Sightron "Blue Sky" II 8x32 (1 Viewer)

[brocknroller]

Taking the risk of making myself a pariah on Birdforum ... Since we're talking cars and "American" "cars", you should know that little Sweden once had two independent, native and mutually competing car brands - Volvo and SAAB.
Both were known for their very high safety standards and were considered high quality, just below Mercedes and BMW and equal to Audi.

Ford PAG bought Volvo and GM bought SAAB when they feared facing financial trouble. Volvo was a cash cow for the bleeding Ford PAG and there was considerable discontentment with the way Ford neglected reinvesting in Volvo. Later, probably due to a liquidity crisis, Ford PAG sold Volvo to Chinese car company Geely.
There are now two plants in China where Volvo cars are manufactured and those are no knock-offs.

GM acquired half of the company in the late nineties and the other half in 2000. This was not a great business operation as the company made great losses for every SAAB sold. SAAB people claim that GM's internal billing was partially cause to the losses. Opel people say the same but reversed.
GM put Saab into financial reconstruction (the action taken to avoid bankruptcy) in 2009 and the following years were characterised by great turmoil. GM's complete lack of compassion and will to help their former partners to move on is nothing but disgraceful. Chinese companies Youngman and Pang Da were willing to buy SAAB but GM refused to let go of the licences for three current SAAB models.
The result was bankruptcy and unemployment for thousands of SAAB workers.

It may be difficult to fathom the symbolic value of SAAB as a native car and fighter jet manufacturer (the aircrafts are still in production since that's another, independent branch). It was a national treasure rather than a business. There was a museum with all the iconic models from the start in the later forties and the bankruptcy meant that everything must be disposed of. So there aren't even tangible memories for those who wish to dream of SAAB's heydays.

By this I just want to say that you are not the sole country to suffer.

//L

N.B. It is again possible to buy new SAAB 9-3's from NEVS but the production rate is extremely modest AFAIK and the previous turmoil has damaged the brand value severely. Chinese money play a major role in this venture.

//L,

I used to own a SAAB 900 Turbo during my Yuppie phase. For a 4-cylnder car, it was really peppy, and it was built like a tank, two layers of 20-gauge steel and the doors were reinforced with rib cages. It also handled very well with the Perelli tires I had on it. It also had a leather padded small size racing wheel.

A drunkard lost control of his car one Friday night and hit my parked SAAB first, making a small tear in the wheel well. After bouncing off my car, he hit two Japanese cars parking in front of mine. The entire sides of the Japanese cars were pushed in, probably thousands of dollars of body work. I hammered down the tear, and put some putty on the crack and painted it so it wouldn't rust. You couldn't see it.

So I give SAAB major points for build quality and for packing all that power into a 4-cyclinder engine, however, it was the most unreliable car I ever owned. It was frequently in the garage, and my mechanic found it difficult to work on and had to buy specialized tools, such as star wrenches, to fix it. He said it was "over engineered." Too complicated. Did car folks design it or engineers from SAAB's aircraft division? The latter must have been involved in the aerodynamic body design, which was way ahead of its time. Mos cars were still squarish when I had my SAAB.

The transmission finally went while I was driving, of all places, on the Henry Hudson Parkway, in NYC. That road has no shoulder, so I held up traffic for miles until a tow truck could reach me. Fortunately, I had AAA, because getting a tow in NYC cost over $100, and the garage was only a few blocks away. They wanted too much to fix it, so I brought it to my father's brother's wife's brother. He took three months to fix it and charged me $3,000. Ugh. I had to rent a car in the meantime, so my actual cost was more. I could have bought it to SAAB, which would have done the job in two weeks and charged me just a bit more. So much for relative discounts! That was the first and last time I let him work on one of my cars.

I thought I had a lemon, but the more I read about SAABs and the more SAAB owners I talked to, my experience was not exceptional. Even my doctor sold his SAAB 9-3 and bought a Toyota FJ Cruiser, because he was tired of bringing the SAAB into the dealer for repairs. So while GM might have mishandled the sales of SAAB in the U.S., the brand's reputation for unreliability proceeded it. GM, particularly the Chevy division, didn't have a very good reputation for reliability then, so it was not a good match. GM has much improved, not sure about SAAB.

According to the guys on "Top Gear," the new SAABs are rebaged models of some other brand, don't remember which manufacturer. Hopefully, they've improved their reliability and are not as hard to fix when they do break down.

