Experience with the Mini Carson binoculars. (1 Viewer)

[Pepitogrillo]

Hi,

Two mini binoculars, Carson 7x18 and 8x22,
very very bad, toys?
The focusers are static.. Oculars are mini mini Lens, My Eyes are gigantic!!
My head is.... My experience is very very bad!!
cheers,
PG.

 

[HankPW]

Hi,

Two mini binoculars, Carson 7x18 and 8x22,
very very bad, toys?
The focusers are static.. Oculars are mini mini Lens, My Eyes are gigantic!!
My head is.... My experience is very very bad!!
cheers,
PG.

I recently bought the 8x22 version NIB on ebay, under the mistaken notion that they were the smaller "mini" version (the 7x18s) with the intention of using them as opera glasses for Broadway rush ticket seats. I shrugged it off as a $20 mistake, but when I tried them, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better they are than expected, at least the sample I received. The biggest surprise for me was that they focus down to about 3 feet (even though specs say 6), which is why I've actually been using it (observing wrens nested a few feet from our porch chairs until they fledged a couple weeks ago).

The IQ and general experience using them seems about the same as the other compact porros I have (and don't really use) which include a Pentax 8x25 UCF and an older set of Nikon 9x25 Travellites, except the Carson is much smaller and actually pocketable. Carson's build quality seems OK, except for the focus knob, which feels sloppy, uneven, and requires a lot of travel to get from min to infinity. As far as the concern about small oculars, at least for me personally (I understand this differs by face shape and eyes) it's easy to get a good view with the Carsons on the first try, and they are less fussy and prone to "blackouts" than other, larger sets I've owned, like the Leupold Yosemite 8x30 and the Zen Ray 7x36. Admittedly, the view through even the Leupolds is MUCH nicer, brighter and more engaging than the Carsons, no comparison, but if you want a pocketable, expendably cheap set of 8x binoculars that work as they should, have a decent FOV, and are relatively close focusing, the Carsons are decent IMO.