Brunton Eterna 8X25 Binoculars – Customer Review

I recently wrote an article that attempted to answer a question that someone sent in asking for advice on choosing some tough, inexpensive, compact binoculars for travel. After much research and comparisons, the person in question eventually decided on a pair of Brunton Eterna 8X25 Binoculars and they were kind enough to send in to me their review of the product:

Customer Review of the Compact Brunton 8x25 Eterna Binoculars

I wanted to let you know that I received a pair of the Brunton Eterna 8X25’s in the mail today.

Since you asked for some feedback on them I thought I would share some with you. First of all, I really like the size. They’re small, lightweight, and pocketable. I sacrificed some FOV for that. But I’m glad for the size. I think any bigger, even an inch, would make them less pocketable.

The compromise I made for size was the FOV (field of view). It is comparable to the FOV you’d get with a pair of 10x25s. In fact, their 10x25’s have almost the same FOV, but their exit pupil was much lower.

Here is my take on it… after glassing around the neighborhood this evening. The FOV is small, but large enough to observe any object I would want to observe. Sure, if I’m sweeping around, trying to locate new objects to focus on it will take a little more time to find them. But, I think its good enough. So I’m happy.
As for the image quality, I was stunned. It was wonderful. I no longer have any concern about the Emerald Fire coating. I was looking at things as the sun was going down and the brightness was pretty good.

I whipped out a pair of old Sears 7X35’s from the 1980’s for comparison. Hah, what a joke. A toy. No comparison what-so-ever. These are the ones I used as a kid in Boy Scouts. I might as well toss those big bulky things. These new Brunton’s absolutely smoke the old ones. Not even in the same league.

They don’t come with the classic “rain guard” or “case” that many binoculars do. They come with a strap and two flexible neoprene “body glove” style things that you stretch over each monocle. They’re sort of like socks. They can be a bit fiddly. Overall I like the concept, but… time will tell. I think maybe the stitching isn’t as tight as it needs to be. We’ll see if they last the test of time. I may just ditch the strap and the socks and just keep them in my pocket.

The focus adjustment is still a little stiff. I would expect that in a waterproof device. I’m hoping they will loosen up a little over time. Right now I cannot adjust them with just my forefinger. Trying to results in my applying enough pressure to move one of the hinges. Using a forefinger up top and my thumb below works fine.
The focus tuning is swift. You don’t have to dial very much at all.

Overall I’m pleased. I made the decision to sacrifice FOV for size. Right now, today, I say I made the right choice and I feel good about them. Hopefully I’ll feel the same once I get them out into the field.

But oh man.. the picture they provide… so crisp and clear. I could read things way at the end of the street I never would have imagined. And I’m glad I did not get the 10X. These are more “stable”…. less shaky. I think with the 10X… especially after being fatigued by spending a day in the field…I would get too much eye fatigue looking at shaky pictures.

Well as you know, I tend to blather on. Hopefully you’ve got some usable information in there for your site.

Thanks again for all your help. I greatly appreciate it. Your site and your emails made the buying experience much more informed… and less painful. I didn’t buy a crappy pair of optics.

Where to Buy & Prices

Both the Brunton 10x25 and 8x25 binoculars cost between $150 and $220 in the US and as far as I know they are not available in the UK

Shop In the USABrunton Eterna Binoculars for Sale in the USA

Shop In the UKBrunton Eterna Binoculars for Sale in the UK

Features

  • Eterna Compact Binoculars
  • BaK-4 prism glass
  • State-of-the-art phase coating
  • AL reflective coating
  • Emerald Fire full multi-coating
  • Multi-step eye relief system (eyeglass compatible)
  • Waterproof/fogproof
  • Nitrogen filled
  • Alloy frame w/ ergonomic body armor
  • Includes neoprene Bino Glove lens covers and neck strap
  • Limited lifetime warranty
Share
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x