I really do like SAABs, very classy, at least the original ones, but I would only buy one again if I were rich enough to own two, so when one broke down and was in the garage being fixed, I'd have the other to use until that one broke down and I had the first one back.

<B>

 

[FrankD]

Bob,

So you bought one? Finally?

I don't know how much you are going to be impressed with it considering most of the other bins you own.

Brock,

You screwed up. It was 4 Zeiss 7x42 FLs. Two 8x32s though.

 

[ceasar]

Bob,

So you bought one? Finally?

I don't know how much you are going to be impressed with it considering most of the other bins you own.

Brock,

You screwed up. It was 4 Zeiss 7x42 FLs. Two 8x32s though.

No. I didn't buy one yet. I've been considering the Pentax 9x32 for a while though.

Bob

 

[looksharp65]

Brock, that must have been in the eighties. Over-engineered or not is a matter of habit and preferences. If you don't have the right tools at hand, then it is easy to say such a thing to escape the embarrassment.
Of course their cars from the eighties were not as over-engineered as any current car, but they were technologically advanced for their time. It is true, though, that the Turbo version was slightly more prone to operational disturbance than the standard versions, probably due to more aggressive driving habits.
There were SAAB repair shops "everywhere" in Sweden and spares and tools were never a problem. Furthermore, the SAABs from the later nineties and this millennium don't differ from other cars in this respect.
But to obtain maximum reliability, a Toyota or Subaru might be the best choice.

Not sure what Top Gear refers to, but there was a SAAB 9-7X (?) that was a GM model built for SAAB, and the 9-2X was a Subaru Impreza.
There is also Chinese company BAIC which bought the tools and rights to build the previous SAAB 9-5 (1997-2010) under their own badge. It is not entirely correct to call it a knock-off or say it was stolen and I assume that is true even for some other models from various brands.

The 9-3 Aero sold by NEVS bears the SAAB name and is produced in Trollhättan, Sweden. The griffin symbol is absent, though.
But nobody can deny it is a real SAAB per se, but the former company is completely gone.

//L

 

[SteveTS]

Good to hear, although what I meant was a Korean optics company making a new brand of sports optics in Korea

To steer away from SUVs ...

Tasco used to make their bins in South Korea.

Steiner have their bins made for them in South Korea : SamYang Tech.

Sanju Corp., founded in 1992 and claiming to be the only dedicated binocular manufacturer in the country, manufacture a wide range of their own brand binoculars in South Korea. They offer a range of standard, zoom and waterproof porros and roofs, including an 8x30 WPES porro (waterproof, fov 148m @ 1000m pictured below).

I haven't seen them for sale here but you can buy them direct from the manufacturer : http://sanju.co.kr/2010_eng/company/map.html.

Perhaps they would send you a sample for review.

 

[brocknroller]

Brock, that must have been in the eighties. Over-engineered or not is a matter of habit and preferences. If you don't have the right tools at hand, then it is easy to say such a thing to escape the embarrassment.
Of course their cars from the eighties were not as over-engineered as any current car, but they were technologically advanced for their time. It is true, though, that the Turbo version was slightly more prone to operational disturbance than the standard versions, probably due to more aggressive driving habits.
There were SAAB repair shops "everywhere" in Sweden and spares and tools were never a problem. Furthermore, the SAABs from the later nineties and this millennium don't differ from other cars in this respect.
But to obtain maximum reliability, a Toyota or Subaru might be the best choice.

Not sure what Top Gear refers to, but there was a SAAB 9-7X (?) that was a GM model built for SAAB, and the 9-2X was a Subaru Impreza.
There is also Chinese company BAIC which bought the tools and rights to build the previous SAAB 9-5 (1997-2010) under their own badge. It is not entirely correct to call it a knock-off or say it was stolen and I assume that is true even for some other models from various brands.

The 9-3 Aero sold by NEVS bears the SAAB name and is produced in Trollhättan, Sweden. The griffin symbol is absent, though.
But nobody can deny it is a real SAAB per se, but the former company is completely gone.

//L

Rather than keep on veering off topic, I will send you a reply via PM.

Brock

 

[brocknroller]

How could this thread have possibly dropped to #17 on the list? Could it be that the Sightron BS II has finally run its course, awaiting the next generation of po' boy birders to discover Frank's thread in the BF deep storage archives?

