Nikon Superior E 8x32

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Brand and Model:Nikon Superior E 8x32
Price ($USD):$599.95
Attributes:un-checked Waterproof checked Armored
Objective Lens Size:32 mm
Magnification:8 x
Prism Type:BAK4 Porro
Coatings:Fully Multi-Coated
Field of View:7.5 degrees
Eye Relief:17 mm
Near Focus:10 ft
Weight (lbs):22.2 oz
Dimensions (w/h/d):4.6 x7.2"
Description:High resolution, fully multicoated optics
Nikon's superior technology
BaK4 high index prisms
Durable, lightweight magnesium construction
Long eye relief for eyeglass wearers
Advanced eyepiece design
Protein rubber armor wrapped around a unique ergonomically shaped body

Nikon Superior E Series Binoculars

Vote Highlights Vote
Nikon Superior E 8x32
Although the Nikon 8x32SE is of limited value as an astronomical binocular, in my opinion, it excels as a daytime birding glass.

The SE is very well made and fits nicely in the hands. In fact, it is one of the most comfortable binoculars I have ever held. In addition, it is lightweight at 22 oz. and hangs fairly well from it's neckstrap. The focuser is in a convenient position and moves firmly, yet easily, requiring about one and a quarter turns to move from extreme close focus to infinity. The diopter wheel is easy to set and, although it does not lock, it remains firmly in place. The eyecups are rubber and roll down for eyeglass wearers. Twist up eyecups would be more desirable, however, given the SE's tendency for blackouts, but more on this later. The SE line is touted to be "water resistant" by Nikon, but it is not water proof. This is not a problem for me as I do not plan on using it in the rain, but for those who live in damp or humid locations, this might be a consideration for those who bird under these conditions. The center axle is firm and remains solidly in place throughout a day's hiking.

The glass surfaces are a deep, liquid green and cast very few reflections. Nikon's excellent coatings result in very bright images rivaling the views through larger binoculars. Color rendition and contrast are very good overall. Moderate pincushioning is apparent at the eyepiece. On axis sharpness is outstanding, offering the ability to pick out tiny details in birds and terrestrial views. Off axis, the view remains sharp until the last 10%, at which point it drops off. The fov is listed by the manufacturer as a satisfying 7.5°, a figure that appears accurate from my comparisons with other binoculars. Internal reflections and flare are very well controlled. Eye relief is adequate at 17.4mm. The 8x32SE shares one unfortunate flaw with the other members of the SE line: blackouts. Eye position is critical in order to control this problem and twist up eyecups might contribute to mitigating this effect. Overall, however, the optical quality of this binocular is excellent.

Other minor issues include Nikon's inexplicable policy of including rather poor quality accessories with its premium binoculars, including flimsy objective covers, uncomfortable neckstraps, and a cheap case. These are easily replaced with much better aftermarket accessories, but for the not inconsiderable price Nikon charges for this fine instrument, a little more attention in this area would be very welcome.

Included with the SE is Nikon's excellent 25 year no fault warrantee. This is a valuable feature and should be an important consideration when choosing any expensive binocular.

To sum up, the 8x32SE is one of the very best birding binoculars available at any price and will satisfy any dedicated birder who wants top quality optics. The matters of waterproofing, cheap accessories, and blackout prevent me from bestowing it with a perfect 10, but it is one of my favorite binoculars in this class, nontheless.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:10 Value:8
Weight: 40 (Reputable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=556824

Nikon Superior E 8x32
Yes, they are expensive. BUT- once you buy a pair, you're done. There's no second guessing, no buyers remorse. When you look through them the first time, your first thought WILL be (mark my words) "Oh, Yeah!" And your next thought will be "These things are worth every penny."

I never thought the view through a 32mm lensed binocular could be so rewarding. In fact, these little guys easily beat out a brand new pair of Zeiss Victory 10X40's I looked through. I mean they made the Zeiss's look relatively DIM (and Zeiss optics are NOT dim). And although the magnification is half that of the Oberwerk 15X70's, I could pick out about as much detail, more easily, with HALF the aperture (daytime viewing).

