Hi all, first post here.
I've always been using 7x50 porro binoculars. I need a large front lens because I'm using them often at twilight. My current ones broke so I'm in need for a replacement.
I thought it was a good opportunity to try out some high-end binoculars : Leica Ultravid, Zeiss Victory FL, Swarovski EL. I only tried the 8x42 models. With all of them I had the same problem : I couldn't get a good grip on them. When the tubes are adjusted to fit the distance between my eyes, they are so close to each other there is no room left for my thumbs anywhere and my other fingers overlap. Compared to my old porro, the position is so unpleasant it is enough to make me want to give up on optical quality and prefer the ergonomy of my old 7x50 porro.
Has anyone experienced something like this ?
Does it mean roofs are not for me or is it just a matter of getting used to it ?
A few alternatives I'm considering :
- buying a new pair of cheap 7x50 porro,
- buying some high quality porro (like Nikon SE...but it seems there is no model with large front lens and no stores stock them around here),
- trying some larger models of roofs, bulkier than 8x42 (7x50, 8x56...).
Any thoughts ?
(Edit : sorry shouldn't have posted this in a subforum....)
There is some thought put into certain models, with a more open frame. However, most roof prism users get used to the standard 40mm or so binoculars and the thumbs eventually find a place to go, without thinking. It is sort of like driving cars. Most cars you usually get used to eventually.
Yes, this is a problem with most of the popular modern roofs for people with close IPD and big thumbs. Even though I've found reasonably comfortable alternative grip positions, I'm really not happy unless my binos allow a wrap-around grip, the key aspect for me being plenty of thumb room between the barrels. In this regard, some past models (e.g. Nikon 8x40 Classic Eagle, Zeiss 7x42 Classic, original Bausch&Lomb 8x42 Elite) were better than most of today's offerings. I miss the design of the original B&L Elite, with the focus wheel at the other end of the center bridge--it allowed one to wrap the preferred focusing hand around the far end of one barrel and operate the focus wheel with the index and/or middle finger. My old cheap Bushnell 8x42 Banner designed the same way. Seemed much more comfortable and stable to me, so why aren't any of today's binos designed like this (Swarovski 8x30 SLC don't qualify because there isn't any barrel to provide a grip in front of the focus knob)?
Your eyes must be closer-set than mine because for me the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL work pretty well. Some mid-sized roofs, including the Leica 8x32 BN work even better. For me, the best by far is the Swarovski 8x32 EL. But you note that you are using these at twilight, so even though modern 8x32 and, especially, 8x42 are quite bright (perhaps as good or better than your old 7x50), perhaps the solution for you is a larger set of roofs. If you want top-end optics, light gathering, and plenty of room for hands, and you don't mind the weight, maybe you should have a look at the 8x50 or 8x56 models from Zeiss, Swarovski, and Leica. They've got a lot more room between their longer barrels.
--AP