Btw, I saw a SAAB Saab 9-2X the other day for the first time. I've probably seen one before but didn't recognize it as a SAAB because it doesn't look like one. Very uninspired design. It did look like an old style Impreza wagon. Needles to hay, I was not Imprezzed.

<B>

 

[perterra]

How could this thread have possibly dropped to #17 on the list? Could it be that the Sightron BS II has finally run its course, awaiting the next generation of po' boy birders to discover Frank's thread in the BF deep storage archives?

Btw, I saw a SAAB Saab 9-2X the other day for the first time. I've probably seen one before but didn't recognize it as a SAAB because it doesn't look like one. Very uninspired design. It did look like an old style Impreza hatchback. Needles to hay, I was not Imprezzed.

<B>

Nah, it's cause I'm broke and havent had the money to buy a pair to wax eloquent about. Swoon over if you will.

 

[brocknroller]

Nah, it's cause I'm broke and havent had the money to buy a pair to wax eloquent about. Swoon over if you will.

I hear you, bro. I'm broker than a church mouse's housekeeper, broker than the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, broker than Willie and the Po' Boys Down on the Corner, Out in the Street, broker than Pamela Anderson, who owes $1.1 million in back taxes and debts to construction companies that were working on her Malibu house last year, broker than Larry King was in 1978 when he had to file for bankruptcy after his former business partner accused him of stealing money, broker than Brendan "The Mummy" Fraser, who went to court recently to claim he can no longer afford to pay child support and alimony to his ex-wife, broker than world's first supermodel, Janice Dickinson, who filed for bankruptcy this year, owing $1 million, broker than Burt Reynolds in 1996 when he declared bankruptcy because he owed $100,000 to his wig maker.

After I move to Seattle where the minimum wage is going up to $15, I can earn a living wage slinging burgers at Big Boys, and I will buy a BS II and add to the post count.

Brock

 

[perterra]

I hear you, bro. I'm broker than a church mouse's housekeeper, broker than the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, broker than Willie and the Po' Boys Down on the Corner, Out in the Street, broker than Pamela Anderson, who owes $1.1 million in back taxes and debts to construction companies that were working on her Malibu house last year, broker than Larry King was in 1978 when he had to file for bankruptcy after his former business partner accused him of stealing money, broker than Brendan "The Mummy" Fraser, who went to court recently to claim he can no longer afford to pay child support and alimony to his ex-wife, broker than world's first supermodel, Janice Dickinson, who filed for bankruptcy this year, owing $1 million, broker than Burt Reynolds in 1996 when he declared bankruptcy because he owed $100,000 to his wig maker.

After I move to Seattle where the minimum wage is going up to $15, I can earn a living wage slinging burgers at Big Boys, and I will buy a BS II and add to the post count.

Brock

LMAO

 

[dannat]

Because of this talk at the bottom of the posts I now get an Ad for Saab service Melbourne (Australia)

Secondly picked up a SII 8x32 off US fleabay this morning, might arrive in a week or 2

 

[brocknroller]

Because of this talk at the bottom of the posts I now get an Ad for Saab service Melbourne (Australia)

Secondly picked up a SII 8x32 off US fleabay this morning, might arrive in a week or 2

Use Mozilla Firefox as your default browser and download AdBlock Plus as an add-on and you won't see the SAAB ads or any other pop-up ads again.

https://adblockplus.org/en/firefox\

Let us know what you think of the BS II when it arrives.

Brock

 

[bluespiderweb]

Tried another sample...

Here you go, a fresh one from bluespiderweb:

"I had tried the Sightron Blue Sky II roofs but they felt too light, especially with such a stiff focus wheel that mine had-not a good combination-hard to hold steady. And mine didn't seem all that sharp either, so the Foresta's were my new hope for a compact 8x30."

Stiff Sightron BS focuser wheel

Hold on to your sample, Frank, it might be one of the few perfect ones out there!

<B>

Yes, my first encounter with the Blue Sky II was not positive, though my second one is proving to be a bit different, and better, I'm happy to report!

While I was shopping for an 8x32 again, to see if it would be another workable alternative for me, I decided to order another Sightron Blue Sky II 8x32 to see if I could be pursuaded to join the ranks of the apprecianados. It now has happened, I will admit-this one seems a bit better in regard to sharpness, field of view, and easier function of the focus wheel-it's not perfect in the latter regard, but it is a lot better than my first example.

