20 Best Lightweight Binoculars For Travel (2023 Updated)

I was in need of an inexpensive small binoculars for hunting. After looking at these and the low price, I gave them a try. These are exactly what I was looking for. The optics are very clear, the size fits my pocket perfectly and are easy to use.

I would recommend these for anyone who is looking for inexpensive binoculars.

I bought these for my wife so she could view the flora & fauna mingling in our backyard. My other binocs couldnt focus on that close of a distance. Sharpness, clarity and color rendition is quite good.

Very lightweight. If youre an active birder these may not fit your needs but for casual viewing you cant beat them for the money.

Great for your 8 year old explorer. Easy to use, clear lense, light weight. Another benefit is cost-very low for quality of lenses and if the explorer has an accident with the binoculars the $ lose is minimized.

I bought these 2-3months ago as I liked the weight and brightness. I thought it odd that in the manual it said to return to where you purchased if they should stop focusing. That was until they stopped focusing why I gave only two stars! When they work as they should I’d give them 3-4 stars.

I’ll be keeping the box should they stop focusing again and need to be returned again. The return for a new working one was no problem.

EXcellent optic!! The 12 power gives you stunningly crisp view. I’ve seen a drop of water held in the beak of a stellars jay 30 feet away. And near field focus distance about 8 feet – amazing. Of course, with that much magnification, a steady hold can be a problem, but with even the simplest walking stick that problem is reduced.

The focus adjusting ring on the right side lens is slightly difficult to turn – which is good for keeping your settings from changing as you handle the binocs, but sharing with someone with different vision a bother.

Buy them their own pair, these are a bargain. The center focus is positive, which is good, as depth of field at 12 power is sensitive. The picture isn’t big. But the weight of 12×50 lenses is offset by the light weight and compact size of these 12x25s – – practice keeping your object in view as you bring binocs up, rather than scanning around looking through them.

Again, the optics are astonishingly good. You could pay ten times as much and I don’t think you would find much improvement. You can’t get around the fact that a compact binocular is just not going to have a big enough picture for following moving objects easily.

Spend some time practicing at acquiring your object near and far before going out birding – – better to have trouble spotting that pine cone while learning than losing sight of that WoolyFootedPickleDropper you’ve been stalking for months!.

In my novice opinion, the Nikon 10×25 Travelite V binoculars are of good quality, are lightweight, and are reasonably compact. However, for other novices out there, keep in mind they (and all 10×25 optics) have a relatively narrow field of view, limited light gathering ability, and a tiny exit pupil.

These are characteristics of the size, and not the make/model. I wanted a small, easily packable pair for use while camping/hiking and for sporting events. Due to the issues above, I decided to trade up to a larger pair (8×42 Trailblazer ATB).

For my purposes, the trade off in size and weight was worth it for the larger, brighter, easier to pick up image you get with a larger binocular. I will still probably pick up a pair of 25mm binoculars for backpacking, but they will be 8x (more stable image, better field of view and exit pupil) and roof prism (more compact) – probably Nikon 8×25 Trailblazer ATBs actually.

I liked Nikon’s quality for the price point, but this particular model was not for me. I would recommend them to a friend if they were sure a 10×25 was what they wanted.

I bought these as a potential gift for a 5-8 year old child. I wanted to compare it to the more specialized kidz binoculars that cost around $20. Getting the right interpupil distance for children is tricky, and this double hinge compact design covers a broad range.

In the past, I have used the Bushnell H2O 8×25 waterproof compact binocular with kids. It is quite sturdy and with larger 25mm objectives, it is a little brighter and easier to look through. It also costs more like $50.

These binoculars are quite small but work well. The diopter adjustment on the right eyepiece is very stiff so adjustment is a little fidgety, but that is not all bad; once you adjust, it you want it to stay there.

The eyecups are not adjustable, except that you can fold them down if the user wears glasses. This makes eye placement a little less intuitive. In this price range I would expect significant variation from sample to sample, but the sample I have comes to sharp focus in both barrels, and the collimation between the barrels is decent, though not perfect.

The focuser is smooth and easy to turn (important for children). Unfortunately, the close focus is around 15 feet, which is a bit further than I would like, but typical for this design, and there is excess focus travel beyond infinity focus.

The field of view is again decent but not great, I would estimate ~50 degree apparent field of view. I see no serious internal reflection or vignetting beyond what you’d expect for non-phase corrected BAK7 roof prism binoculars.

