A few days ago I was looking to review some Bushnell binoculars here in the UK, when I noticed that Jessops.co.uk were offering a deal that almost seemed too go to be true.

They have the Bushnell 12×42 AW Binoculars currently on sale as a web only deal at £45 (reduced from £139.99). Because they are a Jessops ‘Exclusive’ I had never heard of them before, but I decided to buy a pair and give them a full review. Now I am not going to say that these are the best binoculars in the world, but they are also far from being the worst and much better than their current £45 price tag suggests.

More Information
You can read my full review on the Bushnell 12×42 AW Binoculars
Or take a look at them on Jessops.co.uk

Today’s question comes from someone looking to choose between two different models of Steiner binoculars, to take on safari.

Question

I can afford a Leica Ultravid compact but am also impressed (looks and review) with the Steiner 12×30 Wildlife Pro’s & the Steiner Merlin 8×42 binoculars. I am not a birder but am interested in getting hold of a good Safari binocular. Can you tell me which one I should get if this is the case. Anything higher than a Leica Ultravid compact means taking out a mortgage for me!

Answer

Personally I would opt for the Steiner 12×30’s – Not because of the increased magnification, but more because they are more compact. This means that they will not only be easier to carry in your luggage, but more importantly easier to carry with you when on safari. This is even more important if you plan on any walking safaris. If you also carry a camera, I would even consider an even more compact pair something like the Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro’s that you can fold and carry in a jacket pocket.

If size is not a problem, the larger Merlin 8×42’s will have a larger field of view and produce a brighter image because of the larger objective lens diameter.

Whichever pair of optics you choose, it is always important to go with the best you can easily afford, for more information take a look at my article on the Best Binoculars for Safari Holidays.

(I took the photo of the elephants in Zimbabwe on Lake Kariba, whilst I was on holiday there)

So whilst this will not reduce the price of your Zeiss binoculars, it is useful if you plan on making further purchases, or if you are not sure what optics to choose for a friend as a gift, you could send them the Eagle Optics Gift Certificate instead!

Zeiss Victory FL Binoculars on Eagle Optics

My Reviews of the:

• Zeiss 10×42 Victory FL Binoculars
• Zeiss 8×42 Victory FL Binoculars

Question

Fantatsic website, very informative but I’m quite new to binoculars and I’m after some for a very specific reason – the launch of a Space Shuttle. I guess what I’m looking for needs to be small, light and sturdy. Hope you can help

Answer

As I write this article, the Space shuttle Endeavour is due to blast off today to deliver parts, including a ‘window’ that will give astronauts a 360-degree view to the International Space Station. I unfortunately have never been to a rocket or shuttle launch and so the advice I below in not from first hand experience, but instead from research and by the basic principals of would it is you need the binoculars to do.

Large Magnification?
Obviously the main reason you need binoculars to view the launch is to see something far away (and getting further away all the time) . This is true for why you would want binoculars for any use, but with a shuttle launch I do feel that a reasonably large magnification would be useful, although from what I have read, if you are going to the viewing area, the launch is quite impressive even without binoculars.

This is not to say that the biggest magnification means the best binoculars, there are some down sides to large magnification. The main ones are reduced field of view, reduced depth of view and image shake.

I think that a limited field of view does not really apply to a shuttle launch as you should easily be able to lock onto your target and keep it in your view quite easily. Image shake could be a problem as most really powerful binoculars like astronomical binoculars, would be used with the aid of a tripod, to keep the image still. In your question you mentioned that you guess what you need are binoculars that are small and light, by this I imagine that you would not want to carry around a tripod as well!

So at this point, I would say that you should be looking for a pair of binoculars with a magnification of no more than 12x or if you have the budget an pair of Image Stabilization Binoculars, like the fantastic range of Canon Stabilized Binoculars that use a microprocessor to instantly adjust refraction angle of the incoming light and keep the image still. The advantage of these is that they are sill relatively small and light and you can get magnifications of up to 18x and still not have to use a tripod. On the down side, the largest version, the Canon 18×50 Image Stabilization binoculars has a fairly hefty price tag.

Time of launch
Today’s launch (STS-130) is said to be the very last opportunity ever to see a space shuttle blast off at night and out of the 129 previous shuttle launches, only 29 have occurred in complete darkness as well as seven Shuttle launches that occurred during twilight, four at dawn and three at dusk.

