Olivon 7×18 Compact Binoculars Review

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Reviewer

Without doubt one of the best 18mm binoculars available. I guarantee you will need to double check  these have just 2x 18mm Lenses once you see how bright the image is. They feel extremely well built, and feature nitrogen waterproofing and twist eye cups. Eye relief is very long and perfect for spectacle wearers.

With such a small lens you would expect poor edge of field quality. Not with the Olivon,s. You get a crisp bright view across the range to beat most budget 50mm binoculars.

If you think the price is a tad high for an 18mm set, you will soon change your mind when you look through them.

Outstanding and highly recommended

Buy Olivon 7×18 compact binoculars here

 

Posted in Olivon Binocular Reviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Olivon 7×18 Compact Binoculars Review

Acuter Inova Binoculars review

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Reviewer

At the time of writing this review the Acuter Inova binoculars have an RRP of just £69. If these cost £129 or more, it would be easy to find faults. But at this crazy low price you get a lot of binoculars for your money, and don’t deserve to be criticized. Available in 8×42 and 10×42.

Out of the box they feel well built yet very light. The chunky twist eye cups and focus wheel are very smooth to operate. The view is bright and clear, with the 8x giving a wider field. You will find the 10×42 needs regular work with the focus to keep everything sharp.

Features multi coated optics and nitrogen waterproofing, so no corner cutting there. The soft case is basic but functional, as is the strap. Handling is very easy and user friendly.
At just 600g they are perfect for walks.

Both models suit spectacle wearers, but the field of view is narrower than most others in the 8x and 10x 42mm range.

10/10 for value for your money

 

 

Posted in Acuter Binocular Reviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Acuter Inova Binoculars review

Acuter Sports Binoculars Review

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Reviewer

Available in 8×21, 10×25 and 12×32 the Acuter sports binoculars cover many uses.  All three models are probably the best I,ve tested in this class.

For image quality the 8×21 s the best. This gives a delightful wide view. Easily outperforms the budget £9.99 compacts, but you pay a slightly higher price for this. Perfect all round binoculars for adults and children.

The 12×32 are a big suprise. Many low priced 12x25s are simply not up to the job. The extra 7mm diameter of the Acuter Sports lens gives a very clear view, and much better than I expected. Perfect for plane spotters who cant handle the weight of full sized optics. Field of view is also much better than on other brands with 12x25mm optics.

All come in a very tough rubber armoured body. This also makes them easy to grip. The case and strap are minimal, but this helps keep the price down.

Outstanding value for money and highly recommended

 

 

Posted in Acuter Binocular Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Acuter Sports Binoculars Review

What is a Twist Eye Cup

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Reviewer

An eye cup is an extended piece of rubber extending from each binocular eyepiece. With some models these fold down if you wish to wear glasses. However , this has its flaws. Continuous use can damage to cups, leave finger prints on the eyepiece and even risk damage to the binoculars if incorrectly handled.

With a twist eye cup, as the title suggests, you simply rotate the eye cup clockwise or counter clockwise to extend to the required distance. This is much more simple to operate. Some are smooth throughout the adjustment, while others have increments of 2 or more to help get each one to be an equal distance from the eyepiece.

Binoculars with twist eye cups often come at a higher price than fold down versions.

Posted in User Guides and Tutorials | Tagged | Comments Off on What is a Twist Eye Cup

What is a Floatation Strap

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Reviewer

A floatation strap looks similar to a normal binocular strap, but is made from material that will not only float in water, but will stop your binoculars sinking if dropped in water. It will not stop the binoculars from submerging, but the strap should remain above water to allow you to retrieve your optics and hopefully minimise water damage.

Ideal for fishing and boat trips. The straps come in different sizes to handle different weighted binoculars.

Buy binocular straps online here

 

Posted in User Guides and Tutorials | Tagged , | Comments Off on What is a Floatation Strap

Opticron Vega ll 8×30 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Reviewer

Excellent binoculars for those who just want clear optics with a wide view. A simple porro prism design with no nitrogen waterproofing keeps the cost down. The main selling point here is the optics. Clear and bright across the field of view. Will easily outperform the budget 50mm binoculars.

