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Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Which (if any) Porro would you consider an "Alpha" ? (1 Viewer)

Several months months ago you tried to ridicule Bob (Ceaser) and I for even suggesting our Nikon porros offered the same quality of view as our Nikon EDG's. You even said that "I should be ashamed of myself for recommending a porro because uninformed people might spend their hard earned money on one". Bob and I were comparing our binos "side by side" and you were dissing Nikon porros based solely on your memory of their performance. Kind of brings up the question of was your memory really that faulty or were you being "less than candid".

Yet again this may simply be an example of another binocular morphing into "the best" because YOU own it. Anyone else find it odd that the person that has been denigrating porros for the past year decides to buy one when there is a current resurgence in porro popularity/discussion here on the forum???? Almost like he HAD to be part of the discussion and finally realized his usual contribution to a discussion on porros "my EDG is better than your porro" had finally run its course.

Steve
Don’t worry Steve, me and many others over here are feeling the same. Just push the ignore button.
 
I did too. However, I think they are very good - the little of what can be seen!
No they don't, it has been discussed here dozens of times, it is the legend of allbinos com.

Andreas
Oh really? They seem pretty bright to me. What is the transmission and who/how was it measured?
 
According to whom?

-1- The Fujinon 10x50 FMTR-SX.

"There are strong stories circulating about this viewer, including on the internet. For example, it has been claimed for a long time that the viewer has a light transmission of 95%. Our measurements have not been able to confirm this. The
highest value of transmitted light for observation in daylight in the spectral region where the eye is optimally sensitive (550-560 nm) is approximately 85%, which is considerably less than the claimed 95%. It should be noted that with a light transmission of 85% the image brightness is noticeably
less than with a light transmission of 95%."

Andreas
 
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-1- The Fujinon 10x50 FMTR-SX.

"There are strong stories circulating about this viewer, including on the internet. For example, it has been claimed for a long time that the viewer has a light transmission of 95%. Our measurements have not been able to confirm this. The
highest value of transmitted light for observation in daylight in the spectral region where the eye is optimally sensitive (550-560 nm) is approximately 85%, which is considerably less than the claimed 95%. It should be noted that with a light transmission of 85% the image brightness is noticeably
less than with a light transmission of 95%."

Andreas
Thanks. I guess it is one of those “Who do you believe?”
 
Jynty85, post 67,
The test and transmission measurements published on the WEB-site of House of Outdoor are measured with professional spectrometers present in our laboratory of Utrecht University for scientific measurements but also for measuring transmission spectra of binoculars and telescopes.
Dr. Gijs van Ginkel
 
@Thotmosis
Hello,

The 7x42 Habicht is a very well made binocular of limited capabilities as it is lacking a generous field of view. Until recently Alpha binoculars often could not compete with Porro binoculars in field of view but they were generally waterproof, compact and had better close focussing. In recent years, newer optical designs, as used in the Zeiss SF and that Austrian brand's NL line, have out shown even Porro binoculars in FOV. Obviously, such designs could be incorporated in a Porro binocular but that has not happened. There are even some folks who think the roof prism Alpha 15x binoculars exceed the Zeiss 15x60, but I have no experience of those roof prism binoculars.

My thought is that today no Porro glass is an Alpha. Fifty odd years ago, no roof prism binocular was Alpha in optics, but times have changed.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur
 
Thanks. I guess it is one of those “Who do you believe?”
By the way, I had the complete Fujinon FMT series myself, and when comparing it with a 7x42 Zeiss FL or 7x42 Swarovski Habicht, the Fujinon FMT 7x50 was noticeably darker even during the day. Of course, that doesn't mean that the Fujinon is a bad binocular, but it's just that the transmission values are simply massively exaggerated.

When in doubt, I trust my eyes, but Gijs measurements are of course more accurate... ;)

Andreas
 
By the way, I had the complete Fujinon FMT series myself, and when comparing it with a 7x42 Zeiss FL or 7x42 Swarovski Habicht, the Fujinon FMT 7x50 was noticeably darker even during the day. Of course, that doesn't mean that the Fujinon is a bad binocular, but it's just that the transmission values are simply massively exaggerated.

When in doubt, I trust my eyes, but Gijs measurements are of course more accurate... ;)

Andreas
That’s very interesting. I have the Zeiss 7x42 BGAT - I must compare it to that. Holger Merlitz doesn’t give a transmission value, but does say it is “technically perfect”.

How did the transmission value become so grossly exaggerated?
 
How did the transmission value become so grossly exaggerated?
I can't tell you which measurement method allbinos.com uses for binoculars, but especially in the area of transmission measurements I would classify allbinos.com as rather unreliable. The Fujinon is not the only binocular that raises questions in this discipline.

Andreas
 
I can't tell you which measurement method allbinos.com uses for binoculars, but especially in the area of transmission measurements I would classify allbinos.com as rather unreliable. The Fujinon is not the only binocular that raises questions in this discipline.

Andreas
That’s good to know. Many thanks
 
I don't think any of the modern porro's are really alpha's compared to the NL or SF roof prisms. Even a Fujinon or Habicht porro can not compete with the modern alpha roofs when you consider their overall optics.
It’s funny - I’ve had a SF 8x42 and 8x32 and I didn’t like either. I was underwhelmed.
 

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