perterra
Well-known member
Thanks,
-
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"Inexpensive" 8x32 Binocular Comparative Review (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter FrankD
- Start date
Thanks,
black crow
Well-known member
Frank what a stellar review of the 8x32 line up. One bin I wish would have been reviewed is the Eagle Optics 8x32 Ranger at $289. After selling off about 10 pairs of bins that this place drove me to purchase I still have my 7x36 Zen Rays and a 6x32 EO Ranger that is no longer being made. It made the cut. I didn't keep the Sightron due to the stiffness of the focuser in cold weather . Unfortunately that was a deal breaker for me. So I do want a fairly compact 8x32 and due to your review and a few others I found I think it's going to be the Zen Ray. I just wish you had had the EO in that wonderful review. Thanks again and I hope you remember the Black Crow.
black crow
Well-known member
Hey my friend! Just ordered both the Zen and the Eagle optics 8x32 bins and will keep the best one for myself and use the other for guests. I'm sure they will both be good. My friend Donna and I took the Eagle 6x32 and the Zen 7x36 out today for a comparison and we both agreed that we liked the Eagle just a tad more than the Zen. Believe it or not.
I'll do a short comparison review when we check out both new bins. If I still remember how that is.
I'll do a short comparison review when we check out both new bins. If I still remember how that is.
steve@37n84w
Well-known member
Thank you for the kind words gentlemen. As always, it was a labor of love.
I am out at a birding event in Cape May but will post more this evening. I finally got my hands on a hard to find bin. A shame it wasn't $50 less expensive or I could have included it as a little different flavor for this review.
Frank
Should have popped for the extra 50.00 and given it a home, the Opticron offers amazing bang for the buck value. I'd rate it at >90% performance of the binoculars directly above it in the enclosed pic for much less money.
Also congrats on a great review. I'm not in the market for the binoculars reviewed but I wanted to read it just to see if anything had knocked the Sightron off its perch in this price range. I happened to take a quick peek through a Sightron in Sportsman Wharehouse earlier today and must admit i was impressed.
Steve
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Tantien
Well-known member
:clap:Kudos Frank for the great detail and organization of your review. I a fan of this 8x32 format as well and like hearing reviews of these.
If you would do the BF a favor (if you've not already) and repost these under the equipment reviews area? Because it would be a shame to have such a great set of reviews confined to only this thread.
You've put the amount of detail in this review that I only wish others would do as well. When I'm out reading optics reviews, yours is exactly what I want to read. Not, "Oh man these bins are great. You should get them because I like their cool green color."
IMHO They should be referenceable from within the equipment tab as well so others can gaze in apt admiration. :t:
If you would do the BF a favor (if you've not already) and repost these under the equipment reviews area? Because it would be a shame to have such a great set of reviews confined to only this thread.
You've put the amount of detail in this review that I only wish others would do as well. When I'm out reading optics reviews, yours is exactly what I want to read. Not, "Oh man these bins are great. You should get them because I like their cool green color."
IMHO They should be referenceable from within the equipment tab as well so others can gaze in apt admiration. :t:
:clap:Kudos Frank for the great detail and organization of your review. I a fan of this 8x32 format as well and like hearing reviews of these.
If you would do the BF a favor (if you've not already) and repost these under the equipment reviews area? Because it would be a shame to have such a great set of reviews confined to only this thread.
You've put the amount of detail in this review that I only wish others would do as well. When I'm out reading optics reviews, yours is exactly what I want to read. Not, "Oh man these bins are great. You should get them because I like their cool green color."
IMHO They should be referenceable from within the equipment tab as well so others can gaze in apt admiration. :t:
:t: :t: :t:
This series is really an outstanding contribution!
Is it possible to expand the Review format to accommodate Frank's work as a comparative review, the way he set it out?
Just chopping in into the individual model summaries does not do it justice and loses a lot of the insight.
FrankD
Well-known member
I had a chance today to compare one of the 8x30 porous (Yosemite level) with two 8x32 roofs in the price point range being addressed in this review. To make it as simple as possible....
Porro
-better apparent sharpness in the center of the field along with better overall apparent brightness and color saturation.
Roofs
- larger sweet spot and easier transition from the sweetspot to the edge of the field of view.
Porro
-better apparent sharpness in the center of the field along with better overall apparent brightness and color saturation.
Roofs
- larger sweet spot and easier transition from the sweetspot to the edge of the field of view.
perterra
Well-known member
Thank you sir, just what I needed. I'll pick her up an 8X30 Yosemite.
