Leupy 7x42 Hawthorne? Reviews? (1 Viewer)

[Highway Dog]

I have wondered if the Leupold Hawthorne is similar to the Minox BL 7x42. I have it and thought it was the best 7x42 until I tried the ZenRay 7x42. The wider field of view makes me use it.

We need somebody to compare the Minox BL 7x42 and the Leupold Hawthorne 7x42 who has them in hand!

Rob.

 

[cycleguy]

Frank,

Had them a year ago. Don't agree with what I'm hearing from Dennis about them. They were not sharp all the way to the edges. What a rediculous claim. Look at Albinos, this is only claimed to being achieved by the EDG's and Swaro ELs. Do you think a $280-$350 binocular is doing the same? I'm thinking it started to fall off at 50-60%, but not overly distracting beyond that, but in no way holding center sharpness to the edge. This is starting to sound like Amazon buyer reviews where $60 binoculars do everthing alphas do. CA was a bit worse than other bin's I've owned... and none were HD. Focus wheel had a bit of resistance at one point but not as noticable as the bit of resistance I experienced in the Bresser's. In other words, not perfect. All that said, still a likeable pair of binoculars, more likeable at $280 than $350.

I am beginning to think Dennis is finally realizing 7x has striking qualities to it that 8x don't!

CG

Hi All,

So I'm on my second pair of these... maybe I should be posting in Frank's thread about re-buying the same binocular!

Want to add the focus wheel is 2 revolutions.

My second impression (short term) parallels my frst.. good centers, center sharpness falls off at about 55% but not distracting, good ergonomics for a 42mm bino being only 5.5" but not the gem ergo's of the 7x36 eaglet, CA is there in the center and edges... and noticibly more on the edges, overall neutral color with slight warm bias, focus wheel acceptable but not precision refined, and really no noticable difference in light gathering ability over most 32mm I've owned, distortion level falls somewhere inbetween the Swaro 8/10x32 EL WB (heavy) and the Nikon SE 8x32 (light).

I like the neoprene strap but took the quick release do-dads off... they make a lot of clicking noise which will spook game, objective lens covers are like swaro EL... so I suspect they'll get lost after a while and have to be replaced - hope they don't cost $16/ea, case is neoprene... which is cheaper than some others... I'm OK with it and it makes for a lightweight cover if you like to carry your bins around your neck with the case on.

The focus wheel on this pair is smoother than the focus wheel on my first pair... good but not exceptional, not uniform thru the full length of travel but not objectionable for a $300 bin.

I purchased on ebay thru dobbsbargainarms for $285 shipped. Again I like these bins better as an upper $200 binocular vs a mid $300 binocular.

There is room for improvement... a larger sweet spot would go over well with me, less CA would probably be next, and an expanded field of view... say 400 to 420 would be nice.

I'm curious if anyone has tested the magnification to verify this is a 7.0x??? or 7.something X???

Again, a likable binocular.

My .02,

CG

 

[Coin Hound]

Very nice package

I wanted a smaller pair of binos for birds and wildlife around the house--For $300, I really did well.

First, these are NOT the same as Weaver's Grand Slam 7x42s. Although both are made in Japan, they are clearly different.

The Leupold's are sharp, smooth, , and very pleasing to use. They are a step up from my Vortex Diamondbacks in regards to sharpness and contrast. The Vortex's are a real nice pair, BTW.

Colors are distinct and CA is minimal--I wonder how different these are from Mojave's???

 

[gulf1263]

Leupy 7x42 Hawthorne

Hello all:
I am a fan of the 7x42 format because of astigmatism and other eye problems.
Love the Leica 7x42 Ultra HD, have not tried the Nikon Edge II yet so can not compare.
Did not like the Zeiss 7x42 FL's, others do, YMMV.
A friend begged me for my pair of B&L Discover 7x42, really miss those.
Have a pair of Weaver 7x42 Grand Slams, good glass but don't love them like the B&L's.
Most people really like the view through the various 7x42's but somehow come to believe they need the extra mag of a 8 or 10 power, then discover they can not use them for extended periods of time and set them aside.
Please note that for me the 8x32 format is easier to hold still than the 8x42, again YMMV.
I have spent a fortune on optics over the last five years and have tested quite a few but keep coming back to 8x20, 8x32 and 7x42.
With a decent pair of 7x42's the view feels relaxed and you just want keep looking through them, that is what draws me to the format.
Art

 

[cycleguy]

Art, did you ever try the swift 7x36 eaglet or opticron 7x36 bga classic? These are becoming my favorites since parting with a 10x32 el a couple years ago. Ive had opportunity to view thru the 8x32 ultravid hd but never the 7x42..
cg