Nikon 10x42 SE

Mfr: Nikon (no J- marks apparent)

Date: late 1990's

AFOV: ~60 degrees

TFOV: 6 degrees

Eye Relief: 17.4mm

Prisms: high index

This Nikon SE (Superior E) series has been widely praised as some of the finest porro prism binoculars made.  Models other than the 10x42 include an 8x32 and a 12x50.   The body is very ergonomic, covered with a textured rubber-like material and with rubber eyecups and objective bumpers.  Note that this binocular is not rated as waterproof.  The multicoatings are among the finest I have seen, with very low level reflections.  The SE is also very well baffled, with minimal extraneous light sources.  The image is very sharp and flat across the field, with just a bit of deterioration at the very edge.  Very little chromatic aberration is visible.  However, some spherical aberration of the exit pupil is evident, which causes blackouts in bright light if the eyes are not perfectly placed (not so much a problem at night).  Also, the eye relief, though much better than average, is barely enough for me to see the edge of field with glasses on.  A few more mm of eye relief (and less spherical aberration of the exit pupil) would make for more comfortable viewing.  Nikon came close to perfection with this binocular but not quite.  For an alternative, consider the Nikon Venturer LX roof prism series (which are more expensive though).