The exit pupil is more like 2. 5mm rather than the advertised 5. 2mm, but I assume that is a typo from the description of a larger binocular. Theoretically an 8×21 binocular should have a 2. 625 mm exit pupilAll of these critiques are minor quibbles at this price point for an 8×21 binocular.

This little binocular is performing way above its price point.

Over the years I’ve purchased some very cheap binoculars. This year, with a trip to Yellowstone coming up, I decided enough was enough and to purchase a true pair of binoculars. I’m so glad I did. Binoculars are those kind of things where you feel okay buying a pair for $10 at a big box store and you think it’s good enough.

Then you try these binoculars and you realize what you have been missing. Crystal clear optics. No fiddling with each eyepiece and eye fatigue. Just a clear image. There is one dial in the middle that adjusts for both eyes at once, making it easy to get in focus.

I have an astigmatism in my right eye, but had no issue seeing anything clearly with these. These worked very well for Yellowstone. I was to watch some wildlife from across a valley and get some good details.

With that said, I wished I would have spent a little more and gotten a higher magnification set for Yellowstone, but these worked very well. I started using them for bird watching, which these are very well suited for.

But if you want something to take to a national park, get Nikon with more power. I’m still pleased with these, and it has taught me that your really get what you pay for.

It was slightly less robust than the Bushnell Legacy WP 10×50, and, I assume, the discontinued Bushnell 8×42, and the warranty is somewhat less helpful. However, this Nikon Aculon 8×42 binocular’s quality for the price can not be beat by any other available model.

My wife finds it easy to use. The case is junk, wo a strap, and too small to add closed-cell blue foam/ensolite padding to the inside. Find a strapped shoulder bag with a real zipper (not spiral type) AND a flap/strap with a clip to backup the zipper for safety.

Use a Ziplock bag inside to keep the binoc dust free. The binoc strap plastic adjuster is NOT secure, despite my very careful following the installation steps. Experiment (carefully) to find the best length for you, and sew the strap to that fixed length with durable thread.

The eyepiece cap is good. The objective caps are useless because they can not be fixed to a cord/the binoc, and will soon be lost.

If you’re on the fence between these and the Vortex 10×26, get these. I have both and the Nikon’s blow them out of the water. Way better eyecups and focus wheel on these. Natural color and sharp. Trust me.

Get these and you will be happy.

A perfect hiker bino–lightweight and pocketable–light years ahead in image quality, construction and handling of the Travelite V it replaced, optically on par with my ProStaff 7S 10×30 (with the wider field and better stability easily making up for lower magnification).

Recommended!.

These are very good binoculars. To start with they are waterproof and fog proof which means that you have use of them for all four seasons of the year. And it means that you need not worry about going from a warm car to a cold meadow and vice versa causing condensation.

They are of a wonderful compact size and very light weight so they are no burden at all in pocket, backpack or jacket. Their small size make it ideal for sharing nature, sports and the arts with your family because they fit children’s hands quite well.

As mentioned they are very lightweight so they’re not fatiguing to use even one-handed. These 8 x 25 binoculars are a very good intermediate power. It can be frustrating for someone thinking that the higher power of 10 X, 12 X or even higher is the best deal.

The higher the power, unfortunately the less stable the image. This 8X is just right for those unaccustomed to binocular use. Of some importance, especially if you are sharing these with a family member who does or does not wear eyeglasses, are the retractable eye cups.

This approach is much superior to the fold over rubber used on some scopes. They operate smoothly, quickly and dependably. The center focus makes one-handed use quite simple and there is no slippage when the image is found and focused.

These binoculars have a nonslip coating that works well under conditions where the waterproof feature comes to play. The 25 mm lens gives a bright and consistent image and no chromatic aberration has been noticed.

Of course the fact that Nikon guarantees these for life, no matter what happens, is a wonderful selling point. These 8 x 25 classes are a fine traveling companion and a good intermediate for someone who would like to experience binoculars before committing to a more serious pair.

I bought these binocs for ultralite backpacking and sea kayak camping on the Cascade Marine Trail system in the Salish Sea. What I desire from my binocs are: 1) Water proof/resistant for use in heavy rain or around my neck when I am paddling my kayak 2) Compact volume 3) Lightweight 4) Good optics, especially in lower/flat light conditions when I am looking for a place to land my sea kayak in overcast seas or as the day darkens into night 5) Robustness These ATB 8×25 binocs met all of my needs.

