Quality Porro 6.5x30~35 binoculars? (1 Viewer)

[sidpost]

I'm trying to warm up to the Kowa 6.5x32, and have ruled out the Maven B3's and Pentax Papillion bins.

I need a closer focus that most of the common models offer along with eyeglass compatibility. I would like a form factor a little better than my Steiner 8x30's but, that is a 'nice to have'. I do not want cheap discount store bins from Asia/China made from cheap plastic.

I wonder about some of the prior European offerings but, they generally seem to have narrow FOV's and inadequate eye relief. The Kowa option does seem to offer eye relief and a really wide usable FOV at $400 but, I've read the objectives are really close to the end of the barrel so, are easily scratched which for me on a farm or in the pickup/tractor doesn't sound like a good feature and I wonder about stray light effects from the sides affecting the image as well.

I get less than 7 power is out of the mainstream market but, it seems like a good quality $200~$400 sub-7 power 30~35mm objective set of bins would be relatively popular if they focused close (not 8+ feet like a lot of them today). What bins have I overlooked?

TIA,
Sid

 

[dries1]

These could suit your needs,

Celestron GRANITE 7X33 ED 9.1 FOV Binocular - CN Classifieds - Cloudy Nights

www.cloudynights.com

 

[dries1]

Or these.

https://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/binoculars/binoculars-30mm-aperture/apm-ms-6x30-binoculars.html

 

[mwhogue]

Second the recommendation of the Celestron 7x33 if you are concerned about the Kowa. Lots of bang for the buck with the 7x33 in a solid, reasonably compact package. YMMV.

Mike

 

[sidpost]

The Celestron Granite 7X33 ED look good. I wonder if there are any similar bins with a closer focus than 2m or ~6.5ft.

 

[jring]

Hi,

I hate to say it, but neither the Kowa 6.5x32 nor the Maven B3 nor the recommended Celestron 7x33 are porro pairs... The recommended APM is, but that is not going to offer great close focus performance due to the far apart objectives. The Pentax Papilio is also a kind of porro called a reverse porro. That gets its great close focus performance from the fact that its objectives are closer together than the eyepieces.

Joachim

 

[sidpost]

Yes, roof bins dominate in this size class. Some of the older German and Austrian options interest me but, they aren't eyeglass compatible.

I was hoping I may have missed or overlooked a nice pair from Japan or some similar market area that would be a good option

 

[sidpost]

These could suit your needs,

Celestron GRANITE 7X33 ED 9.1 FOV Binocular - CN Classifieds - Cloudy Nights

www.cloudynights.com

Been super busy so, no bee or butterfly spotting but, I got these and love them. For ~$150 to my door, a heck of a bargain and really nice glass with a great view. THANKS!

 

[PYRTLE]

So, the word "Porro" in the thread title didn't apply after all? A quality 6 or 7 x 35 with eye relief for spectacle wearers and close focus doesn't exist, - the APM comes close though. I enjoyed using a Nikon Action EX 7 x 35 for a while a few years back.

 

[sidpost]

I really wanted some good Porro bins, not Roof but, the Porro options of quality are very limited. For near throw pricing with ED glass, I can live with the compromise and Wide Field of View.

 

[dries1]

Been super busy so, no bee or butterfly spotting but, I got these and love them. For ~$150 to my door, a heck of a bargain and really nice glass with a great view. THANKS!

I take it you received a good sample, they are supposedly the upper end of Celestron. How is that 9 degree FOV?.

 

[sidpost]

Really nice! Watching the goose on my friend's pond at ~30 yards was a good experience. They are good enough to get me to consider some 9x33's at ~$320.

Their form factor is a really nice fit for my hands and facial features. With my glasses and eye issues, I still have a little bit of experimenting to do to get the most out of them. From my dominant eye, clarity and detail on the goose were really good and far beyond what I expected from a pair of bins that retail for ~$300~$400USD (at the time they were in production).

 

[brocknroller]

I'm trying to warm up to the Kowa 6.5x32, and have ruled out the Maven B3's and Pentax Papillion bins.

I need a closer focus that most of the common models offer along with eyeglass compatibility. I would like a form factor a little better than my Steiner 8x30's but, that is a 'nice to have'. I do not want cheap discount store bins from Asia/China made from cheap plastic.

I wonder about some of the prior European offerings but, they generally seem to have narrow FOV's and inadequate eye relief. The Kowa option does seem to offer eye relief and a really wide usable FOV at $400 but, I've read the objectives are really close to the end of the barrel so, are easily scratched which for me on a farm or in the pickup/tractor doesn't sound like a good feature and I wonder about stray light effects from the sides affecting the image as well.

I get less than 7 power is out of the mainstream market but, it seems like a good quality $200~$400 sub-7 power 30~35mm objective set of bins would be relatively popular if they focused close (not 8+ feet like a lot of them today). What bins have I overlooked?

TIA,
Sid

Hi Sid,

Are you affected by "rolling ball" in low distortion binoculars? If so, you might not "be completely satisfied" with the Kowa. According to the reviewers on Allbinos, "the distortion in all models is corrected well, with just slightly bent lines. If you add to that wide fields of view, you have to take into account a rolling ball effect. Personally I don't mind it and it doesn't disturb me but other users might not be completely satisfied."

Allbinos reviewers are others often use that phrase "the distortion is corrected well," as if pincushion distortion in binoculars was something undesirable that needs to be eliminated but that's not the case. Optical designers use pincushion in binoculars to make panning smoother and had been doing that since at least the 1940s, but then Nikon came along with its full sized LXs and decided to keep the distortion very low, which is when I first experienced "rolling ball." Now Swaro, Zeiss, Kowa and other sports optics brands make some models with low distortion. It's something else to consider before purchasing the Kowa.

As to the objectives being close to the end of the barrel, you can safeguard them with Butler Creek or Bushwaker flip-up objective covers.

Amazon.com

 

[sidpost]

I had "lazy eye" as a child that wasn't diagnosed until grade school. By then, the options to restore my sight were long gone and I have had to work to overcome that early childhood oversight all my life. This makes me sensitive in unusual ways to different optical systems. Not to mention general problems with some forms of "depth perception".

 

[Dennis Mau]

I had "lazy eye" as a child that wasn't diagnosed until grade school. By then, the options to restore my sight were long gone and I have had to work to overcome that early childhood oversight all my life. This makes me sensitive in unusual ways to different optical systems. Not to mention general problems with some forms of "depth perception".

That is one reason everybody should try binoculars before buying. Everybodies eyes are different.