Sightron "Blue Sky" II 8x32 (1 Viewer)

[Highway Dog]

I bought this 8x32 Blue Sky by Sightron! I like it! I paid 178 dollars with shipping cost to buy it at www.manventureoutpost.com.

The link is: http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Sightron-SIIBL832-SII-Series-Bino-8x32mm.html

They do work very well. The view is good, alot of the view is in focus. I do like the decent wide view for the 8x32. The focus speed does not seem extra fast. It is of a good speed but not extra fast. I was focusing on squirrels as they ran around on the ground. I do not see any stray light. The eyecups help in keeping the side illumination from giveing a veiling glare. The eyecups remind me of the minox style. I have to keep the eyecups extended only 2/3rds so I can see a nice focused field stop.

To me, the focus seemed a slightly fleeting. Everytime I moved to a new view, I got it back into correct focus. Yes, since I am in my 50's, my eyes do not accommodate like they should. I have not yet seen any chromatic fringing. I will have to test for that some other time.

The weight was light for a 8x32 at 20 oz. I have had a Pentax SP 8x32 ,a Pentax 8x32XP. The 5 inch objective tubes (from glass to glass) are longer than those other two. That is why it reminds me of the Pentax 9x28 DCV. The body seems to be made from a man-made material. I just searched for the ad copy and I cannot find any comment on the materials of the body.

I have wanted a good 8x32, but I had lost faith in all the medium priced roof binoculars. At one time I had a lead on a Leupold Goldring HD 8x32, but it turned out that it was falsely advertised.

I was happy to see this thread.

Rob.

2011 catalog from sightron.com go to page 11 to see the Series II blue sky binoculars. -5.7 megabytes.

 

[FrankD]

Rob,

I am glad to see you took the plunge and ordered one. I continue to be impressed by the optical performance, handling and focusing of this model.

I did receive both the Kenko and Vixen models mentioned earlier. I will leave a more detailed comparison for a separate thread but for those that cannot wait...I am keeping the Sightrons and returning the other two. All three share some very similar characteristics but the Sightron easily has the best contrast and, because of which, also the most apparent sharpness. I see no other differences in terms of optical performance. Handling is a bit different as I now can see why Sightron chose to employ that little flare around the neckstrap lugs.

I will say it again, this is the first and only mid-low price roof prism glass that compares very favorably to the Nikon SE in a variety of areas. This one is definitely a keeper.

 

[tpcollins]

I was looking for a new rifle scope for my .243 and the Sightron II was always a top choice on the varmint forums - so I bought a 4-16x44mm. It was such a great scope that I bought a Sightron II Big Sky 6-24x44mm for my new .204 Ruger. Since their rifle scopes are this good, I can only imagine their binoculars would follow suit . . .

 

[FrankD]

I was looking for a new rifle scope for my .243 and the Sightron II was always a top choice on the varmint forums - so I bought a 4-16x44mm. It was such a great scope that I bought a Sightron II Big Sky 6-24x44mm for my new .204 Ruger. Since their rifle scopes are this good, I can only imagine their binoculars would follow suit . . .

Along that line of thinking....I am considering trying their high end SIIILR in 8x43. It is the typical open hinge/ED glass design. The field of view is "only" 393 feet so I am expecting something similar to the Promaster. Still, if their $180 bins are this good then maybe the $425 model will surprise me as well.

Haven't talked myself into it yet though.

 

[bearclawthedonut]

Frank:

Sightron does indeed make good scopes. I still have one of their early S33-4R red dot sights - it's top quality. I also had one of their very early 8x42 poros. It too was very good, built like a tank and almost as heavy. Sightron has always made very good optical products with quality and customer service about the same as Vortex.

Unfortunately those bump out name plates are a deal braker for me on the 8x32. I've never cared much for open bridge designs, I suspect those bumps would make the Sii Blue Sky 8x32 very uncomfortable to hold. I just do not see an advantage to having my ring finger and pinky wrap around the barrel. I've no strength in those fingers - too many dislocations. Also having two short hinge locations, particularly when combined with a magnesium frame requires much additional cross-sectional area resulting in unnecessary extra weight.

Have you seen a Vanguard Spirit ED 8x36 yet? I would like to find a review. I'm a bit concerned over their useable eye relief?

bearclawthedonut

 

[stuart C smith]

in the u.k. , £247.00 from aim field sports. - and no, i have no vested interest.

 

[JMSharp]

Sightron's

Frank,
I am a long time lurker but 1st time poster. I have enjoyed your review of the Sightron Blue Sky 8x32 and would encourage anyone to give the top of the line SIIILR 8x42 a look. They don't seem to get and any ink on the net but they are best I have found for my needs in the mid price range.

My primary use is for hunting but I do enjoy birding when I am out in the field and things are slow. Due to my glasses I must have a minimum of 18mm ER to get a full view and I have passed on a lot of very good mid range bins as a result. In seeking nirvana I started with Steiner 8x30 Predators (20 years ago) and since have owned Zeiss Conquest 8x30, Sightron SIIIRM 8x42, Vortex Viper 8x42, Zen Ray ED1 & ED2 8x42, and finally Sightron SIIILR 8x42. Of these I currently have the Zen ED2 and SIIILR. I prefer the Sightron's for my use but both have a home here.

JMS

 

[FrankD]

JMS,

Thank you for chiming in. I think I may have to give the SIIILR a go and see how it performs compared to some of the other models I have in my possession. Will post about it if I do.

 

[Highway Dog]

I have noticed that this Sightron BlueSky SII 8x32 has some barrel distortion. It is not strong. I have noticed it by keeping my eyes viewing through the binoculars as I move the view about 90 or 100 degrees to the side. I tried to carefully read Frank and he made no mention to this effect.

