I am primarily a bird photographer but am slowly getting more interested in just seeing them (although part of me will always go "if there is no photo, it doesnt count" :P).
So I am looking for a compact 8x32 model to go with my recently-ordered Pentax DCF SP 10x42. This will be for use when I am carrying my photo gear and so do not have much space to spare in the camera bag. My Bushnell something-or-the-other porros were a bit too big and bulky, and rarely got taken out.
My plan is to use the Pentax and this 8x32, until I figure out which of the two gets used more... and at that point, I will upgrade to a Top Gun optic if the incremental quality is worth it to me. But I do have some interesting trips coming up this year (including Borneo), and so I dont want to get a shabby optic either.
Also, porros are out - I need waterproofing and also find porros too bulky. I also dont care about eye-relief as I'll be using them with contact lenses. Small variations in weight between 8x32s is also not important.
I've been researching this for the better part of 2 days, and this is the shortlist that I have come up with, so far:
1/ Zeiss Conquest 8x30 BT -- top choice, but worried about flare -- $375 (demo)
2/ Pentax DCF SP 8x32 -- good all-around optics -- $300 (demo)
3/ Eagle Optics SRTs 8x32 - well reviewed, good budget optic -- $289
4/ Minox BD 8x32 -- some good reviews but not discussed a lot -- $450
Of these choices and prices, what would you get?
As I said, my first choice would be the Zeiss but I am concerned about flare. For those of you who own it, how egregious a problem has it been in the field? Of the rest, I imagine the Pentax would be steps better than the EO. Where does the Minox fit in, compared to the Pentax?
I really wish I could get my hands on them, as then I could decide for myself. However, that is not possible given my location. As such, I'll be ordering mail order. I'm willing to risk ergonomic woes for now - at the very least, it will tell me what to look for when I buy a more expensive optic.
So I'd like your advice based primarily on optical performance here: resolution, brightness, lack of "tunnel effect" (that is vital! The Zeiss has a lower FOV, but does it give a tunnel effect?), etc. Of course, if there any general usability problems in the field (poor focusing mechanism, hard to set diopter adjustment, etc.), I'd appreciate feedback there as well.
Cheers,
Vandit
The Conquest 8x30 has fov of 360ft, the Eagle Optics has fov 390. The sweet spot of the EO is definitely smaller than most of my roof prisms, in relative terms, so that extra 30ft of fov is going to be a bit blurry. You can see bird movement on the edge, but you have to move in on it to make out detail. Other than that, the EO I have, SRT 8x32, have been fine so far. There might be other models out there that will do the job. The cheapest Swarovski SLC 8x30 is really nice, but bulky. You will definitely see a difference with those. If you can hold off on your 8x, maybe it is worth saving up for. Or get the Pentax if you like Pentax. I have nothing against Pentax, I just do not recall them well. I think they were OK, brightness can only be tested side by side with other models.
Hi Tero -
Thanks for the info. That is really good info, as it gives me a basis for comparing the EO's FOV with that of the Conquest.
Re. the SLCs - well, the question is not of budget so much as making the right choice. I dont want to get a $1000+ bino without trying it; also, I'd rather use the mid-end binos, find out what it is about them that limits me (and also let me own needs develop along with it). Then I can make an informed decision as to what would be the best buy for me. That has been my philosophy when I started out in photography as well, and it worked out ok for me.
I picked this list out b/c each of these binos appears to be pretty well regarded at its price point. I've heard the pros and cons of the EO SRTs as well as the Conquests, but not of the Pentax and the Minox.
Cheers,
Vandit