Olympus Magellan 8x42 Binoculars Review

Olympus 8 x 42 Magellan Binoculars
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These Binoculars are On Sale Discount Binocular: These Olympus Magellan binoculars are discounted on Amazon.com and Binoculars.com in the USA >> Check Prices
Price Range: (3/6) Mid Price Binoculars       

Ideal Uses:

General Use Rating for General Use Binoculars
Birdwatching Rating as Birdwatching Binoculars
Outdoor Sports Rating asOutdoor Sports Binoculars
Safari & Travel Rating as Safari Binoculars
Hunting Rating as Hunting Binoculars
Marine Use Rating as Marine Binoculars
Astronomy Rating as Binoculars for Astronomy

Using good quality components and optics, the Magellan binoculars from Olympus are designed for the extreme outdoor enthusiast. These 8x42 Magellan's are perfect for birdwatching as well as making good safari, wildlife, sports and general use binoculars.

The Body

The body on the Olympus Magellan 8x42 EXWP I Binoculars have been Hermetically sealed and filled with Nitrogen making them fully waterproof, fogproof and sealing out any dust from entering. They have an internal focusing mechanism, so there is no external movement when you focus and the large center focus knob makes it simple and fast to focus on an object, which may not sound like much, but can be important when viewing fast moving objects like birds. To hold, the binoculars feel comfortable and have a sure grip feeling to them as well as being well balanced and so are comfortable during extended periods of observation.

Optics

The large 42mm diameter objective lenses take in plenty of light meaning that they provide clear, bright vision and excell compared to binoculars with smaller objective lenses in low light conditions.

Fully Multi-Coated Lenses
The lenses on these are fully multi-coated which is excellent, the word "fully" is important here as many cheaper binoculars will only have "Multi-Coated" which means that not all the 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.

Bak-4 Prisms
The high index Bak-4 roof prisms on the Olympus 8x42 Magellan Binoculars, mean that they are constructed using superior optical glass that produce clearer and sharper images than cheaper optics. This cannot be overstated, as 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, while are adequate, they are far inferior to Bak-4 prisms, which give you better light transmission and sharpness on the edges of the image.

Long Eye Relief
The great 19mm of eye relief with twist up and down eyecups mean that not only are they comfortable to look though over extended periods, but they are also ideal for those who wear eyeglasses as you should be able to use them without the need to remove your glasses >> read my article on Long Eye Relief Binoculars for more information.

They also have built in Dioptric correction meaning that you can adjust each lens to suit your specific eyesight. Often your eyes will have different visual capabilitis and being able to make each lens suit each eye will mean less strain on your eyes and allow for optimal optical performance.

Overall

The Olympus Magellan 8x42 binoculars are good quality and great value for money, you can often find binoculars from different brands with the same features and quality of lenses costing twice as much. They are ideal for Birdwatching and general nature observation and so make great safari binoculars. You my also want to consider the Magellan 10x42 EXWP I Binoculars if you want a bigger zoom, but they have a slightly smaller field of view (314ft at 100 yards compared to 330ft for these), smaller eye relief and reduced light transmission. Because they are fully waterproof, they would also be useful for boating although if you want a binocular primarily for the water, I would choose one specifically designed for marine use.

Main Highlights

  • High-index BaK-4 prisms for bright, crisp images
  • Fully multi-coated lenses
  • Hermetically sealed and Nitrogen-filled for waterproof, fogproof and dirtproof performance
  • Phase and UV coating
  • Long use eye relief with twist up/down eyecups
  • Large center-focus knob for fast, easy focusing
  • Built-in dioptic correction adjusts to individual eyesight
  • Internal focusing system

Compare Prices & Where to Buy the Olympus Binoculars

Main Specifications & Features:

  • Size: Full Size Binoculars
  • [explain prism types]Prism Type: Roof Prism Binoculars
  • Magnification: 8x
  • [explain objective lens]Objective Lens Diameter: 42mm
  • [explain waterproofing]Waterproof: Yes

  • [explain exit pupil]Exit Pupil: 5.3
  • [explain twilight factor]Twilight Factor: 18.33
  • [explain eye relief]Eye Relief: 19mm
  • Close Focus Distance: 9.8ft

  • Weight: 22.9ozs (649g)
  • Length: 5.7in (14.5cm)
  • Height: 2.1in (5.3cm)
  • Width: 5.1in (13cm)

  • [explain field of view]Field of View: 330ft at 1,000 yards

  • Image Stabilization: No
  • [about ED Glass]Extra Low Dispersion Glass: No
  • Auto Focus: No

More Information:



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Full Size Binoculars | Roof Prism Binoculars | Mid Price Binoculars


Similar Binoculars:

Below are similar pairs of Binoculars that you may also want to have a look at:

Bushnell 8x42 NatureView

Excellent optics for birders and naturalists, the 8x42mm NatureView Binocular is also suitable for watching sporting events and all-around observation


Binocular Price Comparison
Where to buy the Olympus 8x42 Magellan Binoculars

General Price Range: (3/6) Mid Price Binoculars

Below is a link that will take you to a page with online retailers in both the US and UK that sell Olympus 8x42 Magellan Binoculars this page makes it easy to compare prices and then to buy from your preferred option:

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These Binoculars are On SaleDiscount Binoculars: These Olympus Magellan binoculars are discounted on Amazon.com and Binoculars.com in the USA
 
 
 
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