It does still have some stiction in the focusing, but it is minor in comparison to the first ones I tried, that I think I could live with these, as is. Sharpness seems a bit better than my first ones, and since the focus wheel is more freewheeling, I can now take advantage of the lighter weight they offer to produce a satisfying sharpness and quality of view (wide too), that I can now appreciate. I can hold these steadier because the focusing wheel is not as stiff as the first ones I tried, which made the lighter weight a problem for me.

I will say that in comparison to my Vixen Foresta 8x32 porros, that the Blue Sky's are a little step down in quality of view-sharpness seems just a tad under the Vixens, and also the Vixens get the nod for brightness, and of course, 3D viewing. But I will say this-for nearly $90 dollars less (optimum deal that I could find), the Blue Sky II's are still a very nice bin, that have a lot going for them. Sharpness is pretty near the Vixens, even if the brightness is not as good, but they do have a quality (maybe color contrast) that makes certain colors and foliage, and maybe fauna, pop in comparison to the Vixens, even in lower light. No matter, they are still a very nice choice for the money, especially considering the weight savings they offer over the Foresta porros in the field. I'd rather these hanging around my neck for long periods than the Vixen porros, so there may still be a place for them in my keepers. If I can afford to keep them as well, I will, I believe. We'll see, as I have some 8x36 Rebel Renegades coming in to upset the balance, possibly, especially for the money. More later.

 

[perterra]

Yes, my first encounter with the Blue Sky II was not positive, though my second one is proving to be a bit different, and better, I'm happy to report!

While I was shopping for an 8x32 again, to see if it would be another workable alternative for me, I decided to order another Sightron Blue Sky II 8x32 to see if I could be pursuaded to join the ranks of the apprecianados. It now has happened, I will admit-this one seems a bit better in regard to sharpness, field of view, and easier function of the focus wheel-it's not perfect in the latter regard, but it is a lot better than my first example.

It does still have some stiction in the focusing, but it is minor in comparison to the first ones I tried, that I think I could live with these, as is. Sharpness seems a bit better than my first ones, and since the focus wheel is more freewheeling, I can now take advantage of the lighter weight they offer to produce a satisfying sharpness and quality of view (wide too), that I can now appreciate. I can hold these steadier because the focusing wheel is not as stiff as the first ones I tried, which made the lighter weight a problem for me.

I will say that in comparison to my Vixen Foresta 8x32 porros, that the Blue Sky's are a little step down in quality of view-sharpness seems just a tad under the Vixens, and also the Vixens get the nod for brightness, and of course, 3D viewing. But I will say this-for nearly $90 dollars less (optimum deal that I could find), the Blue Sky II's are still a very nice bin, that have a lot going for them. Sharpness is pretty near the Vixens, even if the brightness is not as good, but they do have a quality (maybe color contrast) that makes certain colors and foliage, and maybe fauna, pop in comparison to the Vixens, even in lower light. No matter, they are still a very nice choice for the money, especially considering the weight savings they offer over the Foresta porros in the field. I'd rather these hanging around my neck for long periods than the Vixen porros, so there may still be a place for them in my keepers. If I can afford to keep them as well, I will, I believe. We'll see, as I have some 8x36 Rebel Renegades coming in to upset the balance, possibly, especially for the money. More later.

Oh boy, this isnt good, Brock will not be happy.

 

[mayoayo]

Vixen Foresta Porro

Hi ....hey bluespiderweb, could you possibly post a couple of pics of the foresta 8x32..¿

Yes, my first encounter with the Blue Sky II was not positive, though my second one is proving to be a bit different, and better, I'm happy to report!

While I was shopping for an 8x32 again, to see if it would be another workable alternative for me, I decided to order another Sightron Blue Sky II 8x32 to see if I could be pursuaded to join the ranks of the apprecianados. It now has happened, I will admit-this one seems a bit better in regard to sharpness, field of view, and easier function of the focus wheel-it's not perfect in the latter regard, but it is a lot better than my first example.

It does still have some stiction in the focusing, but it is minor in comparison to the first ones I tried, that I think I could live with these, as is. Sharpness seems a bit better than my first ones, and since the focus wheel is more freewheeling, I can now take advantage of the lighter weight they offer to produce a satisfying sharpness and quality of view (wide too), that I can now appreciate. I can hold these steadier because the focusing wheel is not as stiff as the first ones I tried, which made the lighter weight a problem for me.










