The best you've ever seen (1 Viewer)

[WJC]

“I can't remember when America last took credit for any binocular …”

You’re right! THERE HASN’T BEEN A LINE OF CONSUMER BINOCULARS MADE IN THE STATES FOR DECADES. The one on the left is a Celestron. I called it “American,” because no matter how hard I try, there always seems to be some folks who swear that this or that bino is MADE in America. And, I can understand that; some products are ASSEMBLED on US soil . . . from Asian optical and mechanical parts, and have axle caps that state: “Made in America.”

‘That said, I will humbly bow to bh46118, and will take MY “psychological quirks” elsewhere, that the hunt for “PURE” optics might go on unabated. I was sadly unaware of the stringency of the thread. Sorry ‘bout that.

Realistically though, there can be no “pure” optics. This is due to contributions in diffraction, baffling, field stops, prism placement, coatings, figure, polishing, and more.

Bill

 

[David in NC]

This thread has become more about certain forum members psychological quirks than about the simple question asked. I guess I should have started another scintillating entry about stiff focus knobs, direction of focus knob rotation, rolling ball, which SE serial # is best, which paint chips taste best, what color of paint is the most fun to watch dry. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities.

Or smelly rubber. Do NOT forget the smelly rubber. Or coffee and coffee beans.

David

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

Best I've seen: Thw Swaorvski CL's, 8x30. I love x30 and I don't dare look higher.
When you count in nervousness about carrying $$ around, I'd slip back to the M7s.

Finest 7x35 extra-wides I ever looked through were "Carl Wetzlar (ersatz brand)", apparently
carried in Canada K-Marts. The rest of the product line is good but a mixed bag. They are a real thrill.
I also have a twin with a Texas sporting goods store brand on it; those are spectacular as well. Same build.
Yup, even compared to Customs. Brilliant, crisp, smooth, and deep contrast (rare for x-wide).
They do weigh a bit...Giant prisms, big oculars, super-Plossl. Hard to recommend because I
don't know when or by what name they will appear again. 7x35 X-W is a size I take out when
I need a mood lift, sort of like 3D Kodachrome.

 

[brentwood]

Best I ever looked through were the Litton Industries 25x120 on the bridge of a destroyer.

 

[[email protected]]

Best I've seen: Thw Swaorvski CL's, 8x30. I love x30 and I don't dare look higher.
When you count in nervousness about carrying $$ around, I'd slip back to the M7s.

Finest 7x35 extra-wides I ever looked through were "Carl Wetzlar (ersatz brand)", apparently
carried in Canada K-Marts. The rest of the product line is good but a mixed bag. They are a real thrill.
I also have a twin with a Texas sporting goods store brand on it; those are spectacular as well. Same build.
Yup, even compared to Customs. Brilliant, crisp, smooth, and deep contrast (rare for x-wide).
They do weigh a bit...Giant prisms, big oculars, super-Plossl. Hard to recommend because I
don't know when or by what name they will appear again. 7x35 X-W is a size I take out when
I need a mood lift, sort of like 3D Kodachrome.

I am glad you agree with me about the Swaro 8x30 CL's. Not a lot of people do! My SV's 8x32 are a little better but the CL's give you the same type of view and they are wonderfully compact.

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

Well, that is the cool part. Just a little more space than some
glovebox/travel 8x25s and you can have it all in one pair.
That was always a promise of roof premiums, after all: compact without compromise.
I could do 99% of that with M7/8x30 but the CLs would actual slip into a baggie and a sportcoat pocket.
They sort of went a little long, but that's the right move, optically. That's room for your
extra suppression. I wouldn't fuss if a magic fairy dropped off a pair.

 

[Roadbike]

Which binocular has the best pure optics of any you have seen. Would it be Porro or roof, - 8, 10, or 12X, - Nikon, Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss,- or something else ?

Thanks Bruce

The best optics I've had the pleasure of using have to be those found in the Nikon 8x30 and 10x35 EII. The wide fields, sharp images, controlled reflections and saturated colors make wild life observation a joy.

 

[brocknroller]

This thread has become more about certain forum members psychological quirks than about the simple question asked. I guess I should have started another scintillating entry about stiff focus knobs, direction of focus knob rotation, rolling ball, which SE serial # is best, which paint chips taste best, what color of paint is the most fun to watch dry. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities.

Yes, those are all more "scintillating" topics than which is the best bin. :cat:

Dennis posts a "best bin" thread every time he falls in love with a new pair of binoculars so he can declare his bin the best. We've had dozens of such threads. I think the reason you got grief about yours, is a spill-over from members getting tired about hearing why his latest is "the best."

