Full-size Binoculars

PART IV — Chart of Binoculars Specifications

(From OPTICS ROUNDUP,
January, 2000, BirdWatcher's Digest)

by Diane and Michael Porter

Birding Binoculars Table
From the Optics Round-up Article
by Michael and Diane Porter
Bird Watcher's Digest, January, 2000

The accompanying table shows some of the models considered to be best for birding. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. There are many omissions. Please consider it just as a list of benchmarks to compare others against.

The table is ordered alphabetically by manufacturer.

Don't be disheartened by the retail prices. They can be misleading, since many binoculars are heavily discounted.

Manufacturer

Power

Model Prism Design Weight (oz.) Close Focus (ft.) Eye Relief (mm.)
Field of View
Sugg'd Retail Price
Eyecups
Tripod Mount
H2O proof
Nitr filled
Phase corrected
Bausch & Lomb
 10x42 Elite Roof 28 5 19.5
285
$1,420
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y
Bausch & Lomb
 8x42 Elite Roof 29 5 19.5
365
$1,360
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y
Bausch & Lomb
 8x50 Elite Porro 30 13 19
320
$1,400
slide-out
N
Y
Y
Y
Bausch & Lomb
 10x42 Discoverer Roof 28 10 16
341
$598
slide-out
N
Y
Y
N
Bausch & Lomb
 7x26 Custom Compact Reverse Porro 13 8 16
320
$420
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Bausch & Lomb
 10x40 Custom Armored Porro 29.3 13 19
273
$520
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Bushnell
 8x42 Legend Roof 30 6 16
315
$479
twist-up
Y
Y
Y
N
Bushnell
 8x40 Birder Porro 19 15 15
340
$75
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Brunton
 10x42 Eterna Roof 30 6 18
338
$399
slide-out
N
Y
Y
N
Brunton
 7x42 Eterna Roof 30 5.5 20
416
$389
slide-out
N
Y
Y
N
Canon
 10x30 Image Stabilized Porro 22 13.8 14.5
344
$960
rubber
N
N
N
N
Celestron
 8x40 Birdwatcher Porro 21 10 14
473
$150
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Celestron
 8x42 Regal Roof 24 6 20
331
$750
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Celestron
 10x50 Regal Roof 28 8 20
263
$780
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Deutsch Optik
 8x40 Optolyth Porro 20.5 10 16
330
$459
rubber
N
N
Y
NA
Deutsch Optik
 10x50 Optolyth Porro 20.8 10 16
330
$489
rubber
N
N
Y
NA
Eagle Optics
 8x32 Voyager Porro 19 10 14
436
$148
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Eagle Optics
 9.5x44 Voyager ED Porro 24 15 14
315
$450
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Eagle Optics
 7x36 Ranger Roof 20 5 19
374
$700
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Eagle Optics
 10x50 Ranger Roof 28 8 17
262
$760
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Eagle Optics
 8x42 Ranger (Ph Crtd) Roof 22.6 6 18
328
$870
rubber
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fujinon
 14x40 Techno-Stabi Roof 43.4 5 13
287
$1,800
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y
Kowa
 10x40 MG ZCF Porro 26.1 14.6 16.5
330
$293
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Kowa
 7x40 MG ZCF Porro 26.8 16.2 22.5
393
$279
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Kowa
 8x45 MG DCF Roof 29.3 17.9 20.5
324
$416
rubber
N
Y
Y
N
Kowa
 10x45 MG DCF Roof 29.6 17.9 12.5
