Atomic Chicken
Registered with the D.O.E.
Greetings!
After a long period of being too busy to go binocular shopping, I finally dragged myself down to a local sporting goods store for some optics testing yesterday. I basically wanted to examine a few oddball compact and mid-size binoculars that I've typically ignored in the past, because of their off-brand names or low-end status. I was not sure I wanted to buy anything, but rather to get back into the "feel" of optics comparisons after several months of being overworked with little time to spare.
The first thing I noticed when going to this particular shop was that they were carrying a new line of compact binoculars from Brunton, a company I have had decidedly mixed feelings about in the past. The new offerings included the "Echo" line of binoculars as well as the older "Eterna" line in the new 2005 case style. Also present were two configurations of "Lite-Tech" binoculars - 8x25 and 10x25. I decided to give the 8x25 a try, after retrieving my Zeiss Victory 8x20's from the car as a baseline comparison pair. I've always felt that 8x25 is a very nice configuration providing good light gathering combined with low weight and compact size... I don't understand why more manufacturers don't offer it instead of the more common 8x20 models.
First off, I need to state my past experience with Brunton. I've been distinctly underwhelmed with their high-end "Epoch" line of binoculars, viewing them as severely overpriced and rather mediocre optically. The Epoch binoculars are not as bright or contrasty as almost any other high-end brand I've compared them to, and the compact version Epochs (the 8x21 and 10x25 models) seem to have a nausea inducing "swimming" effect at the edge of the optics when panning around the scene. Last year I enjoyed a brief love affair with the "Eterna" binoculars in the 8x25 configuration, but after a week of dealing with the amazingly bad 270ft field of view I found that I just couldn't live with that drawback and ended up obtaining a refund that I used to purchase my current Zeiss 8x20 compacts. This was a very large disappointment to me, as everything else about the Eternas was top-notch. Bright, clear, contrasty - a beautiful image to behold - just not enough of it due to the severely inadequate field of view.
Which brings us back to yesterday. Not expecting much, I began my evaluation of the Brunton Lite-Tech 8x25 (model # 5037W). The first thing I noticed is how absolutely SOLID and rugged these feel... without feeling heavy or bulky. Weighing in at only 14 ounces, they fit perfectly in the hands and have thick, but tightly molded rubber armor that makes them feel almost like you could bounce them off the floor! They do not feel bulky in any way, but rather solid and nicely proportioned. They are fully waterproof, fogproof, and nitrogen purged for wet weather use... more on that later. The hinge is very well made, quite stiff yet smooth when adjusted. Two VERY solid neckstrap lugs are molded into the sides of the barrels, allowing you to securely fasten a neckstrap or leave it completely off if you desire (which is my personal choice). The diopter adjustment is on the right eyepiece, is solid and stiff, yet also smooth and easy to rotate when needed. It is not a locking type, but is tight enough that it will not rotate out of adjustment with normal use. The focus knob is smooth, with very little backlash, and is nicely ribbed for secure non-slip use even when wet. The focus is extremely fast, similar to the Nikon HG 8x32 - which may not appeal to some people. I found it to be acceptable, if not a tiny bit on the fast side. Focus from infinity to 6 ft. is approx. 3/4 turn. The Lite-Tech has a nice close focus - in the neighborhood of 6 feet, you can almost focus on your toes!
I did some birding in the rain today, and found that the ergonomic design of these binoculars is quite nice for wet use, I did not ever feel that I would loose my grip or have anything slip... even though it was quite wet and I had my parka hood up to keep from getting drenched. After approx. 45 minutes of this, the binoculars were completely soaked - but after a bit of drying off in the house it was obvious that the fully waterproof claim is quite justified and well earned. The eyecups are probably the weakest part of the ergonomic design, with approx. 3/16" of fold down rubber outer edge for eyeglass use. I've tried rolling these edges down, and found that they stay put quite nicely when in the rolled position, but overall it just isn't as nice as having the now common slide or helicoid type eyecups. For me, this is a non-issue however - as I don't wear eyeglasses. Overall, the ergonomics of these binoculars is first rate, with the eyecups being my only complaint and a small one at that.
Optically, these are very good, but not superb. The field of view is fantastic, 429 ft. at 1000 yards - better than most 7x binoculars. In fact, these are the widest field of view binoculars that I currently own, and it is a truly beautiful sight to behold. I could tell no difference in brightness between these and my Zeiss Victory 8x20 compacts, until it started getting darker. Under low-light conditions, the Brunton began to shine - quite literally. The extra objective lens size (8x25 vs. the Zeiss 8x20) makes for better low-light performance, giving probably 20-25 minutes of extended evening viewing at the same level of color and detail. These are also a bit more comfortable to use than the Zeiss 8x20, probably because of the larger exit pupil and less finicky eye to eyepiece alignment. I never felt fatigued after using these, even after today's rainstorm viewing session.
