Binocular Reviews Home > Binocular Guides > Binoculars for Christmas 2018
It is always a slight dilemma for me as to when I should put up my Christmas buyers guide as not only am I notoriously a last minute Xmas shopper, but I have always been the one to complain that everything to do with Christmas, especially the advertising keeps getting earlier and earlier every year!
This year l have again decided to hold out on seeking Christmas present inspiration until early December, which is when I think Christmas begins, is late enough for people to get into the festive mood, but still giving you enough time to do some research and get the perfect gift!
The main idea behind this guide is for it to be a kind of shortcut and especially help those who don't know an awful lot about optics (and who don't really want to know) choose the right pair of binoculars and be confident that the gift they have selected will be the right choice. This is because this guide will only recommend bins that I would personally also give as a gift, meaning that not only I have fully tested & reviewed them, but thought that they exceeded when I did.
Whilst selecting the perfect gift is always a great start, what is even better is if you can pay less for it, leaving more for you to spend on yourself.. I mean more to buy even more gifts for others!
So where possible, I have also tried to highlight the best current Christmas deals available (for November & December) in a selection of price points.
As we all know that Christmas is really out the kids, but many "kids binoculars" are little more than cheap toys that really do not work. This is fine for very young children, but what if you are looking for a binocular that they can actually use?
Children and young adults have some special requirements when it comes to optics, which includes being able to set the ocular lenses to the closer distances between their eyes and having a bin that will survive their natural instincts to push everything to its limits!
In this guide, I take a look at some of the best binoculars specifically designed for kids, as well as standard binoculars that will be ideal for your teenager.
Shying away from convention a little, these Maven binoculars were a real revelation to me:
The use of extremely high quality optics, the unusual 11x power and larger than normal 45mm objectives all combined incredibly well to produce an image of stunning clarity, brightness and with just a little more reach than you get on your standard 10x instrument. But at the same time you are not sacrificing to much in terms of the field of view.
As you can see below, these achieved an outstanding BBR score of 85%, which in itself is super impressive. However you also need to take into account that I had to judge them against your usual 42mm binocular and so in areas like size and weight, these did loose out a little as can be seen by their Body stats score..
So if a little more weight and size is not a major concern to you, then you could probably replace that 7/10 score for body stats with at least a 9/10... which would make these rank right up there with the very top binoculars that I have ever tested.
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A Few Highlights:
Main Specs & Features:
Past Winners:
Overall I would describe the 8x42 Opticron Imagic binoculars as a superb general and all-round birding binocular as they tick all the right boxes, have no real weaknesses and will perform extremely well in just about any "normal" birding situation.
Image Quality
Made in Japan, the Opticron Imagic incorporates just about the highest level of optics that you could wish for (especially at this price), but almost more importantly, this is backed up with a superior image.
This is key because whilst the image quality is almost always one of the most important considerations, for birding in particular the quality of the view is of paramount importance. I say this because not only does it obviously add to your enjoyment of looking at birds, but in certain circumstances can make the difference between being able to ID them or not.
So it is for this reason that I place an even higher than normal emphasis on this area for the best birding bino award and as you can read in my review of them, they came through with flying colors.
Main Features
Premium Level at a Sub "Alpha" Price
Made in Japan there is no mistaking that the 8x42 Opticron Imagic BGA VHD uses superior quality optics and so whilst not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination, you do still pay a whole lot less for these than the "alpha" bins out there.
However it is important to keep in mind that in order to achieve this Opticron have obviously had to make a few sacrifices along the way (like with the level of carry case and lens covers), but I do feel that they have got all the most important details spot on and thus are more than deserving winners.
Past Winners:
This year I received a number of really great binoculars that fall into this wildlife and hunting category, with two in particular that really stand out for me and so to be honest I really could not decide which one I should choose as the winner.
