Folks,
I recently had the opportunity to spend some quality time with two perhaps lesser known but quality binos that I'd like to share with you. Great optics are a real joy and these two were simply outstanding. While this wasn't a head-to-head comparison per se (these binos are apples to oranges in design and specs) these are two high-end offerings and I was curious to see how they performed.
First up is the Kowa 8.5 x44 Genesis roof prism binoculars. These are the latest offering from Kowa Optimed sports optics (known for their excellent spotting scopes) and were generously donated for this evaluation by Jim Danzenbaker, North American sales manager for Kowa.
Next up are the Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilem porro prism binoculars. These were provided by Scott Cornella, general manager for Valdada Enterprises LLC, importer of IOR, Optolyth and other premium European optics. According to Mr. Cornella, these binos are patterned after the Original Carl Zeiss Jena OCTAREM series. Mr. Cornella stated that these were some of the finest binos he's seen and was very confident in how they would fare.
Here's a pic of the two contenders:
Kowa Genesis 8.5x44 (left) and Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilem
Tale of the Tape
Kowa Genesis 8.5x44: The flagship of the Kowa binocular line are an advanced roof prism design featuring Prominar XD objective lens elements (2 per barrel) that reduce chromatic aberration to a degree not possible with normal achromatic lens. This technology is borrowed from the TSN 880/770 Prominar series of spotters and has been perfected by Kowa in their spotting scopes. The binos are made in Japan (more on that later). Weighing in at a hefty 33 ounces, the Genesis 8.5x44 (my pick over the 10.5x44, as you know I'm apt to do if you are a regular reader) feature a close focus of 5.5 feet, a wide field of view of 400 feet at 1000 yards, generous 18mm of eye relief, and an exit pupil of 5.2mm.
These binos sport an attractive green color rubber armoring over a magnesium chassis, removable black objective caps, a large alloy press checkered focus knob, and a lockable diopter adjustment ring on the right ocular similar to the Vortex Viper. The eyecups are of the twist out type.
Kowa Genesis alloy (not plastic) focus knob and diopter adjustment (top right)
In addition to the Prominar XD objective lens elements, the Genesis feature a new high refractive index Schmidt-Pechan roof prism sytem with Kowa's proprietary C3 coating on one surface, phase correction coating, and is fully multi-coated throughout. The Genesis are nitrogen purged (why not argon or krypton?) and waterproof.
Gazing into the objective lens elements reveals a deep purple-pink tint, and if you look inside you can see "PROMINAR" in white letters on one of the inner rings (not sure what effect this has on internal reflection/flare but I could go without it).
View of the objective lens of the Kowa Genesis 8.5x44. (The coatings are the same for each lens but somehow I was able to get both the tinted and clear views in the same shot).
The overall impression of the Genesis is of a well built and solid bino, with a reassuring heft and excellent fit and finish. The Genesis binos feature Kowa's "Crystal Clear" lifetime warranty.
Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilem: The Nobilem are very large porro prism binos. Weighing in at 46 ounces, these binos feature 14.5mm of eye relief to go with their 5mm exit pupil. The Nobilems feature a close focus distance of 18.7 feet, and a field of view of 387 feet at 1000 meters, which I estimate to be 353 feet at 1000 yards.
The 10x50 Nobilems have a center focus ring and a right ocular diopter adjustment. Both of these adjustment mechanisms are knurled rubber. Thr rubber eyecups are circular and can fold down for eyeglass wearers. These binos have integrated objective caps that fit into the objectives, in the old European style.
Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilem focus knob, diopter ring, and eyecups.
The Docter brochure I was able to locate had this to say about the 10x50's: The NOBILEM 10x50 B/GA is a high-performance pair of binoculars being suitable when the smallest details have to be recognized sharp and contrasty from far distances. This model offers a proven combination of large field of view and best resolution. You will identify the smallest details - even if you have to keep distance: when watching birds or having a look at architectural details, at horse races when you would like to follow your favourite, when you want to recognize the name of a ship passing by on the horizon or when you want to make out different colours on the plumage of the bird sitting on the tree opposite. The NOBILEM 10x50 B/GA will provide you with an excellent view.
