As always I believe it to be a matter of perspective. I am not aware of any other $20 binocular that performs at this level...regardless of individual unit quality.
Steve,
Please add the following requests on your note to Charles....
- dielectric prism coating
- ED glass objectives
- better internal baffling
Oh, and around a $200 or under price point.
All I can think of for now.
Steve,
Please add the following requests on your note to Charles....
- dielectric prism coating
- ED glass objectives
- better internal baffling
Oh, and around a $200 or under price point.
All I can think of for now.
...I would agree that it can be "fun" to tear apart, from a technical perspective, some of these lower priced models.
Looking into the objective end of the binocular I noted two issues. In one barrel is a small "fleck" of material. It appears to be in on the second lens from the objective. I believe it is likely the result of the second issue. The retaining ring for the prism shows signs of either wear or just flaking of the black coating material around almost the entire circumference. Small bits of the silver colored metal are shining through. I am sure this is affecting some of the stray light issues mentioned previously....
... the 7x28 should only be considered instead if its size, weight and magnification are priorities that completely override optical quality.
henry link said:Overall, I think this is a pretty decent pair of binoculars.
Ouch. That's pretty damning Henry. And a significant change to your previous comment
Again I think we need to keep things in perspective. The Dakota 7x28s do NOT belong in a Cracker Jack box as a toy. Neither should they be looked upon as anyone's "go to" optics. They are inexpensive "beaters" or as some would say "truck bins" or "glove box bins." Their optics are more than passable for such casual use despite their shortcomings. For $20 plus shipping they do fill that niche nicely.
Bob,
The "pretty decent pair of binoculars" comment was made about the 8x32, not the 7x28. My point in the last post is that the extra $10 spent on the 8x32 will buy you a much better beater binocular.
My Dakota Elite 8x32's arrived today and they are DOA. The left barrel does not focus at all. When I move the focus knob while looking into the objective end I can see the mechanism moving in the right barrel but nothing moves in the left barrel. I called Wolf Camera but the folks who handle the ebay sales were gone for the day. We shall see what tomorrow brings. Bummer!
Tom
Bob,
The "pretty decent pair of binoculars" comment was made about the 8x32, not the 7x28. My point in the last post is that the extra $10 spent on the 8x32 will buy you a much better beater binocular.
Henry
Tom:
I have been watching this one, and I will defer to SteveC, the odds are not good to get one that even works well. I do respect his opinion, and I have not tried one of these.
It seems that the quality does vary and it may not even meet the needs of the glove box.
Why bother with this one? Many here can do much better than this.
Jerry