Quick & dirty review of 8x42 Opticron Aurora. (2 Viewers)

[Rg548]

I can't wait for your write up when you decide to upgrade to some Meoptas.

 

[Tatanka88]

Opticron. Hands down.

Build. Fit. Finish. View.

Thank you!
That makes me sad. Seems like those two great brittish brands are sold inside the EU only by a few shops for a much higher price.

Opticron is basically non-existent, Hawke APO is there (for +30%), but now I have a chance to get them from UK with a help of a friend.
Otherwise I have to arrange a trip to the UK, which is a bad option (financially).

I can get the APO 300£ cheaper, for 500£ vs the 800£ Aurora (which is my local price for the MHG, and I will chose the Nikon from a local shop for sure, easier warranty management vs a distant country)

Now you have to convince me, that I need to save more for an Opticron.
If once you have time for this, you should make a detailed comparison!
I repeat, IQ is my priority. Lack of CA, and nice distortion-free image is all I need, and the reviews about the Frontier APO made it very-very tempting.

I totally believe you that all in all the Opticron is better, however, I'm not affraid from the handling/build quality/usability of Hawke.

(Forgive me my unnecessary weeping... :/ )

 

[Jessie-66]

Ratal, are you sure about impartiality???
Recently you were excited about a Hawke APO now about an Opticron?
Your enthusiasms are a bit strange and (to) much written. Too much "quick and dirty" for my taste!

 

[Ratal]

Ratal, are you sure about impartiality???
Recently you were excited about a Hawke APO now about an Opticron?
Your enthusiasms are a bit strange and (to) much written. Too much "quick and dirty" for my taste!

Oh! I found there is a block button so I don't have to see your post! excellent. You are the first to that list! Enjoy. I know I shall enjoy your absence.

 

[Jessie-66]

Oh! I found there is a block button so I don't have to see your post! excellent. You are the first to that list! Enjoy. I know I shall enjoy your absence.

Consequently, a factual answer does not come and I take that as confirmation of my criticism.

 

[Jessie-66]

All I will say straight off the bat is that if you have any doubts at all about this binocular, don't. You seriously owe it to yourself if you have 800 quid and you want a drop dead gorgeous view - To get behind the ocular and give them a road test.

*Yes I have Hawke APO, but they are in Africa on emergency loan, and now I have these, I wont ask for them back.

View - crystal clear. Field flattened view is lush - bright, ferociously sharp all the way out to 90% of the view with a hair of drop off at the edges.

CA doesnt exist inside the 90% sweet spot. Grey skies black crows. Stunners. Grey skies backlit trees, bright, sharp with excellent colour and contrast. The field flattened image is crazy good. Straight rooftops and verticals stay straight. Take a bow Opticron, these blew me right out of my seat.

Eye relief is MASSIVE - with wrap round sunglasses I have full field of view with eye ups all the way in. That is one absolute win for the Opticron. Without, extended eyecups all the way out allow a bright, relaxed view. Cannot fault these eye cups. At all.

So, that's the good. What IS going to take me a while to get used to is the central diopter. I kept trying to focus and rolled finger over the edge, and cursed myself aplenty. It is though a brilliant diopter set up, clicks out, clicks to set, clicks back in and locked tight. I actually am impressed, but will have to learn to get that into muscle memory.

Weight, 711 grams naked. Build quality is exemplary. Not a fault or niggle to be found.


So all in all, after thrashing them around Speyside and Lossie - I'm keeping them because I'd regret it all my days not having these to hand.

* Oh, a final thing, they focus anti clockwise to infinity on a beautiful focusing wheel. Not loose, not tight. Not draggy, not a trace of play. Just right. And I love it.
View attachment 1394598

What do the differences in your picture between the right and left eyecups, the distance from the eyecup to the metallic frame of the eyepiece lenses show us? Every wearer of glasses notices the scratching of the lenses. A serious reviewer should at least try with sunglasses or reading glasses!

 

[PermanentWarblerNeck]

What do the differences in your picture between the right and left eyecups, the distance from the eyecup to the metallic frame of the eyepiece lenses show us? Every wearer of glasses notices the scratching of the lenses. A serious reviewer should at least try with sunglasses or reading glasses!

