Inquisitor
Well-known member
Hi,
I have a little 6x32 Viper HD which I am loving. They make my eyes smile. The only thing I don't quite love is some sort of glare they get around sunset when the light is strong and low.
I am pondering getting a 10x next. I was debating the 10x42 and 10x50 Vipers since I already know I love their coatings but I then got to wondering about the Leupold 10x42 McKinley.
I know the Leupold is supposed to have a flat field and I have read about the newly released revision. This seems to be a funny binocular....lots of reviews dismiss them as being optically poor immediately and others say they are very comparable with the Conquest HD level of stuff.
Anyway, I did not notice much dedicated talk in the McKinley reviews about sunset/strong light and resulting glare. Does anyone have the ability to compare them to a Viper HD in these conditions?
BTW, I don't know if I want/need a very flat field, doesn't field curvature give the perception(?) of enhanced sharpness in the center? Is it harder to get that sense of perfect focus with a field flattener? Does it cause a loss of depth of field (which is already quickly decreasing in a 10X)?
I am also sort of worried that I might need to go to the 5mm exit pupil of the 10x50 Viper to get the same sparkle that I am loving with the Viper 6x I have now. My current 10x42 Atlas Intrepids just simply don't do that even in good light -also factor in that I love watching deer early/late. I am not sure if it is a difference in glass/coating quality or simply a smaller exit pupil and higher mag issue.
Another note...I finally learned that the cheapest way to seriously upgrade your binoculars is to try them out on a tripod! Crap, what a difference that makes when studying a sunning Anhinga on the far side of a small lake! It beats the pants off of my small sorry spotter and I don't think it is a shake issue.
Thanks
I have a little 6x32 Viper HD which I am loving. They make my eyes smile. The only thing I don't quite love is some sort of glare they get around sunset when the light is strong and low.
I am pondering getting a 10x next. I was debating the 10x42 and 10x50 Vipers since I already know I love their coatings but I then got to wondering about the Leupold 10x42 McKinley.
I know the Leupold is supposed to have a flat field and I have read about the newly released revision. This seems to be a funny binocular....lots of reviews dismiss them as being optically poor immediately and others say they are very comparable with the Conquest HD level of stuff.
Anyway, I did not notice much dedicated talk in the McKinley reviews about sunset/strong light and resulting glare. Does anyone have the ability to compare them to a Viper HD in these conditions?
BTW, I don't know if I want/need a very flat field, doesn't field curvature give the perception(?) of enhanced sharpness in the center? Is it harder to get that sense of perfect focus with a field flattener? Does it cause a loss of depth of field (which is already quickly decreasing in a 10X)?
I am also sort of worried that I might need to go to the 5mm exit pupil of the 10x50 Viper to get the same sparkle that I am loving with the Viper 6x I have now. My current 10x42 Atlas Intrepids just simply don't do that even in good light -also factor in that I love watching deer early/late. I am not sure if it is a difference in glass/coating quality or simply a smaller exit pupil and higher mag issue.
Another note...I finally learned that the cheapest way to seriously upgrade your binoculars is to try them out on a tripod! Crap, what a difference that makes when studying a sunning Anhinga on the far side of a small lake! It beats the pants off of my small sorry spotter and I don't think it is a shake issue.
Thanks
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