Yukon Optics (1 Viewer)

Hi everyone,

anyone got any experience with Yukon binoculars?

I found this review while looking for inexpensive lowlight bins for dusk and night time use.
http://www.uttings.com/categories/Optics/Binoculars/Yukon/Futurus7x50Review.pdf

I've been watching roosts recently and my 8x32s just aren't up to it but I don't want to spend lots of money on bins that I wont use very often. I'm aware that in lowlight conditions, expensive bins will really show their worth but I can't afford them so I think cheap but decent porros are the way forward.

A local mail order supplier do a whole range of Futuras:

http://www.uttings.com/

I read on BF recently (can't find the post again now) that Yukon bins are based on old Carl Zeiss Jena designs but with newer coatings and actually rather good.
The Futuras 7x50W were described as spectacular by ksbird/foxranch in post #9 of this thread:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=125632&highlight=futuras

Are the Futuras 7x50W in the thread the same as the 7x50WA in the review and on the suppliers website or are they different models?

What do you think of them?

I'm put off by the gimmicky lens covers but if the view is great who cares what the bins look like? Also can they be good at such a low price?

Sorry about the overload of questions!

Best wishes
Martin

Has nobody got any experience/opinion on Yukon Optics?

Never used them. Yukon is a "new" name for one of the Russian optics makers but I suspect they sell stuff that is made in Russia/ukraine and China today.

I mentioned the Yukon porro binoculars because I have had very good luck with them. The 7x50W I mentioned may have been a typo because the old Zeiss Jena model was the 7x50W Jenoptem. The model I have is the 7x50WA Futura. I also use the 12x50WA on a regular basis and just recently have been using the 16x50. I have also use the 10x50WA that a friend owns and I like them as well.

If you aren't used to them, the heavy rubber coating and integral eye lens caps and objective caps, make these binoculars seem heavier than some others, but they aren't that much heavier and I got used to using them on a near daily basis. On the other hand I've dropped all my Yukons a few times and I'm quite happy they were armored. I've also been silly and left the 7x50s out all night and even though they picked up very heavy dew sufficient to make puddles covering the eye lenses, they have never fogged internally.

The 7x50WA is very very good. It is sharp most of the way across the field and has good resistance to off axis flare and ghost images. It is surprising that the FOV on these (8.5-9 degrees) is nearly as good as most 7x35 bins, and these 7x50WA is very bright. I use them as night glasses to watch owls who roost in a 2 acre woodlot at the back of my property. The 7x50s are actually much brighter than required for day use, so the 12x50s are what I normally use. They are heavy but that seems to help me hold them steady enough to use without a tripod or brace.

I hope you get them and enjoy them as much as I have. They were discounted when I bought them, and so they were great price performers. Good luck