Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 10x42 roof prism, clear edge to edge, candidates?

What do I have to spend to get a pair of 10x42 roof prism binocs, that are truely undistorted edge to edge in the field of view, and what are the likely candidates?

I don't think that's too tall of an order for $500 even. Looking at binocs yesterday I was really impressed with Vortex Viper HDs and Zeiss Terra ED. Of course the 10x42 Razor HDs were incredibly sharp and bright too. Zeiss's Conquest HD are awesome.

I'm thinking we are in the Golden Age of Optics.

Tanner

Tanner did you like the Conquest HD the best?

Have not seen them yet but would like to.

Most binos I've looked at lack true edge-to-edge clarity. Alphas come the closest. Some of the newer mid-range binos may have closed the gap though.

One thing to note... my 7x Zens are not clear at the edges, but the FOV and image are so BIG that you need to move your focus to the edge of the image to notice it. FOV is listed as 477' at 1000y. You really have to work hard to notice the edges.

In other words, in actual USE, you never notice the drop off in sharpness. Your focus remains in the middle of the image... the edges are like your peripheral vision... where you notice color or movement. If you pick something up near the edges... move your focus so that the object is now in the middle of the image. To look at the edges with these binos is so unnatural feeling and awkward that there is no way that this is useful for glassing.

In general, I do like edge-to-edge sharpness but it can be somewhat misleading depending on the optic. A camera on the other hand would be a different story.

Jason

There are 2 candidates that fit your request.

The Nikon EDG and the Swarovski EL Swarovision. They both offer a flat field of view
to the edge. I own the 10x42 EDG, and the 8.5x42 SV, I like both of them, as I also
prefer an undistorted view.

There is a review forum, that reviews both of these models extensively, and I agree with
their results. Check out the Allbinos forum. Look under rankings.

You asked about a price range, and these are over $2,000. You do have to pay for the
quality on the top end.

Bob, I tried a pair of those a couple weeks ago. Knew within a few minutes they wouldn't work with my eyes(contacts).

Sharp, bright, clear center view but touchy to hold and look through(for me...). Noticeable light blue halo on the edge.

Nice, solid feel but the glass didn't 'match' my eye at all.


You might love them, obviously they are great bino's for a lot of users. I believe Flave handled and liked them, Tanman likes, lots of good reviews.




Not to hijack and not 10x but the 8x42 SLC's are friggin' sweet.
Didn't compare on the exact same day but under very similar conditions... IMHO opinion the SLC's show better color, edge to edge is sharp and even, better '3-D' factor. Obviously more money.

I really wanted to like the Conquest HD's but no luck.

How much money are you looking to spend? In the sub-$1000 range, the Meopta Meostar or Cabelas branded Meoptas are a great choice, IMO. But I have by no means looked through all the choices out there. Many good binos available these days, best to go look through a bunch and see what works for you optically, ergonomically, and with eye relief.

Sam:

I like the Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42, and it is a very bright and
a quality optic. It is a step below the highest level.

I don't wear glasses, and so they fit well for me. Zeiss does have another eyecup choice for these and it may fit for those who need another fit.

The OP mentioned wanting a flat field view, and the ones I have
mentioned above, do offer that kind of view. Zeiss does not have any that qualify.

FB1, I would really like to check the Nikon EDG and Swarovision.

I have the Nikon EDG and like them alot. One of the bird reviews had them overall as the best view of all the high end glasses.

Thanks Sam. One store here has them...I will take a peek.

JGRaider must have pneumonia or graves disease if he has not replied to this post yet....

I like the Swarovision's myself

Thanks for the Help! I'm trying to stay under $1000. My process so far has been to experiment with used stuff (all sub $500). I don't have any place near by to go look through an assortment. CameraLand is 3 hours away, so I might need to go there. I'm just trying to narrow my search...there seems to be a HUGE selection. AllBinos is a great resource, Thanks FarmBoy1!

If you are looking for edge to edge clarity, nothing beats the Zen-Ray PRIME HD 10x42.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/demo/prime-hd-1042-demo.html

I'd also look ant the high end Minox. I have an 8.5x43 APO that I love. Here's one in a 10x43 that I'd own if I didn't have mine:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...611980/Minox_APO_10x43_binos#Post8611980

I have no connection to this sale, just know this is really nice glass.

If the Weaver Grand Slam 10.5x45 are as nice as the 8.5x45s that I have, I think they'll do the job quite nicely. The Super Slam version is simply awesome, but more than this guy could afford...