My post on the Opticron forum didnt get a lot of responses, so I'll try here:
What do people think of the new crop of compacts roofs in the $200-$250 price range?
There's a few out there:
- Steiner Safaris
- Brunton Eternas
- Celestron Nobles
- Opticron Alphabet Soups
I've been searching the archives here, and everyone loves the LX/HG compacts, and the equivalent Zeiss, Leicas and Swarovskis. On the budget end - $100-$150 - there are lots of recommendations for reverse porros.
However, there isnt a lot said about these mid-tier compact offerings. My intended use is as "contingency" glass - not something I'll take as my primary birding binos, but something I'd like to carry when hiking or on exploratory trips. The last word in low-light performance is not so important... however, sharpness and contrast is. If I were to obtain the optical equivalent of the Nikon Monarchs at this price, I'd be happy.
Possible for $250 or less?
Vandit
8x25 is OK, also a few 8x28 models
Not so sure about Busnell Excursion, though there are lots that are worse. Try some Pentax models.
By the way, the best compact I have is a Minolta Compact II reverse porro 8x25. It is sharper than many of my roofs and also bright enough even on cloudy days. Nikon makes reverse porros and the optics are nearly as good, not quite. I paid 25 dollars for this discontinued brand.
Tero, I was looking for something that is a little more compact & flatter than reverse porros. Also, I've never really liked the ergonomics of most reverse porros I've tried (admittedly not a lot). Hence my preference for roofs - knowing fully well that a $250 roof is probably going to have the same performance as a $100 reverse porro.
Anyone else have any experience with the binos listed above and/or care to chime in with suggestions?
Vandit