The Nikon optics, as expected were the best in gathering light and sharpening contrast, and maintaining good focus across the entire field of view. They were the best of the four or five binocs I compared.

They are also lightweight and compact. On a recent multiday backpack trip along the Washington Coast, which I wanted to do as lightweight as possible, I consider these binocs to be the only non-essential thing that I packed.

I wanted to get my starting-out pack weight down to 25 lbs, so I debated whether to take them or not. But because they are so light and compact, I brought them along, and was glad that I did, as it allowed me to assess several route options, camping choices and the ability to look at bald eagles and other life up close without disturbing them.

My only criticism, and it is the reason why I rated the item 4 stars instead of 5, are the rubber caps for the eye pieces. They are loose caps, and constantly fall off the ends of the eyepieces. I don’t like NOT having my eyepieces covered when the binocs are not being used, but there is no way that the caps would stay on if the binocs were around my neck.

They should be like many other binocular eye caps: hooked together and attached physically to the binocs when not in use (or at least have that option). I have almost lost the end caps numerous times, and they have fallen into the sand, which I then have to carefully clean out of them before replacing them over the eyepieces.

It is a small thing, but it is really, really annoying!.

I wanted a small binocular with good optics and a case. The Nikon 8X25 Trailblazer is great and let’s me see things clearly. I have macular degeneration and my vision is blurry at a distance. With these binoculars, I can see the faces of dancers or actors in the stage as well as clearly see wildlife and birds.

The caveat is that the covers to the eye pieces are not attached and did not fit snuggly. They fell off easily when I was putting the binocs back in the case or taking them out. I cut a thin strip of black electrical tape and put it along the rims of the covers.

I wish the covers were attached but they do not come off easily. I now have to apply a little pressure to remove the covers which is a good thing.

My mom and I always take our binoculars backpacking. I have this pair, she has something else. These ones can do something cool that hers can’t: I can magnify things that are very nearby, like little critters in the water near the bank of a shallow lake, or a bird on a nearby tree.

With hers, she can’t get close-by things into focus. These binoculars have done well for a number of years now, and I use them at home too, and the ballet, and can easily bring them anywhere else I think I’ll need them.

The housing is not degrading at all like in that one review, it feels and looks very new still despite me setting them down on rough rocks all the time and stuff. I think that pair must have been exposed to high heat or something.

GOOD: The overall clarity of the glass is very good. in the center of the objective lens. The focus is very progressive and easy to bring in. The construction quality looks and feels very good. COULD BE BETTER: The edge to edge clarity of the glass is less than I expected.

I looked through a pair of Prostaff 7S (same make and model) about 2 or 3 years ago and they had much better clarity edge to edge. So, it seems to my eyes, that Nikon is inconsistent in its manufacturing quality.

OVERALL: These are very good quality binoculars for $175 !! I cannot find any better quality in the $150 to $250 range.

These were on for a great price and are excellent to view birds with. Nice sharp image. Shipping through Purolator was great as well, tracking was nice and we also had special instructions for delivery which were met.

Would recommend and purchase again.

After having read hundreds of reviews in the last 12 months about every bin made on the planet I decided on this Nikon bin as I wanted to upgrade from my current pair. I am still getting used to this bin having used an Olympus DPS 10×50 Porro Prism bin and was quite happy with them.

The Nikon is a far superior quality pair by comparison but I also paid twice the price for them. For bird watching they are great as I get a clear and crisp view and I dont need to place my eye right up against the eyepiece and nor does my forearms get a workout from the weight.

They suit my needs for what I watch and I take them all over the place as they fit in my handbag. At this stage I have no regrets – not even the price – and have not experienced any negatives. A common theme whilst researching bins was they are a subjective and personal purchase.

This is only my experience and I have not been influenced by any other users or reviews. Happy viewing.

I was pretty impressed by the write up for these binoculars and numerous 5 star reviews I read online when researching so duly ordered a pair of these primarily for bird-watching. I have been using for a couple of months now and here is what I’ve found.

They are that they are fairly lightweight, decent build quality, and the image clarity is brilliant. Not as bright compared in side by side comparison with more expensive pair one of my companions has but a feel a lot happier about replacing these should there be any mishaps! Excellent value for money if you ask me and a really good buy!.

