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Carson 3D ED (1 Viewer)

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Boleyn1895

Member
Hi all

I made a post in the general forum about buying some binoculars while on holiday in Orlando and was leaning towards the Bushnell Legend HD 10x42.

Unfortunately I can't find anywhere that sells them yet so have been reading about them online and came across the Carson 3D HD and in a comparison came out favourably against the Bushnells. http://www.opticsreviewer.com/nikon-monarch-5-vs-bushnell-legend-ultra-hd.html

But apart from this one comparison and a few videos on youtube I can find little about them and certainly nowhere around here that sells them.

So does anyone know anything about them and can offer any advice?

Many thanks.
 
Carson has gone through online sales, mostly. That and discount clearance stores,
for their low-end stuff. I have bought some of the low-end optics for fun. They are
surprisingly clear and bright at each price point. The big thing to look for in
contracting-out brands is their quality control in China.
I sort the reviews by newest-first and look for trends in the 'duds'.
On lower-end Carsons you can see compliments and the occaisional bad seed.
In this case, there are no duds at all. I suspect they are checking and culling
boxes for that result (fine by me). Bushnell is pretty good at riding herd on
manufacturing and keeping QC out of your living room, too. At this moment, there
are some aggressive discounts at the end of the year, so don't forget a last minute
check on that. I think Carson is very serious about being in the quality game at
this price zone. I'd take either. They are both very rugged.
 
Last edited:
. Hi there,
. If I was staying at a hotel on the 17th floor and wanted to view the birds on the ground or flying I would by now have.
A) asked at the hotel lobby to borrow the hotel binocular for three weeks.
B) gone to the local charity shop or thrift shop and bought a binocular for $10 making sure that it worked.
C) gone to the local binocular shop and tried whatever binoculars they had and bought the best one within my price range.
I would have probably brought something like a low price Pentax 10×50 or similar. maybe something for $50.

However, if I intended buying a binocular for permanent use after the three weeks holiday then I would have chosen more carefully. maybe that is your intention.

But for use from the 17th floor window I would try to use whatever I found by carefully placing the front of the binocular against the window glass. This steadies the view and probably reduces the hand tremor by half. It is better if the front of the binocular is rubber.
 
Thank you.

It's very hard making a decision based solely on the internet. For example this site compares 4 models including the 2 I mentioned and the Carson wins with the Bushnell second http://www.opticsreviewer.com/nikon-monarch-5-vs-bushnell-legend-ultra-hd.html but for all I know that site could be partners or sponsored by Carson.

Also the media saturation of the 2 models differs greatly. The Bushnell's have a lot more reviews, a dedicated section here and loads of video's and comments which means a lot more negative comments appear (mainly the diopter) whereas the Carson seems relatively new and a lot less information available.

Right now I think I'm leaning towards the Carsons, the binoculars themselves seem to be on a par if not a little better than the Bushnells although slightly less FOV but the case is the biggest pull towards the Carson, the wrap around system seems amazing.

Thanks again for your thoughts.
 
It's probably easier to look at some youtube video's but I'll try and explain.

The Bushnell legend case is I assume a standard case, the binoculars are removed when in use the Carson case doesn't need to be removed when in the field, the case wraps around the binocular and clasped with a silent magnet and you simply unwrap the case with the binoculars still attached.
 
Boleyn1895 said:
Hi all

I made a post in the general forum about buying some binoculars while on holiday in Orlando and was leaning towards the Bushnell Legend HD 10x42.

Unfortunately I can't find anywhere that sells them yet so have been reading about them online and came across the Carson 3D HD and in a comparison came out favourably against the Bushnells. http://www.opticsreviewer.com/nikon-monarch-5-vs-bushnell-legend-ultra-hd.html

But apart from this one comparison and a few videos on youtube I can find little about them and certainly nowhere around here that sells them.

So does anyone know anything about them and can offer any advice?

Many thanks.
Click to expand...



Read what the company says about them on it's website:

http://www.carsonoptical.com/Binoculars/3D Series

I notice that they are located in Happauge, NY where Meopta USA is located but the street address and phone # is different.

http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/us/

Bob
 
I saw the video on YouTube. The wraparound case is a nice idea. Saves time, mainly.
Plus, it gives them an excuse to chuck the lens covers, which drive me batty.
I always use a thin poly bag. That might be disrupted by the wraparound.
A plus and a minus for me. Excellent speed and protection, not super dustproofing.
Overall, probably an improvement over box-n-caps. Carson does fun things with
design, even at $25. They have been a around many decades, just recently in
the hi-spec area. True to form, they enter a type with special features to stand out.
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

I ordered the Carson 10x42 3D ED so fingers crossed I made the right decision.

Could anyone point me in the direction of a few things to look out for when testing new binoculars to make sure everything is working as advertised?

Many thanks
 
A parking lot with many license plates is good, because various levels of dust and aging
can check your contrast at the same time as the resolution. My first check involves
the writing on license plates.

Looking at any dead leaves left on trees is valuable in that you should be able to
denote subtle shade differences.

Dull-colored birds blend in by design, so seeing them distinctly is a great test of
contrast and color fidelity. Deer at long distance or a hawk in a tree with dead
pine spills is a particularly difficult challenge.
 
Carson 3D & ED 3D

I just ordered a pair of each, the Carson 3D & 3D ED in 8x42. I should have the ED version in my hands tomorrow. When I receive them I will post my impressions.

The other ED bins I have owned are Terra ED, Legend ultra HD's, & Sightmark Solitude XD's. I also currently own a Monarch 5 as well as the Mojave 8x32. Crossing my fingers that the 3D ED will be near the top of the heap, sacrificing just a little FOV. They look to be a nice handling pair of glasses.

I paid $99 for the 3D and $235 for the ED 3D on Amazon.
 
I received the ED's today. First impression was good. The focus is great; good speed, perfect tension, & no play. Center hinge tension is also just right & they seem very well constructed, a step above what I expected. I really like the feel of these things. Optically they are equal to my Legend Ultra HD's but with a larger sweet spot. Personally I'll take the smaller FOV with better edge performance, which these have. I'd say at 85% or so it starts to taper off, but is still usable almost to the edge of view. Overall the view is good and comparable to anything in its class that I have had a chance to look at.

I would confidently choose these over the Terra ED, Ultra HD, & Monarch 5. I would have a hard time choosing between these and the Solitude XD's, but really those two are a completely different animal. I like the Carson ED's construction and smaller size and I like the XD's for the wide FOV. Optically they are both great for the $$$. I think I'll keep both.
 
Carson 3D 8x42

I received the Carson 3D today. Much of the same comments about the 3D ED apply here as far as construction, focus, and the size of the sweet spot. I do notice the lack of ED glass in this standard model, but view is still good. They would be comparable to the Monarch 5 in clarity and brightness but that is only my recollection of the monarch as I sold it a few months ago. Like I have said before, I apologize for not being able to write a detailed review like some I have read on here. My opinion is the only thing I feel confident about passing along and both the Carson 3D & 3D ED look good through my eyes. I would recommend both at their respective price point.
 
I still don't go for 10x in a roof body, but I got to test the
Carson 8x42 HD version at the counter today, and it was very fine indeed.
This is a solid product line.
 
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