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Viking ED Pro vs Hawke Frontier ED-X (1 Viewer)

J

jonnyboyc

Well-known member
Hi there,

I have the option to buy a set of 8x42 in the region of £300-£350

The 2 models that I am focusing in on are the Viking ED Pro and the Hawke Frontier ED-X.

On paper they look similar in specs and cost.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Or even a better alternative.

For reference, I will be upgrading from a Viking ED Special Edition 8x42

Thanks
 
The ED X are stellar.

Absolutely stellar and you will not ever regret buying them for a moment. You will have to start looking at bins in the +£1000 before you best them.
 
I just received Viking ED Pro 10x42 bins yesterday and they are good. :t: I can only compare them with my Nikon Monarch 8x30 bins and Viking might even be better. :eek!: That's a very good sign, as the M7 is really good.

So, with 2 days of use I can recommend the Viking, but I don't know, how good they are in the end compared to other models.
 
Royfinn said:
I just received Viking ED Pro 10x42 bins yesterday and they are good. :t: I can only compare them with my Nikon Monarch 8x30 bins and Viking might even be better. :eek!: That's a very good sign, as the M7 is really good.

So, with 2 days of use I can recommend the Viking, but I don't know, how good they are in the end compared to other models.
Click to expand...

How much did you pay for the ED Pro, if you don’t mind me asking?

Just in case there is a bargain to be had from a supplier I haven’t seen
 
jonnyboyc said:
How much did you pay for the ED Pro, if you don’t mind me asking?

Just in case there is a bargain to be had from a supplier I haven’t seen
Click to expand...

I bought it from... https://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/p...binoculars--leather-case--strap-included_1156

The 10x42 model was at discount last week for 275 pound, which is = 300 €. I try to make a review of it in few next days.

You find some info of it in this thread. https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=289893
 
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Royfinn said:
I bought it from... https://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/p...binoculars--leather-case--strap-included_1156

The 10x42 model was at discount last week for 275 pound, which is = 300 €. I try to make a review of it in few next days.

You find some info of it in this thread. https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=289893
Click to expand...

Thanks, I am after the 8x42, so I will try Harrison's and see if I can get them at that price.

Am I right in understanding they were produced by Kamakura in Japan, which is different to all of Viking's other bins, which come from China.

They are similar to ECOTONE's and Kamakura own label stuff

https://upload.ecotone.com.pl/1024x0/6/2/MGK_przod_10x42www_1602950923.jpg
 
jonnyboyc said:
Thanks, I am after the 8x42, so I will try Harrison's and see if I can get them at that price.

Am I right in understanding they were produced by Kamakura in Japan, which is different to all of Viking's other bins, which come from China.

They are similar to ECOTONE's and Kamakura own label stuff

https://upload.ecotone.com.pl/1024x0/6/2/MGK_przod_10x42www_1602950923.jpg
Click to expand...
Interesting, they certainly look identical. :eek!: Ecotone price seems higher... https://en.ecotone.com.pl/produkty/-lornetka-kamakura-mgk-10x42.html
 
I had a very interesting chat today with the folks at Viking HQ. I had phoned them to find out more info about the ED-FF and ED-Pro.

They advised that the ED-Pro was produced in Japan and had an RRP of £599. The ED-FF was produced in China and had an RRP of £449.

However there is a twist.....

At that time, Viking needed a flagship product to try and stake a place in the premium market, so they went with the ED-Pro and marketed heavily based on Japanese optics etc.

But the ED-FF was actually the better binocular optically (field flatteners etc) but due to being made in China they couldn’t push it as their flagship, even though it was the better binoculars.

They also shared than Viking just couldn’t compete in that premium £500 market, so got out of it and their current top of the line Peregrine is inferior to any of the old “ED” range.
 
jonnyboyc said:
I had a very interesting chat today with the folks at Viking HQ. I had phoned them to find out more info about the ED-FF and ED-Pro.

They advised that the ED-Pro was produced in Japan and had an RRP of £599. The ED-FF was produced in China and had an RRP of £449.

