I recently compared a well-aligned Nikon 8x30 A (Nippon Kogaku, Mikron, c. 1950s) that I picked up on eBay, with my standard Swarovski SLC 8x30 Mk II and SLC 8x20 binocs (c. 1995). I was astounded how magnificent those old Nikons are!! Birds are crystal clear. FOV, depth, and color rendition are very satisfying. Frankly, given good weather, I really enjoy them more than the expensive Swaros. I don't see much written about field comparisions with older porros. Think it's a well kept secret that they might be just as good — and a lot less expensive?
elkcub,
What you are experiencing is a well known phenomenon. Porro prism binoculars are undoubtably superior in almost every way to modern roof prism binoculars, with one single exception.... it is nearly impossible to make porro models completely waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof. The roof prism designs are simpler, more compact, and lighter weight... easier to seal environmentally - but almost always at the expense of image quality.
This is not really a "well kept secret", but rather a situation where modern optical design is geared toward a certain marketing goal (weatherproof, rugged construction) at the expense of other factors (overall image quality).
Best wishes,
Bawko
i chuckled when i started to read this thread, i have just returned from a bit of a birding weekend nothing spectacular but on Friday whilst i admit the weather was poor and my bins although not high quality they have been alright in the past but seemed to be struggling from middle to far distance couldn't tell the difference between a duck and a goose let alone identify anything. grasping the nettle, on saturday i resolved to test drive some of the more exotic bins to see what i had been missing. tested all types of bins from nikon,leica swaro's down to some costing about the £400.00 mark nothing i tested was worth spending £400-£800 to improve what i already had, sure there was a some improvement but not at that price. this is where the porros come in tested at the same time, a second hand pair of nikon 8 x 30 wide angle porro bins what a revelation brilliant not even the leica/swaro came anywhere close to the clarity and brilliance of these nikon porros. they are small, light and a dream to use, sure from the following comment i will have to look after them but i don't go out in the rain without an outdoor coat they can be tucked inside the coat if necessary. i don't tend to thow any of my equipment around it could get bumped or knocked by accident but that can happen with any equipment, that's life. for the forseeable future i do not see myself chasing the elusive dream of leica or swaros. when they compare to my new nikons at the price i paid then i might just put my hand in my pocket again. for the those with an old pair of porros dust them off and compare them to the latest aquisition i think you may be surprised
cheers geoff