use.
My thoughts are that the compromises need to get the smaller size are not worth it- at least to me,
but a more expensive compact might be different.

edj

 

[mwhogue]

I agree with Edwin, keep the Kowa for now. Personally I would recommend you try the VP pocket first since it has a much wider FOV than the SW 8x25 and you like the wide field of the Kowa. If you don't like the VP you could then try the Curio which has a slightly larger FOV than the VP, and then the SW 8x25 if you don't like the Curio. The Leica UV 8x20 is a possible candidate but the 2.5 mm EP makes it a little harder to use. All are great, just comes down to personal preference at this level.

Mike

 

[bigfarma]

I agree with Edwin, keep the Kowa for now. Personally I would recommend you try the VP pocket first since it has a much wider FOV than the SW 8x25 and you like the wide field of the Kowa. If you don't like the VP you could then try the Curio which has a slightly larger FOV than the VP, and then the SW 8x25 if you don't like the Curio. The Leica UV 8x20 is a possible candidate but the 2.5 mm EP makes it a little harder to use. All are great, just comes down to personal preference at this level.

Mike

Thanks, yeah I hear a lot of complaints about the zeiss VP because of the eyecups being too short but there seems to be aftermarket eyecups that fix that problem. I hear almost all good things about the curios, I'd like to see the modified VP vs the curios.

 

[yarrellii]

I think it's very important to try an 8x25 before deciding. While many people for many decades have found a "compact" size like 8x30 or 8x32 to be a great all-rounder (think that devices like the 8x30 Zeiss of yesteryear have sold in astronomical figures, and the contemporary 8x32 is very popular), I personally find that the jump to a smaller 8x25 is a great one, larger than the few mm in objective diameter might suggest.

8x25 are smaller, which means for some people are a bit fiddly to hold, eye position is more crucial, then some models have double hinge design which for some people is not as convenient for everyday use, they are dimmer in difficult light conditions and the field of view is narrower compared to most 8x32. So personally I would not consider a 8x25 as my main binocular, but only as a "specialised tool" if I really need to pack small. But then, some 8x25 are really not that small and light, and truth be told, the term "pocket" is a bit of a stretch for some models, while the 8x20 seems to be more rightly so in "pocket" territory.

Sure, there are 8x25 and 8x20 binoculars with amazing optical performance, but that doesn't take away the fact that many people find them awkward to use for long periods of time or as a sole device. So I would not sell a 8x32 to buy a 8x25 (like in exchanging a model for the other). But then everyone needs are different. When I'm going birding it's usually at least 2 or 3 hours, and some days up to 4 or 5. So in my case I would personally keep a "daily"/"go to" which I find comfortable to use. But then, that's just me. There is a quite impressive offering of very light 8x30/32 like the new Zeiss SFL, or the Nikon MHG that probably "feel" and behave like a full-size bino, while not adding a lot of bulk or weight compared to a 8x25. The Kowa you have are light at 520 g, but I feel there is a noticeable difference if you go down to 450 or 430 g binoculars like the ones I mentioned above or even the Nikon M7, Opticron Traveller ED 8x32, etc.

One can read amazing (and deserved) praise for binoculars like the Ultravid 8x20, but you have to think that it is first and foremost an 8x20. The same way you can read amazing things about the optical performance of the 7x50 Fujinon FMT-SX, but you have to remember that it's an IF monster of nearly 3 pounds.

So, as always, the main advice is just to go and try an 8x25 or 8x20 for some time and draw your conclusions in terms of handling, comfort and usability

 

[Mike Crawley]

I would urge caution.
Enjoy your Kowa binoculars and if the opportunity presents itself, go into a binocular shop and try other brands and other sizes.
Swarovski has binoculars at 8x30 as does Zeiss so worth checking out how they fit your hands and face (and wallet !!). In my humble opinion these should outperform the 8x25 options you mentioned.