Welcome to birdforum, Cees!
Thanks very much, happy to be here!
Also thanks for your extensive reply, it has cleared up a lot. By the way, I'm an absolute beginner in the binoworld. All I know is what I've learned from reading this forum in the past week or so. Just so you can put my potentially stupid remarks in context.
Speaking about stupidity, I'm sorry about calling you Kor, Ronald! (I was looking at the wrong side of the screen; probably a collimation problem
>The guy from Knivesandtools mailed me that I could have had a refund, in >case I would not accept a replacement for the Eden.
>This is really good costumer service.
>I certainly can appreciate that, but I decided to follow my instincts and >threw the bins in the bin. That was quite a relief.
I had quite a laugh when I read this. In an earlier message (the one you referred to) you wrote that you'd rather buy a Swarovski but couldn't afford one. I'm afraid this way you might never reached that point, Ronald!
>I've vowed to never, ever buy another pair of binoculars with a combined >diopter/focus wheel- design, because it's bound for trouble sooner or later.
>I'm not the only one who's had trouble with this stupid design, read the >subforums, but most people seem to be happy to put up with it. Good for >them.
Okay, that's good to know. I'm definitely not going to try any of those.
>This means the Edens have more distortion at the edges, but I'm unsure if >that means pincushion distortion or barrel distortion. It's not explained in >the review, unfortunately.
Which of those two types of distortion is worse, in your opinion?
>The reviewer refered to the Swaro and Zeiss on the one hand, and the >Eden HD's on the other, as the difference between Rolls Royce and >Volkswagen.
>Perfect vs. nearly perfect.
>I've found my Lexus in the Canon IS's, I think.
Yes, they sound interesting. But I saw that they have a magnification of 16x!
Doesn't that cause an extremely small field of view?
>Well, I hope that I've answered your questions,
Yes, thank you for that.
>and I'm looking forward to read further postings of yours on this forum.
Well, I don't know if I have much to offer this forum. I have mostly questions, I suppose. I was curious about the Eden because I had bought a 8x32 HD as a present for my brother. I looked through them before handing them over of course, and I found them very bright and sharp. But that doesn't mean much, because I have never owned a serious binocular, that much I have learned here. Therefore, I just ordered an 8x28 Hurricane for myself, to have some kind of reference point. I will compare it with the Eden in a couple of weeks.
>It can become addictive, as many of us have experienced.
Yes. It's weird, actually.
Kind regards,
Cees
Hello Cees,
As you probably have noticed from reading the subforums there are more opinions on binoculars than there are stars in the universe.
There are many brands of binoculars too, each one of them with a throng of dedicated followers, especially in the top class. Most binocular afficionados
own more than just one bin, and many strive to collect a complete harem of fine optics.
If you have any questions, no matter on what subject, or aspect of binoculars, don't hesitate to ask them. There's an overwheming amount of knowledge amongst the regular forum members, and people are happy to help you out in any way.
On technical stuff, my own knowledge is only very modest. I'm learning too, here on this forum. The amount of information is so vast, you'll have years of fun reading the lot, probably. :eat:
Pincushion distortion means that vertical lines at the edges of the field of view in a binocular image are bent inwards, barrel distortion means they're bent outwards. It's the amount of distortion, rather than the distortion itselve, which will define the quality of the image at the edges. A lot of distortion at the edges is mostly found in cheap optics, especially so in wide
field of view bins. Less distortion, or virtually no distortion at all, is common in the higher priceclass, which contributes to a purer picture throughout the field of view.
Here my expertise comes to a grinding halt, for technical aspects there are far more knowledged people than me, here. :t:
Reading back my own remarks about the Eden binoculars, I think I could have put it somewhat less harsh; after all, most people who own them think very highly of them, according to the reviews on Knivesandtools.
It's probably a case of being unlucky for one time too many; I'm no diplomat
when it comes to ergonomic designs in binoculars. I'm either in favour, or I condemn them. Please keep in mind that not all people here have such a distorted view on reality as I seem to have. It's just my nature, I suppose.
I've no knowledge of the 8x28 Hurricanes you mention, but I would be happy to learn how you like them; maybe, if you feel like it, you would want to give your impressions of them in a new thread, and don't feel hesitant because you're new here, any review no matter how short will meet with kind reactions. We're all amateurs here, in the true sense of the word.
About the Canons, well, I happen to like them. A lot. See my contributions in the Canon subforum. They come in six different models; I have the 10x30 IS's and the 18x50 IS's. There is no 16x Canon, but there is a 15x50 model.
The larger magnification models have a somewhat restricted field of view
(FOV), that is true, as in all big magnification binoculars. The apparent FOV (AFOV) however, which is 65 * and 66.6* in mine, gives the impression of a roomy view, without tunneling. The 10x30's have a FOV of 105m/1000m, which is quite decent for 10x bins.
The image stabilization works for me, but not all people like them.
If you're new to using binoculars, and you're not into image stabilized bins, it's safest to get a model of 8x magnification with a reasonably wide FOV.
That's not only my opinion, but it's the common consensus here on Birdforum as well. Do you happen to know the FOV of the 8x28 Hurricanes?
Ideally, it should yield some 130m/1000m, but less is OK when they are easy to use. You'll have to practice with them, and you'll find it becomes easier to point them, until it becomes almost second nature.
Have fun, use them a lot, on no matter what. Most people here, including me, like to watch buildings and trees and not only birds, just for the sheer fun of enjoying the view of a good binocular. Nothing wrong with that.
Enjoy your Hurricanes, good to have you on the forum,
Best regards,
Ronald
PS : KorHaan, my avatar name, I derived from my alter ego, in my comics.
I work as a comic artist, Kor Haan ( Black Grouse ) is one of series.