However there is a twist.....

At that time, Viking needed a flagship product to try and stake a place in the premium market, so they went with the ED-Pro and marketed heavily based on Japanese optics etc.

But the ED-FF was actually the better binocular optically (field flatteners etc) but due to being made in China they couldn’t push it as their flagship, even though it was the better binoculars.

They also shared than Viking just couldn’t compete in that premium £500 market, so got out of it and their current top of the line Peregrine is inferior to any of the old “ED” range.
Click to expand...
Well, that's what I imagined that happened inside Viking brand...B :) I also considered Ed-ff model to buy, but the information was not pointing to it's superiority, mostly because of the birdforum thread I posted earlier. And my logic was that if ED-PRO was 600£ level binocular, it still is and 300€ is good price for it, otherwise I would have gotten something like Vortex viper for 500€,
 
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Royfinn said:
Well, that's what I imagined that happened inside Viking brand...B :) I also considered Ed-ff model to buy, but the information was not pointing to it's superiority, mostly because of the birdforum thread I posted earlier. And my logic was that if ED-PRO was 600£ level binocular, it still is and 300€ is good price for it, otherwise I would have gotten something like Vortex viper for 500€,
Click to expand...

I have been offered a set of ED-FF for £200, so I might get those and we can do a mini review on each! LOL.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts on the ED PRO
 
I found out some more about Kamakura from a Japanese industry publication

Kamakura Koki has established de facto world standard in the extra wide-angle binocular technology with the leading technology in the industry coupled with the development capability.
Extra wide angle binocular technology become the “world standard”
Kamakura Koki responds quickly with the change of the needs and diversification drive in the market. Besides the extra wide angle binoculars developed in 1964, the company has been leading the world with its various technology and development capability which includes binoculars loaded with fast focus mechanism, binoculars with auto focusing system incorporated with the electronics and the development of laser beam distance measuring monocular, phase correction coatings, Super High Reflection coating with 70 layers achieved 99.9% light refection. In particular, the technology of extra wide angle binocular has now become the world de fact standard. The weight of military use large sized binoculars were reduced with the application of a smaller prisms which become also the world de fact standard. In addition, Kamakura Koki owns many other patents applied in the process of the development. The company has excellent credential also in the product designs and two times winner of Small/Medium Enterprises Prize for “Good Design Award” which is organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry annually.
Becomes a world-leading maker through the system of international specialization of diversion
This company is not known much in public but Kamakura Koki supplies its products to not only to camera makers in Japan but also to the manufacturers in the US and Europe as an OEM manufacturers.
The company has established the system of international diversion of specialization, Marketing after sales, military standard binocular production in the US, whilst the product development/design and the establishment of production development are carried out in Japan.

Kamakura Koki exceeds other rivals in the speed of commercializing products after completion of the project with customers. Two months are enough for the company after the decision of the design, preparing a mock-up, opening the mold and commercialize the product. Production is mainly at China factory complying with the request of smaller lot production with the same or higher quality standard in Japan. This year, the company receives voluminous orders for laser range finders and enjoys brisk sales.
 
I went with the ED-FF in the end. I have only got a 15 min trip into the garden, but I am surprised how much sharper they are compared to the ED-S which I have too.

Looking at leaves and flowers, the colours and features really pop compared to the ED-S
 
jonnyboyc said:
I went with the ED-FF in the end. I have only got a 15 min trip into the garden, but I am surprised how much sharper they are compared to the ED-S which I have too.

Looking at leaves and flowers, the colours and features really pop compared to the ED-S
Click to expand...
That should be good buy with low price! :t:

Here is pic taken with Viking ed pro by my phone. Distance is 1,4 km.
 

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Some more info from Viking service department

ED Pro:
Flat multi coated optics.
Phase and SHR coated prisms.

ED FF:
Flat field lens.
ED objective lenses.
Fully broadband multi coated.
Phase and dielectric coatings on prisms.


Also the ED-S and the ED-FF were made by different manufacturers.

The ED-FF has much larger prisms than the ED-S
 
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