By Ron Spomer, Field Editor

   No matter how good a product is, there’s always room at the top. Just as competition pushes athletes to run faster and jump higher, it drives optics manufacturers to pursue higher resolution, more light transmission, more contrast, less flare . . . in short, optical perfection. And they’re coming close.
   Nikon, long known for superior camera lenses, has parlayed its optical precision into some of the best scopes and binoculars in the world, but has never quite been on par with the best of the best European glass—or so say some. Many who have studied the view through a Nikon Premier binocular in recent years describe it as world class, easily hanging with the likes of Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski. Nevertheless, Nikon must have decided it needed an edge on the competition, so this year it introduced the EDG (Extra-low Dispersion Glass) binocular line.

The Science
   ED lenses minimize color fringing, an artifact of bent light. White light diverges into all the colors of the rainbow after passing through curved glass. Bringing each band back to perfect focus is essential to creating a sharp, properly colored image. If any wavelength (color) is slightly out of focus, it creates a halo that’s most easily seen at high-contrast edges, such as dark antlers against a bright sky or light antlers against a shady background. If you want to be certain there’s a 2-inch sticker off a buck’s G3, ED glass can help, especially at high magnifications. Generally 15X is considered the sticking point. Before that most folks can’t detect color fringing. It’s still there, but subtle. Above 15X, fringing becomes much more noticeable, which is why ED, HD and other apochromatic types of glass are used on the best spotting scopes—and also why these scopes are so costly. Nikon is betting enough hunters will notice enough difference at 8X and 10X to make EDG binoculars a hit. Nikon’s EDG advertising promotes “brilliant, color-corrected images that are extremely bright, razor sharp and free of flare.”

Nikon’s latest binocular represents the pinnacle of its optical technology—and also the pinnacle of price points. The EDG uses best-quality ED glass and has the widest field of view in its class.

   ED glass alone won’t deliver all that, of course, but it’s aided by Nikon’s best anti-reflection multi-coatings on all lenses, phase-corrected prisms and the latest, high-tech dielectric-coated prism mirrors. All this produces maximum light transmission, flare control and color fidelity. Those are ingredients common to all the world’s best and brightest optics. The only differences to my knowledge are the proprietary multi-coating recipes each manufacturer jealously guards and the precision with which they put instruments together. The fact that Nikon produces some of the world’s finest photographic lenses lends a strong aura of possibility to its binoculars.
   In addition to optical quality, EDG focuses on durability, functionality and ergonomics, starting with a light, magnesium alloy body wrapped in stippled “rubber armor” for a sure grip. Rubberized rings on the objective barrel rims quietly absorb bumps and resist slipping on slick surfaces. Similar rubber on the eyepiece edges protect eyeglasses and soften the press against your occipital ridge. Eyepieces twist up and lock solidly into three positions—and they do not collapse under pressure.
   The knurled, rubber-coated central focus knob turns smoothly with one finger, but stiffly enough to prevent most accidental movement. It pulls up to expose the diopter adjustment ring underneath, which is stiff to prevent accidental movement, which is a good thing considering how easily the focus knob pops up. In this position it is disengaged, so the focus doesn’t change, but it’s distracting. I’d like to see some sort of mechanical block to keep the focus knob engaged until the user intentionally lifts it. Users seldom change diopter settings, unless they’re sharing a binocular during field use.
   “Thumb-position Memory Contours” have been molded into the barrels, but I found these too shallow and set too low for my preferred hold, which is fairly close to the eyepieces so that I can steady the binocular by pressing thumbs against my nose and cheeks.
   Echoing the look of the Swarovski EL line, the EDG uses two hinges, fore and aft, to join its barrels. This is lighter than a full-length hinge, stronger than a central hinge and leaves space for a comfortable grip. I was able to stick two fingers between the EDG hinges, one less than fit between my Swarovski EL hinges. Ergonomic distinctions are subjective, but one notices them when making direct comparisons.

The Field Test
   As for function, the 10x42 EDG passed with flying colors, surviving 15 minutes underwater with no leaks, even as all controls were manipulated. Nikon rates waterproof depth as 16.4 feet, equal to a Leica BR and 3 feet deeper than the Swarovski EL. There was no internal fogging after taking the instrument from the freezer into room temperature. Complicated engineering using seven lens elements in the eyepiece gives this EDG a 6.5-degree angle of view and the widest field of view in its class—341 feet at 1,000 yards, 5 to 11 feet more than the equivalent Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica. At 18mm, EDG eye relief beats the others by 2 or 3 mm.
   To check for optical performance, I compared the EDG to a Swarovski 10x42 EL and Nikon 10x42 Monarch ATB. The differences were subtle and minimal. The EDG seemed to match the Swarovski in brightness, color fidelity, contrast and edge sharpness and came within a hair of equaling its resolution. While alternating between each instrument to study the same scene, I sometimes felt the Swarovski a smidge brighter, sometimes the Nikon—ditto for contrast. Color seen through the EDG seemed slightly cooler. Under the light of a full moon at 5 a.m., the EDG clearly revealed single stems of bleached, winter grass against dark boulders at 80 yards. Had there been a deer on the hillside, I felt I could have not only seen it, but possibly counted antler tines.
   To my surprise and Nikon’s credit, my old Monarch held its own against the EDG in most categories, proving once again that quality differences near the top end can be so small that some viewers may not detect them. Still, if you demand the best, the EDG may have the edge. Give it a close look and see for yourself.

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Nikon EDG
800-645-6687
Nikonusa.com

Type:  roof-prism binocular

Magnification:  8X, 10X (tested)

Objective Lens Diameter:  42mm

Focusing Range:  9.84'–infinity

Eye Relief:  18mm

Twilight Factor:  17.6

FOV @ 1,000 yards:  374'

Weight:  29.5 ozs.

Dimensions:  5.4" wide, 5.94" high

Coatings:  fully multi-coated lenses, phase-coated prisms, dielectric mirrors

Construction:  magnesium chassis, black armor coating

Accessories:  deluxe neck strap, case, detachable extra eyecups, lens covers

MSRP:  $1,999