The viewing area, while having a big beautiful 429ft. FOV, is not sharp across the entire field - the outer 25% or so is noticably lacking in sharpness and detail. However, the field appears to be quite flat - with no discernable barrel or pincushion distortions. The optics are fully multi-coated and the prisms are BAK4 glass, but nowhere in the literature does it say that these are phase coated. I don't suspect that they are phase coated, as I could detect EVER SO SLIGHT improvements in detail when using the Zeiss 8x20... until the light fades, and the Brunton's took over in the detail department. I would say that the overall sharpness and detail resolution between the two binoculars is within 5%, it is NOT a huge difference or even a difference you would be likely to notice if you weren't looking quite carefully for it. I found that the color rendition of the Zeiss was also SLIGHTLY better, but again you have to REALLY BE LOOKING HARD to notice it - just moving the two binoculars back and forth and viewing the scene results in an almost identical perceived image - with the exception of the NOTICABLY larger field of view enjoyed by the Brunton. Glare when viewing objects in the same general direction as the sun is quite noticable, but it is the same with the Zeiss and just about every other binocular I have ever tried - making this another non-issue.
Needless to say, I purchased the pair I evaluated. At only $99, I would say these are the BEST bargain I have ever found on a sub-$100 binocular. They easily give the Zeiss Victory 8x20 a run for it's money, and at approx. 1/4 the cost we are talking about quite a bit of money to run for! Are they as good as the Zeiss? Not quite - although they are VERY close. A bit heavier, not quite up to the Zeiss optical quality (but easily within 5% of it) but with a magnificent field of view and rugged durability that easily put the Zeiss to shame - these are truly exceptional compacts for the price. I am happily including them in my top-5 favorite binoculars of all time category, and whole-heartedly recommend them to the buyer on a budget, or the buyer looking for the most rugged "beater" binoculars for glovebox and camping use.
The final verdict? Not the best, but a definite winner nonetheless.
Best wishes,
Bawko
After a long period of being too busy to go binocular shopping, I finally dragged myself down to a local sporting goods store for some optics testing yesterday. I basically wanted to examine a few oddball compact and mid-size binoculars that I've typically ignored in the past, because of their off-brand names or low-end status. I was not sure I wanted to buy anything, but rather to get back into the "feel" of optics comparisons after several months of being overworked with little time to spare.
The first thing I noticed when going to this particular shop was that they were carrying a new line of compact binoculars from Brunton, a company I have had decidedly mixed feelings about in the past. The new offerings included the "Echo" line of binoculars as well as the older "Eterna" line in the new 2005 case style. Also present were two configurations of "Lite-Tech" binoculars - 8x25 and 10x25. I decided to give the 8x25 a try, after retrieving my Zeiss Victory 8x20's from the car as a baseline comparison pair. I've always felt that 8x25 is a very nice configuration providing good light gathering combined with low weight and compact size... I don't understand why more manufacturers don't offer it instead of the more common 8x20 models.
First off, I need to state my past experience with Brunton. I've been distinctly underwhelmed with their high-end "Epoch" line of binoculars, viewing them as severely overpriced and rather mediocre optically. The Epoch binoculars are not as bright or contrasty as almost any other high-end brand I've compared them to, and the compact version Epochs (the 8x21 and 10x25 models) seem to have a nausea inducing "swimming" effect at the edge of the optics when panning around the scene. Last year I enjoyed a brief love affair with the "Eterna" binoculars in the 8x25 configuration, but after a week of dealing with the amazingly bad 270ft field of view I found that I just couldn't live with that drawback and ended up obtaining a refund that I used to purchase my current Zeiss 8x20 compacts. This was a very large disappointment to me, as everything else about the Eternas was top-notch. Bright, clear, contrasty - a beautiful image to behold - just not enough of it due to the severely inadequate field of view.