315
$430
rubber
N
Y
Y
N
Leica
 7x42 Trinovid BA Roof 31.4 8 17
420
$995
pop-up
N
Y
Y
Y
Leica
 8x32 Trinovid BA Roof 22 8.5 13.2
405
$1,095
pop-up
N
Y
Y
Y
Leica
 8x42 Trinovid BA Roof 31.5 17.5 15.9
390
$1,095
pop-up
N
Y
Y
Y
Leica
 10x32 Trinovid BA Roof 22 8.5 13.5
360
$1,095
pop-up
N
Y
Y
Y
Leica
 10x42 Trinovid BA Roof 31.5 9.7 13.5
330
$1,095
pop-up
N
Y
Y
Y
Meade
 8x42 Safari Pro Porro 25.5 10 19
430
$285
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Meade
 8x56 Rainforest Roof 38.5 26 23
341
$799
rubber
N
N
N
N
Mirador
 8x40 Mirador Porro 23.3 6 18.7
330
$441
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Mirador
 8x42 Mirador Porro 21.9 6 18
330
$378
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Nikon
 7x35 E Porro 21.5 16.1 16
383
$471
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Nikon
 10x42 Superior E Porro 25 16.4 17.4
314
$1,205
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Nikon
 8x42 Venturer LX Roof 34.6 9.6 20
366
$1,661
twist up
N
Y
Y
Y
Nikon
 10x42 Venturer LX Roof 34.6 9.6 19
315
$1,783
twist up
N
Y
Y
Y
Pentax
 10x42 DCF WP Roof 26.8 8.2 18
330
$900
slide-out
Y
Y
Y
Y
Pentax
 8x42 DCF WP Roof 26.8 8.2 22
330
$780
slide-out
Y
Y
Y
Y
Pentax
 8x32 DCF WP Roof 22.7 8.2 22
330
$655
slide-out
Y
Y
Y
Y
Pentax
 10x50 DCF WP Roof 32.5 13 22
261
$900
slide-out
Y
Y
Y
Y
Pentax
 8x42 DCF HR Roof 24 13.1 22
324
$480
rubber
Y
N
N
N
Pentax
 8x40 PCF III Porro 26.8 11.5 20
330
$250
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Steiner
 10x42 Rocky S Roof 25 5.9 15.5
295
$1,349
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Steiner
 8x42 Rocky S Roof 25 5.5 23
367
$1,199
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Swarovski
 10x42 EL 10X42 Roof 27.5 8 15
330
$1,550
twist up
N
Y
Y
Y
Swarovski
 8.5x42 EL 8.5X42 Roof 28.9 8 18
390
$1,499
twist up
N
Y
Y
Y
Swarovski
 10x50 SLC WB Roof 41.6 16.5 17
336
$1,362
twist up
Y
Y
Y
Y
Swarovski
 10x42 SLC WB Roof 30.7 13.2 14
330
$1,110
twist up
Y
Y
Y
Y
Swarovski
 7x42 SLC WB Roof 33.5 13.2 19
420
$1,050
twist up
Y
Y
Y
Y
Swarovski
 8x30 SLC WB Roof 19 13.2 15
408
$865
twist up
N
Y
Y
Y
Swift
 8x42 Trilyte Roof 20.4 24 16
341
$360
rubber
Y
Y
Y
N
Swift
 8x44 Ultra Lite Porro 25 18 21
341
$725
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Swift
 10x42 Ultra Lite Porro 21 16.5 22
346
$460
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Swift
 8x32 Ultra Lite Porro 19.6 13.5 15
436
$425
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Swift
 8x40 Plover Porro 25 15 14
472
$190
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Swift
 8.5x44 Audubon 804 ED Porro 29.3 12 14.5
430
$965
rubber
N
N
N
NA
Tasco
 8x42 Bald Eagle 8X42 Roof 26 9 19
346
$668
slide-out
N
Y
Y
N
Tasco
 10x42 CA Condor Porro 27.3 10 16
343
$285
rubber
Y
N
N
NA
Zeiss
 8x30 Diafun B MC Roof 15.9 16 14.6
360
$500
rubber
N
Y
N
N
Zeiss
 10x40 ClassiC B/GAT Roof 26.8 16.4 16
330
$1,150
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y
Zeiss
 7x42 ClassiC B/GAT Roof 28 11.5 19
460
$1,150
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y
Zeiss
 7x45 Design Selection Roof 41 9.8 17.7
151
$1,400
rubber
N
Y
Y
Y

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