Bushnell Excursion 8x28 - first impressions (1 Viewer)

BUSHNELL EXCURSION 8X28
Power x Obj. Dia. 8x28
Field of View 417 ft. at 1000 yds
Exit Pupil 3.5 mm
Eye Relief 15 mm
Dimensions 4.5h X 3.75w inches
Close Focus 6 ft.
Weight 15.2 oz.
Weatherproofing Waterproof/Nitrogen Purged
Prism Material Exotic Phase-coated BaK-4
Coatings Fully Multi-coated
Armoring Rubber
Eye Cups Twist-up
Design Type Roof Prism

Although my main binos have been a Zeiss 7x42 and a Leica 8x32 for some
time I have felt the need for a compact rugged little grab and go pair
of binos.

When I saw the specs and price ($99 including shipping at EO) I figured
I'd take a chance on them.

First impressions...

Over-all build quality looks very good. The Binos, case and strap look
to be well made and designed and nothing looks obviously cheap or
sub-standard.

I like the quick connect snap-on neck strap. This feature is
particularly useful on small bins where you will be putting it in a
pocket and don't want to stuff in a strap as well. Also the connector on
bino body is smooth and recessed so it does not snag on anything. A nice
touch.

The strap, however, is too long. I like to carry my bins up on my chest
and the strap at it's shortest puts the bins down near my waist. It's so
long it's almost as if they packed the wrong part with the binos. Well
made and designed but too long. BTW I'm over 6 feet tall.

Also included with the package was captive objective covers and ep cover
as well as extra quick snap connectors to use on other neck snaps of
your choice. These connectors are proprietary so this was a thoughtful
touch.

Focus is a little stiff but perhaps this will ease up given time. Speed
of focus is just about right for birding. Although a little stiff it is
not rough nor has any lash at this point.

The twist up eye cups work well. I found the ideal position for my eyes
to be somewhere between full up and full down. When I set them at this
intermediate point they seem to stay there at least so far.

Most compacts I have used I have not liked because the ergonomics. I
dont like the two hinge system of many of them and find it clumsy and
awkward to use.

Also many compacts are, strangely, just too compact. You need something
that is scaled to the human hand with just enough heft to give a stable
view. These bins are just about perfect in that respect. Big enough to
get a comfortable secure grip but no bigger. The weight is just about
perfect also. I found myself using them with one hand and still being
reasonably stable. I can't do that with the Zeiss.

My overall impression is that a lot of thought has been put into the
overall design and that particular attention has been paid to the needs
of birders. These are not just another pair of off the shelf binos that
Bushnell has bought from some low cost Asian supplier. There is just too
much attention to detail. Bushnell must have had a great deal of input
into design and production.

This is just speculation on my part but I think Bushnell, being dominant in
low cost optics, has been seeing some erosion of their market share.
Because of the plethora of low cast no-name Asian imports as of late
Bushnell has gone after this segment with a vengeance to maintain
market share.

Optical performance:
This will be a purely subjective empirical evaluation. I will tell you
what my eyes tell me and will compare them directly to my Zeiss and
Leicas without making any allowance for the difference in cost.

In sharpness brightness and contrast the Bushnells were not as good as
the Zeiss or the Leicas. However, and this is important, it was not a
big difference either. If I picked up the Bushnells and used them for
actual bird watching within a few minutes I would forget about this
difference and they would be a very good pair of binos for all practical
purposes.

FOV:
I compared the FOV of the Bushnells with a claimed FOV of 417 feet
against the Zeiss 7x42 with a claimed FOV of 450 feet. I did this by
looking at a sheep fence with posts every 5 feet at a distance of 50 yds.
I was surprised to find that the FOV was identical. I could see no
difference.

The FOV on the Zeiss are more or less perfect from edge to edge. The
Bushnells looked to me to be good out to about 80 percent of the FOV.

Close focus is not 6 feet - the best I could get was 9 feet.

My only real complaint is why in the hell couldn't they make these as
7x28s? Wth the increased brightness, depth of field, wider field of
view they would be ideal for most styles of birding.

