How are Athlon Midas 8 x 42 ED & Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD? (2 Viewers)

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Has anyone tried Athlon binoculars, particularly their Midas 8 x 42 ED and Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD? How do you find them for image quality, build quality, etc.? Looking into getting an 8 x 42 for family and saw a good review of the Midas 8 x 42 ED.

 

[rdnzl]

I own the Midas 8x42 ED and I am very happy with it. I paid $220 a couple months ago, and I doubt you can beat them with anything else at at that price point. Build quality is great. Image quality is very good, again for it's price point. Nice wide views, 426ft at 1000 yards.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Thanks @rdnzl, that's great to hear about the Athlon Midas 8 x 42 ED. There were highly recommended by the New York Times Wirecutter, but the Wirecutter has many questionable recommendations driven more by affiliate revenue than by actual quality and performance, so I was looking for confirmation. Have you also looked at the Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42, Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42 ED and Celestron Nature DX ED 8 x 42?

Just to confirm, do you have the Midas 8 x 42 ED or Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD? In another thread about budget 8 x 42's you said you had "these" and posted a link to the Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD (I realize you may have posted the wrong link).

 

[rdnzl]

I have no hands on experience with Celestron roof prism binoculars. Maybe someone else does?

But I doubt you would be disappointed in the Midas or the Midas G2. I liked the color of the non G2 and it was a little cheaper. The G2 is the current model.

 

[Foss]

I used to have a Midas 8 x 42 ED. It was well-built and had very good optics (with 8° FOV) for it's price point. No experience with the G2.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

@Foss thank you for the feedback. @rdnzl how did the color differ between the models? I have noticed subtle image color differences between different binoculars and wondering how you found on the color on the Midas and the G2. What did you like better about the color of the Midas?

 

[rdnzl]

The G2's are black. The other ones are a nice not quite green color.

 

[rdnzl]

athlon-midas-8x42-nice-wide-views-these-could-be-my-new-birders.427834

Thats a link to mine when I first posted about them.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

The G2's are black. The other ones are a nice not quite green color.

Thanks for the link. Lol I thought you were referring to the color of the image, not the color of the exterior. Since binoculars use different glass and coatings, each one tends to emphasize different colors. It can be subtle but still quite noticeable. I tried 7-8 binoculars side by side one day in the same conditions and I noticed differences in the tint of the images. So the G2 is the latest version of the Midas 8 x 42 ED? I wonder what they impoved on from the original. From the UHD name I'm guessing the glass.

 

[rdnzl]

Don't get to caught up in the ABC's and the DEF's. Companies use and abuse terms like UHD all the time. There IS no industry standard for that term.

I also own Athlon Midas G2 10x50's, and while it's not the same as my Athlon Midas 8x42's, I see not difference in image quality. I'm sure the company website will tout the G2 improvements.

Athlon makes a good binocular for the money, from the Midas line, and up. I prefer the Midas line over Vortex Vipers that cost more. But other folks may have a different opinion.

 

[rdnzl]

And to your mention of view "colors" I find them quite neutral, with nice "pop".

 

[dries1]

With respect to color, I thought the Midas had an overly yellow hue but that was a model when they first came out. The perception of color is quite different to many, so I would check your self.

 

[lilcrazy2]

In 2020 the Midas ED was replaced by the Midas G2 UHD, and the only seeming optical upgrade was to the glass _ UHD vs ED. The other change was to the bridge design and color. The Midas ED only allows your little finger to be wrapped around under the bridge. The G2's smaller bridge allows the normal 2 fingers to be wrapped around. FOV, ER, and CF remain identical between the 2. Weight is 1 ounce less in the G2's.

I have the 10x42 Midas ED's and they compare very favorably to my 10x42 Monarch 7's and Vortex Vipers. I would give an edge to the Vipers, but it would interest me if the G2 UHD's glass might negate that gap.

I have the Midas G2 UHD in 12x50 as well as the Celestron Nature DX ED and several other 12x50's and a 12x42 to audition as my 12x outside porch bins. Haven't stated the shootout yet but was impressed when looking thru the G2 UHD's.