While I am not 100% sure of the history of the Docter name and how it relates to Carl Zeiss Jena, suffice to say that these are 100% German-made optics. I believe they are made at the Carl Zeiss Jena plant located in the old communist East Germany. They are heavily rubber armored and carry a 30 year warranty. Here's some views of the box so you know what to look for:
Peering into the objectives revealed a clear smoky gray tint, and flawless workmanship. The interior of the binos are matte gray, and the execution of the construction of these are very impressive. No sloppy fasteners, cement or any other signs of substandard workmanship, inside or out.
Field Test
The Kowa Genesis, while being heavy, feel good in the hand. They balance well and sit steady. The first thing you notice is the bright, clear, colorful view when you look through them. The clarity is something to behold. There is some minor spherical abberation at the top and bottom edges, but the left and right edges are clean, flat and have minimal distortion. The large focus knob is smooth, albeit a bit lighter to turn than the Vortex Viper. The Genesis did not behave like it had a fast focus, which I consider a good thing. After my initial impression, I turned to the Vortex resolution chart at 50 feet and put the Genesis through its paces. To my surprise, the resolution on this pair was not too impressive. I noticed a touch of astigmatism and just couldn't get a sharp view of the little bars like I wanted. The "whiteness" of the background and the "blackness" of the bars was exceptional, but the edges or interface of the two wasn't very sharp. Here's a pic of what I could clearly make out; feel free to download and examine.
Resolution chart with level of acuity achieved with Kowa Genesis circled in red (horizontal and vertical bars)
Taking out the Nobilems, the first thing I notices was how well they fit the hand, despite their inherent weight and bulk. For my hand anyway, I found the shape of the prism housings to be ergonomic and comfortable.
Ocular view of 10x50 Nobilems showing the ergonomic cross section of the prism housings
Looking through the Nobilems, the view was quite striking. The view is clear, very sharp and color rendition is neutral. The focus knob is accesible via the tips of my middle fingers while holding the binos and had a nice, smooth, but stiff feel. The diopter ring, while not of the locking variety, was stiff enough to afford staying put at its correct setting with little worry of being moved.
The eyecups are an acquired taste. They aren't the most comfortable, and may be a bother to some. I got used to them, as I learned to nestle them in my eye sockets. Nevertheless, they bear mentioning.
One thing that is apparent when looking at these (and Docter roof prism models), is that the philosophy seems to be to make the optical sweet spot as big and sweet as you can get; and damn the edges of the field of view. The curvature of field at the top and bottom edges was pretty bad, and the side edges showed some pincushion and barrel distortion. By my estimate about 80% of the view from the center of the image outward was perfect, and things went downhill from there. It's not a bother unless you actually spend time and view the edges. There is a fine line here. The Vortex Razors I tested had the distortion take up a larger portion of the field of view, to the point it bothered me. Not so the Nobilems. YMMV.
Putting up the Nobilems on the resolution chart, I quickly found out that the type copy from the Docter brochure wasn't just marketing hype. The resolution on these things had to be seen to be believed! The sharpness of the optics was simply "mind boggling" good. I was able to see pretty much to the limits of my vision. Here's the res chart for comparison:
Resolution chart for Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilems, showing the horizontal and vertical bars I was clearly able to distinguish.
Heading into the field, I spent a few hours with both binos, doing my normal run of field tests. The Genesis read Sign #1 well but I struggled to read the letters of Sign #2 (as would be expected per the results of the res chart). Where the Genesis shined was the brightness of the colors and the expansive field of view with very little distortion. The contrast was excellent and the overall view was very pleasing to the eye. Kowa calls the Genesis series the "next generation of clarity" and as they say, "it isn't bragging if it's true." In a nature base setting, the Genesis were a joy to look through. All the controls worked as they should and it is evident that Kowa developed a premium bino here.