Even though your post count is low, you've been registered since 2005, so I'm sure you've seen some of the "best fest" threads I'm referring to, which are often quite long, but usually end quite badly.

But like a Etch A Sketch, let's shake the box and start with a blank screen and look at the topic with "fresh eyes."

Of course, you're bound to get some idiosyncratic comments along with nominations, but I think they should be welcomed, because I'm sure you just don't want a list of bins, but to know why members chose them.

I'll add the Nikon 8x30 EII to my list of favs. With it's 8.8* FOV, sharp optics, and light weight, it's an excellent fair weather birding bin. My fav for well lit wooded areas where a WF is helpful to find birds and to watch interactions between them.

Brock

 

[Torview]

.............I'm sure you just don't want a list of bins, but to know why members chose them.



Brock

Nicely put, that was my understanding of the posters theme.

I had a small epiphany last year when I realised the reason I kept changing some of my bins was that I simply prefer the way a porro presents the view, the EII and SE meet (almost) all my needs, though I`m sure I`ll keep trying the latest and greatest as they come up.

If anyone knows of a 7x35 weatherproof porro with a 70deg afov I`m in.

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

If anyone knows of a 7x35 weatherproof porro with a 70deg afov I`m in.

Looks like the Bushnell 8x42 Natureview Porro is 66.4 afov..just about 70. And sealed.
Not a super-premium, but it is rather remarkable for $100.. I tried one at Kittery.
B+H search filters rule!
Or watch the sands of time at the auctions for an Oshman's 7x35/11-deg. (77 degrees afov..)
My #2 all-time x-wide. Oops....not sealed. Add an umbrella.

 

[brocknroller]

My Nikon 7x35 WF has 9.3* FOV, which gives it a 65* AFOV. Very good edge sharpness for such a WF bin. I think Frank D. has one of these, too.

Of course, the latest Nikon 7x35 Action EX has the same specs and better coatings, but the edges aren't as good.

If you want to go vintage, there are older 7x35s with 11* FOV like the one mentioned above (Tasco, Jason, etc.), but they are either "coated" for "fully coated." I would expect a loss of contrast, veiling glare, and a heap of field curvature and pincushion.

Brock

 

[bh46118]

The difference in this thread is that I don't put the question in the normal "birding" context.

Dennis posts a "best bin" thread every time he falls in love with a new pair of binoculars so he can declare his bin the best. We've had dozens of such threads. I think the reason you got grief about yours, is a spill-over from members getting tired about hearing why his latest is "the best."

Even though your post count is low, you've been registered since 2005, so I'm sure you've seen some of the "best fest" threads I'm referring to, which are often quite long, but usually end quite badly.


Brock

 

[bh46118]

Thats it. I'm thinking about spending a substantial amount of money on possibly an "Alpha" model, and would like to see if any particular one is a consensus choice among people who have actually seen them.

I'm sure you just don't want a list of bins, but to know why members chose them.

Brock

 

[ceasar]

These varieties of answers are coming from various interpretations of the question I think. The question puts a heavy burden on the definition of the word "pure." I am tempted to say that binoculars are not like Ivory Soap but that is not fair to the OP who we all seem to be certain meant by it something along the lines of "excellence" and we have been responding accordingly.

Anyway the thread has certainly been interesting.

Bob

 

[Binoseeker]

“I can't remember when America last took credit for any binocular …”

You’re right! THERE HASN’T BEEN A LINE OF CONSUMER BINOCULARS MADE IN THE STATES FOR DECADES. The one on the left is a Celestron. I called it “American,” because no matter how hard I try, there always seems to be some folks who swear that this or that bino is MADE in America. And, I can understand that; some products are ASSEMBLED on US soil . . . from Asian optical and mechanical parts, and have axle caps that state: “Made in America.”

‘That said, I will humbly bow to bh46118, and will take MY “psychological quirks” elsewhere, that the hunt for “PURE” optics might go on unabated. I was sadly unaware of the stringency of the thread. Sorry ‘bout that.

Realistically though, there can be no “pure” optics. This is due to contributions in diffraction, baffling, field stops, prism placement, coatings, figure, polishing, and more.

Bill

Today, since volvo has been sold to the chinese, they have written "Made by Sweden" in the end of the commercials....

 

[james holdsworth]

Best of the best seems to be narrowed down to Swaro SV series, 8x42 SLC, Zeiss HT, Leica UV, Nikon EDG - with some of the Meopta and Kowa models in the mix, maybe even the Conquest series.

Find a store that has wide selection and do the side-by-side comparison.....and have fun!

PS - if you have the time, dive into some of the dedicated threads for each models, in the specific sub-forums. Some, like the HT thread, are vast and contain many, many comparisons with rival models.

