Upgrade from Hawke EDX to $1000 Bins? (1 Viewer)

[lostintwilight]

I've been looking at the Opticron Aurora in 8x42 as an "Upgrade" to my Frontier EDX and torn with the idea.

Are $1000 bins 2 times "better"?

Will I be able to ID a bird that my frontier EDX can't?

These are questions I always ask myself when I'm looking at upgrading. I realize they can seem like loaded questions, and it seems like bin selection can be another hobby for some, but those that have made jumps to higher end bins, has it been worth it for you and how so?

 

[Rg548]

No, they're not i'm afraid.
But you do get 'better' optics, the image is nicer and more enjoyable, and the build quality and general feel goes up a bit too.
It's diminishing returns, and only you can decide where to stop.
I think the latest $1000 optics are a great balance.
The financial step up to 'alpha' grade is huge, and they are better than the $1000 mark, but the optical step up is not as big as perhaps you may imagine.
Don't get me wrong, the top tier binos are sensational, a real treat to look through, but I for one, cannot justify spending over 2k when the 1k binos are so good.
Opticron Aurora are great, as are Zeiss Conquest, Kowa Genesis, and the Nikons at that price.
You really don't need to spend more, but sometimes you gotta treat yourself.
We'll all be in a box one day and maybe life's too short for crap optics

 

[KC Foggin]

HI Lostintwilight and a warm welcome to you from those of us on BirdForum. Hope you enjoy your visits

 

[Scott98]

More expensive glass won't help ID birds much, maybe occasionally in very poor conditions or at the extremes of visibilty. For me it just makes everything more vivid & exciting and enjoyable to view. Just looking through the high end glass at some nearby mallards or mergansers is thrilling for me with the fancy binos.

When you think about how much you use them, and they should last for 10+ years easily, I think it's worth it to get a nice pair of 8x42

 

[Maljunulo]

It is not a linear relationship, and if you expect it to be, prepare yourself for disappointment.

In general, if they cost more, they are better.

 

[gcole]

I've been looking at the Opticron Aurora in 8x42 as an "Upgrade" to my Frontier EDX and torn with the idea.

Are $1000 bins 2 times "better"?

Will I be able to ID a bird that my frontier EDX can't?

These are questions I always ask myself when I'm looking at upgrading. I realize they can seem like loaded questions, and it seems like bin selection can be another hobby for some, but those that have made jumps to higher end bins, has it been worth it for you and how so?

I have never handled the Opticron Aurora or your Frontier EDX but I have owned/used both versions of the Opticron DBA VHD/ VDH+ 8x42 binoculars. Superb Optics in a nice compact package. I would not let their lower price when compared to the Aurora’s make you think that they would not be an upgrade. They were on sale at some retailers, last I checked Opticron also had these on sale. I would highly recommend trying these first. You might find that these will suit your needs and save you hundreds of dollars too.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

I've been looking at the Opticron Aurora in 8x42 as an "Upgrade" to my Frontier EDX and torn with the idea.

Are $1000 bins 2 times "better"?

Will I be able to ID a bird that my frontier EDX can't?

These are questions I always ask myself when I'm looking at upgrading. I realize they can seem like loaded questions, and it seems like bin selection can be another hobby for some, but those that have made jumps to higher end bins, has it been worth it for you and how so?

I found the biggest hurdle for me of viewing birds in flight was the CA of some binoculars. I would see the CA band along their wings and top of their body as the wings flapped in the distance across the bright white sky -- basically obstructing the image. So if that's a visual experience you deal with then I would totally upgrade to a binocular with reduced CA.

Good luck to you.

 

[Barnsley Dave]

I've been looking at the Opticron Aurora in 8x42 as an "Upgrade" to my Frontier EDX and torn with the idea.

Are $1000 bins 2 times "better"?

Will I be able to ID a bird that my frontier EDX can't?

These are questions I always ask myself when I'm looking at upgrading. I realize they can seem like loaded questions, and it seems like bin selection can be another hobby for some, but those that have made jumps to higher end bins, has it been worth it for you and how so?

I've been looking at the Opticron Aurora in 8x42 as an "Upgrade" to my Frontier EDX and torn with the idea.

Are $1000 bins 2 times "better"?

Will I be able to ID a bird that my frontier EDX can't?

These are questions I always ask myself when I'm looking at upgrading. I realize they can seem like loaded questions, and it seems like bin selection can be another hobby for some, but those that have made jumps to higher end bins, has it been worth it for you and how so?

Did you upgrade in the end?

 

[Patudo]

I tried both the Hawke X and the Aurora at the last Birdfair and found the Aurora noticeably better. Eye relief of the Hawke was slightly too short for me, so I couldn't see the full field of view (NB. not everyone may have the same issue - I think I need about 15mm eye relief) and the image quality of the Aurora was better full stop - brighter (not 101% sure, but pretty sure), more vivid colour rendition and an overall cleaner, better corrected image.

I think if you go up to the Aurora you will notice a difference image-wise, but it won't be twice as good (which is difficult to quantify anyway - even if some features like sharpness can be measured against eg. a USAF resolution chart, what would constitute "twice as good"?). Assuming the Hawke's eye relief and general functionality suits you, I'm not sure you will be able to ID many more birds with the Aurora, assuming magnification/format is the same - that, all too often, is down to the view you get of the bird and how quickly you can "get on the bird".

Where better optics shine is making everything look nicer (a bit trite, but true) and when scanning with the binoculars for long periods of time. Different users can use their binoculars for quite different purposes and have quite different views on what makes a "nice" image, so in the final analysis each user should make every effort to try the binoculars s/he is considering.

 

[Maljunulo]

Where better optics shine is making everything look nicer (a bit trite, but true) and when scanning with the binoculars for long periods of time. Different users can use their binoculars for quite different purposes and have quite different views on what makes a "nice" image, so in the final analysis each user should make every effort to try the binoculars s/he is considering.

Well put.

You said it better than I ever could, or did.

 

[dries1]

Gone in the twilight....

 

[lostintwilight]

Yes I upgraded, found a very very good deal on zeiss sfl 8x40

 

[Barnsley Dave]

Did you notice a significant difference?