Binoculars of Note
Leupold Golden Ring HD
High-end Binocular Round-up, 2008
by Michael and Diane Porter
Our survey of top binoculars (High-end Binoculars Round-up, Bird Watcher's Digest, September, 2008) included the Leupold Golden Ring HD binocular.
A unique feature of the Leupold Golden Ring HD is that you can turn a knob at the far end of the central column to hold the interpupillary distance constant. This lock is useful if your binocular gets a lot of rough service, as it means you won't miss a sighting due to the binocular hinge having accidentally opened or closed. It's easy to lock and unlock with a flick of a finger, in case you need to move the barrels together for a close target.
The 10x42 model has a wonderful field of view (340 feet) and will give you the big picture experience, a feature that more than one judge commented on favorably.
Several of our judges complained about the weight and rather large size of the Golden Ring HD. It tied with the Kowa Genesis as the two heaviest roof prism binoculars in our survey. The focus knob of the Golden Ring HD was a bit stiff, causing some of our judges to comment that the binocular was hard to focus. However, the knob is extra wide, so a person can use two fingers to turn it, and that is a decided plus.
See our Ratings Chart for the statistical comparison of how the Leupold Golden Ring HD compared to other top-end binoculars in our survey.
The Golden Ring HD comes in 8x42, 10x42, 8x32, and 10x32.
 Copyright 2008 by Michael and Diane Porter.
This article appears as part of the High-end Binoculars Round Up in the September, 2008, issue of Bird Watcher's Digest.
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