Thanks for that Richt, very informative post!īy the sounds of things then, the CZJ is probably fairly close to the image quality of a lof of the modern high-end bins, although they have more 'value added' benefits like being waterproof, lighter and more rugged. The fact that there is still a thriving trade in 8x 30 and 10 x 50 Jena's Deltrintems etc would seem to suggest these bins are very high image quality per pound and to be fair many 'modern' bins around the £100 mark though possibly more robust/better sealed may well struggle to offer the 'image' quality of these 'golden oldies' I have had my 10 x 50's for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoyed them in dry conditions i still find them relaxing to pick up and use and so far so good i havent bumped or dropped them Most folk given the chance to choose between two binoculars providing similar images at similar cost would i think opt for the one with the high durability,lighter weight and better overall build quality backed by the manufacturerīut when we are talking about £100-£125 for a decent condition East German wide angle porro and say £800 + to achieve the extra factors previously mentioned then the decision becomes somewhat 'foggy' for an awful lot of folkīasically if you observe in the dry and take care not to bump the old porro's too much a Carl Zeiss Jena in top condition can be a steal but they are bulky heavy leaky and lack eye relief for eyeglass wearers bear in mind also if you drop them badly its likely the end of the road Guarantees/warranties are also part of the overall picture as are weight and handling with the expensive well known models Waterproofing for one in the UK is often a help and added safety factor to allow more varied useage The Swarovski El's and other top marques do offer many other non image based attributes of course and demonstrate i believe what can count in addition with the high end binoculars I personally find the view very similar to Swarovski 8.5 x 42 EL and felt it was a close thing over several hours of comparison with a kind fellow birder In summary i think for aome folk the Jenoptem's are fantastic value and produce an image that is relaxing and wide in use The Carl Zeiss Jena's are my favourite overall both for airshows and low light viewing they are the brightest but both Nikon's seem to offer more contrast also the Jena's have limited eye relief and are a little less sharp to edge (though imho this is negligible in quite a lot of terrestrial viewing) The SE Nikon's are very well constructed fabulously sharp and true to almost the edge but are a little awkward for eye placement and black outs can occur also slightly limited fov at 6 degrees

The E11 seem the widest angle and overall probably the easiest to actually use also pretty well built I own and use Nikon E11 (8 x 30) Nikon SE (10 x 42) and Carl Zeiss Jenoptem MC 10 x 50

Carl zeiss jena binoculars 3097708