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Kowa Genesis 8.5x44?

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ahiaring View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
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    Posted: August/14/2013 at 22:35
I have tried the Swarovski SV in the store an love the flat field and the edge sharpness, but can afford over 2k. I can however afford the Kowa Genesis 8.5x44 binoculars and are tempted to give them a try. Are they optically on par with the SV? I understand there heavy and I am fine with that, just want to most optical performance I can get for about $1300.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JGRaider Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/15/2013 at 09:33
I owned that Genesis model you're referring to. for a very short while.  I never compared them directly to the SV, but they do not give a similar view.  The SV, as you say, has a very flat FOV, the Genesis does not.  I got the rolling ball effect in both binoculars, which is why I don't particularly like either one of them personally.   The Kowa's glass is fantastic, but the rolling ball  killed it for me, so I traded them in on a Swaro SLCneu here at SWFA.  If you did not see this RB in the SV then you may not see it in the Genesis and you may love them.  Only way to know is to look through them yourself.

As for the $1300 budget, you can get a fantastic pair of binos nowadays for that.  These include the Conquest HD, Meopta/Cabelas Euro HD, used SLCneu, demo Zeiss FL, or a Leupold McKinley HD which is a fantastic glass if you can get used to the huge eyepieces.  I'd also put a Vortex Razor HD in there, but they are more $$$ than the Conquest HD, Meopta HD, Mckinley HD and you get no gain in performance IMO.   Hope that helps.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KrazeLegs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2013 at 20:30
The Genesis generally get good reviews.  Here is a comparison of the 8X32's, click on the test:

>http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x32.html

8 x 42 bino review (no Kowas): http://www.allbinos.com/allbinos_ranking-binoculars_ranking-8x42.html

Holger Merlitz reviewed the 8.5 x 44:

>http://www.holgermerlitz.de/kowa85x44.html
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