I will say that in comparison to my Vixen Foresta 8x32 porros, that the Blue Sky's are a little step down in quality of view-sharpness seems just a tad under the Vixens, and also the Vixens get the nod for brightness, and of course, 3D viewing. But I will say this-for nearly $90 dollars less (optimum deal that I could find), the Blue Sky II's are still a very nice bin, that have a lot going for them. Sharpness is pretty near the Vixens, even if the brightness is not as good, but they do have a quality (maybe color contrast) that makes certain colors and foliage, and maybe fauna, pop in comparison to the Vixens, even in lower light. No matter, they are still a very nice choice for the money, especially considering the weight savings they offer over the Foresta porros in the field. I'd rather these hanging around my neck for long periods than the Vixen porros, so there may still be a place for them in my keepers. If I can afford to keep them as well, I will, I believe. We'll see, as I have some 8x36 Rebel Renegades coming in to upset the balance, possibly, especially for the money. More later.

 

[bluespiderweb]

Foresta Pictures

Hello Ayo,

Sure, but since this is not the Foresta thread, if you give me your email, and tell me what you want to see, I will send some to you via email. I have no free hosting account at the moment. You can find pictures of the 8x32 on the web, but they are all the one factory shot that you see everywhere. What would you like to see, and/or know?

 

[brocknroller]

Oh boy, this isnt good, Brock will not be happy.

Why? This is perfect, it's exactly as I wrote earlier about the lack of consistency with the BS II focusers. But more, there were also "inconsistencies" with sharpness and FOV in his first sample.

Blue Spiderman wrote: .... I will admit-this one seems a bit better in regard to sharpness, field of view, and easier function of the focus wheel-it's not perfect in the latter regard, but it is a lot better than my first example.

Of course, for a phase-coated open bridge roof that can be had for $200 or less, it shouldn't surprise anyone that you might need to buy more than one sample to get a goodin'.

In his pre-Brady Bunch heyday, Frank was known to buy two, three, four or even five samples of the same Chinbins to find the best sample, and then he'd sell the rejects to the unsuspecting public. :smoke:

Although I will say that he sold those lesser samples at discounted prices, sometimes steeply discounted. So while they may not have been the pick of the litter, at bargain cave prices, it's hard to complain about it, but I probably would anyway.

Brock

 

[perterra]

Why? This is perfect, it's exactly as I wrote earlier about the lack of consistency with the BS II focusers. But more, there were also "inconsistencies" with sharpness and FOV in his first sample.

Blue Spiderman wrote: .... I will admit-this one seems a bit better in regard to sharpness, field of view, and easier function of the focus wheel-it's not perfect in the latter regard, but it is a lot better than my first example.

Of course, for a phase-coated open bridge roof that can be had for $200 or less, it shouldn't surprise anyone that you might need to buy more than one sample to get a goodin'.

In his pre-Brady Bunch heyday, Frank was known to buy two, three, four or even five samples of the same Chinbins to find the best sample, and then he'd sell the rejects to the unsuspecting public. :smoke:

Although I will say that he sold those lesser samples at discounted prices, sometimes steeply discounted. So while they may not have been the pick of the litter, at bargain cave prices, it's hard to complain about it, but I probably would anyway.

Brock

The thought of another satisfied customer bodes ill for one who thinks this thread has dragged on too long. LOL

 

[FrankD]

In his pre-Brady Bunch heyday, Frank was known to buy two, three, four or even five samples of the same Chinbins to find the best sample, and then he'd sell the rejects to the unsuspecting public. :smoke:


Brock

Uh, the Leupold Cascade porros were Japanese not Chinese Brock..as were the Minox BD BP and the current Opticron HR WPs.



...and for what it is worth I have owed two units of the Sightron 8x32 BS S II and tried a third. The only difference I noted between the three was in the focusing tension. The original, that I still own, had focusing tension somewhere in between the other two.

Optically I couldn't tell a difference between them.

 

[eitanaltman]

Let's not forget that the Sightrons are NOT made in China. They are Kenko bins manufactured in the Philippines.

Despite Brock's bizarre pathological obsession with a bin he has never owned or tried, the truth is that these bins have excellent QC outside of the focus tension variability. You would be hard pressed to find the kind of complaints about eyecups breaking, miscollomation, diopter failures etc that are rife in many cheap bin threads. I sold mine for other reasons, but mine were quite faultless and reliable optically and mechanically, especially for the price.