Well I'm back from my two week trip of Golden Retriever dog training and field trialing down in Northern California. We were in wildlife areas including some major waterfowl preserves, so it was a perfect opportunity for me to play with my two new bins while we weren't working the dogs. For this trip I brought along my one year old 10x42 Nikon SEs and my two new bins; an 8x32 Trinovid BN and an 8x32 SE. Previous to this field test I had put quite a few hours looking through 8x30 SLCs, 8x32 ELs and 8x32 Ultravid BR and HDs, I also own an 8x42 BR which I left home.
OK here's my disclaimer: I need to state right off that I am not an optics expert like most of you guys, I have good vision and lots of experience looking through binoculars, but I haven't been particularly interested in needing to understand the technical workings of optical instruments or physics of light beyond what I took in college decades ago, nor am I interested in performing controlled optical test analyzing resolution charts at prescribed distances off a tripod, these are just subjective observations in real working conditions by a guy who loves looking at nature through high end optics. Also, though I wear glasses a slight +1.50 for far-sightedness, I take my glasses off to use bins. I am still almost 20-20 without glasses so I can walk through the woods with out them.
For those of you who don't want to read through the whole report, I'll state right here that for me the 8x32SE was unbelievably good in every area, it is absolutely my favorite bin of all time. The dreaded blackouts were a non issue with my eyes and face, these bins were actually the easiest of any to my eye. The trinovids on the other hand were more finicky in that regard, requiring carefull placement against the face to avoid slight "greyouts" They don't blackout all the way, but if you aren't lined up perfectly there is a slight image loss. It's hard to explain.
There were two areas where the SE was clearly superior, that ease of view I just described and brightness, the SEs are quite a bit brighter. They seem to be brighter than most other alpha bins except some Zeiss I looked through. These 8x32s were at least as bright as the 8x42 size ELs and Ultravids. I didn't test that all the way through dusk though, I would expect the larger EPs to prevail in those low light situations. While visiting a waterfowl preserve I ran into a group of birders on a nature walk observation point, one them had a Zeiss Classic 7x42 and I got to look through it, WOW, very bright easy view, definitely brighter than the SE. Anyway, other than brightness and ease of view, the Trinovids seemed to be their equal in every other repect except waterproofenss where they are better than the SE.
Both of these bins are as sharp as can be. Not a very technical term but I can't imagine any other bin showing more detail. I panned on objects and they both appear sharp toward the edge, but the SE probably is sharper right at the edge. This though is one area where both the 8x32 and 10x42 SEs bugs me. Somehow between the physics of the SE design, the shape of my face and eye relief, the field stop of the eyepiece cuts off the absolute edge of image. I can see that sharp edge if I move my eye off center a bit and look sideways through the lens, but centered the edge is fuzzy. I have learned to ignore that issue as it doesn't effect the view at all, I would just prefer that absolute sharp edge that my other bins have.
They both seem to be color neutral. When I was testing them against he various Swaro bins I looked across a large space to a group of trees naked in the winter, when observed with the naked eye they appeared to be a mass of red-brown-grey. Throught the bins the Leicas and SEs showed that same color tone in individual branches and limbs while the Swaro EL made them appear almost blue-grey.
I actually like the ergonomics of the SE and BN. They are very different with the SE being wider, but they fit my hand and face very well. I also like the compact, palm fitting BNs. The SEs hang off their strap funny, but that is better if you run the strap through the ocular cover and carry them with the cover in place. They are both so light the rather measly strap isn't an issue.
There has been a lot said about the old-fashioned rubber eyecups on the SE, but after using them this two weeks I can see a benefit to them. I believe their flexability actually allows me to put my eyes in the perfect spot to get that "easy" view I like so much. Somehow I cant get the "either all the way in or out" eyecups of the BN to work right for me. Even my three position eye cups on my Ultravids are more finicky than the rubber eyecups on the SE. Coincidentally, my old faithful Leitz Trinovids, Fujinon 7x50s and Pentax DCFs all have the old style flexable rubber eye cups and I never had a blackout propblem with any of them. I realize a lot of people continue to have black out issues with the SE, so there is a lot more to this problem than flexable eye cups, I'm just saying there aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
One last thing relating to that "easy" view that I put so much value on; a lot of my viewing is across large distances from vistas. I think most birders are concentrating their view to much closer subjects, birds in foliage. When I do that I barely notece the "grey-out" of the Trinovid. They are wonderfull, showing fantastic detail of bark and tree stems of trees 30-40 yards away. It is only when looking across a large vista at mountain, plain and sky miles away that the problem shows up. The SE on the other hand has no trouble viewing across large vistas.
I love this SE, it definitely isn't as sexy as a top end roof when sharing a spot with others, but just have them take a look through them, to get that "WOW". Now I need to decide whither to keep the BNs for a rainy day. I apologize for this non technical review, it is just one man's almost emotional interpretation and I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but did I say I love those little SEs?
John
Good write up John. I agree with most everything you've written except, of course, I have exactly the opposite situation with eye placement with the SEs v BNs. I have to concentrate to get a blackout free view with the SEs and the BNs fit me like they were made for me. Go figure. This is exhibit A why one really has to try out bins for themselves and why some shouldn't get too evangelical about their particular favorite.
I also agree about the brightness of the BNs. It is noticeable as compared with the latest high grade bins, though it doesn't spoil my affection towards them.
Last, the relatively slow focus of the SEs doesn't really come into play viewing off at distances but for birding at constantly varying distances, for me, the 8x32 BNs haven't been beat. They handle and focus extremely fast.
As a pure birding tool I'd give the nod to the BNs. As an example of optical purity, the SEs.
Kevin,
You are absolutely correct about blackout issues and everything else for that matter being so personal you really have to try them out yourself. I didn't mean to get overly evangelical, and I tried to emphasize the point that all these issues were personal to me, if that didn't come across clearly enough I think your reply and this comment should do. And the BNs aren't bad, I tried them for hours against the Ultravids which were worse and the Swaro ELs which were better, but decided that I was able to mitigate the issue by holding them carefully, and the view and ergonomics were so good for the discounted price, they were really a no-brainer. They still might be, as my go-anywhere, anytime, rough about binocular. I also read enough here with many people having bigtime blackout issues with SEs, to know that I am lucky in this regard.
I forgot one other issue where the SE was superior, (no pun intended), that was one evening right at sunset, I was watching dogs with the setting sun barely outside the view. This was an extreme test, but the Leica showed a (flare?, I don't know the exact term), in the opposite corner of the view, the SE had a much less noticeable flare at the same time. This definitly is not a deal breaker to me, it was just an interesting obsevation.
Since the SEs are apparently discontinued, (they might be back, I don't know), anyway I was only able to buy them through the internet, it was a sight unseen process, I'm happy that they work for me. I'm also talking myself into keeping the BNs as there is something special about them as well. Oh I forgot about focus; you are correct that at the distances I use my bins, rapid focus doesn't matter to me, what does matter is a smooth focus wheel and a snap into focus trait of the binocular. My old Pentax DCFs always disapointed me by not doing that, I always seem to fiddle with the focus wheel trying to get them sharp. That isn't a problem with either the BN or SE, very smooth wheel and the both snap into very sharp focus. I had read some complaints with the Trinovid focus wheel being rough, my Ultravid without lube is not smooth, but this little BN is very smooth. I don't know how my either will stiffen in cold weather but I haven't had a problem so far in sub freezing weather.
John