Cameras and Lenses
What's the best bins on this planet?
Hi guys,
Unfortunately my beautiful and faithful Leica 10X42 BA 
got smashed by a third party yesterday. After smashing the poor guys' face, I decided it's time for an upgrade.
Getting the value for money issue out of the way, what's the best bins on this planet these days? I am interested more in the X8 to X10 magnification range, and 40-42 mm lens diameter.
The factors that should effect your replies should be optical quality, weight, size, comfort of use, durability and any other factors you might think are important.
Obvious possibilities are Leica Ultravid 8X42 BL, Zeiss 8X42 Victory T FL and Swarovski 8.5X42 EL. Any other ideas? What's your preference?
Thanks for your replies,
Yoav Perlman, Israel
Wow! How do you smash BAs? Got to be one of the toughest binos on the planet! I'd hate to have seen that guy's face!
Why don't you wait a few weeks and check out the new Ultravid HDs, they might be just the thing--handling, size, glass, build, etc.... You were a Leica fan before. At the highest level, you'll get a lot of individual views, but in my experience the FL/HD glass offers a real advantage. That leaves Zeiss FL, Ultravid HD and the new Kowa Genesis.
Dear Yoav,
As you were using 10x42 before, I would suggest that the current 10x42 binoculars will be as brighter and easier to handle. All the best brands are using dielectic mirrors and improved lens coatings for brightness and contrast. Your own preferences are going to be rather important in terms of ergonomics and other design aspects. There seems to be a tradeoff between center sharpness and large sweet spot, with each manufacturer arriving at its own design compromise, as well as other design compromises. However, I agree with Jacquot that HD/FL glasses make a noticeable difference.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood 