The article aims to give the reader advice on choosing an affordable pair of binoculars ideal for viewing wildlife with.

Which Binoculars they Recommend?
They say that “After checking out several binoculars, we found a couple that have crystal-clear optics at a reasonable price.” and below are their two recommendations:

Brunton Echo 8×25 Binoculars and these are their reasons why:

At the top of the list stands Brunton’s Echo Compact series. The Seattle times writer says that they recommend the 8-power version (8×25) since 10-power compacts can be difficult to hold steady (the extra magnification also magnifies any vibration/hand shake, creating an unstable image). – Which is true, but unless you really have unsteady hands you should easily be able to hold a 10x compact steady enough to be able to look through them and get a good stable view. For me the main reason for choosing an 8x binocular over one that has a more powerful magnification would be their wider field of view. That is not to say that 10x and even more powerful optics don’y have their uses.

They also say that the “Echo 8×25 glasses proved remarkably comfortable in the hand, and the lenses were sharp through the field of vision — we noticed just a hint of fuzziness at the extreme edge of the field of view. The light transmission was very good, presenting a bright view, even at dusk and dawn when wildlife is most active. We used these while watching young bighorns scamper in the twilight above Umtanum Canyon in Central Washington, and to spy on ospreys hunting trout in the Yakima River Canyon.” This is great, I am really glad to see that they took into account a binoculars light transmission, especially for wildlife when as they say a lot of your observation will take place late afternoon or early morning when a lot of wildlife is most active. So some great advice here – I then just wonder why they did not also consider larger mid-sized or even full sized binoculars? There are plenty of these that are affordable on the market and their larger objective lenses have the potential to let in more light and therefore, have the potential to produce brighter images than a compact.

The article then goes on to say that “The Echos even earned praise from our hardest-to-please binocular tester: Donna has a small face, and frequently finds she can’t bring binocular barrels close together enough to allow easy viewing. The Echos, though, fit her well, while also working wonderfully for our bigheaded, wide-eyed lead tester (yours truly).”

The Brunton Echo 8x25s weigh 38 ounces and sell for $120. Click here to Buy & Compare Prices for Brunton Echo Binoculars

Pentax Papilio 8.5X21 binoculars
Their second recommendation are the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars:

“For a smaller, lighter pair, we recommend the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars. These compact optics fit comfortably in the hand, adjust to fit a wide variety of faces (including Donna’s) and weigh a mere 10 ounces. The optics are sharp and clear — not as bright as the Bruntons, but nearly as sharp. What’s most remarkable about the new Papilios, though, is the focusing range. These binoculars have a close-focus distance of just 19.5 inches, meaning you can zoom in on that bee sitting on the flower right in front of you. You can examine the patterns of pollen on its legs, and count the hairs on its back as it flies over to sting you! No other binoculars we’ve found — or even heard of — offer this ability to act almost as a microscope on your wilderness adventures.”

This is very true and that is why I highly recommend these, if you plan on spending a lot of your time viewing the smaller wildlife out there like butterflies. View my article on Butterfly Binoculars, where I also take a look at these Pentax Papilio Binoculars.

The Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars sell for $149 Click here to Buy & Compare Prices for Pentax Papilio Binoculars

Best Binocular Reviews Recommendations

With so many binoculars out there, I am always interested in how they get to such a small short list of choices. Sure, if you are looking for cheap compact binoculars, the Brunton Echo Compacts and the Pentax Papilio 8.5×21 binoculars are not bad choices, but there are so many others out there, that in my opinion are as good or even better.

So which affordable binoculars, ideal for wildlife observation would I recommend?

Well If you are specifically looking for compact binoculars, that cost under $130/£130 take a look at this list of binoculars that I have reviewed: Low Cost Compact Binoculars.

For a larger selection and a better pair of optics, take a look at these Mid Priced (still under $300/£300) Compact Binoculars.

But what I would really recommend is getting a pair of mid-sized binoculars – these are still compact enought to easily carry about with you, yet offer far better light gathering potential:

Mid Priced, Mid-Sized Binoculars

More Information

About The author: Dan Nelson is a Freelance writer and a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books.

Click here to view the original article on the Seattle Times.

I say this because they are available at a large discounted price in both the UK and USA. (If you are in the UK it is well worth taking a look at the 9X25 version in particular, which is currently available at better than half price)

Warehouse express currently have the Nikon 9×25 Travelite V CF Binoculars on offer for £69.00 which is better than half price (RRP £150.99):
Nikon Travelite V Binoculars on Warehouse Express

At the time of writing, all the Travelite V series binoculars from Nikon are available at discounted prices on Amazon.com. For example the 8X25mm V Binoculars have list price of $128.95, but are currently available for $79.96:
Nikon Travelite V Binoculars on Amazon.com

The Travelite V Series

Available in 5 different models, all with compact 25mm objective lenses and ranging in magnification from 8 to 12x. All come in a porro prism design and with a host of quality features that you would normally only expect to find on far more expensive optics. Including an ergonomic body made from light and durable carbon fibre with a tough rubber armor coating and aspherical lenses that minimise distortion and provide sharp images up to the periphery.

