In this review I find out if Nikon’s
older 8x30 E model has the same wonderful view that makes almost every reviewer
rave about its successor, the EII.
Nikon 8x30 E Review
At
first glance the Nikon 8x30 E looks like the traditional leather-covered
8x30 porro-prism binoculars that were ubiquitous
before the 1980s and are so deeply unfashionable for many serious birders
today. Their loss is your gain, though, because these are in fact a top-line
binocular – much better even than the apparently similar Zeiss 8x30 Jenoptem (see below).
This
original E model is related to the current highly-regarded EII, but can often
be picked up for much less (these cost £235 when new in 1993 and would likely
cost that in good condition today). But how similar is the performance to the
newer model? Let’s find out.
Original
sales receipt from 1993.
Nikon’s
Es look a lot like these Zeiss Jenoptem 8x30s, but
are vastly superior.
At A Glance
|
Magnification |
8x |
|
Objective Size |
30 |
|
Eye Relief |
13-14 |
|
Actual Field of View |
8.3 degrees |
|
Apparent field of view |
65 degrees |
|
Close focus |
3m |
|
Transmissivity |
90% est. |
|
Length |
~100mm |
|
Weight |
~500g |
Data from Nikon.
What’s in the Box?
The big gold box is similar to all recent Nikon Porros’.
Design and Build
Originally,
the E range included a 10x35 and a 7x35 as well and they both have an excellent
reputation. At the time of writing, the 10x35 was still available in updated
EII form, whilst the 7x35 has been discontinued.
I
have heard the 8x30E described as ugly, but I really like the classic look of
them. They are shorter and smaller than most old-style 8x30s. I’ve heard they
were copied from an early Zeiss design, but with many improvements,
including modern wide-field eyepieces.
These
8x30Es look very similar to the newer 8x30 EII, but I will summarise the main
differences here:
·
The EII has a more robust bridge
derived from the SE model.
·
The EII has a slightly different
eyepiece and an even wider field of view (8.8 degrees).
·
The EII has a slightly different body design
with chamfered edges to the prism housings.
(Note: I was originally misinformed that
the EIIs are made in Malaysia, but it seems they are made in Japan, like these Es).
A
note of caution: before the early 1990s these were made with old-style single
coatings and this makes a big difference to performance – only buy the newer
multi-coated ones. Multi-coatings will be a dark green; single coatings a
much lighter shade of blue-violet:
Body and Ergonomics
The Es were made in Japan and build quality is
superb. The design is classic small porro, but the workmanship is
first rate, with a magnesium body which gives a light weight of about 500g. The
quality of materials and finish is very fine all round, but that leatherette
(like any other) probably wouldn’t hold up against a long life in the field the
way rubber armour does.
Unlike Swarovski’s similarly classic-looking Habicht 8x30, the EIIs aren’t waterproof and wouldn’t even
resist showers the way the rubber-armoured SEs would. However, I used these for
walking in the Lakes for a season and they suffered no ill effects – when it rained I tucked them in my cagoule.
Body is short and squat, but wide.
Focuser
The focuser is a conventional porro-style
bridge focuser, but it has a nice large knob with a scale and a very smooth,
light action. Dioptre adjustment is via a knurled ring below the right eyepiece
– typical, but again well-weighted and smooth.
Optics - Prisms
These are a completely conventional porro-prism
design, so no phase coatings or dielectric mirrors are required.
Optics - Objectives
The objectives are conventional cemented
doublets, with a very short focal length to allow the squat design and wide
field. The multi-coatings are like recent premium Nikons’ (but see the note
above), though I have read that the very latest EIIs have improved them
further.
Objectives are traditional cemented doublets.
Optics - Eyepieces
The eyepieces are a five
element design and give an apparent field width of about 65 degrees (8.3
degrees true), which is very large by 8x binocular standards, but less than the
EIIs’ which manage 70° apparent – among the highest of any
binocular.
Foldable rubber eyecups are provided because the
eye relief is a decent 13mm-14mm, which means they are usable with glasses, but
I can’t see the whole of that wide field.
Eyepieces are a
5-element design that gives decent eye relief and a wide field.
Accessories
The Es come in a leather hard case a bit like the one for my
Questar and made in Japan like the binos. It was
typical of Nikons from this era. They don’t make cases like this anymore,
sadly.
The strap is old-fashioned thin fabric. The caps are
individual, not stay-ons.
Traditional leather case is a high quality item, quite
different from the EII’s.
Docs look just like Nikon’s do today.
In Use – Daytime
Ergonomics and
Handling
Handling is typical small porro
– easy to hold and the focuser falls nicely under my finger. That light weight
is really noticeable on walks; I took these hiking a lot.
The focus action is very smooth and precise and
the dioptre adjustment, via that knurled metal ring below the right ocular, is
just weighty enough to avoid accidental movement.
Eye relief is fine with glasses, or so you think,
but in fact you do lose a little of that super-wide field.
The View
The perfect view of the HGs and SEs isn’t quite
there, but these old 8x30 Es have considerably more width of field and very
good depth of field too. The view is very bright and crisp in both barrels.
Focus snap isn’t quite as good as the best, but
overall the field is sharp and detailed. Flare suppression is good and ghosting
isn’t a problem.
The daytime view is
very good, like a much more expensive modern roof prism binocular but with more
field width.
Flat field?
Field curvature is worse than with the HGs or
SEs, with sharpness tapering off markedly in the outer 60-70%. But then the field is also much wider than
those models’.
Chromatic Aberration
False colour is present on the
brightest, highest contrast subjects like silhouetted birds roosting in high
branches, but it’s not that much worse than a basic modern ‘HD’ roof-prism
binocular.
In Use – Dusk
Full multi-coatings mean these
work right into dusk, just like a modern pair. I should point out that
proper multi-coatings can double a binocular’s transmittance compared with no
coatings at all, so once again don’t be tempted to buy a pair without them
(except as a curio).
In Use – The Night Sky
An 8x30 is not really an astronomy glass. The next size up,
42mm, collects 72% more light!
However, the modern coatings and good suppression of stray
light mean these work well within the limitations of
their small objectives. The Moon looks clean and detailed and sharp. Star
fields are pleasing, stars pinpoint, bright and crisp. It’s quite possible to
find and enjoy brighter DSOs and open clusters.
Summary
Overall
these older Nikon E 8x30s are a real bargain as a birding/nature-viewing
binocular, if you can find a good used pair: light, bright, solidly
made and with a spectacularly wide field.
Make
no mistake, your chances of finding a cheap pair of roofs with equivalent
optical and build quality is nil. What’s more, the Nikon 8x30 Es are slim and
elegant and finely made in a way cheap porros today
aren’t. In fact, apart from Nikon’s own EII, you’d have to go to Swarovski Habichts to get this quality in a porro-prism binocular now.
Unlike
older roofs, you are quite safe buying a nice pair of these as long as they
have multi-coatings, because unlike roofs there are no issues with mirrors and
lack of phase-coating.
An
added bonus is that the simple, traditional design means a local binocular
repairer will be able to service them when the time comes.
Nikon’s
Es are highly recommended, as long as they are multi-coated; don’t be tempted
by Es with single coatings, the view will be much dimmer.
