Hello all,
I need some help in choosing new binoculars. I know that Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss are the Top end Bino's and everybody's favorite, but really, they are unbelievably expensive. After searching a little bit. I narrowed my search to 3 models:
Minolta 10x42 D-WP.
Pentax 10x42 DCF-WP.
Nikon Monarch 10x42 ATB.
My wife has the Monarch and she is very satisfied with them. They are a good value for price. However there is sometimes this yellow fringing when looking at an object with contrast background that can be annoying.
The problem is I can't check myself the Pentax and The Minolta cause as far as I understand they don't import these models to Israel. Has someone have any experience with these models?
Also, if anyone has other suggestions for the $300-$500 range I will be glad to hear it.
Many thanks,
Tamir.
I know you are listing 10x models, but you might want to consider the Nikon 8x32 SE, or even the Nikon 10x40 SE, though I think the latter are out of your price range. The Nikon 8x32 SE are not waterproof, but they are sharper than the Leica 8x42 BN and Nikon 8x42 HG, and are almost as bright. I recently carried out a comparison between the Nikon 8x32 SE and a Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. At dusk I could not tell the difference between them in terms of resolution and brightness. (I still find this hard to believe. Maybe I have pupils that cannot dilate beyond 4mm?) What's more, the Nikon have almost no chromatic aberration, unlike roof prisms which always have noticeable CA, even in top end ones, and especially in cheaper ones. However they are not super trendy roof prisms which is what people seem to want these days.
Just my five pence worth ... hope you find something suitable.
I use Opticron waterproof roofprism 8 x 42 close-focus bins. I think they'd come in your price range. Optically they are excellent. My only slight quibble is that the depth of field is not as good as some--but I think that might be the price you pay for close-focussing (which is great for looking at insects).
Good luck.
Ken