I am all for any effects that give me a better viewing experience. If it makes a broad sweet spot or increased power to make it have better resolution, I am for it. In this case I think this binoculars has slightly longer focal ratio than other 8x32's which would lower some aberrations. I like that too.

Rob.

 

[FrankD]

Rob,

I think you are on to something with the comment about the longer focal ratio. It would explain a great deal of my experiences with this binocular. As for the barrel distortion...you are correct. I did not notice it nor comment on it. This is one area where I have to force myself to look for it a bit as I am not as susceptible to it as others are. Case in point, I did own the original Nikon Venturer 8x42 and have looked through the Swarovision 8.5x42. I did not notice barrel distortion at all in the former but then I might not have known what to look for at the time. The latter I was able to notice it but I did not find it a distraction as others do.

 

[FrankD]

I did want to follow up with an update on the comparison I mentioned between the Sightron SII and the Kenko and Vixen competing models. All three binoculars definitely share some similarities in terms of physical design and optical performance but there are some key differences as well.

Ergonomically:

The Kenko and Vixen models are practically identical externally. The bodies are an exact match minus some armoring differences. I tend to favor the Vixen model when comparing the two as there is slightly more aesthetic appeal to me with the coloration of the rubber armor and exposed black, metal central hinge.

Overall I enjoy the ergonomics of both bins to a point. The problem with both of these units is the location of the neckstrap lug. It is located in the same position as the Sightron model. The difference is that the Sightron utilizes a contoured bumpout to encompass the neckstrap lug. Because of this the lug does not dig into the webbing of my hand when I hold the Sightron. With both of the other models I do run into this issue and have to compensate by sliding my hand position forward and around the barrel of the binocular.

All three bins are lightweight and well balanced overall.

Optically:

From a general perspective these three binoculars are more alike than not. The share many of the same image characteristics in terms of the field of view, size of the perceived "sweet spot" and level/type of edge distortion. All three also seem to control CA to roughly the same level though I did not have an opportunity to compare them under extreme CA-inducing situations.

Those are the optical similarities. There are also some differences...a few of which were noted in the All Binos review of the Kenko and Vixen models. Of the three models I would rank the Kenko as last overall for two key reasons. One, the contrast level and apparent brightness level is noticeably less than the other two binoculars. All Binos chalked this up to the type and quality of coatings utilized. I see no reason not to agree with that conclusion. Though the image is relatively pleasing it lacks the "punch" provided by binoculars that sport good contrast and higher levels of light transmission.

Second, as with the All Binos review, the Kenko arrived slightly out of alignment. Because of this issue it was moderately difficult to get a "good feel" for the overall optical performance of the binocular. Yes, I did just utilize the individual barrels to make many of these comparisons. That works to an extent but, I feel, does take away from the overall experience generated from using both barrels when in proper alignment.

I would rate the Vixen as second to the Sightron unit optically. The two images are very close overall in almost all areas. Again though, the Sightron's level of contrast is really exceptional. Though the Vixen is good in its own right the Sightron is just plain better. As I explained in a recent PM to another forum member the contrast level is to a point where it almost produces a 3D effect similar to that of a porro prism binocular. Aside from that one issue I found the image quality between the Vixen and the Sightron to be entirely comparable.

All I have time for right now. I will post some comparison pics to go along with this info.

 

[FrankD]

Sorry for the delay. Here you go....

 

[FrankD]

Eyepiece comparison

 

[FrankD]

Lug location

 

[FrankD]

Sightron lug in comparison

 

[BrightIdea]

In my never ending quest to find the perfect binocular I have ventured far from the mainstream binocular market....

I am not sure how that led me to the Sightron SII "Blue Sky" 8x32 but I did eventually find it. It appears to have all of the same specs and features as the other two and now the price was down to $189.99. It didn't appear to offer as aesthetically pleasing of an exterior as the other two but how does that phrase go about beggars and choosers? ...

Hook...

... it displays exceptionally high performance levels in just about every area I could think of examining. If it wasn't for that little "bump out" in the body I would almost call this binocular "close to perfect" in terms of the total package. One cannot overlook the most important fact and the one that separates it from just about any competition...the price.

Line...

Finally, a wonderfully high-performing 8x32 binocular that truly anyone can afford.

Sinker!


SII 832 en route

 

[ceasar]

Eyepiece comparison

The oculars on the middle binocular are visibly narrower than the other 2. Is it's FOV smaller than the other 2?

Bob

 

[FrankD]

Bob,

Not that I noticed when comparing them. I didnt measure them side by side though. The sightron is advertised at 7.5 degrees while the other two are advertised at 8. Allbinos though found them to both be around 7.6 degrees.

Brightidea,

Glad to see someone else is willing to give them a try. I would be curious of your impressions after you use them for a bit.

 

[Highway Dog]

The Minox Bl 8x33 cb Br binocular at Eagle Optics.com seems to me to be in this family. I wonder if the optics are similar or better than the Sightron?

I would expect that the Sightron has aluminum mirrors in the roof prisms. If I am wrong, then it has silver for reflectivity. I wonder if the Minox uses silver? (Right now the Minox website is not working for me.) I see this version is about 4 ounces heavier than the binoculars of this thread.

Rob.

 

[FrankD]

Rob,

I can get it to work initially but then it rolls over into googld adserver and wont let me view the page again. Strange. Maybe because I am accessing the site via cellphone.

The minox pic does look similar. I would be curious as to the prism coating on both the minox and the sightron.