This is a great pair of binoculars at an incredible price – Quite an improvement over my old 7X50 Bushnell’s. I thought that I was going to miss the toggle focus on the 7X50’s, but the 10X50 dial is handy and easy to move and holds its place better than the old glass.

Being able to use them as close as 9 feet is fabulous for seeing fine detail. The inter pupil distance stays set. The grip is sure and comfortable. The diopter setting stays in place and the eyepiece adjustments for eyeglasses are wonderful.

These 10X50’s are no harder to hold still than the 7X50’s and with the Nikon ProStaff Suspender Harness Binocular Strap, they don’t get in the way when they are not being used and require no effort to carry.

But more importantly, as a birder, the harness allows me get the binocs up to my eye fast without looking or groping for them. So I don’t have to take my eyes off of what I am looking at and trying to not loose sight of.

The optics are amazing – only one time have I had violet fringing and that was right at sunset. Haven’t had the same thing happen at sunset or under any other conditions since. They are used every day.

A roll of arts and craft heavy duty twist tie material will keep you from loosing the lens covers when the twist tie keeps them anchored to the holds for the straps. The same twist tie material will make them easy to attach and detach from the harness.

Nice crisp image to the edge. I’m quite badly colour blind but colours look spot on to me. Solid feel, hinge is smooth but tight enough to stay in position. Focus wheel is smooth but requires two fingers to move and diopter is very tight, which stops it from being accidentally moved.

Twist up eye cups could do with a fraction more relief and don’t feel that sturdy but they lock in the up position. I’ve only had these for a few weeks so no idea if they’ll stand the test of time but they do come with a limited lifetime warranty.

These binos are great value for money.

These binoculars are a little bit bigger than the miniatures. They feel substantial in your hand, and have a little weight to them, but not too heavy, as in the full size field glasses. I like that the field of view is larger than in the miniature ones I’ve had in the past.

The included neck strap is very comfortable, and the lens covers just flip down, but are attached, so no fear of losing them.

Top quality binoculars! I will recommend to my friends. Compact but slightly heavy. Seller exceeded expectations!

Clear view. Focus wheel and diopter are very smooth.Compact.They seem rugged have not been through abuse yet. Only flaw is that the lens cap covers fall off easy.

These are the best binoculars for about $1,000 dollars. The clarity and sharpness of the image are outstanding. They’re bright and are great at dusk and dawn, you can still pick out details on birds and other animals.

Observing birds with this binocular is outstanding due to the high level of detail. I actually get less shake in my image than my 8×42 Nikon Monarch 7 binoculars. The build quality and accessories are also excellent.

The focus wheel is fantastic, it’s smooth and perfect for birding. Overall you can’t go wrong with these binoculars, they’re a great value at this price. They are quite a bit better than my Nikon Monarch 7s, though they’re about twice the price.

I bought these binos as a Christmas present for a long time friend who allowed me to take a buck and cow elk on his land this year (CO). He had some older bios which were atrocious! I looked through them and was appalled by the poor quality optics.

The brand will remain nameless. His daughter, age four couldn’t wait for Christmas and begged to open the gift on 20 December. My buddy was gobsmacked by the gift and thought it too much. None the less, he was floored by the clarity of these Zeiss binos! A worthy gift for a very good friend! I have consistently purchased Zeiss Conquest scopes for my various rifles and have always been glad I did!.

I really wanted a nice pair of binoculars to replace a lost pair of Swarovski that I loved. I looked at Leica, Zeiss, and Swarovski. I wanted to keep it around $1000 so narrowed down to Leica and Zeiss for 10 X 42.

I ultimately went with the Zeiss because they were actually made in Germany (not Poland, Portugal, or Asia). When I received them I was immediately impressed with the quality and finish, they really seem like high end binoculars.

The performance is excellent, I was surprised at how clear and crisp the vision is. I had read a few negative comments about the dust cover being loose and I can see what is meant but it doesn’t bother me at all.

I can’t tell you how happy I am. I’m a huge Leica fan but I highly recommend these.

Amazing quality, compact and easy to carry. Crystal clear image, just point and see. but. BUT. Be warned: 1) “The focus wheel” are your eyes. If you don’t have very good view, or use glasses, just don’t.

your eyes have to “make focus”. For me, it takes like 15 seconds before I can see good. 2) This one is very important. I can’t find any tech specs about this, but in my own experience you WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE FOCUS on objects BEYOND 160 feet (ish) so with that said, and taking into account you cant see anything closer to that, If I had to buy this again I will buy 10 ore more X.

not 7.