 

[brocknroller]

Today, since volvo has been sold to the chinese, they have written "Made by Sweden" in the end of the commercials....

Here's what Volvo's new CEO said about the move:

"Samuelsson said he doesn't expect consumers to react negatively to the notion of a Volvo produced in China. U.S. consumers, he said, are already accustomed to sophisticated products such as smartphones coming from Chinese factories."

Volvos made in China to come to U.S. 'fairly quickly,' says CEO

Mr. Samuelsson, you don't take your smartphone to flash around the country club....

You might remember the negative reaction on BF when Zeiss first announced that it was manufacturing the Terra ED in China ("it will tarnish the brand," the purist cried!).

Correct me if I'm wrong here, and I'm not understanding Volvo buyers, who bring their kids to my neighborhood to play Pee Wee baseball, but who live on the other side of the tracks.

They buy Volvos because:

(1) Their high safety rating makes them good for taking kids to soccer games, where drivers have to swerve to avoid hitting speeding BMW and Audi SUVs also late for the game

(2) They are not the "ugly duckling" rectangular boxes on wheels that they used to be, and some models -- the S70 coupe comes to mind, but it's being discontinued -- can almost be called "stylish" in an understated Swedish sort of way, this is particularly true for younger buyers, the new YUPPIES with small children.

(3) Vovlos are prestigious automobiles/SUVs made in Europe.

Are U.S. Volvo buyers going to fork over between $33K and $41K for a prestigious Euromobile Made in China? We're not talking about a $300 bin, folks.

Timely question in light of the news that the Chinese might make major change the brand's image:

"The 87-year-old Swedish carmaker, acquired by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd GEELY.UL in 2010, is torn between a desire to hang on to its roots - a focus on safety and Scandinavian understatement in car design - and a desire to turn the cars into large, flashy, high-end vehicles prized by affluent Chinese customers and which would compete head-on with BMW (BMWG.DE), Mercedes-Benz (DAIGn.DE) and Audi (VOWG_p.DE), said the sources."

If these plans come to fruition, then all three selling points mentioned above fall away:

Boardroom tension mounts at China-owned Volvo - sources

Would you buy a Swaro EL, Zeiss HT or Leica HD if it were "Made in China"? (sorry, BH, hijacked your thread again, I will make a new thread on the subject, which should be "scintillating).

<B>

 

[Sancho]

Thinking hard here - the "optically best" binos I´ve owned, or own, include the following, in no particular order: Nikon EDG II 8x42, Nikon EDG II 7x42, Zeiss FL 8x32, Zeiss FL 7x42, Swarovision EL 8x32, Swarovision EL 8.5x42, Nikon SE 8x32, Nikon EII 8x30, Nikon EII 10x35, Canon IS 10x42L, Minox ED 15x58, and Swarovski SLC 15x56. These are all very different beasts, and apart from magnification, differ widely in terms of handling, weight, waterproofing, etc. But the 7x and 8x binos on the list are all more than excellent for my purposes, and any of them would satisfy. So my choice of bino from this llist depends on non-optical factors. Problem is I´m fickle, and different parts of my anatomy prioritise different attributes (neck, hands, wrists, eye-sockets, upper back, lower back, hell - even each of my eyes sees things differently!)

 

[Stet]

Thats it. I'm thinking about spending a substantial amount of money on possibly an "Alpha" model, and would like to see if any particular one is a consensus choice among people who have actually seen them.

I did this same thing about a year ago. I decided to sell off most of my collection and invest in an alpha, with no concern for cost and it was worth every penny in my personal experience. It's such a joy using a binocular that gets out of your way and allows for a pure viewing experience. I've found the Zeiss HT gives me minimum distraction in the field both functionally and optically and comes closest to a pure viewing experience. I realize a lot of it is personal preferences for me and this bin clicks off the most personal preferences on my list. One that I really enjoy is the vibrant colors it exhibits. I would have never thought that this would matter as much as it does but it really increases the joy in my birding experience.

When spending this kind of money, I tried as many alphas as I could get my hands on. Even after I was sure the HT's were the ones there were other alphas I still wanted to try so I sent the HT's back and continued trying until it became evident I had to have the HT's. So good luck with the alphas and try, try, try....

 

[BruceH]

Thats it. I'm thinking about spending a substantial amount of money on possibly an "Alpha" model, and would like to see if any particular one is a consensus choice among people who have actually seen them.

Ah, now I think I understand where you are going with this thread. Do you have a particular power and/or objective size in mind? That might get you more meaningful information.

I take it the question is the first swipe at building a list of candidates to research.