The Viking traveller compact binoculars are aimed at the beginner. So lets have a look to see how the build quality and optics perform for such a low price (around £25 – £30 at the time of this review)
First thing you will notice is the plain outer box, showing minimal info such as the logo, name of binoculars , bar code and address of the importer. No tech spec or image is shown.
Opening the box, you are greated with a basic nylon strap and soft case. No surprises here considering the price. The case also has a handy belt loop.
When you take the binoculars out, the first thing you notice is how solid they feel. The slightly textured feel is better than many in this price range. They are a compact double hinged body which stays nicely in place once the IPD is set. A nice feature on a sub £30 set is the twist eye cups. They feel well built and operate smoothly. Does not seem to be much in the way of 2-3 clicks, just in or out. On the subject of eye cups, the eye relief is quoted as 17mm, which in theory should be enough for spectacle wearers. Sadly with the eye cup in a down position I could not get the full field of view with glasses on. But saying that, people wear different types of spectacles, so may differ from one user to the next. Lastly with regards handling, the focus wheel is a little small, so may be tricky to use with large gloves on. But small focus wheels are on most compacts. That`s just the nature of the beast. The right eye dioptre adjustment is very easy to use and smooth in operation.
So to finish things off lets have a look at the optics. These are Bk7 prisms and fully coated optics. So do not expect the same cutting edge sharpness of a £100 set. But what you do get is a clear view considering the price. Compared to some budget binoculars I have tested, there is very little fall off in sharpness towards the edge. Also there is very little evidence of chromatic aberration in the centre, with hardly any purple colour fringing when looking at back lit branches.
Summing up. Very good optics for the price with low levels of CA and better than expected build quality. Slight minus point, the short eye relief for (some) spectacle wearers and the small focus wheel. Very good value for money.