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Peddler
Optics God Joined: July/04/2012 Location: Oswego,NY Status: Offline Points: 13526 |
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The Murski group has a large portfolio. I'm not familiar with the other group.
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When you are dead, you don't know you are dead.It is difficult only for others.
It is the same when you are stupid. |
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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The web site of the German company has gone live now.
Lee |
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Klamath
Optics Master Joined: May/20/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1308 |
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The thing about evaluating optics is to be sure to evaluate them for what they are. Don't trash them out of the gate before anyone has seen them simply based on what they are not. Our perceptions are key drivers of what serves to ultimately determine satisfaction, or lack of it. Be prepared to see greatness, that is what you see when you look through the mighty alpha. Be prepared to see a lesser instrument that is probably what you will see. Objective analysis of an optic is not easy. The mid range stuff has gotten so much better that there is precious little difference in optical specifications. The difference is often less than the eye can see, but there are a lot of eyes that claim to see it. You see a lot of new optics arrivals being started by people with prior optics experience. There seems to be a decent history with the GPO folks. Another new kid, Maven has, particularly in its bigger B2 model an alpha quality glass at $1,000. They knew they had to aim big. I bet GPO has that idea too. Tract has good field use reports too. Nice to see Lee here. Welcome to OT Cheers Steve C |
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Steve
"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron |
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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The thing about evaluating optics is to be sure to evaluate them for what they are. Don't trash them out of the gate before anyone has seen them simply based on what they are not. Our perceptions are key drivers of what serves to ultimately determine satisfaction, or lack of it. Be prepared to see greatness, that is what you see when you look through the mighty alpha. Be prepared to see a lesser instrument that is probably what you will see. Objective analysis of an optic is not easy.
The mid range stuff has gotten so much better that there is precious little difference in optical specifications. The difference is often less than the eye can see, but there are a lot of eyes that claim to see it. You see a lot of new optics arrivals being started by people with prior optics experience. There seems to be a decent history with the GPO folks. Another new kid, Maven has, particularly in its bigger B2 model an alpha quality glass at $1,000. They knew they had to aim big. I bet GPO has that idea too. Tract has good field use reports too. Nice to see Lee here. Welcome to OT Cheers Steve C [/QUOTE] Hi Steve Many thanks for your greeting, its great to be here. I can only echo what you have said. The middle ground of sports optics has been upping its game for a while now and this can only be good for us. Just learned that one of the other members of the management team of GPO Germany (which, we should remind ourselves, is a separate company from GPO, USA) is ex-Meopta. Sounds like they have a strong foundation. Lee |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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I have a Nikon Monarch 10x42 binocular... have had it for at least 10 years. My assessment of it is, it is OK, certainly not great. A very moderately priced binocular. I've had "hands on" on much of the "alpha" glass and they are certainly better optically. My biggest complaint with the Nikon is low light performance. It is just adequate, I've seen much better. In "broad daylight" it is just fine. My wife has a Canon 8x motion stabilized that is very good, but once again, a little lacking for low light observation. Glass could be better... it's not bad, but it "ain't Swaro or Zeiss" (It isn't Meopta, either). One of the programs I worked a while back used high end Fujinon. I liked all the ones we had available. Some 10x, some variables... very nice. I'm not a big binocular fan, sometimes carry because I just have to. However, in the thick wooded areas I hunt in Alabama, mostly stalking, I don't find a binocular very useful. Stand hunting or glassing in big open areas with cover... I have to grudgingly admit that a binocular is a friend. I already carry pretty much anything I need for any situation in the woods/fields... a binocular is an added inconvenience to me, for the most part. I pick carefully where I think I will need a binocular, use it when I must. A couple of times, I've guessed wrong... needed it, didn't have it... lived over it. Some day, I will settle on something in the alpha range... just have not found the one that really tweaked me, yet. I watch the commentaries here and in a couple of birdwatching places... I have some ideas, just not strong enough to push me to a final decision, yet. When I choose one, I expect it to be the last one I ever buy. |
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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bugsNbows
Optics God bowsNbugs Joined: March/10/2008 Location: North Georgia Status: Offline Points: 11201 |
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I'm familiar with these folks. Mike was my host for the Texas trip I took a couple of years ago. Stayed at their ranch. It was awesome. Mike was super nice too.
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If we're not suppose to eat animals...how come they're made of meat?