Love these Bushnell binoculars. Third pair for me, just don’t let them fall and get knocked out of alignment whch is not in the warranty. With the instafocus or permafocus you do not miss the small quick things that focusing sometimes does.

This size is great for distance without being as bad as the 16 or 20 power are for steadiness. These are a step better than the 10×50 the Navy used, which is still a nice pair for most things, but these are just that much better.

The 50 of course adds more light while the 12 adds more distance. Most people are advised to buy a pair of 7×35 for all around use but that doen’t cut it when you want to see some thing up close and personal from far away.

These don’t work well up close of course, they are for distance.

These are the nicest binoculars I’ve ever owned. I have had many pairs of binoculars and monoculars over the years but, I’m not the guy that is going to drop a thousand bucks on a pair. These were in my price range and the auto focus is awesome.

If you’ve never tired auto focus, you should, you will love it. One thing you should know about these is they are fairly high powered. If you are just looking out your back door at the bird feeder, these will probably not focus to that distance.

These start to focus well at about 60 feet I guess. I got them for seeing long distance and they work great for that.

I’ve had these for about a month and taken them to the woods probably a half-dozen times. They are easy to use and focus, and the image is bright, clear, and sharp. The focusing dial has just the right amount of resistance and absolutely no free movement / wiggle.

The open bridge seems a little odd at first but actually makes them much easier to grip. Solid rubber lens caps cover the lenses tightly and then swing totally out of the way and don’t obstruct the view.

I was sick of cheap flimsy binoculars and was willing to pay a little extra for a good, large set that produce a great image and would be sturdy enough to last many years, and I feel like this was the perfect choice.

I will say they are just a little heavy around the neck on a longer hike, simply because they’re big, but they’re significantly lighter than other similarly-sized sets I’ve used in the past. They’re also quite easy to carry in the hand.

Very satisfied with my Carson 10×50 binoculars, and the ‘free gift’ of a carrying case. The image is very bright and clear. Focusing is very smooth and progressive. An excellent binocular which can hold its own against some more expensive models.

Recommended.

I bought the 8X26 & it’s absolutely perfect! Exactly what I expected! So satisfied with the product!! So satisfied with the tracking and updates! I received it super quick! Packaging was nice and neat.

The features were great and visible. Will definitely keep you guys in mind for future purchases! THANKS!!!!!!.

I was looking for a compact set of binos to replace my old cheap tascos that I keep in my hunting sling pack. I caught these vanquish on sale and gave them a shot. They are much clearer than my old pair and most likely as good as you can get in this price range.

Even though they’re about twice the size and wt of the pair they are replacing. They will fit in a cargo pocket of BDU style pants but barely. Even with the larger size they aren’t too cumbersome to carry on long hikes in with my climbing stand or a full day of sit and stalk hunting.

I paid $80 on sale and feel like they were a great value for the money.

Yes. This is a gift to myself. Yeeesss!! I tossed my decision between a pair of very much less expensive brand (the power was good, the glass not so), a much better pair of (Name brand withheld, but they were very good also) lower powered yet much-much nicer glass, and these Leupold 10×25 Rogue.

Of the three, hands down Leupold wins! Now granted these are not higher end bino’s. I got out my range finder, zapped out to easily 650yards down the street. Found a street name sign, am able to see the lettering of the street name very clearly, and as most street name signs will have even smaller print stating the county.

Now lets pretend a moment as if I didn’t already know that, I can still make out the small lettering. And I have 60+ old eyes! I had my mind almost made up for a diff. pair mentioned above, once I saw the clarity of these Leupold Rogue 10×25, plus the fantastic deal MidwayUSA had on them, all I could say is.

“Annnd. their mine!” Here is another plus I found: the small footprint of these Leupold will fit nice in my center console of my American made truck. Handy when I need-want them, yet small enough to stash away.

I can even put them in my back pocket, they don’t fit like my contoured and formed wallet, but they fit. Thanks MidwayUSA for the sweet deal. Thank you Leupold for a very good product straight out of the box.

AJ.

I have had these binoculars for nearly a year and they are junk!! It is impossible to get the eye relief set to permit a person to see clearly. I am now closing one eye! That is the only way to see! I bought these because they no longer offer the Yosemite model.

Major mistake!!!! Save your money and buy a different brand.

The magnification and clarity are great. There are a few little things that detract from the overall quality though. The adjustable eyepieces are a bit of a hassle. Something fixed would be a better setup.

