UK Binoculars – Optical Zoom

Horizon 10×25 Compact Binoculars

10x25 Pocket Binoculars

The Horizon 10×25 pocket binoculars look the part, thay feel good in the hand too. I already know that the 25mm objective lenes are too small to make these a really good pair of binoculars, but I do like them. The price is good at around £25 and the multicoated lenses and long eye relief make the spec pretty good. So what’s wrong with them? Too small! For anything other than a bright sunnyday the image will be dim, I’m sure. I will give them a good test and report fairly on my findings but I am sure they will under preform. I do think that to just throw in your ruck sack and take on holiday they may well be perfect. But too really get the most from your binos 32mm has to be the miminum objective lens size. Ok so I’m already biased, and I’ve said too much without trying them out. Lets see how they fair. I have say that this is a very nice looking bit of kit and they have a very good expensive feel (for cheap binos).

The first test is in good light on a sunny day and they are very good. The minimum focus I can get is about 2.5 meters, better than advertised. The focus wheel is firm and definate, not quick but fast enough. I can easily spot small birds and on this occassion come across a sparrow hawk. It’s pretty easy to track him and all is sharp. The overall brighness is good too.  He found himself a good spot and then didn’t move for 20 minutes, allowing me a chance to have a really good look. I just happened to have a pair of Nikon Monarchs with me so had a quick squint. In good light there wasn’t a lot in it. The 8x magnification didn’t make any difference nor did the larger objective lens. Until he moved that is, Then the lower mag Nikons showed their metal. To be fair the little Horizons are a lot cheaper and not a million miles away in quality.  In Poor light the 10×25 did drop in every area as expected. They were still ok and still very usable. I would say that is you want something cheap, light and servicable these will fit the bill. Being small they are good for kids, wanting to take up birding. At the price point of £25 most poeple can afford them and they will last a good while if you take care of them. I have to honest, I was glad I had those Nikons with me, but if I hadn’t I would still have come home happy. Here are the main specs:

• 10 x 25
• Multicoated lenses
• Roof Prism / Coated
• Diopter adjment
• Internal Focus
• Concealed hinge (very tough)
• Aluminium Shell
• Rubber Grips

Good all rounders, nice looking and light weight.

Horizon 10×42 RealTree Camo ATB Binos

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RealTree Camo Binoculars

The ATB real tree camo binoculars are a new model from Horizon. The pair I’ve tested are the WP2 and not yet on sale in the UK. I’m told they will be available in August this year. At first glance it hard not to compare then to the Nikon Monarch ATB model. In fact I think I prefer the look of these. One of the biggest differences with the WP2 over the standard model is the use of BAK-4 glass as well as the being waterproof and dry nitrogen purged. Just like the Nikons,

All waterproof binoculars should be nitrogen filled or purged, this makes them fog free and also proves the integrity of the seals. It’s something to look out for. This pair of binoculars feels good in the hand and light enough to lug around all day. Infact they also put me in mind of the Bushnell Trophy or Legend. Although I think these are lighter. Having a quick look through them gives a clear bright image. Adjusting them is a sinch and once set up the crispness is very good. It’s a cloudy day so an image this bright is a real bonus. Getting the right set up is important for any binocular and we’ll cover how to do this in a seperate article. I took these to my favorite forest in Hampshire and treated them to a pretty rough day out. They seemed happy to be treated with something lees than respect and performed well.

I was pleased with the optical quality, as good as I would expect and still comparing well with the Nikon. Nothing fell off and they came back as they went out, plus a bit of mud and a few twigs. I thought the focusing was fast and almost silent. Ideally I’d like a pair of 8×42 but was pleasantly surprised at how steady these were.  Here is the spec. Although it might be different for the UK, who knows:

Magnification x Objective Lens (mm) 10x 42
Size Class Standard
Focus System Center
Prism System Roof
Prism Glass  BK-4
Lens Coating Multi
Field of View (ft.@1000yds / m@1000m)293 / 98
Close Focus (ft. / m)23 / 7.0
Exit Pupil (mm)              4.2
Eye Relief (mm)           14.7
Eyecups Twist-Up
Waterproof / Fogproof / Nitrogen Filled
Adapt to Tripod             No
Color          Real Tree Camo
Weight (oz. / g) 23.6 / 670

Good all round performance and value. The Nikon Monarch is a little better, but that’s just me and I expect they cost twice as much. For a budget buy and a good long guarantee these are very,very good. A 20 Year Guarantee and No Fault Policy means you’ll have years of use from these binoculars.

Horizon 4×30 Budget Compact Binoculars

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Budget Binoculars

Horizon generally make binoculars at the mid to higher enad of the market, but this is a budget offering. At first glance they look like roof prisms but they’re not. This is a pretty basic binocular aimed at youngsters and beginners. Having a look through them shows a nice bright image and the quick easy focus brings it in sharp. The lenses are fully coated glass and perform well. The outer body is rubber armoured and made of a composite (plastic) material. The feel strong and rugged and are good to hold. The compact size makes for easy portability.

They are a light weight well designed budget binoculars with good optical properties. These would make a good first pair or a handy standby second pair. If you want to introduce a youngster to birdwatching they make a good starting point. At about £20 with a 10 year guarantee, a soft case, lens cloth and neck strap they represent good value.

