Message Received
New Glass From Meade
RainForest Pro 8x56
Safari Pro Compact
Safari Pro 8x42WA
Olympus 8x42 Pathfinder
Canon 8x32 Waterproof
Birder's Christmas Wish List (Grippit and
Strap)
Not so long ago,
back in 1992 when I started seriously testing birding binoculars,
there were only a handful of glasses that I could honestly recommend.
Usable eye relief, acceptable close focus, decent field-of-view,
general optical quality, and field-worthy handling and durability
were all hard to find at anything under $1000, and there were any
number of $1000 binoculars on the market that I could not recommend.
There were only a very few outstanding $250 birding porros, and, as I
noted in the "New Optical Landscape" back in the February 1997 BVD,
in those days moderately-priced ,
waterproof , roof prism glasses was a
triple oxymoron. It may be that I entered the field just at an
atypical low-point. I hear tales of the great glasses of the 50s and
60s, still...things were pretty grim.
Over the past few years, however, a quiet revolution has been
happening... driven, largely, I am convinced, by the demands of
informed birders. "The New Optical Landscape" detailed, among other
things, the advances in moderately priced roofs, and, as though to
prove the point, in this issue I test yet another. The porros tested
in this issue, all from newcomers to the birding market (and, for all
practical purposes, to the US binoculars market in general), have
caused me to review the porro situation again. It seems, if you go by
the recent porro introductions, that long eye relief and close focus
are becoming the norm. Certainly multi-coatings and BAK-4 prisms are
taken for granted in any binoculars over the $100 mark. The optical
quality and field-worthiness that you expected to pay $250 for in
1992 are now routinely available in the under $200 price range.
Within the next year you will see the introduction of binoculars in
the $100 price range which employ aspheric technology to produce
optical quality never before even dreamed of at that price point.
This is all good. This is all very good. There have been few, if any,
spectacular advances at the top end, but the features that make for
bird worthy binoculars are working their way down the price scale,
and spreading out to cover ever more makes and models. We have more
choice in bird worthy binoculars today than at any time in recent
memory. This is good. And you have no one to thank but yourselves.
Every BVD reader, every birder, who has gone shopping with BVD (or
equivalent knowledge and expectations) in hand has cast their vote
for better optics. Every time someone has said to a salesman, "yes,
if it only had better eye-relief," "yes, if only it focused close
enough for birding," "do you have anything with a wider, easier
view," "yes, but I know I can get that kind of view for half the
price in a porro," etc., etc., he or she has sent a message to the
optical establishment about what we need, want, and are willing to
pay for. The message, apparently, is getting through. This is good.
This is very good.
This is not Meade's first foray into the binoculars market. Even if you don't remember the first round of Meade binoculars, you may recognize the Meade name from astronomy circles. Meade is the major player in the amateur astronomy field, dominating the market worldwide for both large and small scopes. It is clear from their current offerings that this time around Meade has positioned themselves very carefully to appeal to specific groups within the binoculars using and buying public, birders among them. The two Safari Pro models tested here are exceptional first efforts...fully bird-worthy binoculars on the first try, and exceptional values as well. The RainForest Pros are yet another evidence of the increasing quality of moderately priced waterproof roofs...and, since they are fully nitrogen purged, they even break new ground at this price point. Since Meade has also recently introduced a direct competitor to the Questar (their ETX spotting scope), I expect that the Meade name is going to be much more familiar in birding circles within the very near future.
8x56? Yes. 56
millimeters of glass is indeed a lot of glass and these are large
binoculars. My preschool girls, who see a steady stream of binoculars
coming through the house, took one look at the RainForest Pros and
said... "Look at that! What are those? Those are big!" My four year
old loves to go over and pick them up. "These are huge binoculars
Dad!" Huge is the word, they weigh over 38 ounces. And yet, once you
learn to keep your hands back on the barrels near the large focus
control, resisting every temptation to reach out and steady the
cantilevered objectives, they are exceptionally well balanced and
quite easy to hold steady. The designers even routed a set of groves
on either side of the focus control to position your hands correctly.
Use them.
You would expect 56mm objectives to give you a bright, sharp, high
contrast view, and the RFPros deliver. Their NEED measurement is
respectable ...quite good for non-phase coated roofs. Optically they
also have exceptional eye relief and field of view.
It is their other features, however, that will sell these glasses.
