Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Has anybody tried a high end porro binocular for hunting?

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Swift-8-5x44-Audubon.php

I have been reading my new favorite optics review site, www.betterviewdesired.com and am intrigued by his review of the Swift 8.5x44 Audubon porro prism binocular and both Nikon SE porro bins. See link above. Both the BVD and some other birding sites rate these porro binoculars as optically equal to or better than the best of the big three. Porrors have typically been knocked down and or out of consideration due the the waterproofing issue, but the BVD guy notes that by adding o-ring seals the Audubon's are now waterproof but not fogproof (not nitrogen filled) and the Nikons are more water resistant than ever. He thinks the optics are so good he carrys them in the field, just not on boats or canoes.

For years I hunted with my old Fujinon 7x50MTRC marine binoculars with inbedded compass. They were super heavy but quite good optically. Of course these marine binoculars were waterproof so that wasn't an issue.

The Nikon SE and Swift porro do not handle as well as roof prism binoculars, but they have worked hard on the ergonomics so they handle almost as well.

Now even if they were slightly better optically than the top of the line roofs but not as nice to carry and waterproof I wouldn't consider them except they are way less expensive. Do any of you hunt with these or other high end porro prism binoculars? How has it worked for you?

John,

I have a Swarovski porro-prism 7X42 bino that I have used for years. They are excellent, and I haven't had any moisture problems. I like them for hunting in heavy cover especially.

I would like to try the Nikon SE too.

BVD is excellent, and the birders are super picky about optics because they insist on color fidelity and resolution.

jim

Me too. I read good things about them.

Don

Porro prism are optically better than a Roof prism.You get a better Glass for the dollar because they lack the COOL factor.Everthing else is as good or better than a roof prism.Check out what the US Military uses!!!!!

I have friends in AZ that use doctor optic (sp?) I think they were 15x60's anyway I was pretty impressed with their clarity and crispness, but they weigh a ton and are absolutely huge...just not for me I will stick with my dinky Swar 15x56's.

I was impressed with my fuji 7x50's

I hope that I don't offend anyone, but if you really spend a lot of time on the bird forums you'll find they're not so much "picky" as they are looking for the most bang for their buck.....they're concerned over things such as covers for their non-waterproof gear, better than average tripods, digiscoping mounts, and total weight of gear to be carried, but mostly about cost, just like a lot of us......I think if you take a look at the Better View Desired site you will see that the top rated birding spotter is the Swarovski 65HD and has been for a long time on that site. Here, in Homer, we have the annual Shorebird Festival in May.....people(birders) from all over the world attend.....the majority of the "serious birders" carry optics from the "Big 3." Really has nothing to do with the "Cool" factor......good gear is just that, good gear......top of the line, is just that, top of the line.....I have a pair of 40+ year old Zeiss porros.....still very functional.....they reside on my boat next to a pair of Pentax that anyone seldom, if ever, picks up.

I might add, that on BVD, there is an essay on design of porros and, how, if the public demanded, porros could be designed to be as efficient & durable as roof prisms....also mentioned that "O" rings wore out and were not part of a good design.

Joe

Not so, and not a good analogy.

Can guarantee that the Leica Ultravids are FAR and away, hands down better than anything I ever got to use or was issued in the USMC.

That's not sayin' much.....grin.

Semper Fi...........

Roof prisms could never quite match the clarity of porro prisms until they invented phase coating, now a good roof is every bit as good as a porro in resolution.

Porros will give you a little bit better stereoscopic image because the objectives are a bit further apart.

As little as 5-10 years ago a "decent" porro was as good as the best roof. I haven't kept up with the latest optics technology so wouldn't want to make that claim today, particularly now that phase coating is so widely used.

But a good porro is still a great hunting binocular. I used a Burris Fullfield 7X35 for a few years and it was a good hunting binoc. Had a Fullfield 10X50 as well but it was kind of heavy. Used a little Swarovski 6X30 Traditional as well and it is also a great little binoc when you're looking for stuff. Light and handy and has a huge FOV as well as huge depth of focus.

Owned a Nikon 8X30 E series and the optics were terrific but it had a lot of plastic parts and just wasn't made for the demands of hunting. But again, that was a few years ago, haven't looked at one lately.

Had a bunch of Swarovski Habicht SL series from 7X42 through 10X50 and some huge 8X56. They are non-traditional looking but they make great hunting binoculars. Here's a pair of 10X50's on ebay starting at $299.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Swarovski-Bincu...711QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They'd be a little big for my taste but if you keep watching you can find other models for a reasonable amount, particularly when top end roofs are all well over $1000.

Had two pair of Swarovski 7X42 Traditionals, they are a really good pair of binoculars that are well suited for hunting - here's a rundown on those:
http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Swarovski-Optik-Habicht-7x42

I suspect the Pentax models are probably one of the best buys in a porro these days.

My Swarovski porro-prism binos are Habicht 7X42 with the green rubber armor coating, and they are waterproof. I see they are still sold in Europe (one distributor in the UK has them for 800 Euros).

jim

Wow, very good replys. I just remember my first experience with roof prisms was looking through a Leitz Trinovid 7x35 years ago and it was a WOW experience after years of lower end Bushnell optics. I assumed it was the roof prism design when it was really very good glass and the finest construction compared to cheap stuff.

Now I am a little more open to checking out the best of the porro designs.

I've heard Minox makes a good set of porros that are waterproof.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4572

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=62151

Hint: Call Doug first!

Steve

All things being equal a porro is better than a roof, but seldom are all things equal. If you look at all the top spotters non of them are roofs, all porros. The roofs are 2nd rate. In bins almost all your top guns are roofs.

I started out using a porro bino way back in 1958. Later when the Zeiss Classics became the rage, I almost bought one back in then. Let a guy that used both talk me out of one. Later, ignoring his advice, I bought a Zeiss Classic 8X56. Wasn't any better except during the last of dusk. Took it back.
The two models you mention are also well thought of my Mule Deer. See "Best Buys in Binoculars" on the home page for his comments about the Swift.
I also understand the latest Nikon SE's are waterproof.
They aren't better, or as good but cheaper, however. The better roofs have a much tougher construction. They don't get prisms knocked out of alginment nearly as easily as the porros do. While you can get the porros that are waterproof, like the excellent SE's, the roofs are easier to make so.
Roofs get all the high tech and latest engineering it seems. I don't know any porros with super tough outer coatings for instance, like the Leicas and the SP/ED Pentaxes. And the roofs benefit from computer generated optics programs which make them much cheaper and really good. Try stacking a Pentax ED or a Nikon LX against a much more expensive Big 3 roof. E

The excellent is the enemy of the good Chinese sage once wrote.

jim

If you think you find the view of the Nikon Superior E 8 x 32 in a roof then buy that glass immeadiatly. The Superior E is to my eyes the best view I have seen in a binocular. I did not know that they were now waterproof, they are not that big of a binocular and are very light.

I don't believe the Nikon Superior's are waterproof, I believe they are water resistant.

I've heard the Nikon E11 or E2 in the 8x32 are some of the best binos, porro or roof, ever made.

Not sure if Doug still has them listed on his website but last time I looked he did but you had to call.

The Army uses The M-22 Steiner 8X30 with M-22 Reticle.It is shockproof,Fog proof,Waterproof and by the way is Porro-Prism.I have never seen a Roof prism Bino used by The Military.We used 10X50 Baush & Lombs WWII vintage in The Navy.They never fogged and were waterproof.