Well that's about it. Overall I find these Bushnells to be above
average in the compact class. Nice size and weight, look to be rugged
and well protected with an over-all design that is well suited to a
birder.



SF

Thank you for sharing your experience SF. Why have I not heard of these bins until now? AT $100 for a phase coated roof prism compact they should sell great provided the quality control is half decent.

The 28mm format does seem to add some choices. These would be best at 7x, 8x and 8.5x. Bushnell makes some 10x28s. I would say they are better than some 10x25s they try to sell, but there are some problems compared to 10x42. If one wants cheap end 10x, the 42mm gives you more for your money. With gloomy fall weather, I only use 10x42. I have some 10x reverse porros, 10x25, and they are too dark. THere is also a 10x32 Excursion which I could not find around:
http://www.bushnell.com/products/binoculars/specs/24-1032.cfm

The optics are probably good enough up to 8x, byt then at 10x you start to see distortion.

Pentax sells an 8 x 28 phase coated RP, albeit it uses double hinges. And then, there is the Bushnell 7 x 26 Reverse Porros. Of course, they both cost about 130 bucks more than the Bushnell Excursions! I wonder why they do?
Bob

Tero said:

The 28mm format does seem to add some choices. These would be best at 7x, 8x and 8.5x. Bushnell makes some 10x28s. I would say they are better than some 10x25s they try to sell, but there are some problems compared to 10x42. If one wants cheap end 10x, the 42mm gives you more for your money. With gloomy fall weather, I only use 10x42. I have some 10x reverse porros, 10x25, and they are too dark. THere is also a 10x32 Excursion which I could not find around:
http://www.bushnell.com/products/binoculars/specs/24-1032.cfm

The optics are probably good enough up to 8x, byt then at 10x you start to see distortion.

Click to expand...

I can't imagine burdening a sub 30mm objective with 10x. The physics just isn't there no matter how well made. At least at the current stage of technology.

I do use a 10x from time to time and it's a Nikon Action 10x50 that cost 74 bucks and works fine for me- long distance scanning.

After that I get out the scopes If I have to.

BTW you mention "waiting for wintering ducks". These two pics were taken near lock and dam No 9 on the big river about 500 river miles upstream from you on Oct 15 so you shouldn't have to be waiting much longer. They were taken with my 100mm Pentax spotter at a distance of about 1/4 of a mile.

The Tundras just started coming in last week.

SF

Some nice digiscoped shots SF. I hope to be taking some pics of waterfowl this weekend with my Pentax as well.

FrankD said:

Some nice digiscoped shots SF. I hope to be taking some pics of waterfowl this weekend with my Pentax as well.

Click to expand...

How do you have your Pentax setup for photos?

SF

Thanks for the ducks and geese. I may not get out there sunday, but maybe.

I did look at some 10x28s, and they seem to be useable. The cheaper 10x25s are useless, and very expensive 10x30s are pretty good, but not what I want. But the 10x28s were somewhat of a surprise. I don't need them, though.

How do you have your Pentax setup for photos?

Click to expand...

I have that Casio Z1000 digital camera hooked up to the Pentax 65 mm with the Pentax 20 mm XW eyepiece and a large sized Universal Digiscoping Adapter.

Tero said:

Thanks for the ducks and geese. I may not get out there sunday, but maybe.

I did look at some 10x28s, and they seem to be useable. The cheaper 10x25s are useless, and very expensive 10x30s are pretty good, but not what I want. But the 10x28s were somewhat of a surprise. I don't need them, though.

Click to expand...

What a stupid statement. I don't need any of these of course, I have three good pairs at home. But the extreme 10x28 is intriguing. If you are looking at very distant things, the problems with compact 10x models may not be that bad. I am really curious how these 10x work in the field. A bit dim, I am sure. I prefer 10x42 in winter.

Yet, I am still curious about the 10x32 Excursions. Obviously, if they offer 10x28 and 10x32, you go for the brighter 10x32. The FOV is essentially the same.

I had used some 10x25 reverse porros for quite a while. No major problems, other than FOV was some 260ft.