A2GG
Beth
black crow
Well-known member
Just an observation on the Sightron 8x32. Today I talked a friend of mine into buying a pair and she also bought a Kowa 8x33 that cost almost $1200. We took them out today and did a side by side comparison. Keep in mind that neither of us are experts but we really noticed almost no difference optically between them. Seriously. Fortunately she is neither a snob nor short of cash so she was thrilled to have both of them and was not upset in the least. If there was any real difference for me I'd say the Kowa's were a tad brighter and you could maybe see a tiny bit more detail but is was so hard to say for sure that we just gave up and enjoyed both of them. As a gift she bought me a pair of the Kowa 8x32 at $489 which I also think was a tad brighter but that's all. Still waiting on the Zen Ray 8x32 so we can compare them.
But once again Sightron rocks totally at $179. The focuser on her's seems more relaxed with this batch and if it works well in cold weather I think I'll pick up another pair.
But once again Sightron rocks totally at $179. The focuser on her's seems more relaxed with this batch and if it works well in cold weather I think I'll pick up another pair.
FrankD
Well-known member
Wow, I want a friend (girl) that buys me $489 binocular. Mine hasn't purchased me any despite my polite suggestions.
I am not surprised to see these types of experiences. The Sightron is a stellar performer at its price point. These days the differences between various models of any given configuration are so incremental in nature that it can be difficult to justify the increase in cost at times. Of course those price differences aren't entirely based on optical performance differences.
I do hope you pick up another pair eventually. They are one of the "great values" these days in optics.
I am not surprised to see these types of experiences. The Sightron is a stellar performer at its price point. These days the differences between various models of any given configuration are so incremental in nature that it can be difficult to justify the increase in cost at times. Of course those price differences aren't entirely based on optical performance differences.
I do hope you pick up another pair eventually. They are one of the "great values" these days in optics.
Excellent and very useful reviews, Frank, all your attention to detail very much appreciated.
And an interesting thread.
A little frustrating for the UK customer that currently the only retailer for the Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32 in the UK has them at an aggressive GBP£205.83 + GBP£41.17 VAT / Sales Tax, equivalent at today's rates to USD$330.00 + VAT.
Here's a plea to manufacturers ; sell on global price parity and you will sell far more than do now !!
And an interesting thread.
A little frustrating for the UK customer that currently the only retailer for the Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32 in the UK has them at an aggressive GBP£205.83 + GBP£41.17 VAT / Sales Tax, equivalent at today's rates to USD$330.00 + VAT.
Here's a plea to manufacturers ; sell on global price parity and you will sell far more than do now !!
Is there anyone with a glasses prescription in the -5 range who could tell me whether the Sightron will focus to infinity without their vision correction? More and more binoculars don't have the focus range for this, although several do (among them my Vortex and Zen Rays).
Thanks!
Thanks!
A2GG
Beth
A year ago or so (before I bought the CL) I thought about purchasing the Sightron 8x32 based on its growing reputation here on BF
and the fact that it is so light in weight, but the close focus is 18' which was a deal killer for me. I don't see much mention of the
close focus with this bin. I still would like to take a look through it someday though...if I ever get that chance.
and the fact that it is so light in weight, but the close focus is 18' which was a deal killer for me. I don't see much mention of the
close focus with this bin. I still would like to take a look through it someday though...if I ever get that chance.
Hi Annabeth2,
18' close focus got my attention. My wife has a pair of Sightron Blue sky 8x32 Binoculars so I did a quick check. The target was the November/December Bird Watcher's Digest set up on Her computer chair...Close focus was 7'9" With the focus wheel counter clock'wise against the stop. Everything was tack sharp and we could read everything except the very small print on the top of the bar code label.The room has no overhead lighting,just desk lamps. We might have done better in daylight...
Twobits
18' close focus got my attention. My wife has a pair of Sightron Blue sky 8x32 Binoculars so I did a quick check. The target was the November/December Bird Watcher's Digest set up on Her computer chair...Close focus was 7'9" With the focus wheel counter clock'wise against the stop. Everything was tack sharp and we could read everything except the very small print on the top of the bar code label.The room has no overhead lighting,just desk lamps. We might have done better in daylight...
Twobits
eitanaltman
Well-known member
Annabeth -- The website specs on the Sightron are messed up, if you have read through the (admittedly long as heck) Sightron thread you will find discussion of this. Not only is the FOV and weight listed incorrectly on their website, the close focus in reality is a typical ~2m or so.
I believe some have alerted Sightron to the errors but they seem pretty lax about their web specs. The FOV thing is particularly amusing as the website says 420' (i.e. 8 degrees) but the focus knob says 393' on the product itself!!! It's baffling to me that they can't be bothered to fix it, especially when the writing on the binocular directly contradicts what's on their website!
I believe some have alerted Sightron to the errors but they seem pretty lax about their web specs. The FOV thing is particularly amusing as the website says 420' (i.e. 8 degrees) but the focus knob says 393' on the product itself!!! It's baffling to me that they can't be bothered to fix it, especially when the writing on the binocular directly contradicts what's on their website!
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