Personally, I think the Athlon Midas's are one of the better values around for the $$ spent in that range, at least here in the USA and our prices.

 

[blackbirdog]

I have read that the Vortex warranty is not great, although I have not read it personally. The Athlon's are warrantied for life. And, the warranty is transferable to a new owner if you sell them. Also, the warranty is not only for manufacturing defects but for any damage caused by normal use.

 

[pianoman]

Happy with my Athlon Midas for all its optical properties (for the price) and its robustness. Main disadvantage for me is the weight, which is noticeably heavier that previous bins of the same size that I have owned. But that aside, you get one of the best views for your money.

 

[la_ravachol]

In 2020 the Midas ED was replaced by the Midas G2 UHD, and the only seeming optical upgrade was to the glass _ UHD vs ED. The other change was to the bridge design and color. The Midas ED only allows your little finger to be wrapped around under the bridge. The G2's smaller bridge allows the normal 2 fingers to be wrapped around. FOV, ER, and CF remain identical between the 2. Weight is 1 ounce less in the G2's.

I have the 10x42 Midas ED's and they compare very favorably to my 10x42 Monarch 7's and Vortex Vipers. I would give an edge to the Vipers, but it would interest me if the G2 UHD's glass might negate that gap.

I have the Midas G2 UHD in 12x50 as well as the Celestron Nature DX ED and several other 12x50's and a 12x42 to audition as my 12x outside porch bins. Haven't stated the shootout yet but was impressed when looking thru the G2 UHD's.

Personally, I think the Athlon Midas's are one of the better values around for the $$ spent in that range, at least here in the USA and our prices.

I've read in a couple of places, including from one retailer, that the glass in the Midas ED and G2 are the same and actually only the body is upgraded.

 

[jpinto]

Thanks @rdnzl, that's great to hear about the Athlon Midas 8 x 42 ED. There were highly recommended by the New York Times Wirecutter, but the Wirecutter has many questionable recommendations driven more by affiliate revenue than by actual quality and performance, so I was looking for confirmation. Have you also looked at the Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42, Celestron Trailseeker 8 x 42 ED and Celestron Nature DX ED 8 x 42?

Just to confirm, do you have the Midas 8 x 42 ED or Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD? In another thread about budget 8 x 42's you said you had "these" and posted a link to the Midas G2 8 x 42 UHD (I realize you may have posted the wrong link).

I have both Midas 10x42. The green (older)model and the g2. There is no difference that I can see from both. You can get the older model at quite a discount so I recommend them. I did my research on binoculars and found the Midas to be the very best value for the buck. To beat them you will have to pay double to triple the cost. When I received thes I was amazed at how much light they gathered and the sharpness is incredible. Far better than anything I tested in that price range. You will not be disappointed

 

[la_ravachol]

I have both Midas 10x42. The green (older)model and the g2. There is no difference that I can see from both. You can get the older model at quite a discount so I recommend them. I did my research on binoculars and found the Midas to be the very best value for the buck. To beat them you will have to pay double to triple the cost. When I received thes I was amazed at how much light they gathered and the sharpness is incredible. Far better than anything I tested in that price range. You will not be disappointed

I bought them a little while ago and second all of this.

Only issue is big import costs if you're based in Europe (I got a friend to bring some back with them from a trip to the US). If you can avoid that cost, it's great value for money.

 

[pwagner]

I have no hands on experience with Celestron roof prism binoculars. Maybe someone else does?

But I doubt you would be disappointed in the Midas or the Midas G2. I liked the color of the non G2 and it was a little cheaper. The G2 is the current model.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I'll have a chance to demo Athlon soon and compare it side by side with a number of other 8x42 and see for myself. There's no substitute for looking through different glass and seeing the image. By the way, when I asked about color earlier, I was referring to the tint of the image. Once I demoed about 7-8 different 8 x 30 binos side by side, and there were significant differences in tint and brightness for binos of roughly the same quality and I immediately preferred the image of some over the others.

Does anyone happen to know where Athlons are made and where the company is based?