So for the purpose of this question, I will assume that most shuttle launches will occur during good weather and during the daylight or at least shortly after sunrise or before sunset. Why is this important? Well an important characteristic of any binocular is the amount of light it takes in and then passes this onto your eyes. This is made even more important when you will be using your binoculars when light conditions are poor or even more important at night time. The major factors that determine how much light is transferred to your eyes is the quality of the lenses, prisms, their coatings and the size of the objective lenses, which is why you will find most Binoculars for Astronomy have very large objective lenses. But I don,t think that this is that important for the shuttle launch and to keep the weight and size down, the smaller the objective lens the better.

Other than that, features like being waterproof and tough do not really apply but may be of interest should you wish to start using your binoculars for other purposes.

So what are the Best Binoculars for Space Shuttle Launches?
As you did not mention a budget, I will list a few options of binoculars that I have reviewed based on what I think are ideal in different price ranges and categories:

Steiner 12×30 Wildlife Pro Binoculars
Pros: Excellent quality, Compact, Lightweight with a powerful 12x magnification and with a price range of between $300 and $400, I feel that they are good value for money.
Cons: Have a small field of view, not that important for the launch, but may be a consideration for future uses.

Canon 12×36 IS II Image Stabilized Binoculars
Pros: Excellent quality, Image stabilisation that will improve the steadiness of your viewing, reasonable field of view compared to the Steiner 12×30’s. Can also get larger magnifications should you wish: Read more on Canon Stabilized Binoculars.
Cons: Requires batteries, heavier and bulkier than the Steiner 12×30’s  and cost more at around $500 to $600.

Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars
Pros: At about $120 – £150 these are excellent value for money all purpose binoculars.
Cons: Reduced 10x magnification, but should be adequate.

Nikon 10×25 Ecobins Binoculars
Pros: Very Compact and light, decent 10x magnification and cheap (under $100)
Cons: Not the best quality, small field of view compared to most other 10x binoculars

Kowa 10.5×44 Genesis XD Binoculars
Pros: Highest quality binoculars, slightly increased 10.5x magnification and objective lens size of 44mm than standard 10×42 binoculars
Cons: Not cheap and a little more bulky that standard 10×42 binoculars.

Question

OK, I hunt. I watch birds. I go to football games. About the only thing I would anticipate NOT using Binoculars for is a safari.

I am very confused by the array of Binoculars by use. Why wouldn’t a safari binocular be good for hunting and vice versa? I would also expect that a birding binocular should be a good hunting binocular as well.

I guess what I am looking for is somebody to sort out all the confusion for me, and the advice I have heard to spend the most you can afford on optics seems equally pointless upon reading some reviews on some of the products available from some of the lesser brands, i.e., Nikon Monarch. or even Cabellas.

My Answer

There is no reason why a good pair of Safari or Birding Binoculars would not be good as hunting binoculars as well – it is just that each discipline or specific use have their own unique requirements and so the “ultimate” safari binocular will have a few unique needs that a hunting or birding binocular may not have. This is not to say that the best birding binocular won’t also be good for hunting or vise-versa, it just probably wont be the best at it’s secondary use.

So for example the best hunting binocular would probably have all the same characteristics as the best safari binocular. Except for that fact that the best binoculars for safaris must also be compact enough to easily carry in your luggage on holiday with you, so this would eliminate some of the larger hunting binoculars, but not the compact ones.

Like wise a good hunting or safari binocular would be fine for birdwatching, but the ultimate birding binoculars would have a wide field of view, which is not necessarily that important for hunting or taking on safari (this depends on what you are hunting of course).

Some specialist binoculars for hunting also come with rangefinders, like the Carl ZEISS rangefinder binoculars which obviously would not be of use when looking at birds, this is not to say that that binocular would be a useless bird watching binocular, just not ideal.

If you are going to use your binoculars for a variety of purposes, there are many excellent binoculars that I would call good all rounders.

Buy the best you can afford
As for spending the most you can afford, I think this is generally good advice, depending on how often you plan on using the binoculars.

More expensive binoculars will not only have a better build quality, but will have better quality lenses, prisms and coatings. There is nothing wrong with a good pair of binoculars in the $100 to $200 range, something like the Bushnell 10×42 NatureView’s and they will be fine for most people, but if you compare them side by side with a real quality and expensive pair of binoculars like the Swarovski 10×42 EL Binoculars, that have the same size objective lenses and magnification you will notice the difference, in the clarity and brightness of the image produced.

What ever you do don’t go for very cheap binoculars, most of which are little more than toys.

Question

I am going to Glacier National Park this summer with my inlaws, and I would like to get a decent pair of binoculars (<$100). I have found two options and have no idea which is better? Can you help? Which one would be better in a National Park?

Option 1: Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 Binoculars

Option 2: Bass Pro has the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars 10×42

My Answer

I have not reviewed either binoculars that you mentioned, so I cannot comment on each individually, but I can just give you some thoughts on their general characteristics.

Firstly what I would say is that you are comparing a pair of binoculars for sale at $34 (The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 Binoculars), with one that is worth $100 (Redhead 10×42 Pursuit Binoculars) – and comparing a roof prism design with a porro prism.

So apart from the magnification, they are very different binoculars.

The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle Binoculars are of a porro prism design, which in general have a wider and greater depth of view than roof prisms, the advert says that their field of view is 300.0, but does not give any more details and so I am guessing it is 300ft at 1000 yards. Which to be honest is not very wide at all, there are many 10x roof prism binoculars with a wider field of view.

The 50mm diameter objective lenses on the Bushnell binoculars should in theory let in more light than the 42mm ones on the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars and as such the image should be brighter. I would be cautious assuming this though as it also depends on the quality of the prisims and lenses and their coatings.

The Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle 10×50 binoculars will be bigger and probably heavier than the 10×42’s because of the larger objective lens and because they are of the more bulky porro prism design.

Whilst I have never used or seen a pair of Redhead Pursuit Binoculars before, so can’t vouch for their quality, I do like the fact that they use BaK4 high-index prisms – which is what you want in a good pair of binoculars. They are also have “fully multi-coated lenses” as apposed to the Bushnell’s that only have “fully coated lenses”.

The fact that the Redhead Binoculars are also fully sealed and nitrogen-filled that makes them 100% waterproof as well as fog proof is good, in two ways, the obvious advantage of them not fogging up or letting moisture in, but also this is expensive to do and does show that these are probably better quality than the Bushnell Falcon Wide Angle Binoculars

So on the whole, I would say that the Redhead Pursuit Binoculars are probably better quality and will as such perform better. (This is also reflected in their more expensive price).

Alternatives

Another pair of binoculars I would consider would be the better quality Bushnell 10×42 Nature View binoculars, that are available in both porro and roof prism designs and still at around $100.

Bushnell 10×42 Nature View Binoculars on Amazon

You can also read my full review of the Roof Prism 10×42 Bushnell Nature Views here: Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars

I hope this helps and please let me know which you decide to get and how you find them when you get them as I would love to get your views.

Cheap Binoculars

I don’t recommend getting the very cheapest binoculars: the quality of the optics and their construction is so poor that  in many cases they are almost unusable. By the very cheapest, I am taking about binoculars that cost less than $40/£30, so unless you only plan on using them once and then throwing them away, don’t get them.

Having said that there are some very good mid priced and cheap binoculars: by mid priced I mean binoculars between $130 – $300 and by cheap I mean binoculars under $130/£130. This is relatively speaking as many people may argue that this amount of money means that they are not cheap, but if you compare this price to the very best binoculars that cost almost $2000, they are a tenth of the price.

Value for Money

The difference in quality between a pair of binoculars at this price and the very best binoculars is far less than the difference in quality you get from the very cheapest binoculars to a good pair of mid priced or even cheap binoculars under $200 and in my opinion at this price range, you can get some really good value for money.  So what are the best cheap binoculars?

Best Full Size Binoculars under $200 / £200

Harder to find good full size binoculars in this price range, than compacts, but there are a few gems that I feel make excellent value for money:

Bushnell 10×42 NatureView Binoculars

Primarily designed for birding and wildlife viewing, but they also make fantastic general all purpose binoculars. They come with quality BaK-4 roof prisms, as well as Multi-coated optics. One of the features that really stands out on the Bushnell Nature View series are the fact that they are fully fog and waterproof and are encased in a rugged, non-slip rubber armor, that will not only absorb small shocks that are bound to occur in day to day use, but are really comfortable and well balanced, making them great for observing a subject for long periods of time. An added feature that shows Bushnell’s attention to detail is the fact that they can be adapted to fit onto a tripod, using the standard ¼-inch threading.

If you are looking for full size binoculars specifically for bird watching, you may also like to consider the Bushnell 8×42 NatureView Binoculars that whilst are slightly less powerful, they have  a wider field of view.

Olympus 10×42 Magellan Binoculars

These are designed for the extreme outdoor enthusiast and they use some of the finest quality components to produce an overall excellent quality binocular. They come with high index Bak-4 roof prisms, meaning that they are made from superior optical glass that produces clearer and sharper images. The quality of the optics in any pair of binoculars is a key indicator to it’s overall quality. Cheaper binoculars will use Bk-7 prisms which are adequate, but far inferior to Bak-4 prisms, which offer better light transmission and sharpness to the edges of the image.

