Why don’t the Kowa Genesis Binos get more love?

[PredatorSlayer]

I have spent a lot of time behind mine bear and elk hunting and never noticed any kidney beaning. I don’t wear eye glasses, so maybe it would be an issue if you did.

 

[4th_point]

I think one issue is the inability to put an outdoorsman's stud on the Kowa Genesis vs. basically every other binocular.

The 8x33 Genesis does have a tripod exit unlike the other models.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

The 8x33 Genesis does have a tripod exit unlike the other models.

Now I need to go and look at mine. I assumed they were the same as my 10.5x44s

 

[4th_point]

Here's mine, before I sold them:

 

[alderchokedhellhole]

I have spent a lot of time behind mine bear and elk hunting and never noticed any kidney beaning. I don’t wear eye glasses, so maybe it would be an issue if you did.

That’s good to know.

I don’t wear eye glasses.

 

[Highlands Hunter]

The Kowa Genesis is incredible. I compared the Genesis 8.5x44 to the EL 8.5x42 and I found it difficult to tell a difference. For the price, I would probably take Kowa.
I compared the same Kowa binos to the Maven B6 10x50 and found the color of the Kowa to be better and even the ability to resolve detail seemed a bit better. Overall the Genesis seemed sharper. Oh also the depth of field was better on the Kowa.

 

[JGRaider]

"Kidney beaning" is simply an eye relief/placement issue. The Conquest HD is well known for it's terrible eyecup design which is why Zeiss will (at least they used to) send you a free pair of extended eyecups if you asked. IME this blackout "problem" is most prevalent in 8x32 class binos.

 

[Fritz D]

"Kidney beaning" is simply an eye relief/placement issue. The Conquest HD is well known for it's terrible eyecup design which is why Zeiss will (at least they used to) send you a free pair of extended eyecups if you asked. IME this blackout "problem" is most prevalent in 8x32 class binos.

Just received an SFL 8x30 and eye-placement is critical, to say the least? I like everything else but the eye placement issues are taking some getting used to?

 

[ni7ne]

Just received an SFL 8x30 and eye-placement is critical, to say the least? I like everything else but the eye placement issues are taking some getting used to?

Isn't...
objective diameter / magnification
... a rough indicator of how forgiving a given optic will be with eye placement? Exit pupil?
It's why 6x should be normalized on ultra-compact binos.
And why 8x44 and 8x50 are extra forgiving.