Specification:
Power x Obj. 4×30
Size Class Compact
Focus System Center
Prism System N/A
Prism Class N/A
Lens Coating FC
FOV, ft.@1000yds. / m@1000m-650/217
Close Focus, ft./m- 20/6
Exit Pupil, mm 7.5
Eye Relief 15
Weight, oz./g 7.5/215

Long eye relief, quick focus, feather light and easy to hold.

Very easy to operate the focus wheel. The light gathering is good too. They are not for the serious user but at around £20 they seem much better than expected.

Leica Ultravid 10×42 Review

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Leica Ultravid - Best in the World?

Leica  Ultravid because of its superb optical resolution and contrast, the Ultravid belongs in any list of the top binoculars of the world.

Look through a Leica Ultravid, and you’re immediately struck by just how sharp and bright the image is from the center of the rather generous field of view to the extrmr edges, and how true and free from bias are the colors.

With a magnesium housing and a titanium hinge shaft, this binocular is strong and tough as well as  very lightweight.

The trademark, precise diopter adjustment on the central column makes it easy to check the setting at a glance. The diopter can also be easily found by feel, but it locks and won’t get accidentally knocked off its setting.

Leica offers all the Ultravid models with a non-slip, bump-resistant black or green rubber covering (labeled BR). Very good to handle.

The Ultravid 10×42 BL is remarkably lightweight for a binocular of this superior optical quality. Among the top binoculars, the 10×42 Leicas Ultravids tied with Zeiss and Swarovski for wide field of view (330 ft. at 1000 yd.).

The Ultravid comes in 7×42, 8×42, 10×42, 8×50, 10×50, and 12×50. We tested the 8×42 and 10×42 for this review.

Leica offer a life time warrant that as long as the binocular remain with the orignial owner covers just about any eventuality. They also have a no fault policy but due to a recent update only cover the first 3 years.

Overall and excellent pair of binoculars and designed perfectly for birdwatching well worth the money, which is – around £1400. A lot of money and really only for the serious user.

Tasco essentials Classic 10×50 binocular review

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Tasco Classic 10x50

The Tasco Essentials classic 10 x50 are a failry basic pair of porro prism binos. They have coated glass and look and feel strong and robust. the 50mm objective lenses mean they should be good enought for astronomy and or bird watching. They feel ok weight wise although a little bigger than I’m used to. A quick look through shows a nice bright crisp imamge in good light and the quality is good. In fact I’m already looking forward to getting out and seeing how well they perform. The glass is BAK-7  which is good enough and porros prisms are often beeter than a cheap pair of roofs. Although the gap is closing these days.

Before I go and try theses out and about here are a fe of thr features: Rubber armour coating (feels good to hold) Bak-7  coated glass.  Size 180mm long x 190mm wide – objective lens 50mm. Diopter adjustment (right eye piece). Field of view 367 ‘ at 1000 yrds, exit pupil 5mm and they weigh in at 26 onces.

The first I noticed about these is the very quick focus. Tasco call it zip focus and I can see why. I like it but it won’t be for everyone. You are able to move through the entire range of focus in about half a turn of the focus wheel. Great for following sports and useful for bird watching too. Out in the sunlight the multi coated lenses are perfect. Good sharp bright images, well above the the price range of these binoculars. I manage to see some tiny woodland birds that are like greased lightning! I was also able to track a couple of sailing boats out on the Solent easily.

So far so good, to be frank this is a good pair of all purpose binos. Not the best but a very sound bit of kit. Tasco usually offer a limited lifetime warranty on their binoculars but on these it’s only 1 year. Then again look at the price- the most you’ll spend on these is £30. They come with a soft pouch, lens cloth and a neck strap. If you want to take up bird / nature watching or even get into astronomy this is a really good first pair. Also a good second pair too. There’s no waterproofing, not nitrogen purged and only 12months guarantee but for the money you do get: good BAK-7 glass, multicoated lenes and a well known name.

On the downside they are a bit on the big side, but still luggable. The zip focus isn’t for everyone and they look like a pair of binoculars from a petrol station. Having said that they are a real bargain and if you look after them I think you’ll get years of fun. All that for £30.

waterproof 8×30 Roof Prism Review

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Waterproof 8x30 Roofs

This is a tough nice to handle pair of binoculars, in fact they feel like a very expensive pair. Optically there are close to the top or range for a 2-300 GBP bino, but of course they are much cheaper than that. Less than £100. A very impressive spec includes:

Multi coated BAK-7 glass

Nitrogen filled

Fully Waterpoofed

Quick Responsive focus

Rugged Rubber Armour

Wide Angle of Veiw

Close Focus – 6 meters

5 Year Warranty

The list goes on.

So Lets put them trough their paces.  A day out in the field and some serious bird watching should find any weak spots. They have a rubber armor-coated deep black. It is compact and elegant. It is under six inches long and under 5 inches wide. The statistics state the minimum focusing distance is 30 feet. It is not –mine focused down to only 15 feet –crystal clear! What a pleasant surprise!  The diopter adjustment is precise and easy to reach, best of all the image is clear and sharp also bright. In fact they perform more like an expensive pair of BAK-4 FMC glasses. Light and easy to carry and use, on the whole a good pair of roof prism binos. Ideal for spotting small birds and perfect for any environment. ‘ll be hanging on to this pair. Until recently they retailed at over £200 but are now available for £95 with free shipping, a money back guarantee and a no fault policy. Bargain!! Find then at UK Binoculars Direct

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