New Binoculars day!
Today, the Vixen Regalo 7x50 Binoculars arrived through my kind friend, hand carrying it all the way from Canada. This Regalo 7x50 is part of Vixen's cheaper astronomy binoculars given its pricing and not being fully multi coated. You won't see any information about this in the Japanese Vixen's website.
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| Vixen Regalo Z7x50 box design |
As being a late comer to this binocular hobby, I am curious as to the history of this model but as of now there are no information on when it started shipping or if it was an old model line that they still haven't discontinued yet. If it was discontinued, it's not in their list of previous models.
The Vixen Regalo 7x50 came in a box with simple graphics as shown in the photo above. No information about the contents are printed on it except for the brand.
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| Stickers on the Box |
On one of the sides, are two stickers piled in one location. On top indicates the make and model with item number that correspond specifically to this binocular. The bottom sticker is what I can only assume as the Japanese version of top sticker.
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| Bottom of the box |
At the bottom is what I can only assume to be compliances to Japanses standards. I'll research about it someday.
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| Leatherette soft case the binocular came with |
The binocular came wrapped in thin plastic inside this large pouch in leatherette finish. At the flap is a printed Vixen logo in gold color. Straps for this pouch are fixed at the sides and there is no way to adjust the length.
You could fit about 4 paperback books inside the soft case. When the binocular is inside, it feels a little loose that you might think that this case also belongs to various porro models of binoculars by Vixen.
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| All the contents of the package |
Behold the entire package of the Regalo 7x50. Aside from the items previously discussed and the main binocular, it also contains a manual and strap. Given the relatively heavy weight, I was hoping it comes with the Vixen wide neoprene strap. In this case, it came in an unmarked, simple yet thick nylon strap that is about an inch wide. My small and light Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 came with a very wide neoprene strap. I wish this Vixen came with the same.
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| Lens caps |
It comes with four separate lens caps. Two for the objective lenses and another pair for the ocular lenses. Each one can't be attached to the strap for convenience. That's four extra things you need to keep in mind when using the binocular just so you don't lose it. Fortunately, they fit quite snug on the rubber cover when attached.
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| Weighing in at 824 grams |
This pair weighs 824 grams, which is 8 grams heavier than the advertised weight. I don't really mind handling a binocular this heavy but I've personally felt my arms tire after prolonged viewing.
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| Turning the diopter also turns the entire eye piece. |
One of my complaints on this Vixen is the diopter adjuster. When you twist it, the entire eye cup turns as well. It is easy to knock it out of adjustment from normal use. It turns easily when you remove the caps. I find myself having to adjust the diopter everytime I use it.
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| Eye Cups. |
This doesnt look like 18.5mm of eye relief at all. I have to pull the binocular away from my face to get a good image. This means lightly touching the eye cups and not completely resting on it.
Build quality is great and it feels solid right out of the box. It looks perfectly symmetrical and everything is in alignment. There are no loose bits and the rubber cover is solidly attached. The grip design on the focus ring is effective, making it easy to turn this heavy knob with just a finger.
All markings on the rear of this binocular are in gold color, the kind that fades when constantly rubbed. At the front, the imposing GKA and the Tripod logo are white. As my shallow dirt digging led me to believe that this binocular is possibly designed and produced by Kamakura Koki Co., Ltd., in Japan. Kamakura Koki is one of the biggest binocular makers worldwide, alongside Zeiss and Leica.
One frustration I have with this binocular is that when viewing through it, it felt that I am peeking through a peep hole. While it may be that I was spoiled by my Nikon Monarch 7's IMAX of view in comparison to the Vixen Regalo, it still produces fantastic images in daylight. The image produced by this binocular is yellowish, with whites and greys are rendered warmly.
In addition to the above-mentioned issue, I find it hard to set everything up to my eyes in order to get good images. Considering the "forgiving" 7mm exit pupil, I assumed I just have to put it on my face and enjoy. But among my other pairs, this is the most difficult to get ready. After a few days of useage, I did get the hang of it but there is some adjusting to be done.
The lack of water proofing does not matter as you can't see the stars if rain clouds block it. But for use in a climate like what we have in the Philippines, waterproofing should be one of the features in your binocular.
An unaltered photograph of the inside of the objective lens. The interior can be seen like this in natural light. It is quite busy inside with a lot of light bouncing off the interior walls.
The manual contains the typical binocular instructions as would any other pair would have.
It seems that my new binoculars are already void of warranty. This specific model may be intended for sale and use within Japan. There are no Vixen service centers in the Philippines and since this is bought in Canada, I might have to take really good care for this binocular.
The Vixen Regalo 7x50 is a good starter binocular if you want to get started in night sky viewing. For 104 Canadian dollars, it is a bargain.