Which brings us back to yesterday. Not expecting much, I began my evaluation of the Brunton Lite-Tech 8x25 (model # 5037W). The first thing I noticed is how absolutely SOLID and rugged these feel... without feeling heavy or bulky. Weighing in at only 14 ounces, they fit perfectly in the hands and have thick, but tightly molded rubber armor that makes them feel almost like you could bounce them off the floor! They do not feel bulky in any way, but rather solid and nicely proportioned. They are fully waterproof, fogproof, and nitrogen purged for wet weather use... more on that later. The hinge is very well made, quite stiff yet smooth when adjusted. Two VERY solid neckstrap lugs are molded into the sides of the barrels, allowing you to securely fasten a neckstrap or leave it completely off if you desire (which is my personal choice). The diopter adjustment is on the right eyepiece, is solid and stiff, yet also smooth and easy to rotate when needed. It is not a locking type, but is tight enough that it will not rotate out of adjustment with normal use. The focus knob is smooth, with very little backlash, and is nicely ribbed for secure non-slip use even when wet. The focus is extremely fast, similar to the Nikon HG 8x32 - which may not appeal to some people. I found it to be acceptable, if not a tiny bit on the fast side. Focus from infinity to 6 ft. is approx. 3/4 turn. The Lite-Tech has a nice close focus - in the neighborhood of 6 feet, you can almost focus on your toes!
I did some birding in the rain today, and found that the ergonomic design of these binoculars is quite nice for wet use, I did not ever feel that I would loose my grip or have anything slip... even though it was quite wet and I had my parka hood up to keep from getting drenched. After approx. 45 minutes of this, the binoculars were completely soaked - but after a bit of drying off in the house it was obvious that the fully waterproof claim is quite justified and well earned. The eyecups are probably the weakest part of the ergonomic design, with approx. 3/16" of fold down rubber outer edge for eyeglass use. I've tried rolling these edges down, and found that they stay put quite nicely when in the rolled position, but overall it just isn't as nice as having the now common slide or helicoid type eyecups. For me, this is a non-issue however - as I don't wear eyeglasses. Overall, the ergonomics of these binoculars is first rate, with the eyecups being my only complaint and a small one at that.
Optically, these are very good, but not superb. The field of view is fantastic, 429 ft. at 1000 yards - better than most 7x binoculars. In fact, these are the widest field of view binoculars that I currently own, and it is a truly beautiful sight to behold. I could tell no difference in brightness between these and my Zeiss Victory 8x20 compacts, until it started getting darker. Under low-light conditions, the Brunton began to shine - quite literally. The extra objective lens size (8x25 vs. the Zeiss 8x20) makes for better low-light performance, giving probably 20-25 minutes of extended evening viewing at the same level of color and detail. These are also a bit more comfortable to use than the Zeiss 8x20, probably because of the larger exit pupil and less finicky eye to eyepiece alignment. I never felt fatigued after using these, even after today's rainstorm viewing session.
The viewing area, while having a big beautiful 429ft. FOV, is not sharp across the entire field - the outer 25% or so is noticably lacking in sharpness and detail. However, the field appears to be quite flat - with no discernable barrel or pincushion distortions. The optics are fully multi-coated and the prisms are BAK4 glass, but nowhere in the literature does it say that these are phase coated. I don't suspect that they are phase coated, as I could detect EVER SO SLIGHT improvements in detail when using the Zeiss 8x20... until the light fades, and the Brunton's took over in the detail department. I would say that the overall sharpness and detail resolution between the two binoculars is within 5%, it is NOT a huge difference or even a difference you would be likely to notice if you weren't looking quite carefully for it. I found that the color rendition of the Zeiss was also SLIGHTLY better, but again you have to REALLY BE LOOKING HARD to notice it - just moving the two binoculars back and forth and viewing the scene results in an almost identical perceived image - with the exception of the NOTICABLY larger field of view enjoyed by the Brunton. Glare when viewing objects in the same general direction as the sun is quite noticable, but it is the same with the Zeiss and just about every other binocular I have ever tried - making this another non-issue.
Needless to say, I purchased the pair I evaluated. At only $99, I would say these are the BEST bargain I have ever found on a sub-$100 binocular. They easily give the Zeiss Victory 8x20 a run for it's money, and at approx. 1/4 the cost we are talking about quite a bit of money to run for! Are they as good as the Zeiss? Not quite - although they are VERY close. A bit heavier, not quite up to the Zeiss optical quality (but easily within 5% of it) but with a magnificent field of view and rugged durability that easily put the Zeiss to shame - these are truly exceptional compacts for the price. I am happily including them in my top-5 favorite binoculars of all time category, and whole-heartedly recommend them to the buyer on a budget, or the buyer looking for the most rugged "beater" binoculars for glovebox and camping use.
The final verdict? Not the best, but a definite winner nonetheless.
Best wishes,
Bawko