The only possible reason I might see to replace these is to maybe move to the Superior E 10X42 or 12X50 for use in stargazing (Although I'll more likely eventually buy one in addition!). During the day, though, I really don't think these guys can be improved on at all. A final for instance- I took these guys to a Texas Longhorns home football game at the very large Texas Memorial Stadium. I had OK seats way up in the second deck (the players were ants- BIG ones, but ants). Then I looked at the field with my 8X32's. It felt as though I was right there on the field! The detail was astounding, the color was brilliant and the 8X magnification made for very steady viewing. I ended up watching the majority of the game through these binoculars- it was great!

This all may sound a bit melodramatic, I know, but REALLY, these guys graze perfection!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=347012

Nikon Superior E 8x32
I can't think of anything bad to say about the Superior E 8x32. Optics are sharp to the edge and bright, large FOV, rock solid build quality, and they just feel right in my hands. I use them for astro viewing, wildlife, football et al. Not cheap but worth the price.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:8
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=318674

Nikon Superior E 8x32
I've used and enjoyed this non-waterproof porro binocular more then any other that I've owned. Like many, I'm nagged by the Superior Es' lack of true waterproofing. But that goes away whenever I use this bino. I know that the Superior Es have the best optics around. I've tested them against many of the other high end binos, and the SEs top the others in overall optical quality. The brightness, contrast, depth of field, color rendition, sharpness, eye relief all are top notch. The ergonomics and light weight are also great. Even for astronomy, this is a good binocular. I've taken this bino all over, on more hikes and camping trips then I can count, and used it in many birding habitats and environments. I've never been disappointed. This binocular will do you for whatever you want, just be careful with the rain and submersion!

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:10 Value:9
Weight: 4 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=66845 

>>>>I've used and enjoyed this non-waterproof porro binocular more then any other that I've owned....
>>>>>>

Have you tried the new Swarovski 10x32 EL roofs?
They are around twice the price but I prefer the 10x magnification plus they are light c. 21.2 oz and have a good
field of view c. 360ft/1000yds.

But I do need to have another look at the "Nikon 8x32 SE CF" (which I presume are the same thing as "Nikon 8x32 Superior E"). 

I went to the Bird Fair (UK) recently and tried all the top
binoculars - mainly 10x32s. ALL of them had quite

But looking at the 8x32s after all the other top names, I felt that I (my eyes at least) simply *couldnt fault* the Nikons!! I could see no colour fringing, 
my eyes were totally at rest.
I was like looking without binoculars except everything
was 8x closer.  

But when I tried the 10x I really didnt like them! 
[I was now short on time and possibly I should have spent more time fiddling with the dioptre settings etc. 
But I dont wear glasses and I generally set the eyepiece dioptre almost exactly at nil.]  
The Nikon 10x32 SE roofs are too heavy for a start (I do a lot of fairly extreme hill walking).

Obviously the downsides of the 8x32 SE would include not being waterproof, and close focus only down to 3 meters (Swarovskis 10x32 go down to 2m /ie 7ft).

I see that betterviewdesired.com has been raving about the 8x32 Superior E porros for ages. Maybe the guy is right!

P.S. How do you rate this website (excelsis.com)?
I am a newbie here. Have you posted many opinions yet?

 
Ship
Shiperton Henethe
Nikon Superior E 8x32
Hallo,

meanwhile I am owner of more than ten binoculars.
The Nikon 8x32 Superior is my favorite binocular.
Fine Optics, nearly sharp to the edge, only very few color, smooth mechanics, comfortable Handling. 60° is less than the 8x32 premium roof binos from Austria/Germany but looking with both eyes 60° is enough for me.

R. Krebs

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=401397

Nikon Superior E 8x32
Having used both the Superior E and the LX (8x42), I can say without hesitation that there is no qualitative difference in the views afforded. The portability of the Superior E along with the cost differential makes this an excellent value.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=575762

Nikon Superior E 8x32
If you think these are small out dated binoculars, think again. They are optically as good as it gets.

