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smmstclair
Optics GrassHopper Joined: August/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: August/01/2004 at 13:42 |
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Can anybody tell if there is an advantage as to which bino's to buy as far a roof style or a porro style.
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ranburr
Optics Master Joined: May/16/2004 Status: Offline Points: 1082 |
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I prefer roofs because they are more durable, usually waterproof, smaller and handier. Porros are large and gangly compared to the same power and objective roofs and there seem to be issues with waterproofing porros. If you want roofs you will have to spend more money to get the same quality as you do from a porro. Porros are an easier design to manufacturer. Also, it is important to make sure that your roofs have phase correction coatings. Essentially, most any roof you would want to own starts at about $500.00 and you can get comparable quality porros for about half that. I personally think that the waterproof ruggedness of the roof design makes them worth the extra money for hunters. ranburr
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gremlin
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/16/2004 Location: left of center Status: Offline Points: 115 |
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Not knowing what you're most often intended use for the binoculars is going to be makes it tough to answer your question. Of course, that never stops us from offering opinions around here! If you just want a good pair of binoculars for general use and don't have several hundred dollars that you want to spend, it's tough to imagine getting a better optical image, sharper detail, or brighter color than you'll get with a nice pair of porros. If you pay attention, you can pick up a pair of new in the box, water resistant, fully multi-coated, rubber armored porros for around a hundred bucks from Bushnell, Olympus, or a few other major manufacturers. For that hundred you should be able to get excellent eye relief (an important consideration if you wear glasses), a 6 degree field of view, something approaching a lifetime limited warranty, and anywhere from 7x35 to 10x50 magnification and performance. Try getting all that in roof binocular for less than three times the price. If you reply that you're specifically interested in a particular type of activity like birding, hunting, or astronomy, I'm sure you'll get lots of recommendations here at Optics Talk. If you reply that you're planning on doing night-time-deep-sea-elk-hunting or the like, well... you'll probably still get lots of recommendations here at Optics Talk... Just my two cents... Take the long way home. |
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Chris Farris
TEAM SWFA - Admin swfa.com Joined: October/01/2003 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 8024 |
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For those that don't know the difference (visually) between the two binocular styles. Here are examples of both. 10x50 Porro Prism 10x50 Roof Prism
Here is the technical explanation of Phase Coating:
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smmstclair
Optics GrassHopper Joined: August/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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thanks guys for the info. I will be using these for hunting. I don't have the money to spend on a good pair of roofs at this time. Thats why I was wondering about the quality of the porro image's compared to the roofs. |
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Chris Farris
TEAM SWFA - Admin swfa.com Joined: October/01/2003 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 8024 |
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gremlin
Optics Apprentice Joined: February/16/2004 Location: left of center Status: Offline Points: 115 |
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If hunting is your intended use and you don't have a ton of money to spend, then Chris hit it right on the nose with the Pentax PCF Waterproof series. Another option that I have had great success with is the Bushnell Legend line. Their RainGuard product really works for me--especially in cold weather hunting. With their coating, my breath doesn't fog the ocular lenses when I exhale--a problem I used to have with my old Swift Audubons from time to time. I'm inclined to recommend the 8x42 because they've got pretty good low light capability yet are easier to manage out in the field than the 10x50's, but I also own a pair of the little 8x26 reverse-porro's and they are a great value in a small glass. I have to confess that the little ones see more time in my kit than the big ones. I tend to use the 42's more often as foul weather bird watching glasses (or should I say fowl?) and use the 26's for hunting because they're so light and compact. The Pentax PCF WP's are brighter and just as waterproof as the Legends, but they typically add 50% to the cost. If you're on a budget, this ol' hunter will tell you from experience that you can get a lot of mileage out of those Bushnell Legends and seldom, if ever, cuss them for letting you down. Just my two cents... Take the long way home. |
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