The strap and case are both a bit cheesy. They could have upped the quality on those just a bit for something labeled with the Leupold name. Overall I am pleased.

The sharpness and detail that one can see using this particular pair of binoculars is what sold me on it. I work at a science center and they had bought a pair of these and they were available to view the lake with them, so I checked them out and was pleased to find the viewing amazing and the feel good.

The weight is good, but it is not a feather weight. The action is firm and consistent. The adjustability works well in all directions. So I ordered one after getting the specs from the science center on which model it was.

The delivery was the fastest I have ever seen. It actually came in less than one day No kidding. The box came wrapped well, it contained all straps, holder, cleaning paper, instructions and whathaveyou I took it out and was happy to find that even viewing through a window, the details at about 1000 feet are sharp, clear, well defined, bright, and colorful.

Specifically I was looking out my window at some trees about 1000 feet away. I could see all the details on the tree and colors etc. It is the sharpness of what you can see that is really what is great about these.

No blurry image or fuzziness at all The fact they are water and fog proof is a bonus. I have had at least 5 or more other pair of binoculars and am happy to say that these beat them all in all respects.

The price is a bit higher than I want to pay, but in comparison to all other models I have seen in this type, it is lower. You should not be disappointed in any way with these. I have been using binoculars for over 50 years.

Happy sporting D.

Im a beginning birder who decided I needed a pair of binoculars instead of always using the zoom lens of my camera. After some web searching I decided on the Bushnell Prime 10x42s. Ive been using them for a couple of weeks now and am very happy with my purchase.

Theyre the balance of featuresfunctionality, quality and price that I was looking for. They feel like a quality unit nice and sturdy It took just a couple of minutes to get the eye cups positioned and adjusted.

I get a nice clean view and can easily adjust the focal depth with just the slightest move of the focus wheel. While these do not have the much touted ED glass they still provide a great view even in low light conditions dark woods, early morning twilight.

I like that the lens caps for the big end are sturdily attached to the body of the binos and the the handy neck strap makes it easy to attach the lens caps for the eye cups. Even the lens caps are good quality nice rubber.

as opposed to cheap hard plastic I especially like that the 150. ish price tag didnt break the bankIm usually a more is better kind of guy when it comes to these sorts of things and looked at some 12×52 models as well.

Now having used the 10x42s I can say Im glad I didnt go with a more powerful 12x model It quickly became clear that I would have struggled holding a pair of 12x binos steady enough to take advantage of the additional magnification.

The 10x are perfect. and the 42 size of the focal point are just right for me. Id recommend these Bushnell Prime 10×42 binos to anybody looking for a pair of binos in the 150 price range.

These are seriously good binoculars. Theyre pretty compact, gather a decent amount of light and are a delight to use. They feature adjustable eyerelief the eyepiece has a screw out mechanism that brings the eyecups out nicely.

SO much nicer to use as a consequence. They focus down pretty close too, so for the people who like to watch birds, thats probably handy. The image is crystal clear and very sharp. Ive used very expensive Zeiss binoculars, and these are not noticeably worse, but are so much clearer than cheaper ones.

So they probably sit at the sweet spot priceperformance wise at least for me. The 8x magnification makes them easier to use than 10x or 12x and they seem quite robust. I purchased these to carry with me in a fire service command car.

Ive tested them with an appliance on an adjacent hillside just after sunset and was able to easily read the appliance name. Excellent low light performance. The case is a soft case and looks OK too, but time will tell on that Highly recommended, especially for the price.

My first set had a problem with the focus adjustment knob, the second set has a different anomaly with the focus adjustment knob. Not very smooth and feels like it has a certain spot that requires effort to turn it out of.

Image is pretty good. I’d really like to see them make this in a 6x with better quality control. The plastic on the case smells real bad.

These binoculars were given as a gift to my son for his 40th birthday. This young man researches, and researches, and researches! So we did a lot of research too, as we wanted the gift to be just right.

We DID it! They are just perfect for him to “view” his large, very beautiful back yard which backs up to woods. There is lots of wild life for him to search and see. He says these are just right! He is THRILLED! After learning on line about binoculars and the importance of the prisms, lens coating, the ability to adjust them to his comfort level, and what the “8” and “42” numbers mean, we knew this would be the one for him to use to gaze into his own paradise.

