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10x25 compact advice (3 Viewers)

hjay said:
......Well this is how subjective it can be, I guess. Robert (swissboy) quite likes them, you don't. You see my quandary ;)
..........
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I clearly tried to stick to the price limit. Sure, there are many that I like much more. But that's not the point. The important thing is to get a model that is affordable within the budget constraints, yet fulfills some basic requirements. It's not really the rain that is often the problem, but the humidity that gets into the non WP models. That's why a reverse porro that is always protected under an umbrella or coat still can't be recommended for the intended trip.
The one question that I can't decide is how good the optical quality has to be for the model to fulfill its purpose. So if you can actually look through it, that would be the way to go, if things are that critical.
 
hjay said:
...there isn't much choice in waterproof reverse porros sub £100!...
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I think one is offered by every major maker of reverse-porros. Personally, I'd go with the Nikon 10x25 ProStaff ATB that I mentioned previously and others have suggested, but there are other choices, including Leupold 10x25 Rogue, Bushnell H2O 10x26, Pentax 10x25 UCF WP, Celestron 10x25 Cypress, and Vortex 10x26 Vanquish.

--AP
 
Alexis Powell said:
I think one is offered by every major maker of reverse-porros. Personally, I'd go with the Nikon 10x25 ProStaff ATB that I mentioned previously and others have suggested, but there are other choices, including Leupold 10x25 Rogue, Bushnell H2O 10x26, Pentax 10x25 UCF WP, Celestron 10x25 Cypress, and Vortex 10x26 Vanquish.

--AP
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I stand corrected, thanks for the info, will consider some of those.

But in UK prices are a little different. Haven't done a full search, but initial indications...

Leupold - £165 - £199
Bushnell - £45 :t:
Pentax - £105
Celestron - £85 :t:
Voretex - £122
 
Hi Hugh -

that is first mention I have seen pretty much anywhere of the Olympus WPii... I was looking at that myself this week and today I was doing a live chat with a sportsoptic guy from B&H in NYC and I asked him about that one vs the Nikon Trailblazer.

He did not hesitate and said that he would recommend the Nikon all day long.

In UK it is called SPORTSTAR EX... you can get it in 8x25 and 10x25. I know very little about the technical side, but all the advice seems to be that 10x is quite strong for such a small piece... anyway here is a nice link to the 8x25 for you with a nice discount that brings them well within your budget....

NIKON SPORTSTAR EX 8x25

They also have similar deal [-30%] on the 10x25, and again on the Travelites mentioned above, which I know nothing about really...though I notice it comes in a 9x25 which might be a very nice compromise?

Link to all their compacts with some good looking UK discounts....

Good luck

Robert
 
rdpx said:
Hi Hugh -

that is first mention I have seen pretty much anywhere of the Olympus WPii... I was looking at that myself this week and today I was doing a live chat with a sportsoptic guy from B&H in NYC and I asked him about that one vs the Nikon Trailblazer.

He did not hesitate and said that he would recommend the Nikon all day long.
Click to expand...

Thanks Robert! Yes I've found the Sportstar EX (I'm finding a lot of bins thanks to you guys!) and it certainly looks promising. Personally i prefer the double hinge roof prism to the porro format, optics aside that is.

I suspect that the Olympus WPII may possibly be too new to have found much following yet?... while the Nikon's have been around for years? Nevertheless the spec of the Olympus looks good on paper and I'd generally trust Olympus optics - their cameras have always impressed me, back from my OM2 through several digital models, I imagine they know what they're doing.

cheers
Hugh
 
Both the Nikons above have been discontinued. The Sportstar did not have phase coatings. It has been replaced with the Trailblazer ATB series which also do not have phase coatings but are water proof, have double hinges, a nice wide field of view for a 10x25 and cost about the same. The 9x25 Travelite is a good binocular if you can find one but it is not water proof.

If you are going to take a binocular with you to Borneo on a Geological Expedition it should have some substance to it and I don't think you are likely to find one at under $100.00 but you might do OK with the Sportstar/Trailblazer. But read the one review attached in the link below. I still think your best bet for a 10x25 is the Nikon Pro Staff 10x25 ATB reverse Porro which is waterproof. It gets better reviews too.

http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/en/Nikon-Products/Binoculars/Trailblazer-10x25-ATB.html

Bob
 
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Hi Caesar

I think that the Sportstar EX models that have been discontinued are the ones that look like this one...