They go beyond waterproofness. The inside has been pumped full of dry
nitrogen gas to prevent any chance of internal moisture fogging the
view. Construction seems to be on the rugged side. The rubber armor
is impressively heavy. They are indeed just the kind of binoculars
you might trust on a journey to the rain forest (or on a pelagic
trip).
As usual with moderately priced roofs, you could get better optical
performance at one half (maybe even one third) of the price in
porros, but if you need the absolute most in weather protection, and
can't afford the big name glasses, these could fit the bill.
(I hope to test the 7x42 model in the near future...they weigh a more
manageable 34 ounces.)
Now we are
getting somewhere! These are compacts any birder could be happy to
hold. The body is just the right size...not too small for big hands,
not to big for small hands...and the weight is a carry-all-day 13
ounces.
And the view! For 25mm objectives, the SPros are exceptionally
bright, exceptionally contrasty, and exceptionally sharp. With
excellent eye relief and close focus, they equal the optical
performance of many full sized glasses. The only drawback is a
somewhat limited field of view for an 8x glass.
I have always said that reversed porro compacts are among the best
value in birding glasses, especially for beginning birders, and the
8x25 Safari Pros are just one more proof of the theory. They provide
a truly excellent view of the bird, and are likely to be carried
everywhere you go. That is exactly the combination a beginner needs.
Then too, the view is so good that the beginner is not likely to
settle for anything less when they are ready to move up to full sized
glasses...they are already going to know what to look for in birding
binoculars.
The second
Safari Pro, a full-sized 8x42 (designated WA for Wide-angle), carries
on where the compact leaves off. Meade has managed to pull off both a
wide field (8.2 degrees...430 feet at 1000 yards) and long eye relief
(19mm) on the same glass...not an easy thing to do. If you check the
NEED numbers you will see that the SPros also show exceptional image
detail, equaling the score of the current 8x Reference Standard
Bausch and Lomb Elites. The view is easy, open, bright, contrasty,
and exceptionally sharp... excellent by any standard, and, to top
that, they also focus to less than 10 feet.
The body is nicely covered in fairly thick rubber armor, just on the
chunky side, built to fit average hands quite well. Eyecups fold down
nicely and will remain folded at a number of different heights. The
glasses have large central focus control within easy reach, with a
novel locking provision...a questionable feature until you realize
that depth of field on these wide angle glasses is also exceptional.
You could lock focus and hand them to a fellow birder without fearing
that they might lose the bird...or focus at 40 feet and lock them for
a child. Construction seems adequately rugged for field use. The
focusing bridge is particularly stable when compared to some other
glasses in this price range.
These are glasses designed to sell in the $180 price range. With an
exceptional image, an extra wide field, long eye relief, very close
focus, and what looks to be good construction the Safari Pros are
fully bird-worthy binoculars that almost anyone could afford. They
certainly rank right up there with the Swift Ultralite and WindRiver
8x42s as a Best Buy in full sized birding binoculars
... and if wide field is your thing, or you need the extra eye
relief, or the close focus...they are the clear choice among the
contenders. If they prove durable in field use, they might even
displace the Swift Ultralites as the official BVD Best Buy in the
full sized birding binoculars group. As a first effort from Meade
they are quite simply outstanding!
Olympus has
staked out a somewhat unique niche in the photographic market, where
they produce one of the more compact lines of 35mm point and shoots
and the truly unique, all-in-one, 35mm zoom-SLR IS line. Recently
they introduced a APS series, including a zoom-SLR on the IS model
(the Centurian...see the review on the BVD web site).
Their line of inexpensive porro prism binoculars is further evidence
that manufacturers have been listening to the birding public. Take
the Pathfinder 8x42: 6.5 degree field of view (346 feet at 1000
yards), 16mm eye relief, close focus at 16 feet, weight just over 22
ounces, nicely textured and contoured rubber armor, large precise
focus control, high quality prisms and multi-coating...all this in a
glass that lists for $200 and can often be bought for $130. The view
is excellent, as bright and almost as sharp as many of the $250
birding specific porros of even 3 years ago. This is a glass that I
(and you) can unconditionally recommend to beginning birders or
birders on a budget.
The 8x42 Pathfinders are so good, and so inexpensive, that you might
want to pick a pair as a knock-around, back-up glass, even if you
already own top-of the line roofs. Put them in the glove compartment
and have them handy for those times when a novice shows up for a bird
walk with out-of-alignment department store glasses. Give them as
gifts to anyone you might suspect could have birding tendencies. If
you are feeling flush, buy a dozen and send them to struggling
ornithologists in Central and South America.