The problem I have is to get to see any Excursions. No pairs found here in town.

BY THE WAY, some of the topics under the brand name section won't open properly today.

digiscoping

FrankD said:

I have that Casio Z1000 digital camera hooked up to the Pentax 65 mm with the Pentax 20 mm XW eyepiece and a large sized Universal Digiscoping Adapter.

Click to expand...

Frank...i havent seen any of your digiscoping attempts since you bought the XW eyepiece...how is that working?...i just sold my swarovski zoom and im planning in getting a good eyepiece at some point...for now i will winter with a cheap GSO SUPERVIEW 20MM and invest the money in something else (FOOD?)
regards

Frank...i havent seen any of your digiscoping attempts since you bought the XW eyepiece...how is that working?...i just sold my swarovski zoom and im planning in getting a good eyepiece at some point...for now i will winter with a cheap GSO SUPERVIEW 20MM and invest the money in something else (FOOD?)
regards

Click to expand...

I have done very little with the new XW eyepiece and digiscoping. Once my summer vacation ended I had much less time to play around with my digiscoping setup....not to mention it took about a month and a half for me to get a hold of a large sized Universal Digiscoping Adapter to fit the XW eyepiece. The scope and new eyepiece worked beautifully for hawk watching which was what I primarily utilized it for while I waited for the adapter to come in. I have taken a few shots with it but nothing worth uploading or posting about. I should have more time over the holidays and will try to take some higher quality photos.

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread. For what it is worth I do have a strong interest in the 8x28 Excursions. Now if I could just get Cabelas to carry them so I could handle a pair before ordering.

The 8x28 Excursion actually starts to look pretty good. That and the 8x32. But is there much difference in the view? Weight is a lot more, the 8x28 would make a great back packing bin, bring along and forget it if you find no birds.

Wonder how these would measure up to the 8x36 Monarch?

OK, I was not able to save up 800 for my next purchase. That will take 2 years. I sold junk on eBay to get these.

BUT I kept my promise, no bins in plastic packages on hooks in the store. If I like it, I have the 10x28 for my Christmas present. You all get two a year, right? One for your birth day, one for Christmas.

The 10x28 is much the same as the 8x28, a very solid binocular. They definitely are dim, perhaps a little better than my old ProStaff 10x25. Where they beat the Nikons is in FOV, well over 300ft, I think 330 or so, but I can't tell much difference to my 10x42 Monarch in FOV. They focus well on a small object such as a bird, all else behind and in front is out of focus. They may be a little better in bright sunlight.

They pretty much were just as expected, sharpness not quite Monarch level but certainly not bad. Perhaps about as good as the 10x Sporters in the near range, but at 36mm I expect them to be brighter even without phase coating.

The only thing I would exchange these to is the 10x32 Excursion, if there is such a thing. Or possibly 9x25 Legends, also a rugged little roof prism. But I could just as well bring the Monarch then. I intend to make these my half serious and backpacking binoculars, when I am bringing nothing else on the trip. Also in the canoe. Or when for weight reasons the Monarchs stay in the car. Or when the family needs three. These are good for glasses wearers.

Should you get these if you like 10x? Well, I think they may be as useful as many expensive 10x25s, and the comfort of these gives you a "real" feel, not the toy feel most 10x25s give. But they may be a bit limited. I would not get these as your only or first bin. The 10x32 Excursion possibly. MORE later, when my 30 days are up and I kept these.

Just a quick ranking of my 10x:
1. Monarch 10x40
2. Nikon Sporter 10x36
3. Excursion 10x28 and Minolta 10x25 reverse porro, about equal sharpness, ease of use to be ranked between these two.

BASED on the above, I can guess that the 8x28 will make a very fine BEGINNER binocular.

I really wish I had the 8x28s to look at, there are some good ideas here. I would not have needed them, as I have a similar sized and dimensioned 8x32.

But the 10x28 and I had some time together. We looked at gulls and barges on the Mississippi and some House Finches. My other binoculars did not have time to get jealous, in fact two of them got to come along.