SPORTSTAR EX (discontinued)

In UK I am fairly sure I read the other day that the SSEX one I linked to is the same model as the one that Nikon call the Trailblazer ATB in the US. I might be wrong but they sure look the same and the specs seem to match. Did you click through to the link I posted? Also £100 is currently worth about $175, but this bears little relation to binoculars really - for example I am looking at getting a pair of binos that would cost me $250 in the USA when I visit next month, that here would cost me £300 (=$500). It is insane.


Hugh - I also have a big soft spot for that Olympus for some reason. I like the way it looks compared to the Nikon which seems to be trying to be a bit Star Trek. Not sure about it being new, this Amazon UK page has it down as being available since June 2011. But they are knocking it out for £69 so it is within budget. I imagine that you will probably be relatively happy with a few of the ones that have been discussed here... Go with your gut.

Robert
 
Robert,

The Sportstar is probably essentially the same binocular as the Trailblazer. I owned an 8 x25 Sportstar (don't recall it being and "EX" though) several years ago and sold it to a friend who uses it Deer Hunting. He is happy with it. The Sportstar you show in the link above is in the "archived" binoculars on Nikon's USA site. The Trailblazer doesn't have that white bridge and neither did the Sportstar I sold.

http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/Nikon-Products/Binoculars/All-Binoculars/index.page#archived


Bob
 
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That's why I linked to it... that is the discontinued one.
Check the link in my original post to see what they are calling the sportstar ex in UK today.

R
 
rdpx said:
That's why I linked to it... that is the discontinued one.
Check the link in my original post to see what they are calling the sportstar ex in UK today.

R
Click to expand...

I have a correction related to my comment about the Trailblazer and Sportstar EX being essentially the same.

I just re-checked their specs and the English Sportstar EX has the same specs as the new USA Trailblazer which has a much wider FOV than the original USA Sportstar had. Optically the USA version of the Sportstar was a different binocular than the English Sportstar EX is even though the bridges are the same color. You are right, the one discontinued in the US was not a Sportstar EX.

Confusing for sure!


Bob
 
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The Sportstar EX is definitely current in the UK, it's on the Nikon web site. It looks identical to the Trailblazer ATB in the USA.

There are a few Sportstar EX new on eBay here for £60. Am still tempted by the Olympus (£69), though, and also the Hawke Frontier PC (£60) - both phase coasted which the Nikon doesn't appear to be. Olympus close focus is also 1.5m as opposed to 3.5m for the Nikon - you never know, could be of novel use from time to time! The Nikon is an interesting design I agree, Robert - looks like it's set to stun.... ;)
 
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hjay said:
The Sportstar EX is definitely current in the UK, it's on the Nikon web site. It looks identical to the Trailblazer ATB in the USA...
Click to expand...

I have experience with the 8x version of these. They are not of sufficient optical quality for me to consider using myself (even for casual purposes), though I have suggested them as a cheap bin for small children who need close focus (it is much better than Nikon's spec), short reach to the focus knob, and IPD under 50 mm. Otherwise, I wouldn't even recommend these for kids. Another consideration is that the eye relief on these is much too short for glasses, and even if you don't wear glasses they may be uncomfortable because your eyelashes will bump the ocular every time you blink. The ProStaff, on the other hand, are a very capable and comfortable design.

--AP
 
This is the Sportstar we have, I had to dig it out of a box. 10x25 6.5 fov it says WF water resistant. Its seen use but, not exceptional and as I posted earlier to the OP, very finicky in overall general use.

Bryce...
 

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Bryce, looks in great condition! Fancy posting it over to the UK, seems wasted deep down in your box.... ;)

I think the experience of optical quality, as per Alexis' post, is somewhat relative and depends on your point of reference. My point of reference is a 4yr old pair of Decathlon own brand 8x21s.
 
You pay for postage I would certainly send it your way. Don't know how expensive that would be on your end? I would rather see someone use it then sitting in a box!

Bryce...
 
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