The Viking Ventura 8×25 are a great example of a binocular where a clear and crisp view can yield better results than many similar priced options in a similar price range with a wider FOV and AFOV.
The batch that we tested came in a plain outer box. Though I believe some also come in the blue and white Viking boxes. The case was a soft pouch, which I really liked, as it offered good padding, and could be folded up to neatly fit in a pocket when not needed. The binoculars come with individual lens caps that are universal on both objective lenses and eyepieces. The strap included is padded and quick release.
Straight out the box, the Ventura look very neat, and despite weighing just over 300g they feel very solid. The twist eye cups feel very good quality with a smooth twist action. They stay nicely in place once set. The focus wheel is not the smoothest I have tested, but was still very easy to operate with one finder.
I found eye relief just long enough to use with spectacles on. As mentioned earlier, these are not the widest field of view in this category at 6.3 degrees, plus the AFOV is not the widest. But as customers at our optics weekends have mentioned when purchasing from us, this is quickly forgotten when you look through them. The image is crisp and bright with very little chromatic aberration considering they are not ED glass. Proving that sometimes you have to forget what it says on the tin and try them out. You get a lovely flat field with virtually no pincushion distortion. Image is sharp to the outer 20% where you will find a little fall off in focus, but well within tolerances and better than the 10×25 I tested.
Close focus is quoted at 4m, but I found this to be around 2.5m. Overall the Viking Ventura offer a quality image, that is related in the price, with exceptional brightness for such a compact set, with very small amounts of false colour. Some may prefer a standard neck strap to quick release. But that is easily remedied. Definitely worth a look if you get a chance.
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