Birdwatching Dot Com

Main Chart

from Midpriced Binoculars Round Up

November, 2007, Bird Watcher's Digest

by Michael and Diane Porter


The following table shows the binoculars arranged by their OVERALL QUALITY scores, with highest scores at the top.

You may also view a more detailed chart showing the breakdown of the component scores.

 

Legend

Street Price :

 what a buyer has to pay, estimated, as of November, 2007

Field of View:

 in feet, at 1000 yards

Coatings:

 MC = multi coated; FMC = fully multi coated

Diopter Indicators:

 M = marks; D = detents; DM = detents & marks; C = center point only shown

Diopter Location:

 E = on eyepiece; fk = with focus knob
 CF = on far end of central column; CC = on close end of central column

Eyecups Style:

 T = twist-up; TC = twist-up, with clicks; P = push-pull; F = fold-down



Manufacturer

Model

Power

Street Price

SCORE: Overall Quality

Prism Style

Field of View

Eye Relief (mm)

Close Focus (ft.)

Water- proof?

Wt. (oz.)

Length (in.)

Width (in.)

Coatings

Diopter Locks?

Diopter Indicators

Diopter Location

Eyecup Style

Leica

8X20

$679

4.8

roof

341

16.0

7.2

yes

8.5

3.6

4.4

FMC

Yes

M

FK

P

Leica

10X25

$699

4.7

roof

273

15.0

10.5

yes

9.4

4.4

4.4

FMC

Yes

M

FK

P

Minox

HG

8.5X43

$789

4.6

roof

321

18.0

7.6

yes

22.9

5.7

5.0

FMC

Yes

M

E

TC

Vortex

8X42

$700

4.6

roof

410

18.0

8.2

yes

29.4

6.5

5.5

FMC

Yes

DM

FK

TC

Minox

HG

8X33

$679

4.5

roof

395

15.0

6.6

yes

21.3

5.0

4.9

FMC

Yes

M

E

TC

Pentax

8X32

$799

4.5

roof

393

17.0

4.9

yes

23.5

5.0

5.0

FMC

Yes

M

E

TC

Vortex

8X42

$480

4.5

roof

347

20.0

5.1

yes

23.0

5.8

5.3

FMC

Yes

C

E

TC

Leupold

Katmai

6X32

$290

4.4

roof

425

19.2

4.9

yes

18.2

4.1

4.7

FMC

No

D

E

TC

Eagle Optics

8X42

$300

4.4

roof

341

19.5

5.2

yes

21.8

5.8

5.1

FMC

No

C

E

TC

Zeiss

8X20

$450

4.3

roof

351

14.0

8.2

yes

7.9

4.0

3.8

FMC

No

M

CF

P

Nikon

10X42

$320

4.3

roof

314

15.5

8.2

yes

21.1

5.6

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

T

Bushnell

Elite 2

10X42

$500

4.3

roof

341

17.0

8.0

yes

28.0

5.7

5.0

FMC

Yes

DM

FK

T

Nikon

8X36

$250

4.2

roof

367

17.0

8.2

yes

19.8

4.9

5.1

FMC

No

M

E

TC

Zeiss

10X25

$490

4.2

roof

285

14.0

13.1

yes

8.6

4.7

3.8

FMC

No

M

CF

P

Zeiss

Conquest

10X40

$800

4.2

roof

315

15.0

9.8

yes

29.0

6.0

5.0

FMC

No

C

CF

T

Zeiss

Conquest

8X40

$770

4.2

roof

360

16.0

9.8

yes

28.9

6.0

5.0

FMC

No

C

CF

T

Pentax

10X43

$649

4.1

roof

315

17.0

6.6

yes

25.0

5.7

5.0

FMC

Yes

M

E

TC

Minox

BL

8X32

$349

4.1

roof

429

15.5

6.2

yes

18.5

4.8

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

T

Pentax

8X43

$599

4.1

roof

330

22.0

6.6

yes

24.5

5.7

5.0

FMC

Yes

M

E

TC

Celestron

Noble

10X50

$298

4.1

roof

262

20.0

9.0

yes

27.0

6.7

5.2

FMC

No

M

E

T

Kowa

BD32-8x

8X32

$440

4.0

roof

430

15.0

6.0

yes

19.7

4.9

4.8

FMC

No

M

E

T

Zeiss

Conquest

10X30

$520

4.0

roof

288

15.0

9.8

yes

18.0

5.2

4.5

FMC

No

C

CF

T

Leupold

Pinnacles

8X42

$380

4.0

roof

341

17.8

6.6

yes

23.0

5.5

4.8

FMC

No

D

E

P

Vortex

Stokes Broadwing

8X42

$350

4.0

roof

350

18.0

5.0

yes

26.6

6.0

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

TC

Zeiss

Conquest

8X30

$471

4.0

roof

360

15.0

9.8

yes

17.5

5.6

4.5

FMC

No

C

CF

T

Kowa

BD42-8x

8X42

$530

4.0

roof

361

18.3

6.5

yes

25.8

5.7

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

T

Celestron

Noble

10X42

$282

4.0

roof

314

16.0

8.0

yes

24.0

5.8

5.1

FMC

No

M

E

T

Swift Sport Optics

Audubon (Model 828)