Further Information

• About Nikon Binoculars
• About Nikon Travelite V Binoculars

This weeks question come from someone looking for some tough, inexpensive binoculars with plenty of eye-relief that are ideal for travelling with:

Question

I would love some assistance in selecting a compact binocular. I’m going to be spending some time in the jungles of Central America. I also do a fair amount of hiking and backpacking in the US. This will be mostly for spotting wildlife, birds, identifying characteristics of trees, etc. I might be riding on a riverboat in the jungles looking for birds and monkeys, hiking a ridgeline in the rockies, or whatever.

I’d like something rugged and waterproof. While I realize the most compact binoculars will be double-hinged with roof prisms, those won’t be dealbreakers.

I’m not too concerned with minimum focus distance.

I wear glasses and eye relief is important. I am leaning towards 10×25, but I’m wondering if 8×25 might be better for quicker target acquisition. I do not have much recent experience with either. Larger FOV would be nice, especially while on a river boat, tracking a bird, or trying to acquire a target, but getting closer is also really nice.

I have looked at two binoculars you recommended.
The Steiner Safari Pro 10X26. I like the durability, the looks, the eyecups. I think I think I have to eliminate it due to 11mm eye relief and the fact that it is not waterproof.

The Nikon 10X25 EcoBins. I was actually thinking the Prostaff 10X25s might be better. While a little more expensive, the FOV (field of view) is 330 ft as opposed to the 226 of the EcoBins. I was concerned because of the few reviews out there, I saw two that mentioned they were fragile. One had a piece fall off and the other reported that it was easy to run into alignment problems. They don’t have the widest field of view out there, but these seem OK. Currently the Prostaff 10X25s are where I am leaning.

The Pentax UCF WP. I do not know much about these. I don’t know if they’re any good. They look a little larger in size. Waterproof, Eye Relief looks good. FOV is in the middle at 261 ft.

Eschenbach 10×28 Farlux B Silver. Your review makes them very tempting. They seem to meet every criteria. They don’t post eye relief specs, but you mentioned it was fine. My concern with these is the price. They’re just too expensive.
When I’m out having fun in the field, I want to spend time thinking about fun, not breaking my gear. I don’t want to be worrying about breaking an expensive camera or expensive pair of binos. I’d be crushed if I spent $400 on these babies and then broke them. The $100 Nikons seem like a more reasonable amount to “worry” about. Plus I guess they have a lifetime no-fault warranty.

Are there any other binoculars I should consider? Should I expand my list?
Any recommendations on the ones I’ve got on my list? I’ll eagerly listen to any advice to give me.

Answer

You seem to have a really good Idea of what you want which is a great start.

Water & Fogproofing
Whilst I have not yet been lucky enough to visit any part of Central America, I am pretty sure that because you will be spending some time in a jungle environment, it may be wet and most probably humid, so I would definitly ensure that the binocular that is both water and fogproof.

Field of View
As for field of view, there is no doubt that a wider field of view makes it easier to scan a terrain and spot objects, especially faster moving small ones like birds. I also feel that if you are in an area with lots of close, thick vegetation like a jungle, the extra bit of zoom that a 10x magnification would give you would not be that important and so yes, in this environment and for your intended uses, I would opt for an 8x over a 10x binocular.

8x binoculars are also often a little brighter than a 10x (8X32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 4mm, whilst 10X32 binoculars have an Exit Pupil of 3.2mm), which will help in poorer light conditions like what you may find under the thick canopy of the jungle.

Which Binoculars?
I am a big fan of Steiner binoculars as in general they are tough, well made and don’t cost the earth, but I don’t wear glasses, so eye relief for me is not an issue, so I can see why you are eliminating them from your short-list.

The Eschenbach 10×28′s that I tested were excellent and the image quality was very impressive and I would highly recommend them, but as you say I also understand your need not to worry about breaking or loosing an expensive pair of optics.

If I had to choose between the Pentax UCF WP’s and the Nikon Prostaff 10X25s, I’d probably go for the Nikon – I haven’t actually tested them, but the Nikon’s that I have looked at in the past are generally pretty good considering the amount they cost.

You did not mention if you live in the UK, but I am guessing that because you quote all the prices in dollars, that you don’t. If you do you may also consider the Barr & Stroud 10×25 Sahara Binoculars. The have a FOV (field of view) of 314ft, 14mm of eyerelief and a nice tough body. For the money (under £60) they were really good, but only currently available in the UK as far as I know.

Vortex binoculars may be another brand that you should have a look at, they produce a huge range of binoculars, with many in the lower price brackets. Whilst I have not actually reviewed them yet, the Vortex Crossfire 10×32 or 8×32 Binoculars look to have most of the features that you are looking for and are available for around $100.

When I am walking in the bush, I always like to have a pair of binoculars with me, but I also sometimes want to have my camera with me as well. Obviously on these walks a compact binocular makes sense, but there is more to it than just a small binocular as being able to pop the binocular into my shirt or jacket pocket, rather than have it dangling round my neck where it can get in the way when I am trying to photograph something is important.

So if like me you want a small compact binocular that easily fits into your pocket, you could just go for the binocular with the smallest advertised dimensions. This would make sense, but when it comes to size, not all compact binoculars are created equal:

Porro vs Roof Prism Compact Binoculars

Many compact binoculars, especially the cheaper ones are built using porro prisms,
where the objective lenses and the eyepieces are not in line with each other. At the cheaper end of the market, porro prisms tend to be optically superior to the roof prism design as they are easier and therefore cheaper to make and get right.

The main problem with compact porro prism binoculars regarding their size is, especially if like me, you want to keep them in your pocket rather than have your binoculars hanging from your neck is that even though their width and length dimensions may be smaller than a roof prism compact, they often have a very rounded shape that can make them awkward to fit into your pocket. Obviously this depends on your pocket and if you have a large jacket this will be no problem.

The advantage of the porro over the roof design is that they are cheaper and easier to manufacture and so if you are looking to buy a cheap pair of compacts, I would probably opt for the porro design.

Ok, so for small binoculars that are easy to fit into your pocket, you go for a roof prism, easy! Hold your horses.. not all compact roof prism binoculars are created equal either!

Single vs Double/Duel Hinge Compact Binoculars

If you take a look at the main picture of this article right at the top, on the left is duel hinge Compact, the Steiner Wildlife 10×26 and on the right is the single hinge Barr & Stroud 10×25 Sahara, both are great little compacts, both have roof prisms and a 10x magnification and even though the Steiner has slightly larger objective lenses, you can see that once they are folded to their smallest possible size, the Steiner is much more compact.

So for the Best Compact Pocket Binoculars, choose a double hinge roof prism design and below are a few that I highly recommend:

Eschenbach 10×28 Farlux B Silver Binoculars
High quality compact binoculars from Eschenbach that feature phase coated Bak-4 prisms, fully multi-coated lenses and a tough waterproof exterior.

Leica 10×25 Trinovid Binoculars
Leica compact binoculars with a powerful magnification and optical performance make the 10×25 Trinovid binoculars perfect for carrying anywhere.

Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro Binoculars
Steiner Wildlife 10.5 x 28 Binoculars are the powerful outdoor all-rounders.

Pentax UCF x II Binoculars

The are 4 magnifications within the range, all with a compact 25mm objective lens and using the porro prism design:

• 8×25 UCF X II
• 10×25 UCF X II
• 12×25 UCF X II
• 16×25 UCF X II

Price

Whilst they all have a list price of between  $120 and $140 (£50 and £120), they can usually be found at a much cheaper cost and Amazon in the US and UK are currently offering them at  pretty hefty discount, from about $80 (£70):

US Shoppers:
Pentax UCF x II Binoculars on Amazon.com

UK Shoppers:
Pentax UCF x II Binoculars on Amazon.co.uk

For me this price range puts them in the category of Low Cost Binoculars ($50 – $130) and that is why I feel that they are impressive as in this range their stats are pretty good:

Described by the manufacturer as durable and rugged, they do have a solid feel to them and are said to have a once piece construction to improve sturdiness and strength. Whilst I have seen far tougher optics, these should withstand most day to day knocks and bumps with no problems. The black rubber armor has a nice feel to it and will also help in protecting them. Their lightweight and compactness, makes them convenient to carry anywhere.

Fully Multi Coated Lenses
The UCF X II’s also have Fully multi-coated optics that  improving light transmission for high contrast images with no glare or flare and will remove harmful ultraviolet rays. ”Fully Multi-Coated” means that all air to glass surfaces have received multiple layers of antireflection coatings, and this is what you want in your binoculars as opposed to just “Multi Coated”

BAK4 Prisms
High-quality BaK4 prisms that transmit more light at the edges to enhance illumination. Again this is what you want as BAK 4 Prisims are produced with superior optical glass and are much better than the cheaper BK 7 prisms.

Techical Specifications:

Pentax 8×25 UCF X II Binoculars

• Field of View at 1000m: 108m / 324ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 6.5°)
• Exit pupil: 3.1 mm
• Eye Relief 15 mm
• Dimensions Depth 115 mm
• Dimensions Width 110 mm
• Dimensions Height 56 mm

Pentax 10×25 UCF X II Binoculars

• Field of View at 1000m: 87m / 261ft @ 1000 yards (Angle of view 5°)
• Exit pupil: 2.5 mm
• Eye Relief: 15 mm
• Depth: 115 mm
• Width: 110 mm
• Height: 56 mm

For Compact binoculars at this price range, the stats that jump out for me are the 15mm of eye relief, that should be enough for most eyeglass wearers and an impressive field of view that beats most other compact binoculars that I have reviewed.

So to sum up, if you are looking for a cheap, compact pair of binoculars, you could do far worse than a pair of Pentax UCF X II’s