I currently have a pair of Hawk frontier ED's 10x32 and in truth, other than the LONG focus from close to infinity, I love the things. BUT, my daughter is graduating and wants a trip to Alaska for her graduation present. I'm mainly a wildlife photographer (www.[bleep].com/centavo) so my "big money" goes into camera lenses. There will be four of us on the trip to Alaska and one pair of bins isn't going to cut it. I want to stick to the 32/33mm size due to weight (my Canon L lenses get heavy quick). I'm looking at the $800-$1000 range (Leica Triv,, Zeiss Conquest, Meostar, Kowa, Nikon HG's, etc.) Close focus is important because I do some close photography as well. I do wear glasses. Just looking for some opinions from folks who own some of the aforementioned....Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, JP

Now is the PERFECT time during our Birthday/Graduation sale through the 23rd. Take a look at the Kowa Genesis 8x33's

I have the newer version of Swaro's 8x30CL and love them. Certainly should be on your list.

Good talking to you Doug. I just found my old receipts, I had purchased Minox from you back in 2015 (someone in Peru in enjoying them right now) and Hawke in 2018 (given to my brother as a gift prior to losing my Minox)..Thanks for always treating folks right sir! Looking forward to the new Bins!

Great speaking with you. Happy to assist. Enjoy the Kowa's

Skip the 10X. 8X is even a bit much sometimes. I had a set of Pentax 6X32 that I wore out. The dealer Boondock in Eagle River replaced them over the counter with my choice but the 6X were out of stock and discontinued. I use the 8X32 now,but miss the 6X for fly fishing and use up close deer hunting in the Jungle.

Agree with Uncas. If you want smaller binos drop down to at least 8x for a 32mm objective. These will be plenty for birding and general use. Easier to hold steady. I have other binoculars including some of the Alpha brands but the one I use the most is a pair of Leupold Yosemite 6x30s. Great for: in the truck, bow hunting, birding , woods or brush hunting. As you know from camera lenses a good small lens will be less expensive than a good big lens.

I’ll third the 8 power. Too small for 10x. If you notice even Doug mentioned 8 power.

You guys missed that he apparently ordered the Kowa 8x33 from Doug.

I did order the Kowa Genesis 8x33 from Doug. I've owned three bins over the years. I bought a pair of Minox 8x42 from Doug many years ago, a pair of Hawke 8x32 from Doug in 2018 and I just bought another pair of Hawke 10x32 for my daughter at a gun show. I've always wanted a nicer set of Swaro's or Leica's to see what (if anything) I'm missing out on but couldn't justify the dinero. Doug has always done me right and I trust him, so I went back to him and after talking to him and reading some posts, it seems the Kowa's have a good rep and in most cases, supposedly as good as the Swaro's or Leica's. So I figured I'd give the Kowa's a shot and see. Tracking shows Monday delivery so kinda excited to give these bins a test run against my daughters Hawke's.

I got the Kowas from Doug earlier this year and they are fantastic. You will love them

I purchased the Kowa Genesis 8X33 a year ago from Doug and they are really nice. Money well spent.

good to hear, thanks!

Guilty as charged John. But I’ve done worse! As long as the OP received the help he was looking for, I’m good with it!

Cheers,

Bob

Congratulations to your family.
I bought Leica Ultra HD 8x32 from Doug, and they are my go to binocular. I have other alpha glass, but these has super performance in a small package.
I also have 8x25 newest Swarovski, and for bigger tiny glass they are wonderful. I use those for places that have limited distance.
Anyway just some options that I can say are good glass to celebrate the occasion.

Fwiw i did a little comparison last night right before dark.
Got a cheap Steiner XC 10x, checked it against a Zeiss Terra 8x and some 30 yr old or so other Euro mil 8x.

The terra was a little better checking stuff agaist woods across the field. It and the old mil ones were to my eyes, the same. The XC were clear but seemed darker or more bluish in color.

Close,but the others ( both being 8x) were just a little nicer color/ brightness wise.

Def like 8x vs 10x for stability. Note: i did have a Mountain Dew before the testing LOL

So while I like my 10x, id like something little nicer at 8x.
The two 8x belonged to somebody else and i cant rember what euro brand it was.