The lenses on these are also fully multi-coated, the word “fully” is important here as many cheaper binoculars will advertise that their lenses are “Multi-Coated” which means that at least some surfaces (usually only the first and the last) have multiple layers of anti-reflection coatings. These are Fully Multi-Coated meaning that every air to glass surface has multiple layers of antireflection coatings that will assist in the transmission of light to make the image that you look at sharp and clear.

These Magellan’s have a recommended retail price of around $300, but in reality you can find them on most websites including Amazon for under $200, making them excellent value for money. As with the Bushnell’s above, these are also available with an 8x magnification that may suit you better if you are looking for birding binoculars: Read my review on the Olympus 8×42 Magellan Binoculars.

Best Compact Binoculars under $200 / £200

There are many compact binoculars in this price range, but which are the best that I have so far reviewed?

Steiner 10×26 Safari Pro Binoculars

Steiner in general offer some of the best value for money binoculars on the market and in my opinion these 10×26 Steiner Safari Pro binoculars from Steiner offer an incredible quality to value ratio and are for me the best in their class. If you are looking for a compact, tough good value pair of binoculars ideal to travel with, these should towards the very top, if not the top of your shopping list.

Whilst it is probably true to say that Safari Pro’s don’t use Steiner’s ultimate quality optics, you must remember that these are a fraction of the cost of top end binoculars and yet these still offer you a very impressive bright and sharp image. Steiner say that their optics also block haze and filter UV light, which protect your eyes making them comfortable to look through as well as to bring you sharp images.

At the moment Eagle optics are offering $200 off their already reduced prices on all Swarovski Binoculars. On top of this you can get even further reductions on ex demo (shop display) models and refurbished binoculars, whilst stocks last.

Click Here to take take a look the $200 off deals on Swarovski EL’s on Eagle Optics.

Is this a real offer or just marketing?

Amazon generally have the best prices and they to currently have most of the Swarovski range on sale, so how do they compare?

Swarovski EL 10×42 WB Binoculars List Price: $2187.78

• Eagle Optics Sale Price: $1749.00 – ExDemo $1549.00
• Amazon.com Sale Price: $1,749.00

So both have the 10×42 EL’s on at the same price, which is a very healthy saving of $438.78 (20%) off the list price. If you are looking for further reductions, Eagle optics are also offering Ex-demo and factory refurbished models for a jaw dropping $1549.00, saving you 29%

Swarovski EL 8.5×42 WB Binoculars List Price: $2110.00

• Eagle Optics Sale Price: $1699.00 – ExDemo $1499.99
• Amazon.com Sale Price: $1,899.00

So some real good savings from Eagle optics here: $411.00 (19%) off the list price on all Swarovski EL 8.5×42 binoculars and a massive saving of $610.01 of ex-demo and factory refurbished models.

The 8×32 and 10×32 Swarovski binoculars are also listed for sale on both Eagle Optics and Amazon at the sale price.

So these really are good deals and i would be really surprised if you could find them cheaper elsewhere. If you are interested in the ex-demo models, I would hurry as i am sure that they don’t have unlimited stocks of these and at these prices, I am sure they will fly out of the door.

Click Here to take take a look the $200 off deals on Swarovski EL’s on Eagle Optics.

Further Reading

• All about Swarovski EL Binoculars
• All about Swarovski Binoculars

For those that don’t know, Bausch & Lomb are one of America’s oldest continually operating companies. They started as an optical shop in n Rochester, New York way back in 1853 with John Jacob Bausch a German immigrant. A little later on, Bausch needed more money to keep the business going and so he borrowed $60 from his friend, Henry Lomb. Thus the partnership was formed and became known as Bausch & Lomb.

An innovative company from the start, producing binoculars by 1893 and by 1903 Bausch and Lomb had already issued patents for microscopes, binoculars and even a camera shutter based on the eye’s reaction to light.

With the outbreak of World War II, Bausch & Lomb once again expanded its production capacities, making mirrors for searchlights and signal lights, gunsights, range finders, lenses for aerial mapping cameras, as well as microscopes and binoculars for the armed forces.

Bausch and Lomb then sold their binoculars company to Bushnell, who manufactured binoculars for many years under the Bausch & Lomb brand name. Even after becoming an independent company in the early 1990’s they continued to do so. Now all Bausch & Lomb Binoculars carry the Bushnell brand name.

Occasionally you may find B&L binoculars for sale, often on online auction sites like ebay and Amazon. Bausch & Lomb Binoculars on Amazon

To find more information on the model, you can compare them to current Bushnell models.

Bausch and Lomb Binoculars Repairs

If you have any Bausch Lomb binoculars that need a service or repairs, you are advised to contact Bushnell directly.

• Read more on Bushnell Binoculars
• Bausch & Lomb Binoculars on Amazon

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