I wear my glasses while using these bins 100% of the time. No scratches. Just beautifully clear images with the eye cups rotated out to the first detent.

 

[Jessie-66]

I wear my glasses while using these bins 100% of the time. No scratches. Just beautifully clear images with the eye cups rotated out to the first detent.

That is fine for YOU. But other people?
No binocular manufacturer should produce eyecups that lie under the outer eyepiece lenses or their metallic frame (bezel). Perhaps you should first take a close look at the corresponding picture (post #1 and picture #1) and your binoculars) and think and write not only for yourself but also think about other people with somewhat different physiognomies? People with deep lying eyes.
Try your own glasses a little further forward and binoculars ... metallic frame (bezel).
Generalize your experiences and at least test them specifically. Super special individual experiences are useless to most others. A public forum should help many ...
Quick and dirty is not enough for serious people!

 

[Ratal]

*I am not paid by Opticron in any way. I brought the Aurora with my own money after a prolonged search for a new 8x bin.


Had these now for a year.

Fit, feel and function out in the field, are all sublime, but there is one area where I have neglected to cover and that is the aquaphobic coatings to the objective lenses.

In short: The very best I have ever encountered - and that is putting them against my Zeiss SF 8x42s and Hawke APO. From fully soaked and submerged to crystal clear with just a gentle shake of the bin. Water rolls off and leaves you to observe the view, not fight to see whatever it is you're looking at / for.

Truly a professional grade instrument for hard field use. I 100% am satisfied that I will not be needing a new 8x bin for a long, long time.

 

[Belumat]

The aurora 8x42 arrived today. I had a look at it and it has absolutely transparent optics. Very impressed

 

[Ratal]

The aurora 8x42 arrived today. I had a look at it and it has absolutely transparent optics. Very impressed

They are a wonderful optic indeed, and have never, ever failed to make me smile as I use them from the seas to the mountain peaks. Enjoy them, and Happy birding!

 

[Belumat]

Grazie Ratal.

 

[CharleyBird]

Could somebody currently owning both these "astounding" 8x42 Opticron Aurora and any one of 8x42 Noctovid/NL/SF do a comparative review please?

 

[Belumat]

I own an el 10x42 pre swarovision. I had a quick look and find the aurora more pleasant and with less CA. When I have time I will add some info

 

[Belumat]

I did some small comparison tests with my almost 20-year-old el 10x42. I have never tried modern alpha binoculars and therefore cannot compare them with those. I can say that ca is inferior in aurora and that el has a cooler colour tone. Aurora is very sharp and looks a little brighter. Comparing them looking at a white wall these differences were perceptible. To my eyes aurora seems more transparent

 

[Belumat]

Small update. Over this weekend I was able to use my new aurora and compare it with my El and my Verano 8x32. The combination of absent ca, beautiful colours, brightness and sharpness produced the best image in the aurora. Compared to the Verano, better sharpness was evident especially in low light as well as a little more brightness. Even simple finches and goldfinches in the trees with a background of white clouds against the light were beautiful to look at.

 

[BoldenEagle]

I tried Opticron Aurora BGA VHD 8x42 couple of days ago and found them have very good optics, for the money I would say even excellent.

First impressions are very sharp IQ without much CA (about the same amount or even slightly better than my Swarovski SLC 10x56), nice fov and adequate eye relief for spectacles (I need plenty). Structure seems very solid. Only major flaw I noticed was sticking focus wheel but it wasn't that bad to be a deal breaker so I bought them.

I have no other 8x binoculars than Swarovski Habicht 8x30 to compare but I may write more as I am using this Aurora more in the field.

Regards, Juhani

 

[Belumat]

I have had these binoculars since October. Although I don't get to use it as much as I would like, I can say that for me it is a great pair of binoculars. I simply find it a joy to use both in terms of optics and ergonomics. My Verano HD and the Swaro El 10x42 I hardly ever use now.

 

[lmans66]

Sounds like a complete winner…. I have 8x32 Verano and feel it fits the build perfectly. I will need to look at these Aurora’s…. Opticron over the years has surely upped the game with Travelers, Veranos and now Auroras.

 

[ArchStanton]

Are there any longterm reviews or opinions on the Aurora 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars?