I owed my sister and her husband an unusually nice
Christmas gift, so I decided to get them a set of
good-quality binoculars which they might take on their
various outdoor activities and perhaps even look at a
bird through. I cruised over to Captain's Nautical
Supply planning probably to get the Pentax 8x42 WP
roofs. When I asked to see those, they also handed me
a similar set by Minolta, priced about $75 below the
Pentax. Wow! While the Pentax did look a bit better
than my B&L Discoverers, the Minolta kicked the
stuffing out of both. I tried briefly to compare them
to the Leica 8x42, but by then the light was fading
fast outside and I had to give up for the day.

The next day, I went back earlier when the light was
steadier and the rain was less, and continued to
compare the Minoltas with some kinda similarly priced
toys. I convinced myself that I liked them better
than the Pentax and all 3 Swift Audubon models. (I've
heard the Swifts spoken well of, but I had no luck
with them--even the ED-glass porros. I was wearing
glasses that day, which didn't mate well with the
porros' eyecups, but even so, I was surprised.)

Obligatory bird content: A Red-Tailed Hawk obligingly
alternated between perching in a tree and
ridge-soaring over the blackberry bank across the
street, providing a nice viewing subject and enraging
the crows.

Unfortunately, the need to get back to work prevented
any comparison with the Thousand Dollar Club Leica or
Swarovski models, but I left convinced that the
Minoltas are the best I've seen in the $500 range.

I also left with a set in my pocket, and I hope
they're appreciated, 'cause I was sorely tempted to
put my Bausch and Lombs back in their box and
gift-wrap THEM, but being a good brother I swaddled
the Minoltas in bows and bubble-wrap, and gave them
into the "care" of UPS.

Any other opinions and comparisons of these glasses
would be of interest to me, as one shopping trip
sometimes leads to another...




=====
Mike Wagenbach wagen13 at yahoo.com
wagenATuDOTwashingtonDOTedu Seattle WA

The problem with expert advice is that it so often conflicts with one's plans.
-author unkown
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