I say this because they are very similar in many ways, very evenly matched, but do differ in price and in a few other small ways. Thus for me to pick one over the other really seems unfair as which you decide on will largely depend on your budget and a few personal preferences. So because of this I have decided to split the award this year, with a high end award and mid range option for you to consider:
Manufactured in Japan, the Toric is the flagship series from American brand Tract Optics.
Produced in both an 8x42 and 10x42 models, in terms of price they are at right near the bottom of what I describe as high end, yet they possess all the features and more than what I would expect to find right at the top of this price category.
With a score of 9/10 for both Optical Components Quality and Image Quality, the Tract Toric's overall BBR score of 82% is outstanding in itself, however this also includes the fact that I had to mark them down somewhat as they are do not come supplied with a carry case and thus they could have easily scored much higher overall.
For hunters especially this is not a big deal as most will use some sort of bino harness and so many will feel that paying for a case automatically and having it included is actually a negative.
Thus if you wish for some seriously superior optics, with an image to match for wildlife observation or hunting and are not to fussed about not having a carry case, then I highly recommend you take a closer look at the Tract Toric binoculars.
Main Highlights & Features:
Both the 10x42 and 8x42 models cost around the $660 mark, which for a these super HQ bins looks to me to be a really good deal and far less than you will pay for many others at this very high level:
Whilst I do believe they offer great value, if your budget does not quite stretch to that of the Toric above, then I wholeheartedly suggest that you take a good look at the Ares from another American brand Athlon.
As you can see below and read about in my review, they posses just about all the features and components that you wish for (9/10) and deliver a stunning image (9/10) as well. So what's the catch I hear you say, why are these so much cheaper?
Well to keep production costs down these are "proudly" manufactured in China (like very many other brands do), the main difference here however is that Athlon optics don't try and hide the fact.
Another highlight for me on the 10x42 Athlon Ares and one that is particularly important in this category is that for a 10x power bino, they do really wide field of view, indeed at 341ft wide at 1000 yards, it ranks up there with many good 8x binoculars!
This wide FOV offers a number of advantages, but for scanning the horizon looking for wildlife this is an important feature one one worth keeping in mind.
Main Highlights & Features:
With a current retail price of under $400, these Athlon binoculars are very hard to argue against:
Past Winners:
The HX series from Steiner is marketed primarily with the hunter in mind and there is no denying that for long range hunting the 15x56 configuration is ideal:
The 15x magnification ensures more image detail at longer distances, but at the same time it is not so high that you have to use a tripod to keep the image steady.
The larger 56mm lenses are also able to capture plenty of light and thus ensure low light performance is not too adversely affected by the high power.
It is for these and a host of other features, components and specifications that I go over i my review as to why I feel that as well as hunting, the Steiner HX 15x56 Binoculars excels in a host of other general use and long range scenarios and thus is why I also put them forward as being the best overall long range, high power binocular that I tested and reviewed for 2018.
Attention To Detail
I could begin by listing all the superior, high end optical components and coatings that you find incorporated into these, however one of the aspects that really struck me about the 15x56 Steiner HX is the excellent attention to the small, finer details on them, which in my opinion separates the HX from the crowd.
The flared eye-cups are an obvious example. They do an excellent job of blocking out distractions and light from the periphery of your view and thus offer a far more immersive and indeed better view. This is especially true in situations where you may have the sun shining brightly from the side as there is no glare on the eye-piece lens as you would get with almost any other instrument. As they are so effective and seemingly easy to implement, it is really surprising to me that this fantastic, but small feature is not found on more optics.
Then there is the ClicLoc neck strap and objective lens cover attachment system. This is simply far superior to the normal methods of attaching these accessories onto your device. Making them, more secure, much easier to take on and off and in the case of the neck strap, swap out with a harness.
Hidden Gems
However there are also a host of other less obvious details that most people will never even know about:
For instance do you know that Steiner use a special rubber (Nitrile butadiene rubber) to make the outer armouring with. Well, they have specifically selected it because it has ability to withstand oil, fuel, and other chemicals and thus not only last longer, but is far less likely to perish than the normal rubbers used by others.