The Nobilems performed "on the street" as they did in the classroom. The resolution of these made reading Sign #1, #2, or any sign I could read within the limits of my visual acuity an easy task. While I have a hard time fathoming how such a large pair of porro binos has less field of view than a smaller pair of roof prisms, the reality is that such a difference is not a real noticeable handicap to the enduser. The Nobilems ability to see the tiniest details is just something that you need or want, or you don't. It's clearly their best feature. Compared with the Genesis, the vibrance of the colors was not up to par but the view was calm and efficient, for lack of better terms. Contrast was superb and the Nobilems were all business. I like the stiffness of the controls and felt they could be counted on to "hold their zero".
As the sun fell, the two binos diverged a bit in personality. The Nobilems, while quite bright to the limits of their 5mm exit pupil, exhibited a distinct gray scale effect. The litmus test was a herd of deer about two hundred yards away, framed with a timber backdrop. I was looking at them in the direction of the recently set sun, with the remnants of the glow of the sun on the horizon. When my own eyes failed to clearly see the herd of five does, I snapped up the Nobilems and Genesis alternatively and compared notes. The effect of the Nobilems was like watching black and white TV, or even digital night vision. The view was clear, sharp, but with a noticeable loss of color. The Genesis, on the other hand, appeared like you switched on the color TV. The deer were quite brown and the forage quite green, even in the time past twilight. The Genesis seemed to turn night into day, unlike any bino I have ever examined.
After dark, the light management of both of these binos while observing bright point sources of light was quite good. The purple color fringing was minimized with the Genesis, but the Nobilems weren't too far behind, unless you viewed with the edges. There was minimal scatter or "sabering" of the light images.
Final Thoughts
Kowa Genesis: The Genesis 8.5x44 are a premium optical product. With a MAP pricetag of $1260, they are priced that way, too. The physical attributes of the optics are as good as I've ever seen, the views are super bright, clear, colorful, and the performance is "money" in low light. The field of view is top shelf. the mechanics and controls are first rate. On the downside, the pair I examined had below average resolution. I have noticed this with Kowa BD44 binos a few years ago when starting out, when compared with IOR binos. This just may be the way they are spec'd. Also, the rubber armoring is a bit on the thin side; however, I would have confidence in the ruggedness and quality of construction of these for rugged field use. The Genesis are designed to be used in the great outdoors, and will enable you to spot critters with confidence, all the way from the crack of dawn to civil twilight. If you can find a good deal on a pair, I would recommend you give them serious consideration. They are backed by a great company with helpful folks.
Docter Aus Jena 10x50 Nobilems: If the Genesis are the "outdoorsy" type, the Nobilems are the "urban warriors". Rugged, stout, clad in tough black armor, I can't think of a better bino for police, military, or the work of nosy citizens. While their size and weight might make many eschew them for backpacking or neck carry, these are the ultimate truck, ATV, or boat bino, IMO. These binos are blessed with the ability to read; signs, license tags, you name it...nothing escapes the sharpness of these optics. Don't get me wrong, the resolution works on counting hairs on a deer's ass too, if you wanted. While the close focus doesn't even approach that of the Genesis, these could be used for nature observation with little handicap. The Nobilems have a huge optical sweet spot and while the edges are an afterthought, the bottom line is that they work, period. The best part? They are a bargain, too. Avaialble from us for merely $699 shipped, the supply is limited, and these present a unique opportunity to own top shelf German optics at a below market price.
Thanks for dropping by.
Scott
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Jim Danzenbaker of Kowa and Scott Cornella of Valdada Enterprise for donating the binos for this evaluation.
Endnote: One thing I noticed is the origin tag in the Genesis binos. Here's a pic:
The rectangular black tag with white lettering and stamped serial number is the exact same as that found in the Vortex Viper series. Coincidence? Perhaps. But here's my take: These are made by Fujinon. If so, I'll say this company makes some darn good binos. While Nikon and Bausch & Lomb might be the household names, Fujinon takes a back seat to neither of them.
