Reviews by WriterCJ

The Kite Lynx really surprised me -- it is a very accomplished all-round binocular in a compact, lightweight package that performs to the very highest level and at a price that, while not cheap, is excellent value for a binocular of this calibre.

Love the wide field of view, colours are perfect, the dielectric phase-coated prisms deliver a really bright view despite the comparatively small objective lens. I actually grabbed the Lynx HD instead of my main Swarovski SLC HD binoculars occasionally for a tramp around the local patch -- they're that good.

The Kites would make a superb travel or safari binocular, but more than that they'd make a fantastic all-round birding and wildlife binocular for anyone who wants something a bit smaller and lighter than full-size bins, without compromising in terms of overall performance.

Great job by Kite.

You'll find a full review of the Kite Lynx HD 8x42 on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

The Aigle Parcours 2 Outlast are truly superb wellington boots. From the moment I unpacked them they've impressed me with their comfort, their looks, and most of all their performance.

The "Outlast" lining is amazing... keeping your feet toasty warm when it's cold, and delightfully cool when it's hot... and the fitted ankle, adjustable gusset and specially designed "walking" sole makes these boots amazing for walking in. You really can wear them comfortably all day in the field without your feet feeling unduly tired.

They are expensive wellies for sure... but they are supremely comfortable, and the quality and workmanship are top drawer.

Read my full review over on the Ireland's Wildlife website:

http://www.irelandswildlife.com/aigle-parcours-2-outlast-boots-review/

The Lensmaster Gimbal RH-2 is a great gimbal head that is supremely easy to set up. As well as being perfect for use with long telephoto lenses for wildlife photography it also works extremely well with a scope / SLR combo for digiscoping.

What I wasn't expecting was how good the RH-2 would be for general observation through a spotting scope. I leave the gimbal mounted on my main tripod all the time, and find it a joy to use for general observation... especially when guiding when the ability to just point the scope and step away to show other people birds and wildlife is a real boon.

Top marks to Lensmaster for making a great product at an affordable price.

You'll find a full review on the Ireland's Wildlife website here:

http://www.irelandswildlife.com/lensmaster-gimbal-rh-2/

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide is a superb little photographic guide that is perfectly pitched between the basic "Birds in your Garden" guide and the all-singing-all-dancing field guides like the outstanding "Collins Field Guide".

For anyone looking to expand their bird ID skills to the next level in Ireland, or birders travelling to Ireland who are unfamiliar with the birds they're likely to find here, The Birds of Ireland is perhaps the ideal guide.

While the Collins Guide will remain my go-to "Birding Bible" -- I find myself grabbing The Birds of Ireland time and time again... it really is an excellent little book.

You can read a full length review of The Birds of Ireland on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

I've been reviewing the Hawke Frontier ED for the Ireland's Wildlife website and have to say I've been very impressed with them.

You get a lot of binocular for the money. With a magnesium alloy chassis, ED glass, phase corrected prisms and fully multi-coated optics the Frontier ED combines many high-end features at a mid-range price and thats hard to fault.

For the birding and wildlife enthusiast looking for the complete package, but without the budget to invest in the big-guns its a compelling package thats hard to beat.

Some people argue that these are on a par with the "alphas" -- they're definitely not... but they're not as far behind as you might expect.

You can read the full review over on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

The MeoStar S2 is an outstanding scope in pretty much every respect. The 30-60x wide angle eyepiece gives a superb wide field of view that retains a 66 degree subjective field of view all the way through the zoom range.

The image is razor sharp right across the field and it performs superbly in all sorts of challenging light, taking bright sunlight and glare in its stride, and delivering stunning detail even in low light right the way through the zoom range.

If consumers can look beyond the brand blindness that often limits choice at the top end of the scope market, then Meopta could have a real contender on its hands with the S2.

You'll find a full review of the MeoStar S2 82 HD on the Ireland's Wildlife website

The Vortex Talon is an excellent binocular that combines many features you typically only find on much higher priced models. Its a compelling package for the budget conscious birder and wildlife enthusiast looking for great value coupled with uncompromising performance.

I have a full review of the Vortex Talon HD 8x42 on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

The MulePack is similar to the Scopac Lite and works in the same way. However it feels like a more refined product than the Scopac and for me felt more comfortable in use.

It attaches easily to your tripod and lets you carry your scope/tripod combo around ready for use. There is an integrated zip pocket in the back, and a well thought out field bag that attaches to the Mulepack for notebook, field guides, drink bottle, etc.

Like all scope carriers it throws up the eternal dilemma: if your carrying your scope where your backpack used to be, what are you going to carry the rest of your stuff in? Apart from that it's a great solution that lets you carry your scope in comfort and with your hands free to grab the bins when that rarity whizzes by.

You'll find a more thorough review of the Cley Spy Mulepack and comparison with the Scopac Lite on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

The Scopac Lite is an elegant solution to the conundrum of how to carry your scope / tripod combo around when birding. I used to cart my scope slung over one shoulder, but that meant only one hand free to wield the bins, and a sore shoulder if going any distance.

With the Scopac Lite I can sling the scope and tripod on my back and forget about it until I need it.

The one downside: now that I'm carrying my scope on my back I have no room for a daypack to carry the rest of my gear, coat, hat, gloves, etc.

You'll find a more thorough review of the Scopac Lite and comparison with the Cley Spy Mulepack on the Ireland's Wildlife website.

I was sent a pair of Eden Quality XP 8x42 to review on the Ireland's Wildlife website. To be perfectly honest I was expecting to receive a pair of middle of the road bins with middle of the road performance. After all, what more could you expect from optics that retail at the 245 mark.

When they arrived I was staggered at the quality packed into these bins for the price. They're solid, well made, have superb close focus, excellent field of view, good edge sharpness and produce a very sharp, clear image with loads of fine detail across a whole range of light conditions.

They really are outstanding for the price... and hold their own well compared with much more expensive brands. They can't live with my Swaro SLC 10x42 HD -- and you'd hardly expect them to... but they're not as far away as you might imagine.

The only slight quibbles I had were a moderate amount of chromatic aberration when really looking for it viewing ludicrously high contrast subjects (but better than you might expect from bins in this price bracket) and a very subtle warm / yellow colour cast only noticeable when compared side-by-side with colour neutral bins. The colour shift is slight, and wouldn't affect either the enjoyment of using the bins in the field or the ability to ID birds.

Outstanding for the price... and the 25-year repair or replace warranty is a testament to the company's faith in the longevity of their product.

In short I think they offer tremendous value and punch well above their weight at this price point.

You'll find a more detailed review of the Eden 8x42 XP binocular on the Ireland's Wildlife website.