ksbird/foxranch
Well-known member
In porro prism binoculars I've always liked 8x30s and used them whenever possible for bird viewing and spectacle events. The 8x30 isn't for astronomy and it might even be a bit dim for early morning/late-evening viewing but overall it is handy, lightweight (usually and can be made very sharp over a very wide field of view.
I have many favorites. My Nikon 8x30 Es are excellent and very sharp, though not waterproof. The Zeiss Jena Deltrintem 1Q 8x30 is also very sharp and has a very wide field of view but also is not waterproof. I have various military Hensoldts with waterproofed bodies and wide fields, sharp images and good contrast, but they are individual eyepiece focus (which is fine when viewing from a fixed location, watching birds that are skittish) and they are often heavy (although not the Steiners). The Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30s are truly great as well but again they are not waterproof. My 8x30 Swarovskis are also exceptional although not waterproof. The Fujinon FMTR 8x30 is sharp, waterproof and has high contrast but it is IF again and weighty.
I find almost all the 8x30 roofers to be much dimmer than the 8x30 porros In fact 8x32 or even 8x36 roofers have a hard time being as bright as 8x30 porros. The Nikon 8x32 IIs and the Nikon 8x32 Superior Es are about as good as they get for sharpness and brightness in a binocular of this size. The center focus feature of the non-waterproof 8x30s allows for fast acquisition and tracking of birds in flight. I didn't know why there weren't more waterproof center focus 8x30s on the market.
There was a time when I thought the 8x40 format would be the way to go. Various 8x40s/42s/44s were usually very heavy (though not always), but they always seemed much larger than the 8x30s (stating the obvious I know). This was an area where roofers seemed better. The 8x40 roofers weren't really that much larger than the 8x30 porros but the 8x40/42 roofers weren't really that much brighter and usually they weren't sharper either. But most 8x40/42 roofers were waterproof. So I had a dilemma.
Well when one of my friends moved up to the awesome 10x42 Nikon Premier SE porros he asked if I would keep one of his other binoculars in case someone wanted them. The binoculars were the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariners. I tried them myself while showing them to someone else and I liked them allot. At a currently available retail price of about US$150 they seem to be an outstanding bargain. I had read that the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariner had a field stop/or/baffle that restricted the exit pupil to less than 5 mm. I measured this binocular myself and found that the objective lenses were a tiny bit larger than 41.5 mm in diameter and when measure with the bins set to infinity (their only really 8x position) the exit pupil was a full 5mm.
There is a baffle position back behind the objective lens, but it seems far enough back that it really doesn’t obstruct the full light collecting of the objective. Perhaps this is a technique Oberwerk uses to “use” the sharpest portion of the objective lens while allowing a wide field of view. One thing is for certain on this pair of bins, the view is exceptionally sharp. I use the 8x30 Es and the 8x30 Oberkochens as my non-waterproof standards for this test (+ the Swarovski 8x30 Habichts although they might have been produced a year or 2 before the West German Zeiss’s). The Fujinon FMTR 8x30s are my waterproof standards and the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariners are about as sharp as any of them (although the contrast on the Zeiss Obers and the sharpness fully across the field of the Nikon Es or the Fujis may be slightly better, but the field is wider on the Oberwerks by far). I looked everywhere for a country of origin and couldn’t find any marks, so I’m guessing the little foil tag saying “China” has fallen off. All in all a very fine, if heavy binocular at a very low price.
The Oberwerks are heavy and kind of chunky but handle very well. Since they are waterproof and nitrogen purged, they will work well in winter here as well as summer. The eye cups are interesting because they are purely either-or. In the locked-down position the eye lenses are 22 mm wide and a snap to use with eyeglasses to see most, if not all of the wide field. In the locked-up position 12mm higher, the eyecups provide good shading while allowing full access to the large exit pupil. The eye relief is 18mm and it is a real 18mm. The right eye lens adjustment has a thumb tab/protrusion to assist in adjusting while focusing.
I do have a few issues with this item. The objective covers are about the easiest to lose I’ve ever seen. They fit into the deep baffled area in front of the objective lenses which are recessed fully 10mm from the front lip edges. The objective covers remind me of the type most bin makers permanently attach, but these are removable with a small tab. They come out on their own quite easily. The eye lens covers are the opposite and the rubber they are made of has such low strength and integrity that both side strap loops on mine were ripped open during normal use. So now the lens covers are just another piece of removable hardware waiting to be lost.
I’m used to big heavy binoculars because my Hensoldt/Zeiss 10x50s are nearly 1400 grams and the Zeiss Marine T* 7x50s or Steiner 7x50 Marines are nearly as heavy so a bin weighing more than 1100 grams isn’t a problem since these chunky bins fit my hands and focus so well. But it is the sharpness that is impressive. The contrast is excellent also. And they are SO INEXPENSIVE it’s ridiculous for this quality. I do not know if they utilize a field flattener like the Fujis or Nikons but they are very sharp across most of the filed. I compared them to Monarch 8x42 and the Monarchs were not as sharp, although possibly as bright, and allot more expensive.
