• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Japanese High grade Binoculars (1 Viewer)

J

jackjack

Well-known member
South Korea
I'm planning to with reviews about some of the high grade binocular (around 1000$ and more) Made In Japen.

Below will be the sample of following reviews.

top left. / Nikon MHG 8x42
top right / NIKON EDG 8x42
bottom left / Opticron Aurora 8x42
botton righr / Sightron SV 8x42

(don't mind the tripod adaptor on the bottom of Opticron Aurora's hinge. Aurora is borrowed sample from my friend. and he put it on.
other samples are mine.

I'm not planning to compare all. too much to write.
(If I post the review comparing 4 at all, it mean I really don't have that time.)

thinking of writing comparison of MHG, EDG. the famous NIKON bins. and go for seperate reviews of Opticron and Sightron.
20240404_095751.jpg

+ also planning solo review of Fujinon HC 8x42. 20230726_232605.jpg

recently, I have too much to do.
Writing at foreign forum using foreign language typing in my phone is really a hard time job.

So start of the review will take time maybe at least a week later.

Review result is finished already. but it takes times to write and post.
If you are too curious of the result, contact me separately.
 
Last edited:
I think the edg, mhg have been reviewed in the past. there is much info on them, so nothing new there.
The Aurora has been reviewed also, it has been around a while.
I guess if there are folks who are curious about the Fuji or the Sightron, there may be some interest.
 
that's cool to see the 8x42 MHG and EDG right next to each other. I do like the longer barrel-room on the MGH for my hands, and the lighter weight. But that bigger, bulkier EDG focuser pays off - it's vastly better than the MGH focuser, for me. I am focuser-centric :):)
 
I owned the predecessor to the EDG. It was a very good glass, with a superb focuser. (Adventurer?)

I replaced it with an EL SV 10 X42, which could see into dark places better (coatings?) but otherwise surprisingly similar optically.
 
Scott98 said:
that's cool to see the 8x42 MHG and EDG right next to each other. I do like the longer barrel-room on the MGH for my hands, and the lighter weight. But that bigger, bulkier EDG focuser pays off - it's vastly better than the MGH focuser, for me. I am focuser-centric :):)
Click to expand...
EDG has ine of the best mechanical feel of focus.
really pleasing to roll around.

feel of focus is best among all the bino I seen. including NL, EL, SF, SFL, UV, NV, GENESIS. but bit finicky because dept of field is very shallow.

unfortunatly, MHG's focus have been downgraded even compared to HGL.
 
Maljunulo said:
I have no clue what it was called in different parts of the world.

Nikon Venturer LX is what I have in my notes. Notes say the successor was the Premier, I thought it was the EDG.

I bought them prior to 2001 and gave them to a granddaughter in 2021.
Click to expand...

I think it is call Nikon HG in japan and korea.

HG -> HGL -> EDG -> MHG is the Nikon elite roof bino line.

I haven see HG but many say it is heavier and yellower then HGL.
there are some asian manias who highly perfer HG.
 
Jack:
I think if talking high grade Japanese binoculars, that means Nikon. If you want to study up on some
interesting reviews, then do a search on "Better View Desired". It has many reviews with the start of the
Nikon roofs that include the HG in Europe and in the US called the LX. The writer of most of those reviews
is Stephan Ingraham, an expert in the field. The Nikon LX was his reference standard at the time.
It is good these older reviews from the 90's have been preserved.
I doubt if anything Opticron or Sightron is made in Japan.
Jerry
 
NDhunter said:
Jack:
I think if talking high grade Japanese binoculars, that means Nikon. If you want to study up on some
interesting reviews, then do a search on "Better View Desired". It has many reviews with the start of the
Nikon roofs that include the HG in Europe and in the US called the LX. The writer of most of those reviews
is Stephan Ingraham, an expert in the field. The Nikon LX was his reference standard at the time.
It is good these older reviews from the 90's have been preserved.
I doubt if anything Opticron or Sightron is made in Japan.
Jerry
Click to expand...

Some of Opticron's lines are Japanese made: https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-prod... wildlife enthusiast,with a 30 year guarantee. Not all are, but then not all of Nikon's lines are either. Some Kite are made in Japan, but not all.
 
NDhunter said:
Jack:
I think if talking high grade Japanese binoculars, that means Nikon. If you want to study up on some
interesting reviews, then do a search on "Better View Desired". It has many reviews with the start of the
Nikon roofs that include the HG in Europe and in the US called the LX. The writer of most of those reviews
is Stephan Ingraham, an expert in the field. The Nikon LX was his reference standard at the time.
It is good these older reviews from the 90's have been preserved.
I doubt if anything Opticron or Sightron is made in Japan.
Jerry
Click to expand...
nikon HG's HG stands for high grade but it didn't mean nikon only have high grade MIJ binos :)

Opticron aurora is recent flagship of Opticron
which is MIJ, some users in Korea thinks it is VIXEN OEM and same optical structure with DD optics SHG.
one of the korean users buy both and compare them, and come with the conclusion that they have identical optic preformance. but SHG is better build.

ans Sightron is under Kenko tokina, and SV is their recent flagship so many users think it to be Kenko OEM.
and some in korean forum and this forum thinks it is the same OEM with virtex razor UHD.

Thread 'Sightron SV ED anyone?' Sightron SV ED anyone?
 

Similar threads

chill6x6
SFL vs. Aurora...
2 3
Replies
41
Views
5K
Upland
U
A
Entry - Midrange Binocular Recommendation ($500)
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
Binovehje
B
J
brief comparison between Vanguard Endeavor ED 2 / ED4 10x42
Replies
0
Views
659
jackjack
J
dwatsonbirder
Compact comparisons: Low end vs high end
2
Replies
32
Views
4K
Rg548
R
R
Analysing Binoculars
Replies
6
Views
922
beacon hill
beacon hill

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top