Who would have believed, even a year ago, that you could buy full-on,
no compromise, bird-worthy binoculars for $130? The Olympus 8x42
Pathfinder is clearly a new Better View Desired Reference
Standard in budget binoculars .
Canon is, of
course, another well known manufacturer of 35mm camera equipment.
While Nikon holds a clear lead in the overall professional market,
the majority of photo credits for nature and wildlife photography
seem to belong to Canon. Canon has been a leader in long fast
telephoto lenses and, more recently, in stabilization technology.
Their stabilized 12x36 glasses were reviewed in the October 1996
issue of BVD and featured optics impressive enough to make me want
take a look at their traditional binoculars.
At first glance, it is hard to believe that any waterproof roof prism
glass that sells for under $200 (street price) could be bird-worthy.
Producing decent roof prism binoculars at that price has proven, by
the evidence so far, impossible...and waterproof roofs? There are
getting to be quite a number of bird-worthy waterproof roofs in the
$300-$400 range, but surely $200 has to be pushing it.
The Canons are, then, a very pleasant surprise. Canon saved some
money by designing the 8x32s with external focus. Most waterproofs
focus by moving an internal element, leaving the external objective
and eyepiece elements stationary so that they can have permanent
seals. The Canons focus exactly like porros...the two eyepieces are
mounted at either end of a hinged bridge and the whole unit moves in
and out as you focus. Waterproofing then has to be accomplished with
moving seals, a somewhat less secure arrangement since the seals may
leak as they wear, but certainly the whole mechanism is less
expensive to produce, and should be durable enough for many years of
field use.
The body of the Canons is very heavily rubber armored and comfortable
to hold. They look like they would survive any amount of abuse in the
field. Size and weight are solidly in the mid-sized roof category,
making them easy to carry on extended outings. Close focus is good at
something under 14 feet.
Optically, the field of view is excellent at 7.5 degrees (393 feet at
1000 yards). Eye relief is a usable 12mm and gives me about 75-90
percent of the field (depending on the light level...more in dim
light than in full daylight). You will see from the NEED comparison
chart that image quality is quite good. The view is sharp, bright,
and contrasty, exceptionally good (astonishingly good) for roofs at
this price point.
I would have no qualms about recommending the Canon 8x32s to anyone
who needs or wants waterproof binoculars at a bargain price.
Certainly they do not equal the performance of the Swarovski 8x30 SLC
or the Leica 8x32 Ultra, but they are good enough so that I would be
perfectly happy to carry them full time as my only birding glasses.
They certainly represent a Best Buy in waterproof
binoculars at any size, and an astonishing value in a
field-worthy mid-sized glass.
Grippit Binocular Stabilizer
Dark Continent
Innovations (770-725-1456) produces a useful device for quickly
attaching binoculars to a tripod or monopod. It consists of a plastic
platform that attaches to the tripod with a metal thread insert for
the tripod screw. You then place the binoculars on the rubberized bed
of the Grippit and wrap a nylon strap tightly around them. Both ends
of the strap attach with hook and loop material so it is fairly easy
to adjust the strap to the right length. It can be tricky to find a
balance point where the binoculars are secure without the strap
covering the focus control, but, in my experience, the Grippit works
with most binoculars. While the device is secure enough for tripod
assisted viewing, I would not carry the tripod any distance with the
binoculars attached. At $29.95 the Grippit is somewhat pricey, but I
know of few other devices that match its functionality.
You really should try tripod assisted viewing. Pick a good open marsh
or beach, or set up on the deck overlooking your feeders. You will be
amazed at the detail that you can see when image jitter is
eliminated. Breathtaking!
PhotoPro Deluxe Neckstrap
Neoprene straps are gaining enough popularity so that a few
binoculars makers are beginning to ship them with their heavier
optics...and for good reason. The slight stretch that a Neoprene
strap provides is just the cushion that tired necks require by the
end of a full day with binoculars in the field. Neoprene straps are
available from accessory suppliers, but have generally been somewhat
expensive. PhotoPro (which may or may not be a house brand of WalMart
department stores) has a line of Neoprene straps at very reasonable
prices. The basic model is the widest, though its neon colors might
put you off. The Deluxe model and Mini have quick release buckles and
come in Henry Ford's assortment of colors...anything you want as long
as it's black. All of them are sufficiently sturdy for binoculars in
the 20-30 ounce range and will increase comfort by a huge margin. I
got mine at WalMart: Deluxe $8.95, Mini $6.95, basic $4.95. How can
you beat that!