Optically outstanding with a very natural "with your own eyes" image. The field of view is excellent, with little field curvature and superb depth of focus. Flare is almost completely absent. Chromatic aberration is almost completely absent - I have seen a touch of yellow, and a touch of green around birds against a very bright sky, and there is a touch of lateral CA - though many users will probably not see any. NB: chromatic aberration is far more apparent in roof prism binoculars such as the Leica 8x42 BN and the Nikon 8x42 HG.

Side by side with a Swarovski 8.5x42 EL, the Nikon is equally bright, even in dim light, and seems equally sharp at large distance. (I made the comparisons while hand holding the bins. They really need to be tripod mounted to fully assess sharpness. But then again, how many people use such small bins on a tripod?). At close distances the Swarovski is noticeably sharper, though the sharpness of the Nikons is still excellent. The close focus distance is about 3m which is adequate for viewing insects. However I found it hard to use both eyes at close focus - I could not combine the images - presumably due to the large intra-objective distance. So when watching a nearby dragonfly hovering in front of me, I closed one eye, and got a superb monocular view. Eye relief of about 17mm and I have no difficulty seeing the full field of view while wearing glasses.

I did notice that the small exit pupil (4mm) made them a bit fiddly to look through in low light. (I am talking about the ease of aligning the exit pupils with my eyes. I find the a 5mm exit pupil easier to use. In terms of brightness, they are as bright as a top of the range full sized roof prism binocular.)

Mechanically outstanding. The build quality and finish are first rate with a quality feel matching Leica and Swarovski. My slightly smaller than average hands find these binoculars very comfortable to hold. My only gripe is that they are so short that I find it hard to hold them as steady as a longer binocular. The focus knob is rubberised and rotates very smoothly though I prefer a slightly finer focus - c.f. the Swarovski 8.5x42 EL. The diopter adjustment is on the right eyepiece. It does not lock but will not move accidentally. The eye tubes are made from thin but strong rubber. They are fiddly but quite useable.

These binoculars are not waterproof, though they would probably survive being carried round the neck in a heavy rain storm. They are not immersion proof. I have heard that they are very robust and do not readily go out of collimation.

Overall I thoroughly recommend these binoculars. They are superb for birding, with a quality of view that exceeds that provided by roof prism binoculars costing substantially more. They are also superb for astronomy despite the small objectives.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=298832

Nikon Superior E 8x32
The best optics available, the 8x32 Superior E is brighter and sharper than any 8x42 I've looked through. They're sharp to the edge of the 7.5 degree field and have plenty of eye relief for use with glasses. You can't go wrong with these binocs.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=246615

Nikon Superior E 8x32
I have tested out just about every high-quality binoculars available and have come to the conclusion that the Nikon 8x32 Superior E's are the best and most enjoyable "all-round" binocualrs currently available -- Irregardless of cost!! They are very compact and can easily fit in my briefcase or the center console of my car, so I can carry them everywhere. One thing you really have to experience is how pleasant they are to hold as they seem to perfectly conform to your hands. The views are the best, most accurate and brightest that I have ever seen in a medium power binocular.
I do have a pair of Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX's that are excellent as well but these Nikons get used more because they are so convenient. I think that the Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX are the best overall binocualrs for Astronomy, but you do have to use a tripod for these larger binoculars and so they are not as convenient.
Because the eye relief is only approx. 19 mm, I can not see 100% of the entire field of view with my glasses on -- but almost. I am completely satisfied and very enthusiastic about the Nikon 8x32 Superior E's. I would give them my highest recommendation and will probably be using and enjoying mine for the rest of my life. If mine were ever damaged, I would immediately go out and get another identical pair.
Richard Lapides in Caliofrnia

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=142737

Nikon Superior E 8x32
I tried these out with many others at Cabelas. The quality of the image jumped out the moment I put them to my eyes. I use them for hunting and skywatching. Their compactness, light weight and brightness have consistently delighted me. Of course, I didn't pay even half the MSRP for them. Love 'em!

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:9 Value:8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=106513

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