I love it the moment I used it. Everything looks crispy. I look at the wild pigeon from my window & it was so beautiful. Thank you Bushnell for a wonderful product.

My primary gripes: 1) minimum focus is not close enough, 2) eye relief for eye glass wearers is not far enough, 3) I’m spoiled by Monarch 5 8×42’s. I got these 8×25’s for my wife as her first pair and I read all the hype from people getting free pairs to try out.

My first pair of bins were REI 8x25s and I cherished them until I could afford a better pair — I didn’t know what I was missing until I upgraded. I hoped these NOCS could be adequate for my wife’s first pair, but we quickly discovered they weren’t going to check enough of the boxes.

Most importantly, we enjoy backyard birding out our window of our hummingbird feeders and bird feeders. The 13ft minimum focus will just barely focus on Hummingbirds at our feeders, sometimes not enough, or kinglets in shrubs a few feet from us, or the magnificent detail of tree swallows perching on swallow boxes, or fast-moving warblers in dense foliage of trees.

They did pick out raptors, waterfowl, and other larger birds at medium distances ok. Compared to my 8×42’s, I found my eyes crossing a little when pulling the bins away from my eyes to scan. Also the eye relief of 13mm is a little short for the both of us as eyeglass wearers, where the 8×42’s 19.

5mm eye relief really helps our viewing of objects more comfortably. Maybe the new NOCS 8×42’s will feature more comfortable technical specs, I’ll certainly test them out, but I wish more people who reviewed these bins would have remarked on these challenges.

Granted someone said they wouldn’t replace their primary optics, but my wife kept borrowing my pair of 8×42’s when she had her NOCS 8x25s around her neck. I think we will be returning them for a more comfortable pair with closer minimum focus, maybe not Monarch’s but maybe a lower range 8×42 binocular.

I wish I had these for my Yellowstone park visit! These binoc’s are compact, heavy duty, and have a nice grippy texture for holding. While I received the seafoam color for review, I see that these are also available in an assortment of colors.

I took these out to the coast to do a little birdwatching and thought these were very easy to use. I do wish that the lenses retracted a bit more (guess my eyes are closer together than the average person).

Also, I will likely get a more substantial neck strap. There’s also an included carrying pouch and lens towel so these are ready to go out of the box.

Fantastic pair of compact binoculars. I’m glad that I chose the 10x as they image is really big and clear. Finding subjects through the binoculars is easy as they are so light with a bright image. They are well made and feel solid but with the benefit of being compact.

The case is quirky with the bins having to be placed in upside down!! Once you’ve mastered this and folding the neck strap between the lenses, it’s a good little case. There are no lens caps supplied which doesn’t bother me as they would be small and very easy to lose, I imagine.

I have used and had all different makes and models of binoculars during my 41 year career in State Natural Resource Law Enforcement. Still have an old pair of Leitz 10 x40 I have had since the 70’s. I also own a pair of Viper 10 X 42, they are clear and very good but they have one flaw which makes the Nikon Monarch 7 10 X 42 a better value at the same price.

The Nikon Monarch 7 10 X 42 does have a wide field of view but what I like about them is the depth of field. This being an area that is in focus on an object in depth from the front to the back. One can tell by turning the focus wheel while viewing a focused subject, bird or object until the object is out of focus.

Most binoculars have a short depth of field but the Nikon Monarch 7 10 X 42 does not which makes for a pleasant viewing experience and for one not constantly trying to get a sharp focus and turning the focus wheel at what your looking at.

This is especially true while watching a bird that is moving about.

I chose these because I thought they were great when I borrowed them from a colleague. I think she must have had the 7’s as I remember the image being brighter and clearer than what these are but overall the image is good, especially for the price if you get them on sale.

I use these in the field for doing bird and other environmental work. They are good for narrower set eyes like I have (but fit regular and wide too). As others have mentioned, the eyepiece lens covers are too big.

They don’t stay on which is annoying and will no doubt cause debris to scratch the lenses. Overall though I would choose these again over others.

Needed an EDC binocular, but did not want to break the bank. As EDC goes, an excellent choice. Field of view is excellent, picture is bright, ergonomy is ok, but could be better. Focus adjustment wheel is stif, and in general it’s not that easy to focus quickly (compared with more expensive glass).

This gives the feeling that sharpness is not cutting age (disclaimer: my full size binos are of premium kind, many times more expensive than these). But (!), I am extremely happy with my choice, picture is very good, they are excellent for packing light.