@wllmspd - they're not reviews at all. A proper review would be more like what jackjack does (detailed comparisons etc) and Canip has done previously for models like the Maven 10x50. I'm just jotting down the
impressions I took away from trying them for relatively brief stints. But I was able to try all the binoculars I did try for long enough to be satisfied that I had seen what could be seen with them in the location and conditions.
It's worth noting that seeing conditions seemed very good that day. The light being somewhat muted by the overcast conditions made glare a non-issue, and may have made those binoculars with more saturated colour rendition seem less punchy than if it had been sunnier. I agree you really need to try binoculars out under different conditions to get a fully rounded perspective on their performance. The 2019 Birdfair where it was bright and sunny, but with clouds regularly passing overhead, offered more in that regard, leaving aside the vastly superior view.
Additional note: once I got into the big optics tent the view was much more limited and it became very difficult to put the binoculars, especially 10xs, through their paces in the way I would have liked. As noted in an earlier post I probably will not return to this event until proper views covering much longer distances can be had.
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After a quick chat with Gary Hawkins at Zeiss I think I went through the Swaro area and tried Kowa (I had not tried the Genesis range on previous visits and wanted to get more familiar with both x44 models). From what I could see optical performance of both the 8.5x44 and 10.5x44 seemed very good and build quality was impressive. I would say there is really not much in
perceived build quality (as well as, frankly, even image quality) between the best Japanese binoculars and the European alphas, in very similar way to how the best Japanese porros of the past were able to stand comparison with even the best built models from Zeiss West. The two x44s are a larger/heavier binocular that is not as compact as the x42 offerings but being heavier, are steady in hand. Perceived brightness is (as I think jackjack has mentioned in previous reviews) not really exceptional - although I wouldn't say they were wanting in this area - but I found the image to be pleasingly clean and detailed, with what appeared to be a large sweet spot and natural (as I think should now be expected in this class of binocular) colour rendition. I think this class of binocular (Genesis x44, Maven 9x45 and also the Vortex 10x50 UHD which I tried later) are fully competitive with the sub-alphas (Conquest HD, MeoStar etc and also the Ultravids which to my eyes are more in that bracket than the top tier alphas).
I didn't try the 6.5x32 BD the last time Kowa displayed binoculars at Birdfair so this was also on my list. I thought it was a brilliant little bino, the really wide FOV (even by current standards) was most pleasing and immersive, image quality and build quality both seemed perfectly acceptable at its price point. I'm not the biggest fan of 7x magnification and wondered what 6.5x would be like - and I really need to use it in actual birding situations for longer to get a proper feel for it - but it seemed close enough to 7x whereas the 6x30 YF porro I had tried in the past did seem a little understrength - I suppose the impression of higher magnification you get through roof prism binoculars helped somewhat. Great little package, not of course a pocket binocular but not much larger than the slim 8x30s (CL, MHG etc) either, with a significantly wider field of view. This is probably the closest thing (though still not quite in either form factor or FOV) to the old Leitz 6x24s.
After the Swaro area (more later) I passed through Nikon. The Monarch HG was competent as I remembered from previous occasions, but I couldn't say it impressed me more than eg the Maven or Kowa or even the Aurora (though build quality of the MHG felt superior). The MHG and Conquest HD have long been my benchmarks for sub-alpha performance but they have definitely been joined by and in some respects bettered by the crowd of highly competitive challengers.
While at the Nikon stand I tried the Action EX 7x35 9.3 porro as a bit of a laugh, but ... after one look I realized I needed to look through it much more seriously. This thing is stumpy, blocky, thoroughly unattractive, with no better than average mechanicals (the last to be expected given its price, I suppose). But it combines goodly eye relief with a generous 9.3 degree field of view, and the image it offers ...
geez... - it's what can happen when an optical company of great experience takes the time-proven porro design and gives it modern (not even top tier modern, just contemporary) coatings. Yes, seeing conditions were very good, and yes, a lot of the targets were close by and would have flattered the low magnification that is also easier for a manufacturer to deliver image quality in. But everything I looked at in it was bright and sharp and detailed and vibrant (small purple flowers in the hedgerow were a great little test for colour rendition). Bearing in mind I had just come from trying NLs I could not help but be impressed by what this cheap little porro could do. I'm not saying they are NL good, don't get me wrong, but they more than matched my memory of the anniversary edition 8x30 EII (being able to use my glasses with them might have helped, but the EII just was not as impressive as I had expected it to be). I'd even go so far to say that image wise, in that setting, they really did not seem far off the (very good) 10x40 Habicht - not necessarily the outrageous comparison it might seem as both are classic porro designs updated with modern coatings. The Habicht was vastly better made and 10x is obviously a significant increase in magnification, but looking at image quality alone ... good god. If you ever get the chance to look through one, do. Like the Kowa 6x30 YF, but more so (IMO) they show you just what a well executed porro design is capable of. I pressed my Fieldpro-owning brother to take a look and he agreed it was pretty good too.
(to be continued...)
I respect like Canip, so I was pretty keen to see what was on offer and what it could do. Unfortunately they did not have the 10x50 Canip reviewed, but they did have the Abbe-Koening prismed models (9x45 and 11x45) and it was the former that, with one of the Maven representatives in tow (thank you again Maven guy for allowing me this favour!), I was allowed to take to the corner of the field that had by far the best views. With the far bank of Rutland Water being nearly 2km away this was more like the distances I typically view over. Detail at distance has always been my test for optics and I have to admit the 9x45, well regarded here, did not disappoint, very capably picking out fine details of buildings on the far side of the reservoir over 2km away. (Visibility, as noted in my previous post, seemed very good, showing the qualities of all the optics I tried well.) On the short walk back to the stand I was able to try it alongside my brother's 8.5x42 Fieldpro which I am familiar with and rate very highly indeed. I have to admit the two, albeit only in pretty brief comparison and under the specific conditions of the day, seemed very close optically. The Maven isn't flat field but has a very large sweet spot in which (I can't quantify this, just going by my impressions and expereince...) optical performance seems very good indeed.
