Kit guide
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Canon 8x25 IS £250 Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42 £700 These premium binoculars offer performance in a compact and lightweight design, with superb build quality. With a 10x magnification and large 42mm objective lenses, there’s plenty of light. The lenses feature Zeiss’s T* multi-coating and give a high light transmission of up to 90%, so they perform very well in dawn and twilight. The new Zeiss HD lenses offer excellent clarity and neutral colour reproduction. Even with high quality materials used, these bins are light, well balanced and allow for all-day observation, while the body is slim and easily pocketable. Ergonomics are good too, with a contoured edge ensuring a more comfortable grip and a large focussing wheel for easy operation when wearing gloves. The construction, with aluminium used, is robust feeling, and for viewing in wild weather, the lenses have a protective LotuTec coating, which lets water slide off easily and allows more effective cleaning of dirt and dust, minimising the risk of scratching. They’re also nitrogen-filled for protection against fogging. Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars are also available in 8x32, 10x32 and 8x42, 8x56, 10x56 and 15x56 versions. The use of image stabilisation (IS) is a compelling advancement in binocular technology and anyone who’s struggled to hold an image clear will feel the benefit of it. The Canon 8x25 IS is the most compact and lightweight IS binoculars Canon has made to date. At around 120mm wide and weighing 490g, they’re not as small and light as many 8x25 models, but unless you’re really packing light, you’re unlikely to notice them in your bag. As you’d expect, the increased weight is down to the IS system which also requires power from a single CR123A lithium battery, the latter giving up to 6 hours of use. The IS is triggered by holding a button on the top, just in front of the focusing ring and works so well that once tried, you may find it difficult to go back. Image quality is also tip-top, thanks in part to the Super Spectra lens coating which suppresses flare and ghosting, gives higher contrast and more natural colours. In terms of handling, the model has a pleasingly rounded shape and the large focusing knob, is easily located. As a compact model, the 8x25 gives an exit pupil of 3.5mm, meaning that they’re better for daytime use. Nikon 16x50Action EXATB £170 If you want a pair of binoculars with lots of magnification, look no further than Nikon’s 16x50 Action Ex model. The 16x view and big 50mm objective lenses make them the heavyweight of the group, but all that reach and light-gathering potential also means they’re brilliant for distant subjects and astronomical observations. Backing up the optical power is first-class image quality thanks to multilayer-coated lenses and they’re build for ruggedness as well as a comfortable hold with a shock-resistant, non-slip rubber armour and waterproofing (up to 1m for five minutes). Like many of the examples here, they’re also filled with nitrogen gas to prevent fogging. At nearly 18mm, the eye-relief makes them a good choice if you wear spectacles and the turn-and- slide eyecups use multiple click-stop positions, making them easier and quicker to adjust. Such a high magnificaton factor makes it more difficult to hold a steady view, but this model answers that problem with an adapter to mount them on a tripod or monopod, removing shake and making extended viewing more comfortable. At well under £200, they’re great value, too.
Bushnell LegendUltraHD8x42 £250 Bushnell produces binoculars at a broad range of prices, and its Legend series brings a very attractive mix of price and features with build quality and performance normally reserved for larger wallets. Image quality is great thanks to the use of Extra Low Dispersion (ED) fluorite glass, which keeps contrast high and colours true all the while eliminating fringing to bring out the most distinct details possible in low-light conditions. Anti-reflection coatings are used on all elements within the optical path and the roof-prisms used are also coated to maximise light transmittance. These steps, combined with the 8x42 specification give top-viewing in any conditions and it’s good news on the build and handling front too. Handling is a pleasure thanks to gel pads used under the rubberised exterior and Bushnell’s Rainguard HD coating is used on the objective lenses, repelling water and oils to reduce any fogging and lead to easier cleaning. What’s more, these binoculars use a combination of O-ring sealing and nitrogen gas to withstand humidity and changes in temperature that lead to fogging as well as making them waterproof. Steiner makes a broad range of optically excellent, hard-wearing binoculars, and these are a great example. With large, 42mm objectives lenses and a 10x magnification, there’s lots of power onboard. With an exit pupil of 4.2mm, there’s plenty of scope for use in low-light too. High Contrast Optics deliver clear views and finding your subject is easy with the large, rubberised focusing ring. Despite the high magnification, the field of view at 1000m is an above average 108m. The exterior is coated in rubber armouring which protects from physical damage and offers resistance to oil and acid, staying easy to grip in conditions from -20°C to +70°C, and feel is improved by ribbing on the contact points. Thanks to their excellent build quality and the nitrogen gas used internally, they’re waterproof to a depth of 3m. The SkyHawk has nicely curved eye-cups, whose ergonomic design protects against any side-lighting and dust in the wind, and a ClicLoc strap attachment allowing you to securely fasten or remove the included neoprene strap in seconds. The Skyhawk 3.0 range also includes options at 8x32, 10x32 and 8x42. If you plan to make a serious investment in your next pair of binoculars, the Leica Ultravid HD-Plus range boasts a mix of build quality and performance to justify their heady price tag. The ‘Plus’ variant builds on the already successful Leica Ultravid HD models, using new coating methods on the lenses, and upgraded prisms made from specially formulated Schott glass. These measures improve light transmission, leading to brighter pictures with better colour rendition, and combined with the 8x42 specification, this makes them particularly well suited to unfavourable light (as well as giving a damn fine view in clearer conditions). For use in all weathers, and protected against scratches and abrasion, thanks to the lenses’ AquaDura coating, Ultravid HD models also feature a shock-absorbent construction to resist damage. The design makes wide use of magnesium and titanium, to provide strength while keeping the weight down, and the surface has a rubberised coating to provide safe and steady handling and an excellent grip,. The Ultravid HD-Plus range extends up to a 50mm objective lens. Steiner SkyHawk 3.0 10x42 £400 LeicaUltravidHD-Plus 8x42 £1600
SPECS
SPECS
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 61m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 7m SIZE: 196x177x73mm WEIGHT: 1040g
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 142m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 2m SIZE: 146x124x72mm WEIGHT: 700g
MAGNIFICATION: x16 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 50mm EYE RELIEF: 17.8mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1mm
MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 17.2mm EXIT PUPIL: 5.3mm
CONTACT: www.nikon.co.uk
CONTACT: www.bushnell.eu/uk
SPECS
SPECS
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 115m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 3.5m SIZE: 120x138x61mm WEIGHT: 490g
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 108m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 2m SIZE: 128x147x61mm WEIGHT: 750g
MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 25mm EYE RELIEF: 13.5mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1mm
MAGNIFICATION: x10 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 16mm EXIT PUPIL: 4.2mm
CONTACT: www.steiner-binoculars.co.uk
CONTACT: www.canon.co.uk
SPECS
SPECS
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 115m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 2m SIZE: 148x74x155mm WEIGHT: 750g
FIELDOF VIEW AT 1000M: 119m MINIMUMFOCUS DISTANCE: 3.11m SIZE: 143x120x67mm WEIGHT: 790g
MAGNIFICATION: x10 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 17mm EXIT PUPIL: 4.2mm
MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 15.5mm EXIT PUPIL: 5.3mm
CONTACT: zeiss.co.uk
CONTACT: www.leica.co.uk
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Issue 19 | Photography News
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