Telescope Reviews: Re: William Optics 7x50 ED binocular minireview

Thanks, Rick. Wait a minute, 98,000 yen!!! Oh, that's 821.79 USD.

I'm actually interested in a smaller aperture, close focusing ED binocular for birding, though this "species" seems about as rare these days as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

I bought a 9.5x44 ED a few years ago (paid more than I should, considering it was out of collimation and the optics had seen better days). Also saw one on eBay a few months ago that looked like it was run over by a herd of elephants.

I never compared the 50 and 44mm EO Voyagers side by side, but I corresponded with someone who did. He thought the optics on my 10x50s were sharper, but he preferred his 9.5X's feel (shorter) and closer focus. (btw, the EO 9.5X44 Voyager is identical to the 9.5X44 Celestron ED except it's black and has the EO logo on it).

From what he said in his comparison and my own experience with the Celestron 9.5X44 ED, I don't think the views would be THAT much different at 24 ft., despite the extra degree FOV. The 50s really excel at dusk and at night when they eek out details (on owls, for instance) I've never seen through any 50mm or under binocular.

However, it appears that optics companies have decided that ED glass belongs only in their spotting scopes, small refractors, and now big binoculars.

The WO 7x50 has IF EPs, so they are not ideal for birding, though they may work for feeder birding, given the closer than advertised close focus. The other exception is Minox, though the smallest ED bin they make is the Minox 10x58 ED BR. Besides the exorbitant price and hefty weight (52 ouches!), I find most roofs hard to hold steady with my LARGE hands.

Given the limited number of ED birding bins that were produced worldwide (mostly to rave reviews) and the conventional "wisdom" that ED glass is wasted on lower powers/small apertures, my guess is that most birding binocular designers would never suggest the design to their companies.

The Swift 8.5X44 820 ED stands ALONE as the ONLY ED birding binocular currently in production (unless the Vixen EDs in Arek's catalog surface somewhere on the planet).

Unfortunately, the Swift Audubon 820s oversized, hard, sharp-edged eyecups didn't fit my face, and I couldn't see the entire FOV even with the eyecups down. The short ER was also unpleasant. The bulky build fit my large hands well, but I can see how these binoculars could be too large for birders with small or even average-sized hands.

If I were Rod Stewart or some other wealthy celebrity with truckloads (lorry loads) of money, I would commission an optical designer to make a custom ED binocular for me.

It would have: the ergonomics of the Nikon 10x42 SE; the EPs of a 5-element Swift 8,5X44 804 Audubon (modified with an added field flattener to boost edge performance but with enough pincushion to give "natural" 3-D views); the soft rubber, twist-up eyecups of the 10x42 Premier LX; Fuji EBC FMC, and 44mm ED objectives. Add WP/FPing, and cut the CF down to 12 ft. but keep the DOF very good.

Not sure what to do after I achieved birding binocular NIRVANA except to commission a 8x32 SE ED!

Ah...
Some guys have all the luck,
Some guys have all the pain,
Some guys get all the breaks,
Some guys did nothing but complain....

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Oscar Zoroaster Diggs
"O.Z."

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"And remember, my sentimental friend....a heart is not judged by how much you love,
but by how much you are loved by others."

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