Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Nikon LX-L vs Minox HG

Never looked through the Nikon's.
What do you all think?
Just noticed the Nikon deal @ CameraLand.
CameraLand NY has overstock models and demo models of both.
The Minox HG 8x33 is $480 and the 8.5x43 is $540.
The Nikon LX-L 8x32 is $560 and the 8x42 is $750.
I'm buying new glass next week and looking to hear some opinions.
I havent heard alot about the Nikon LX-L, but what I have heard has been good. I've never been that interested in them because of the price (to close to the Ultravids). But, now that it has changed, I'll probably go and check them out at a store here in town, but I'm curious as to your opinions here as well. If I did decide to go with 8.5x43/8x42 glass, I'm not sure I'd go with the Nikon's, because at $750 I may as well splurge for the Ultravids at $1050. Anyways, still curious how you all feel, especially about the 8x33 Minox vs. the 8x32 Nikon. Thanks again for any feedback..........

Call Doug and he'll give you a straight up opinion. I bought the 8X33 HG's for my wife on Doug's recommendation and she's delighted with the optics. Of course, she wanted one of those 'crooked ones' too so she also got a Nikon Action Extreme.

Call Doug and he'll give you a straight up opinion. I bought the 8X33 HG's for my wife on Doug's recommendation and she's delighted with the optics. Of course, she wanted one of those 'crooked ones' too so she also got a Nikon Action Extreme.

I own the Nikon LX-L is 8X32. Right off the bat, I'll tell you that that is the best deal on them that I've ever seen.
Their optical qualities are a thing to behold. When they came out, Barsness was amazed that they exceeded, by a hair, the performance of the Leica BN's in 8X32, something he never thought anyone would ever do.
The last time I saw any opinions about this from him, he said they were "within a hair of the performance of the Leica Ulravid and the Zeiss FL, if that." They are that good according to him.
I've stacked mine against my Leica BA 8X42 under every concievable condition. I cannot see an difference. Even the tiny difference that is suppose to be there just because they are smaller than the 8X42. Just not there. BTW, my eye exams show my eyes a touch better than 20/20 for distance.
They are one of the few that pass Barsness's "alaskan guide tests" for rugged constuction and water proofing.
They are heavier at 25 ozs. with strap and covers, than the average 8X32 class binocular. This is an asset as far as I'm concerned. Kills some image shake. All the fine optics are not much good if your eyes can't catch the fine details due to image shake. One of the lessions I've had to learn.
Does it matter ? Try seeing the fine details of a black bear at 2.5 miles one day w/o a tripod. I've done that with these. It was a strain and it didn't happen right away, but happen it did.
I've never looked through an HG.
My standard advice, and I would certainly say that it would apply here, is buy both from whoever will allow you to return them after a few days. I know that Doug will. Try them out yourself under as close to your hunting, or other use, conditions as you can. That's really the way to choose. E

I just happened to get one of my buddies 8.5x43 Minox HG this afternoon to show another buddy tomorrow. I just looked out the back, starting with the Minox after focusing, and it was pretty dark to where I couldn't make out the landscape under a tree 75 yards away. I took my Nikon's, much brighter, and definition could be seen. I compared them before and noticed that the Nikon was better during the day. Another thing is that the 8x32 has a great FOV.

So, I have looked through both, and I am so amazed by my 8x32 that I can't imagine what the 8x42mm's would provide.

Check with Doug, but unless my buddy got a lemon, or I got some special run, I see more during the day and night with the Nikon. Best buy I ever got. Closeout on the LX line and got mine for $489.

Thanks all........
The LX-L's are sounding pretty good to me after doing some research. I'll have to check them out for myself.
Still interested in hearing any other opinions though.
Pretty much decided on going with my original idea of getting the 8x32's, so I'm not all that interested in the 8x42 anymore.
Only real negative thing I keep coming across with the LX-L, and something that I wont really be able to see for myself unless I owned a pair for awhile, is people complaining about eye cup deterioration. I guess they've fallen apart on a lot of people. So, I am interested to hear from any long time LX-L owners here to see if anyone else is having this problem.
Thanks again.......

Think highly of my Nikon LX-L 8-32 but haven't compared them to anything in their price range.
As E said, they are heavy for their class....another way of saying well built.
Had mine a couple years now seldom cased and in usually getting bounced around in a farm truck. Only way I could see the eye cups deteriorating is if you dipped them in battery acid. Stranger things have happened I guess.

Four years, and all I can report is that the eye cups sometimes don't lock as positive. I have actually pulled the eye cups off for a super cleaning, which helped, and no problems. I think the eye cup situation I had was something to do with dirt and pine needles. They have also been in a sand storm in Wyoming, came back home, blew out with compressed air...good as new.

I wanted to add for the record that I went out at 10 pm at night and it did seem that the Minox was as bright if not a tad brighter...but that is way past hunt time.

Back this morning I was checking out a squirrel out back and the Nikon showed a bit more detail.

The eye cup deterioration I read about could very well have been neglect, that's why I was curious of others here have had the same problem. I did read about it more than once though.
Thanks again for all the help.......

I think the eye cup deterioration you are referring to is with the Nikon SE line, older style porro's with eyecups that have to be folded down for glasses. This problem has covered in great detail on birding websites.

I own a pair of the Minox 8X33's along with a pair of 7X42 FL's.

I can't say how impressed I am with the HG's. I have compared them a dozen times and can't tell alot of difference. The FL's might be a touch brighter, but it is very slight. Keep telling myself I need to sell the FL's since the HG's are "close enough" and put that grand towards something else....Just can't get myself to do it..yet.

I have owned both and too me it's easy. NIKON LX.
The 8x32 LX at that price is almost impossible to top. Wide FOV, bright and sharp as a tack. The only thing I didn't like is the quick focus ratio.
Dave

I'm not a fine bin connoisseur but I can tell you that the Minox HG 8x33 was VERY disappointing to me.

Well, I checked out and compared both the Minox HG 8x33 and the Nikon LX-L 8x32 at the store here, and I really liked the Nikon's. I went once in the afternoon, and went back to the store again right around dusk to compare them again. I found the LX-L's to be very bright and sharp, better than the HG's to my eyes at least, and they have quite a bit larger FOV. I found the LX-L's to fit my hands better, I also really liked the rubber armour, and I thought they looked better in general over the HG's (I really didnt like the bright stainless steel focus ring on the HG's or the glossy finish), and the Nikon's also come with a longer warranty (lifetime) versus the 10 year warranty from Minox. Dont get me wrong, I thought the HG's were awesome to, I was going to get them before I noticed the LX-L deal and had a look at them, but I did think the LX-L's looked a bit better. Anyways, so I ordered the 8x32 LX-L today from CameraLand. The real test will come once I have the LX-L's in my hands for awhile, I'm excited to get them!
Thanks again for all the replies guys........

Yaderehey:
About the eye cup deterioration thing I read about, it was on the previous HG/LX model, not the SE, and yes, I also read about that problem on some birding forums.