Helios Ultimate-HR

[Mark1]

I have returned to birding after a relatively long break. my old bins are a bit past it now and i received a new pair for christmas- Helios Ultimate-HR 8x42. they are a big improvement on my old pair but are these a decent pair of birding bins- optical quality etc?

[lucznik]

How bad can they really be if they were free?

[Marko_]

I have returned to birding after a relatively long break. my old bins are a bit past it now and i received a new pair for christmas- Helios Ultimate-HR 8x42. they are a big improvement on my old pair but are these a decent pair of birding bins- optical quality etc?

Definately decent.

I used to have a pair of Helios Ultimate-HR 7x50, and they were my main binoculars for a number of years.

Optics were OK, no complaints there. Of course you get better optics if you buy something that costs many times more. I think the image was quite good. Bright, sharp in the centre, but got softer towards the edges, which is normal in this price range. The coatings are good, I would say (which means there were no disturbing reflections/glare). They are not waterproof but can withstand some rain. I wouldn't soak them.

It's a question of what your needs are. If you like them, they're good.