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My latest Hawke love - 8x25 Frontier PC (1 Viewer)

CliveP

Well-known member
On the back of my 8x56 ED mesmerisation I have just received the compact 8x25.

Not been out and about with them yet apart from out back but I can see immediately that these are very good indeed.

For example, no CA? Yes thats correct. None? Less than my Leica HD and the 8x56 ED.

Very clear and very sharp. Great contrast. Colour neutral. Smooth focus. Nice pouch and strap. Very light. Fold up shirt pocket size.

Bit soft towards the outer field edge (outer 10%) and thats all I can find imperfect oh and not much eyerelief but then I'm not a spectical wearer.

My last compact was an 8x20 Nikon HG L and here I go again. I think I like these more and all for a very incredible £70 delivered.

I'm blown away again with Hawke!

Will refine this initial view after more testing should there be anything more to add.

Ok while I'm still allowed to edit this I noticed flare from street lamps while trying them outdoors this evening. Hope to check this more tomorrow but that could be the weak point. Looks like its just basic plastic and whatever inside the barrels so this is perhaps not unexpected that light is bouncing about in there but I'm looking forward to hopefully a much better idea out in the field tomorrow weather permitting. I am still hopefull.
 
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Well I tested them around the Lough today alongside my Leica 10x32 HD which should have been a bit of a no contest but, those littlle Hawke defiantly stood their ground not being overwhelmed in the slightest (allowing for them being 8x25) by the competion and so I can only say I am very well impressed.

I have to even ask myself how this little binocular can handle CA better than a Leica HD but it was amazingly proved again today.

I actually was quite happy to go around only using these little compact and bringing the Leica out occasionally to do a comparison so that really has to say to me that these are great as a small bin to use when something pocketable is needed in that if they were the only bin available at hand then they could still provide high quality viewing.

They are however still a compact and so require that bit more care in eyeplacement. I found that for me they are best just used with the eyecups down to get the full fov - which incedentaly is 104m marked on the bin and not 108m as stated on the website - so unfortunatley I think they possibly will have limited use for spectacle wearers.

They can suffer flaring from sun glare also but I think this is common among small bins and it normally wasn't a great problem and today was low winter sun.

So, a keeper? 100%. Very good and very likable and deserving great respect for their sharpness and clarity is my verdict. Almost as good as a larger bin and I don't think it gets better than that. I certainly will have no qualms in taking them with me whenever needed.
 
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I was dying to see this review, praise indeed and I was looking for compacts for my brother's xmas box. You have sorted that for me. Cheers buddy.
 
Yes, I really have to recommend them. I actually could have done with just these when having the Leica repaired and not needed the 8x56 but of course i still really like those also.

Anyone wanting a compact shouldn't have to look further than these. I'm sure your brother will be very pleased but you may end up keeping them yourself!

They really impressed even in the cold how smooth the focus was and how sharp and accurate at the zero diopter setting. I was spotting Golden Eye about 200m offshore and watching a pair of Jays rustling in the leaves in the woods and tracking ducks in flight quite easily. They really are birding capable.

It was so cold tears were streaming from my eyes on occasion. It also meant I had to wear my motor cycle inner gloves and the little Hawke were still no problem to use. I did also meet an experienced birder and he verified what I thought about the Hawke.

It makes me wonder how good the 10x25 are if anyone would like to chip in? I think its possible they could also be very good.
 
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Ok now for the bad stuff. Got to be balanced.

The focus wheel would have been much better by being only a very slight bit larger in diameter and this is more important as the designers have recessed the wheel more on the top side where you focus than underneath where it protrudes more??? Its very usable but could easily have been a big improvement by a simple measure. Its almost as if they didn't want you to be able to access it???

The other thing is I have read somewhere here the term cresenting and this would seem to be what's happening with these. I had thought it was flare.

It seems that eyeplacement is very importent to avoid this and for me the eyecups are not large enought to rest the bin under my eyebrows and have the exit pupil centered correctly. Obviously for different people this will vary. This then affects the stability of holding them which has to be worked around. I remember my Nikon 8x20 HG L being similar as regards eyeplacement but I don't recall this cresenting. I think it has something to do with the eye lens diameter which on these is about 15mm were I think I remember the Nikon being 18 or 19mm.

So just to be more complete I though I would add these two points as something to be aware of.

For me I'm still very happy with them but in these 2 areas they could be better and if they were then these really would be a sensational purchase. As it is they are only very good.
 
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Glad that you found an excellent 8x25. I'm always searching for my perfect 8x25 too! Unfortunately I wear glasses all the time so the comact Hawke may not suit me.

I have a Minox BV 8x25 but it doesn't impress me|:(| I'm now interested in Kowa BD 8x25 and Steiner wildlife pro 8.5x26. Hope one day I can have a touch and try!
 
I've bought one for use as a lightweight carry-anywhere bin. They are nearly half the weight of my Bushnell Excursion 8x28 (265gm/475gm) and feel much smaller.
They are very good indeed, sharp and contrasty view with a large enough sweet-spot. Not great in terms of FOV nor for handling or eye placement (they are small bins after all).

These are the bins that will dangle in their case from my backpack strap on hiking trips where I have no plan to do any birding. They are light enough for me to abandon my search for a suitable 8/7x21 bin.

Dave
 
I ended up asking Hawke to have a look at mine because of the amount of glare I was gettng so they sent me another (older serial number) pair with it seems a little less glare but the optics seem even better also and they were good before.

Just amazing for the price I think. I'm so pleased with them if only they were glare free but I'm still getting actual wow views with them.

I'm wondering now what the little Sapphires are like? Could they really be even better?

I'm getting a bit more used to my 8x43 Sapphire and liking it more and more.
 
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