Minox High Grade 8.5x43 Binocular

by Minox

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000H062RS
• Item model number: 62155
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,818 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 15, 2007

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

When MINOX designed their new HG binoculars their ultimate aim was to ensure performance at the highest level. The German engineers in Wetzlar, Germany have created High-Grade-Sport optics with the best possible performance in every area that defines a quality binocular. By using special optical glass from German glass specialist SCHOTT AG, a newly developed optical system provides a fascinating high level of light transmission which is bound to be highly rated for brightness and contrast. With their sleek body design and magnesium housing, the HG binoculars are real lightweights at the top end of the range and along with their beautiful cosmetics and ergonomics they ensure the end user will enjoy a satisfying new experience when using the all new Minox HG binoculars. Apart from optics, Minox have also installed a 'first' as the innovative QCF focusing now makes it possible to take exact distance readings from a scale on the focusing wheel... a desired feature on binoculars.

With these exciting features and given quality, the MINOX HG is today’s trailblazer that has all the quality and features to become tomorrow’s classic.

Minox High Grade Sport Optics Highlights

Top quality light transmission is an essential mark of quality in binoculars. MINOX engineers developed the innovative M*-coating of the lenses which consists of up to 21 different layers on the glass surfaces, adapting the various wavelengths of the visible light. This increases the overall light transmission to an impressive 92 percent, while improving brightness, contrast, detail and color rendering significantly. Another benefit is a completely new optical system designed by our in-house experts with internal anti-reflection and anti-glare coatings to help improve contrast. The four models, an 8.5x43, 10x43, 8.5x52 and 10x52 feature aspherical lenses to enhance the contrast and sharpness of the image from center to edge. To provide a reliable and durable protection against internal corrosion and fogging, the binoculars are filled with state-of-the-art Argon gas.

Another milestone is the mirroring of the roof prisms through the MinoBright technology. This silver-based coating guarantees an improvement of up to 99.8 percent efficiency of the light reflected at the mirror surface. This is yet another improvement towards better light transmission within the system of the HG-binoculars. The high-tech optical glass is "Made in Germany" by the Mainz based SCHOTT AG, a company of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, which was founded by Ernst Abbe. High technology originating from German glass pioneers used for innovative optical products by the Wetzlar based optic specialists of MINOX. All of the expertise from MINOX, a trusted industry pioneer, is combined in this high quality product.

Better and more advanced handling is achieved through the Quick-Close-Focus (QCF), developed and patented by MINOX. With just one turn of the focusing wheel the HG-binoculars can be adjusted from close-up to infinity. This one turn allows fast focusing close-up, and a more precise focusing for longer distances. With the aid of a scale on the central focusing wheel, the distance to the object in focus is indicated to the user. This additional feature makes these HG-binoculars a reliable distance rangefinder.

Despite all the new features the new MINOX HG-binoculars weigh just 650 grams. This puts them amongst the very best lightweights at the top end of the range. The sleek body design with its protective rubber armoring was designed and fitted around the natural position of the hand. The weight was reduced considerably by using a magnesium alloy, which is increasingly used in aircraft construction. With its much lower density compared with aluminum and its extreme durability, magnesium is a revolutionary material for modern, tough housings of binoculars. The eyepieces are fitted with twist-up eyecups with four click-stop positions. This gives more freedom for an individual’s own eye-relief settings. The design of the large metal focusing wheel is both attractive and functional. Equipped with a cross-knurl--like the diopter-adjustment--providing a very good grip.

MINOX HG-binoculars come complete with an exclusive case and a neoprene strap.

Product Description

In designing the High Grade (HG) series of Binoculars, Minox has called upon their vast library of optical experience and merged some of their most innovative technologies with a new elegant build. The Minox High Grade 8.5x43 BR Aspherical Binocular is imbued with Wetzlar Germany's finest engineering and absolutely sparkles with the ultimate in image quality and light transmission as provided by Zeiss' Schott glass. Another highlight is the Minox-designed Quick-Close-Focus (QCF) focusing system that combines rapid, accurate focus and a highly precise distance scale on the center wheel. The M-coated aspherical glass is housed in a lightweight - yet extremely rugged, sealed magnesium-alloy body enhanced with rubber armor that fits comfortably in the hand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great binoculars, poor fullfillment by Amazon, June 16, 2008

By 

V. Sanford (The far north) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Minox High Grade 8.5x43 Binocular (Electronics)

These are 5-star binoculars, probably the best for the money out there, at the price I bought them at, and probably still worth it (more on the $ later). The eye relief settings are indexed, the dioptic adjustment locks, they feel very well-made without being too heavy, and most importantly, they are very bright and sharp. The field of view is a little limited compared to others in this range, but I knew that before I bought them and that is the only reason I subtracted a star.

The annoying part is that Amazon took these fairly expensive binoculars and threw them in a much bigger box, with a 455-page book, and zero packing materials. The outer box was broken open during shipping, the Minox box was dented, and the book has a broken binding.

Luckily the binoculars themselves appear to be undamaged, as the price is now about $150 more than what I paid a week ago. While Amazon has a great return policy, they don't do exchanges. I will return the book and order another copy rather than try to repair the binding with rubber cement. Minox includes a limited 30-day warranty with this product, so that is reassuring.

UPDATE (less than 90 days after purchase): Sure enough, I just had to send them in to Minox USA to get a "ghosting" problem repaired, and I can only hope they do it under the warranty, as it appears to be the European, not the American, warranty. So I hope they do not treat it as a "grey market" product, but I can see why the price went up over $200!

Not to "beat a dead horse" or anything, but it really surprises me that Amazon would be so careless with the packing of fine optics for shipment, when they usually over-pack (a good thing) paperback books and other cheap, hard-to-damage items that ship by themselves. If I had to do it again, I would definitely order the field guide separate from the binoculars.

UPDATE #2: Minox did indeed repair the glasses without a fuss, and I have noticed that Amazon has improved the way it packages things lately across the board. Also I got them much cheaper than they are selling for now, so no complaints on the grey-market aspect. Amazon did replace the broken book as well, so kudos to them but I would have rather have avoided the whole repair/replace thing altogether.