Nikon WX 7×50

Specifications:

Objective diameter:  50 mm
Magnification:  7 x
Exit pupil: 7.14 mm
Eye relief (acc. to spec): 17 mm
Usable eye relief (measured from rim of eyecup): 15.5 mm
IPD: 58  – 78 mm
RFOV:  10.7  degrees = 188 m
AFOV (spec. Nikon):  66.6 degrees
AFOV (measured, rounded):  71.3 degrees
Minimum focus distance (estimate): 7.5 m
Focus type: IF
Range of diopter adjustment (acc. to spec.): +4 /- 6 dpt
Excess focus beyond infinity position (estimate): 6 dpt
Prism system:  Abbe-König
Waterproof: yes
Weight (measured, with eyepiece cover and strap): 2’573 g
Made in: Japan

Remarks:

What happens if you let a team of designers in a big optics company like Nikon realize their dream binocular, irrespective of cost and marketability? For their 100 years anniversary, Nikon was bold enough to try it out. As the description on Nikon’s website indicates, “everything started with a designer’s dream”. The design team dreamed up a new optical design that should outperform everything else on the market, and when they found that the image quality was absolutely astonishing, they faced the question: “can this design be productised?” The end result is now on the market** in the form of two binoculars with the configuration 7×50 (the model presented here) and 10×50 (see separate post “Nikon WX 10×50”, https://binocular.ch/nikon-wx-10×50/), primarily intended for astronomical use and  stationary long distance observation. These two binoculars are by far larger, heavier and much more expensive than any other 7×50 and 10×50 from any other producer. But they are also optically superior to anything comparable, with not only an amazingly wide field of view, but a flat-field image sharp almost to the edge. The view through both versions of the WX is simply breathtaking. Beside the (supposedly small) regular production, Nikon produced both binoculars also in a numbered anniversary edition (limited to 100 instruments for each size). It is worth reading opinions about the Nikon WX such as the one from optics and binocular expert Holger Merlitz, see here:
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/nikon_wx/nikon_wx2.html
and
http://www.holgermerlitz.de/nikon_wx/nikon_wx.html
and

https://www.juelich-bonn.com/jForum/read.php?9,454332

** Both WX models are labelled “out of stock” on a number of Nikon store websites, so it is unclear whether or not they are still on the market.

Ratings: