Leupold Wind River Binoculars

Leupold Wind River Olympic 8x42 Binoculars

About Wind River Binoculars from Leupold
Leupold is an family owned American company that has been designing, machining, and assembling precision optical instruments for over a hundred years, Leupold scopes and binoculars are considered to be some of the finest in the world.

The series of Wind River binoculars from Leupold was first introduced in 1994 and is made up of binoculars that have been optimized for the outdoors and nature watching. From 2001 this series has also been known as the Green Ring Series. I have not been able to verify which, but at least some Wind River products are not manufactured in the U.S. This has basically been done to minimize costs. Leupold reckon that in order to manufacture a pair of comparable binoculars in the U.S, they would have to sell the product for roughly twice the price.

There are a number of binoculars that lie within the Green Ring / Wind River series and each are available in multiple configurations, these include the popular Cascade, Cascades, Olympic, Mesa, Yosemite, Katmai, Mojave, Acadia and Pinnacles binoculars.

Leupold 8x42 Pinnacles BinocularsLeupold Pinnacles Binoculars

The Leupold Pinnacle Green Ring full size roof prism binoculars come with fully multi-coated lenses, phase coated prisms and are both rugged and waterproof. The slim design, combined with retractable contoured eyecups and generous eye relief, make any pair of Pinnacles a pleasure to use. Designed for general birdwatching, wildlife observation and other outdoor activities like hiking and camping.

Highlights:

  • Fully multi-coated lenses ensure maximum brightness, clarity, contrast, and color fidelity.
  • Generous eye relief (17mm on the 8x42 and 16.5mm on the 10x42) for comfortable extended viewing, even with eyeglasses.
  • Phase and L-coated™ (an exclusive 64-layer process) prisms work with the lens system to further enhance the sight picture, even in low-light or twilight condition
  • Armor coated, rugged and waterproof.
  • Sealed and nitrogen filled to prevent fogging up

Sizes Available:

  • 10x42 mm
  • 8x42 mm

Price Range
They have a list price of between $600 and $650, but I have often seen them listed on Amazon from about $400 - $500.




Leupold 10x32 Katmai BinocularsLeupold Katmai Binoculars

The Katmai series offer you a high performance binocular in a compact body that you can take anywhere. Unlike any other compact binoculars, which use small objective lenses and eyepieces, the Katmai features full-size eyepieces, 32mm objective lenses, and phase and L-coated prisms. They all work together to give you an image with exceptional brightness, clarity and vivid, true colors. Katmai binoculars are incredibly comfortable to hold, small enough to fit a cargo pocket, fully folded down, Katmai binoculars are about 4.5 inches wide and 4.25 inches long, yet they are still powerful enough to be your full-time optics. Due to their compact size, these binoculars make ideal travel companions and as such will make excellent safari binoculars, but are also great as general use, birding, stadium and sporting events binoculars.

Highlights:

  • Fully Multi Coated Lenses
  • Phase and L-Coated Prisms (an exclusive 64-layer process)
  • Nitrogen-purged waterproof and fog-proof
  • 32mm objective lenses deliver full-size light transmission and exit pupils in a compact binocular body

Sizes Available:

  • 10x32 mm
  • 8x32 mm
  • 6x32 mm

Price Range
Depending on the model, they have a list price of between $470 and $550, but I have seen them for sale on Amazon, Binoculars.com and Eagle Optics for between $320 - $370. This then makes them a much cheaper option than the excellent Swarovski EL 32 binoculars. It must be said that the Swarovski's are a superior pair of optics. But overall these Leupold Katmai Wind River binoculars have all the important features, quality lenses and prisms and therefore make excellent value for money:




Leupold 10x50 Olympic BinocularsLeupold Olympic Binoculars

Quality full size roof prism binoculars at an affordable price. These Leupold Green Ring Olympic Series binoculars deliver the kind of performance that you would only expect to find on far more expensive binoculars. The Wind River Olympic binoculars are lightweight and have phase coated prisms and fully multi coated lenses that produce excellent color fidelity, brightness, and clarity. These make ideal general use, wildlife observation and bird watching binoculars.

Highlights:

  • Fully Multi Coated Lenses
  • Phase coated prisms work with the lens system to further enhance the view.
  • Twist-up eyecups and ample eye relief even with glasses
  • Ergonomically designed and compact to fit any size of hands
  • Waterproof and covered by the Leupold Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • The 10x50's also come in a Cammo finish.

Sizes Available:

  • 8x42mm
  • 10x50mm
  • 12x50mm

Price
Depending on the model, they have a list price of between $420 and $530, in reality, you can find them for sale at much cheaper prices, usually between $280 and $370. Excellent value full size binoculars.




Leupold 8x42 Mojave BinocularsLeupold Mojave Binoculars

The Wind River Mojave open bridge design gives you a comfortable to grip, but helps to keep the weight down. (The 10x42 Mojave weighs 23oz, compared to 25oz for the 10x42 Pinnacles and 27.5oz of the Swarovski 10x42 EL's) This body design combined with quality optics should impress even the most serious binocular users. Cold mirror coated prisms combined with a fully multi-coated lens system give you peak brightness and resolution, true to life color fidelity, and exceptional contrast, in all light conditions. Any Mojave binocular is rugged, waterproof, and dependable, ideal for general use, birding, hiking and wildlife observation.

Highlights:

  • Fully Multi Coated Lenses
  • Bak-4 Cold mirror coated prisms
  • Twist-up eyecups and ample eye relief even with glasses
  • Lightweight and Ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip
  • Waterproof and covered by the Leupold Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • Available in black or Mossy Oak Treestand cammo

Sizes Available:

  • 8x42mm
  • 10x42mm
  • 10x50mm
  • 12x50mm

Price
Depending on the model, they have a list price of between $450 and $560, but in reality, you can find them for sale at much cheaper prices, usually between $320 and $370. Excellent value full size binoculars.




>Where to Buy Leupold Wind River Binoculars:

 

 

Leupold Binoculars on Amazon:

 

USA FlagAmazon USA

British FlagAmazon UK

 

Conclusion

Overall, I think the best way to sum up the Wind River series from Leupold, would be quality and good value for money, ideal for the out doors, traveling and many binoculars in the series make ideal binoculars to take on Safari. The have a solid feel to them, have a quality finish and are as far as binoculars go, good looking.

 
 

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