8.5X44

$360

4.0

roof

336

19.0

9.0

yes

23.4

5.8

4.9

FMC

Yes

DM

FK

T

Minox

BV 62167

8X42

$249

4.0

roof

389

18.0

3.9

yes

27.5

5.5

5.0

MC

No

M

E

TC

Minox

BL 62148

10X42

$399

3.9

roof

344

16.0

8.2

yes

22.9

5.6

5.0

MC

No

M

E

TC

Bushnell

Infinity

8.5X45

$380

3.9

roof

314

17.0

6.7

yes

25.0

6.0

5.3

FMC

Yes

DM

FK

TC

Swift Sport Optics

Eaglet

10X42

$490

3.9

roof

261

16.0

6.5

yes

23.6

5.4

5.0

FMC

No

D

E

T

Swift Sport Optics

Eaglet

7X36

$450

3.9

roof

374

16.0

5.9

yes

20.6

5.0

5.0

FMC

No

D

E

T

Fujinon

HB

12X60

$685

3.9

roof

285

15.5

5.0

yes

56.0

9.0

6.1

MC

No

DM

FK

TC

Swarovski

8X20 BN

8X20

$629

3.9

roof

345

13.0

13.0

yes

7.6

4.0

3.7

FMC

No

M

CC

T

Zeiss

Conquest Compact

8X20

$300

3.9

roof

345

14.0

10.8

yes

6.3

4.0

3.7

FMC

No

M

CC

F

Kowa

BD42-10x

10X42

$560

3.9

roof

344

17.6

6.6

yes

26.3

5.7

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

T

Kowa

BD32-10x

10X32

$465

3.9

roof

344

15.0

4.9

yes

19.9

5.0

4.8

FMC

No

M

E

T

Celestron

Regal LX

10X42

$452

3.9

roof

319

16.0

6.0

yes

25.0

5.8

5.3

FMC

No

DM

E

P

Celestron

Regal LX

8X42

$442

3.9

roof

340

20.0

6.0

yes

25.0

5.8

5.3

FMC

No

DM

E

P

Alpen

Model 493

8X42

$305

3.8

roof

341

20.0

4.0

yes

19.4

5.8

5.0

FMC

No

DM

E

TC

Swarovski

10X25BN

10X25

$681

3.8

roof

285

13.0

16.0

yes

8.1

4.6

3.7

FMC

No

M

CC

T

Carson Optical

XM-832HD

8X32

$270

3.8

roof

420

15.5

9.8

yes

20.6

5.5

5.0

FMC

No

C

E

T

Alpen

Model 495

10X42

$320

3.8

roof

315

16.0

5.0

yes

24.0

5.6

5.0

FMC

No

DM

E

TC

Zeiss

Conquest Compact

10X25

$380

3.8

roof

285

14.0

18.0

yes

7.1

4.7

3.8

FMC

No

M

CC

F

Leupold

Cascades

8X42

$250

3.8

Porro

341

18.0

9.9

yes

22.9

5.5

5.5

MC

Yes

M

FK

T

Pentax

10X42

$299

3.7

roof

315

18.0

8.2

yes

22.2

5.7

5.2

FMC

No

D

FK

TC

Alpen

Teton 84

8X42

$599

3.7

roof

383

17.0

8.2

yes

26.5

6.0

5.0

FMC

No

M

E

TC

Alpen

Model 496

8.5X50

$330

3.6

roof

290

20.0

16.0

yes

28.0

7.0

5.0

FMC

No

C

E

TC

Canon

Image Stabilizer

12X36

$579

3.6

Porro

262

15.0

12.0

no

31.4

6.9

5.0

MC

No

M

E

F

Canon

Image Stabilizer

10X30

$359

3.5

Porro

314

14.5

13.8

no

22.0

5.9

5.0

MC

No

M

E

F

Pioneer Research

Steiner Wildlife Pro

10.5X28

$299

3.4

roof

264

13.0

8.5

yes

11.0

5.5

4.5

FMC

No

C

E

F

Pioneer Research

Steiner Merlin

8X42

$469

3.4

roof

342

19.0

6.9

yes

27.0

6.4

5.2

FMC

No

C

E

F

Pioneer Research

Steiner Merlin

8X32

$429

3.3

roof

336

15.0

8.9

yes

20.0

5.5

5.2

FMC

No

C

E

F

Pioneer Research

Steiner Merlin

10X42

$499

3.3

roof

274

18.0

7.9

yes

25.0

6.4

5.2

FMC

No

C

E

F

Pioneer Research

Steiner Wildlife Pro

8.5X26

$279

3.1

roof

333

13.0

6.5

yes

9.7

4.8

4.5

FMC

No

C

E

F

MIDPRICED BINOCULARS ROUND UP

WIDER CHART WITH MORE SCORE DETAIL

MIDPRICED BINOCULARS OF NOTE

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