The wide FOV was enjoyable, and I was in fact able to follow flying birds, the focus is pretty fast. However, when you looked at distant things, the sharpness dropped off, and the slight dimness was evident. I had 9x25 Nikon Travelites to compare, and they were brighter. Frequent focusing and also diopter adjustment was necessary. I do this with all my bins, but less often with my 10x Monarchs.

If these were my first binoculars, I could have easily ID'd my first 100 species with these, I had worse bins. So, these are way beyond the 10x25 Simmons and even Bushnells that sell for $20.

They are going back to the store, as they were not quite what I needed and they did not fill any unmet need.* But hey, I had not seen any 10x28s before. Pentax now also makes a 10x28, maybe someone else too.

* we all NEED 7x, 8x and 10x in at least two sizes each, right?

THE 8x28s I feel may still have promise. Perhaps also the bigger 8x Excursions. Skip the 10x Excursions, even the 10x32.

Tero said:

I really wish I had the 8x28s to look at, there are some good ideas here. I would not have needed them, as I have a similar sized and dimensioned 8x32.

But the 10x28 and I had some time together. We looked at gulls and barges on the Mississippi and some House Finches. My other binoculars did not have time to get jealous, in fact two of them got to come along.

The wide FOV was enjoyable, and I was in fact able to follow flying birds, the focus is pretty fast. However, when you looked at distant things, the sharpness dropped off, and the slight dimness was evident. I had 9x25 Nikon Travelites to compare, and they were brighter. Frequent focusing and also diopter adjustment was necessary. I do this with all my bins, but less often with my 10x Monarchs.

If these were my first binoculars, I could have easily ID'd my first 100 species with these, I had worse bins. So, these are way beyond the 10x25 Simmons and even Bushnells that sell for $20.

They are going back to the store, as they were not quite what I needed and they did not fill any unmet need.* But hey, I had not seen any 10x28s before. Pentax now also makes a 10x28, maybe someone else too.

* we all NEED 7x, 8x and 10x in at least two sizes each, right?

THE 8x28s I feel may still have promise. Perhaps also the bigger 8x Excursions. Skip the 10x Excursions, even the 10x32.

Click to expand...

I'm not surprised you found the 10x28s too dim. That's really expecting
alot out of any 28mm.

When I bought the Excursion 8x28 I also considered the Pentax 8x28 but
the FOV was just not practical for Birding only 315 feet.

I have had my Excursion 8x28s for sometime now and have used them in a
variety of situations and I continue to like them. The only other bins I
have that are comparable are the Leica 8x32s. Of course for pure raw
optical performance the Leica's are better. However I find myself
reaching more and more for the Excursions over the Leicas. The overall
design, weight and size is so much better with the Excursions.

In over 30 years of birding the Excursion 8x28s are the only full time
all day serious primary, rather than back-up, birding binos I have ever
had that can hang on my neck all day and at the end of the day I have
forgotten they are there.

Being out in the field as much as I am (3-4 days a week) this high
degree of field worthiness is a very big deal for me.

SF

Yes, they really seem made for birding, for instance. Some may not get as pretty a view of the horizon as with their Swarovskis, but who cares? The 10x32 still remains to be evaluated. I presume the 8x32 Excursion is similar to the 8x28 but heavier. I appreciate the effort Bushnell made here, but they could have put just a tiny bit more into the optics of the Excursion series.

Tero said:

they could have put just a tiny bit more into the optics of the Excursion series.

Click to expand...

I don't disagree with this. When I bought the Excursions I was prepared to go as high as $400 to get what I want. I did not buy the Excursions for the low price but because all the numbers were right and I figured I could always return them to EO if they turned out to be real dogs. You know what I mean- the kind where everytime you put them to your eyes you are reminded just how inferior they are. I have not found the 8x28s, at least, to be dogs. Not like my Zeiss 7x42x but decent and useable.

Anyway I would be willing to pay $200 and even $300 if Bushnell would put the extra money into improved optics. As it is I still have a very functional usefull pair of bins. That's saying alot for 100 bucks.

SF

What is the Aparent FOV of the 8x28 Excursions?