Then there is the chassis, made from Makrolon® that is designed to withstand 11 G's of impact and how about the fact that they use (but don't advertise the fact) that the roof prisms are made using the very best N-BaK1 glass from Schott.
The list goes on, but I think you get the picture and I will leave that for you to find out in the full review.
Main Features
At around $1000, you could never describe the Steiner HX 15x56 as cheap, but considering that you are getting one of the top German made binoculars on the market, then these really do start to like being really good value for money:
The great option for many uses, but especially for accompanying you on adventures like birding vacations or wildlife safaris. Mid-sized bins are becoming more and more popular and it is easy to see why: A good one is easier instrument to pack away and carry about, yet also offers an optical performance that is not that far off the equalling the full-sized version.
This year I tested a whole raft of great quality mid-sized devices, but one in particular really stood out from the crowd and sits comfortably up there with my all time favorite binoculars:
Winner of this award back in 2014 (see past winners below), the "standard" 32mm Snypex Knight ED is a great mid sized instrument in it's own right. However not content to simply rest on their laurels, Snypex have come back this year with a vengeance with the new and improved Knight D-ED.
With a whole bunch of improvements, the Snypex Knight D-ED 8x32 binocular really is seriously impressive:
With a BBR score of 83%, it got 9/10 for both the optical components used and for image quality and it is easy to see why with features like Apochromatic Lenses, ED glass elements, as well as phase and dielectric mirror coatings on the prisms - these really are a match for the "alpha" brands out there, yet come at the fraction of the cost.
Other highlights for me include the fantastic level of accessories that they come with as well as many small attention to finer details like the all aluminium focus wheel, ratchet diopter adjuster and more..
Main Details:
At the time of testing, I found that this mid range optic will set you back about $210 / £150 / €200, for current prices, be sure to check the link below
Scoring 82% and just 1% less than Snypex above, the Opticron Traveller BGA ED 10x32 came about as close as you can get without winning and so I feel they are well worth a mention.
These really excelled in terms of their optical stats, with a really wide view and great quality image.
In comparison to the Snypex, they just lack a little in terms of their accessories and attention to detail, but the difference is very minor and make no mistake these are also up there with the very best mid sized bins on the market.
Past Winners:
Optical improvements take place at a far less rapid pace than that of electronics and as such all of these past winners listed below are still every bit as good and relevant today as when they won their award:
Before we get to this years winner, I just wanted to point out that to the Best Value Binocular Award is one of the hardest to win.
This is because to even have a chance, the instrument has to have scored really highly within it's price category on the BBR scale and then also look to offer you more bang for your buck compared to all the other high scorers in other price levels.
What this means is that with the winner you are not only getting a great binocular when compared to it's direct competition, but also one that offers better value with more features, better views etc than what I would expect to see at that particular price. To learn more about the exact criteria required, take a look at this section on the Best Value Binoculars.
Winner of the same award last year, scoring an "outstanding" 80% on the BBR scale and now available for just about $200 / £200, it was always going to take a seriously impressive pair of mid level bins to knock these fantastic Hawke Endurance ED's of their perch.
Whilst one particular instrument did come pretty close (see my honorable mention below), I really could not look past the incredible value for money that you get with these. This is even more so now in that last year these were retailing at about $230, which I thought was incredible value, so now at their current level, these Hawke binoculars are unbeatable at this level:
The main point that I would like to highlight is that with a BBR score of 80% this Endurance ED is the highest scoring Mid Range bino (under $300) that I have tested to date, which is impressive in itself.
However this also means that they easily rank amongst the top Mid-High End ($300 - $500 / £300 - £500) binoculars which is incredible and most certainly worth of the use of the words "outstanding" and "value" in the same breath.
Main Features:
Honorable MentionOther Contenders:
Past Winners:
There is no doubt that with the rise of manufacturing and imports from the Asian markets, the increase in competition has meant that in general the level of low cost instruments has risen.