Anomymous |
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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There are plenty of great bins out there and you don't have to buy an alpha to get a good view but if you want to stretch that far then Zeiss's HT takes some beating. My preference for nature observation is to swap between the big FOV SF 8x42 or fast-focusing Conquest HD 8x32, but for all round versatility especially in dull conditions or dusk then HT is one good way to go. Lee |
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Wood
Optics GrassHopper Joined: August/22/2012 Location: Spokane Status: Offline Points: 24 |
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That's Daniel Boone!
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God is good
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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I tried to meet Mike Jensen at SHOT, but it did not pan out. I guess he was too busy. As far as binos go, I never warmed up to the Conquest HD. I'll take the Meostar over it any day. The SF is a nice piece of glass though. With all that, roaming around SHOT, I stumbled onto Leica Noctivid and was hugely impressed. Going back and forth between Leica, Swaro and Zeiss booths, I thought that Swaro and Leica pulled away from Zeiss a bit. I should probably do a side by side one of these days. Based on what I saw so far, I think I'll pick up 8x42 Noctivids. ILya
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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MeoStars are great bins. I reviewed the 8x32 and liked it a lot. However the stiff focuser (designed to not move inadvertantly) means it is unsuitable for the purpose that I find the Conquest HD excels at and that is working an insect rich habitat. The little Conquest's focus speed is about double that of HT and SF so is perfect for places with lots of butterflies and dragonflies etc but which also have distant birds popping up too. So in the south of France I work the Conquest really hard. I tried Nvids at British Bird Fair and liked them but I find SF 8x42's huge field of view compelling in the Western Isles of Scotland when scanning for stuff that dives under water and you haven't a clue where they will re-surface. So stuff like Otters and Seals and diving birds like Loons and Mergansers and so on. Lee |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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That makes sense. I am not a birder, so my use is different. I did not like the focuser on the Conquest HD and every pair I have seen to date gave me a headache, so I suspect a collimation issue. Meopta focuser, on the other hand was smooth and almost perfect for my use. With the Noctivid vs SF, until I do a proper comparison, it is hard to tell for sure, but it seemed to handles flare and high dynamic range scenes better. It is the same effect as I see with Leica photographic lenses: color rendering just outside bright spots is superior to everything else I have seen to date. ILya
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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ILya Well, I am not a birder either, hence my references to butterflies, dragonflies, seals and otters, as well as birds. Sorry to hear you have trouble with Conquests and suspect collimation to be the cause. I presume you mean collimation of your eyes, but don't lose hope, its amazing what they can do with laser surgery and a thwack on the back of the head. Cheers Lee |
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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ILya
Just joking pal Lee |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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No worries. Besides, if thwack on the head counted as a positive, I would be well ahead of the curve... ILya
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Those Noctivids sound impressive. Out of curiosity, do SHOT vendors arrange outdoor viewing sessions? Or how do you get to really evaluate optics there?
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Reaction time is a factor...
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Peddler
Optics God Joined: July/04/2012 Location: Oswego,NY Status: Offline Points: 13526 |
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Can't really do it inside as Ilya said he would like to do a comparison. All you can do at the show is see how they appear to work under those conditions. Looking at signs, dark areas etc.
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When you are dead, you don't know you are dead.It is difficult only for others.
It is the same when you are stupid. |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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There is a limited number of things you can do indoors, so it is a very incomplete evaluation. They have these weird lights that cause purple flair in everything. With Noctivids, I could comfortably resolve the facets on the inner facets on the reflector surfaces of the lamp without inducing flair, CA, etc. And I could stills the shadow detail in the dark area to the side of the lamp. ILya
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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Just learned from GPO, USA that they will have HD bins in stock on around March 1st as well as the first rifle scopes, with the ED models and more rifle scopes arriving one month later.
Lee |
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perterra
Optics GrassHopper Joined: October/24/2011 Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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Hey Lee, good to see you, hows it going?
I'm anxious to see their offerings, Jensen says their offering will stand toe to toe with any of the big boys at a very competitive price. Knowing his history with Swaro and Zeiss, I suspect it will.
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Troubador
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/03/2017 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 58 |
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Hi Gerald
Sorry for the delay in replying. Like you I think Jensen is too canny to stake his reputation on product that is less than solid. I hope to get a chance to try out the product at an early date but since he is just starting out and dealers will be looking for deliveries too, I can imagine his first shipment of HDs (due soon) will not touch the floor before they go out of the door. Good to hear from you Lee |
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