I have many favorites. My Nikon 8x30 Es are excellent and very sharp, though not waterproof. The Zeiss Jena Deltrintem 1Q 8x30 is also very sharp and has a very wide field of view but also is not waterproof. I have various military Hensoldts with waterproofed bodies and wide fields, sharp images and good contrast, but they are individual eyepiece focus (which is fine when viewing from a fixed location, watching birds that are skittish) and they are often heavy (although not the Steiners). The Zeiss Oberkochen 8x30s are truly great as well but again they are not waterproof. My 8x30 Swarovskis are also exceptional although not waterproof. The Fujinon FMTR 8x30 is sharp, waterproof and has high contrast but it is IF again and weighty.
I find almost all the 8x30 roofers to be much dimmer than the 8x30 porros In fact 8x32 or even 8x36 roofers have a hard time being as bright as 8x30 porros. The Nikon 8x32 IIs and the Nikon 8x32 Superior Es are about as good as they get for sharpness and brightness in a binocular of this size. The center focus feature of the non-waterproof 8x30s allows for fast acquisition and tracking of birds in flight. I didn't know why there weren't more waterproof center focus 8x30s on the market.
There was a time when I thought the 8x40 format would be the way to go. Various 8x40s/42s/44s were usually very heavy (though not always), but they always seemed much larger than the 8x30s (stating the obvious I know). This was an area where roofers seemed better. The 8x40 roofers weren't really that much larger than the 8x30 porros but the 8x40/42 roofers weren't really that much brighter and usually they weren't sharper either. But most 8x40/42 roofers were waterproof. So I had a dilemma.
Well when one of my friends moved up to the awesome 10x42 Nikon Premier SE porros he asked if I would keep one of his other binoculars in case someone wanted them. The binoculars were the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariners. I tried them myself while showing them to someone else and I liked them allot. At a currently available retail price of about US$150 they seem to be an outstanding bargain. I had read that the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariner had a field stop/or/baffle that restricted the exit pupil to less than 5 mm. I measured this binocular myself and found that the objective lenses were a tiny bit larger than 41.5 mm in diameter and when measure with the bins set to infinity (their only really 8x position) the exit pupil was a full 5mm.
There is a baffle position back behind the objective lens, but it seems far enough back that it really doesn’t obstruct the full light collecting of the objective. Perhaps this is a technique Oberwerk uses to “use” the sharpest portion of the objective lens while allowing a wide field of view. One thing is for certain on this pair of bins, the view is exceptionally sharp. I use the 8x30 Es and the 8x30 Oberkochens as my non-waterproof standards for this test (+ the Swarovski 8x30 Habichts although they might have been produced a year or 2 before the West German Zeiss’s). The Fujinon FMTR 8x30s are my waterproof standards and the Oberwerk 8x40 Mariners are about as sharp as any of them (although the contrast on the Zeiss Obers and the sharpness fully across the field of the Nikon Es or the Fujis may be slightly better, but the field is wider on the Oberwerks by far). I looked everywhere for a country of origin and couldn’t find any marks, so I’m guessing the little foil tag saying “China” has fallen off. All in all a very fine, if heavy binocular at a very low price.
The Oberwerks are heavy and kind of chunky but handle very well. Since they are waterproof and nitrogen purged, they will work well in winter here as well as summer. The eye cups are interesting because they are purely either-or. In the locked-down position the eye lenses are 22 mm wide and a snap to use with eyeglasses to see most, if not all of the wide field. In the locked-up position 12mm higher, the eyecups provide good shading while allowing full access to the large exit pupil. The eye relief is 18mm and it is a real 18mm. The right eye lens adjustment has a thumb tab/protrusion to assist in adjusting while focusing.
I do have a few issues with this item. The objective covers are about the easiest to lose I’ve ever seen. They fit into the deep baffled area in front of the objective lenses which are recessed fully 10mm from the front lip edges. The objective covers remind me of the type most bin makers permanently attach, but these are removable with a small tab. They come out on their own quite easily. The eye lens covers are the opposite and the rubber they are made of has such low strength and integrity that both side strap loops on mine were ripped open during normal use. So now the lens covers are just another piece of removable hardware waiting to be lost.
I’m used to big heavy binoculars because my Hensoldt/Zeiss 10x50s are nearly 1400 grams and the Zeiss Marine T* 7x50s or Steiner 7x50 Marines are nearly as heavy so a bin weighing more than 1100 grams isn’t a problem since these chunky bins fit my hands and focus so well. But it is the sharpness that is impressive. The contrast is excellent also. And they are SO INEXPENSIVE it’s ridiculous for this quality. I do not know if they utilize a field flattener like the Fujis or Nikons but they are very sharp across most of the filed. I compared them to Monarch 8x42 and the Monarchs were not as sharp, although possibly as bright, and allot more expensive.
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