However this has also meant that the market has also been flooded with many sub-standard and in some instances truly terrible products. Thus it is always a great feeling to stumble across a binocular that rises up well above the crowd:
The first thing I really like about the Carson RD Series 8x42 binocular is that you would never guess by looking at them that these cost less than half of most great quality mid range instruments out there.
They have a simple, understated, but classy look them, the finish on them is excellent and small details like the dimpled focus wheel with etched RD branding on the face really does set them apart from the hoards of generic mass produced instruments I see at this price level.
However the quality is more than skin deep and under the hood they continue to punch well above their price tag:
Firstly it is important to note that unlike some at this level, the optics are fully Multicoated, then rather than Aluminium, the Carson RD 8x42 binoculars also have Silver mirror coatings on BaK-4 prisms.
Both of these and other optical features ensure that the image that they deliver is both brighter and of a higher quality than the majority of their direct competitors. Indeed this is something that I remarked on these in my review of them.
I would like to draw your attention to the Tom Lock 10x42 Series 2 binocular, that ran the Carson very close and with a BBR score of 70%, would have been right up there with last years winner and which is why I feel that they are well worth a mention and urge you to take a closer look at if you are after a slightly higher powered, but low cost 10x device.
Note: At the moment this very small UK brand not available for sale in the US.
Past Winners:
This large aperture scope from Snypex cannot be described as cheap (approx $850), small or lightweight, but the quality of the external parts, optical components and accessories cannot be denied, which in turn all added up and directly translated into scope that was simply a pleasure to use.
Highlights Included
Two spotting scopes really stood out for me this year, the Snypex above and then the really compact and travel friendly 50mm Endurance scope from Hawke Sport Optics.
Although it does not quite match the Snypex in terms of high end components, for a mid level scope (Approx $399 / £330) it still contains a raft of higher end features and performs incredibly well - even for digiscoping, which for such a small scope is really impressive.
Main Highlights
More:
Right from my very first test with the Skout "Sling Style" Harness from Cotton Carrier, it immediately became my all time favorite bino harness.
In terms of just how easy it is to fit, slide on and off, it's price, the level of comfort it provides and the extremely wide range of size and styles of binoculars that will carry, the Skout is in my opinion almost impossible to beat.
Indeed, I tried it using some mid-sized 32mm binoculars, full sized 42mm's, large 56mm binoculars including the Steiner HX 15x56 and the Steiner Shadowquest 8x56, both of which are very popular large hunting binoculars.
Then lastly I even tested it using a pair of very large 70mm binoculars and this ingenious system was able to carry it in comfort without any problems.
Thus for me, the only time you would not want to use the Cotton Carrier Skout Sling Style harness would be if you need the extra protection that a full bag type of harness provides.
For more, take a look at my Cotton Carrier Skout Binocular Harness Review which contains a detailed guide that includes photos, video demonstrations, fitting instructions, my experience after using them and where to buy.
Where to Buy & Prices
Currently retailing for around $79 / £79, I think they offer really good value for money, especially when you consider it can also be used to carry your camera and is super easy to swap between different pairs of optics.
When I first started best binocular reviews (BBR), smart phones were still very much in their infancy and thus at the time, if you wanted to take photo through your binoculars or spotting scope, it meant having to use your camera. This form of digibinning/digiscoping did and still does work very well and whilst it has it's advantages, the main downside is that it is just simply not as convenient as using your phone, which most people will carry about on themselves regardless.
However the main problem I have had is that whilst you may have your phone with you, many of the adapters that connect your phone to your bins/scope can be quite fiddly to set up and use and so unless I am specifically going out to take photos, I usually don't bother taking one with me.
There are a few exceptions to this and this is most certainly the case with the SnapZoom Adapter, which I not only found easy to adjust to accommodate a range of phones, but is then also very easy to attach to and then take great looking photos through your binoculars or scope.
More Ideas:
Price & Where to Buy
Price & Where to Buy