An Ultra wide angle and good depth of field makes them very user friendly

Rock solid build quality with great handling. Probably not suited for spectacle wearers. This was made worse by the fact I could not get the fold down eye cups to stay down. They kept popping back up.

A very nice touch is the hard carry case you get as standard. Not to every ones liking, but I though it was a superb addition.

 

 

Posted in Opticron Binocular reviews | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Opticron Vega ll 8×30 Binoculars Review

Opticron Savanna 8×25 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Reviewer

Ultra compact, and new models with reduced IPD for children. This means the older model may be picked up for a bargain. Not the widest view compared to some others in the same class, but the image is ultra sharp. Great internal baffling really makes the image stand out.

Although quoted at 16mm, the eye relief seems much longer than this. I find that some customers find this a problem at first. By this I mean you really need to hold them away from your eyes to get a clear view. Hold them right up tight against your face and the will get the black shadow

Build quality is excellent. As is the strap and case.

Highly recommended for bird watchers

Buy Opticron Savanna binoculars online here

 

Posted in Opticron Binocular reviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Opticron Savanna 8×25 Binoculars Review

Opticron Imia 8×25 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Reviewer

Not quite the same performance as the more expensive phase corrected 25mm Opticrons, but a very pleasing image. One of the biggest factors is the very wide field of view. Later models upgraded with better twist eye cups. Not really long enough eye relief for spectacle wearers.

Very compact when folded, so can be placed in a shirt pocket. For general use, the wide angle of the 8x makes it a better option than the 10x.

Comes with a very good quality case and strap. Handling is very good, but the small focus wheel may not be to every ones taste.

 

 

Posted in Opticron Binocular reviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Opticron Imia 8×25 Binoculars Review

Helios Quantum-4 20×90 Binoculars Review

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Reviewer

 

In my opinion a much better, sharper and wider view than the 25×100 Quantum-3s. Both at home when used for long distance terrestrial work or astronomy. Although I found I could hand hold for short periods, a heavy duty tripod is a must have. For such a powerful pair of binoculars, depth of field seems very good. This means for very minimal focusing needed.

For astronomy, I use these more than my telescope. The colours in stars appear so much vivid. At 20x it will split many doubles. Even though you cant make out much detail, the planets Jupiter and Saturn look majestic. Saturn and its Moons give a amazing 3D effect.

Individual eye piece focus is quite stiff, but wont knock out of position once set. Eye relief is very long, but I found it best to leave the rubber eye cups folded down all the time.

Nitrogen waterproof for use in all conditions. Complete with a high quality aluminium case. There is a neck strap provided, but I have never figured out why anyone would risk hanging these around their necks

Very highly recommended

 

 

Posted in Helios Binocular Reviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Helios Quantum-4 20×90 Binoculars Review

Helios Quantum-4 15×70 Binocular Review

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Reviewer

 

I have personally used one of these sets for a few years now, and can confirm they are built to last. The the lightest in class due to the heavy rubber armour. I still find them easy to hand hold. Although for astronomy you will need a tripod. The image is bright and clear, with a little false colour evident and bowing of straight lines on the edge, where there is quite a bit of fall off in contrast.

Handling is very good, with chunky focus wheel, twist eye cups and a dioptre adjustment that can easily be moved with gloves on. On the subject on eye cups, with them twisted down I found I could easily get a full field with glasses on.

Unlike some similar priced 15x70s you get full nitrogen waterproofing for those damp nights. The case and lens caps are of a high quality, and the neck strap is up to the job.

Not designed for looking at birds in the back garden, but perfect for low light observing/astronomy and ship spotters. Ideal for plane spotters if you don’t mind the extra weight.

Great Comet hunters

 

Posted in Helios Binocular Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off on Helios Quantum-4 15×70 Binocular Review