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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

10x Promaster and Frontier (1 Viewer)

Any new NEWS??? I am VERY tempted to try the 10X but the 330ft FOV has me less enthusiastic.

The 8x's are Superb.
 
IIRC - Leica/Swaro = 360ft

But more important is the apparent FOV which on the alpha's always "looks" wider than any Japaneze model. To me anyway......
 
I'll take my beating now please. I was wrong. The alpha's are 330 and the others are 315.
I know in 8x the difference in the FOV on the Leica/Swaro seems more than what is advertised in feet.
 
6ish degrees is typical for a 10x. 6.5 degrees would be considered wide.

330 feet is 6.3 degrees. The same as my 8x30 Zeiss Conquest.

Obviously someone is going to have to order a 10x try them and return them if they don't like them (Hawke let you do that and CameraLandNY too for the Promaster).

After all that's how FrankD found that they were decent bins ;)
 
I'm close but honestly hate to order something on those pretenses. I like to know I'm 90% sure I will keep them.

Dave
 
Not a pretense ... it's a sales tactic. It removes some of the risk in buying the product so makes you more likely to buy it. And customers like it too. The product is returned as new with all bits so there's no loss of product either. Just the cost of shipping.

I think Tero, FrankD and myself (and perhaps quite a few others) avail ourselves of it from time to time.

Recently I've not been too successful though ... in the last two months I've had 6 purchases and only one keeper (a Pentax DCF HS 8x36) though one more of those returns will bring another bin that will be a keeper: the rather unique Pentax Papillio.

I think my lifetime average of keepers buying from stores is about 50%. I've been more successful picking and buying pre-owned bins ;)

Check the small print if you go this route. Eagle Optics makes it very easy (they don't even charge you for their shipping). CameraLandNY are a bit more pragmatic (they do!).
 
Wait till that closet shelf is full. Then your return rate will go to 80%. But I try to bring some business their way. I returned a binocular, exchanged it for a tripod base.
 
Good deal on the Promasters

I was out Christmas shopping tonight and discovered that Mike's Camera store here in the Denver, Colorado area carries the Promaster Infinity Elite ELX's. At good prices, too! The 8x42 are $400 and the 10x42 are $450. I only had a few seconds to try them out. They seemed very sharp, as every else has said, but I wasn't that impressed with the focusing. Eye relief was fine with my glasses with the cups down, a pleasant surprise since the 10x42 supposedly have only 15.2 mm. I preferred the 10x42. The apparent field of view (the image circle) was larger and I had no problem holding them steady. Overall the ergonomics and build quality were great except for the slow focus. I wish I could give you a more detailed review of the 10x42, but the saleslady was hovering over me and they were very busy due to the holiday.

Mike's is a fairly small local chain, but they do have a website (www.mikescamera.com).

Here are some links to save you searching:

http://www.mikescamera.com/products.html#DHE:Specsheet:Id:376610:Section:Specs

http://www.mikescamera.com/products.html#DHE:Specsheet:Id:376611:Section:Specs


I've got no business buying new bins right now, but I'm sorely tempted at these prices! Mike's is a reputable company, but I've never ordered from their website since I can just go to the store. It looks like they ship internationally.

Hope this helps!
 
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Guaranteed it won't be as good to read as yours, Steve's or Frank's but will give my honest opinion....

Dave
 
Weather, work and Christmas has put a dampner on testing but did get a few minutes to test drive the 10x42 Promaster vs my Leica 10x42 BA. This particular Leica "I" believe is a very good sample but can't confirm as I don't take the time or have the knowledge to do a star test, etc.
To the point-

The 10x PM seem to be a little further behind the Alpha compared to the 8X. The 8X PM seem to be every bit as good as any 8X bino I have owned which I only have lately become more a fan of fullsize 8X. For a long time I was a 10x42 or 8x32 advocate but I have owned plenty of late and still have a 8.5x42 EL.

The 10X has a nice wide FOV and is sharp and bright. Maybe just a tick behind the Leica in resolution. What I find is that I fiddle with the PM to get an object in perfect focus where the Leica it just snaps right there. Once focused they are very close.
Edge sharpness was good in the PM.

One other item - In 5-10 degree weather the PM focus is very tight compared to the Leica. IIRC Leica does not use grease in the focus mechanism for this very reason. It felt about the same in the cold as it does in summer. Nice although not butter smooth.


Not scientific like some but.....

Dave
 
Well, it was pretty much what I expected to hear. I do not expect them to beat the Pentax ED 10x at twice the price, but may be very close, closer than to the Leica.
 
I have never had a set of ED's in hand but my experience with multiple set's of SP's that the ED's better be WAY better to best the Promasters. To me these are easily better than any SP's I have owned. The ONE and only thing I like about the SP's is what seems to me is very good color saturation. Just seems the greens and reds just stand out.

Dave
 
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