Eagle Optics Triumph 10x50 Binocular

From Jeff in US:

5/5 Rating

These Binoculars are simply a great bang for the buck product. The build quality and Optics are excellent. Very smooth focus, nice eye relief, and a great size for Astronomy. That's what I use them for.

The 12X50's are harder to handhold and keep steady, and you also lose more field of view. The 7X50 have a greater field of view, but are just not enough power for me, so these fit right in the comfort zone for handheld Stargazing.

I tried other big name brands like Pentax, Nikon, and for the same price range or more, these are right up there with them. I would definitely recommend Eagle optics.

Swarovski CL Companion 10x30 Binocular (Green)

From Terry in NE:

5/5 Rating

I had been thinking about purchasing the Swarovski CL Companion 10X30 binocular for some time now. Finally, I bought myself a Christmas present and received them just a few days before the holiday. I have not put them down since!

I own the larger Swarovski EL 10X42 bins and love them. But I have wanted something lighter and more portable, and the CL Companion fills all those niches. They are so lightweight and still provide the high quality Swarovski glass I expected. They are fantastic for smaller hands like mine. The smaller window (30 versus 42) just requires more accurate spotting before enjoying the view.

I've been keeping them in the kitchen as I work from home, and grabbing them to take in the car every time I head out, whether it's to the grocery store or real birding. I am so glad I finally took the plunge and bought these bins. I keep thinking Swarovski can't improve their products much more, but again they have proven me wrong!

Eagle Optics Denali 10x42 Roof Prism Binocular

From Jim in WA:

4/5 Rating

Like all optics, you get what you pay for. A below $200 pair of binoculars will get you better optics than a pair of sub-$100 binoculars but not as good as a $400 binocular. I have found that with optics, there is a sweet spot for what I do (birding) and that usually hits in the 400-500$ range with much over that being for the Donald Trumps of the world.

But for an average day birding...this Denali pair isn't all that bad. I would say this is a good beginning pair. Now I don't hunt and when you hunt for elk or deer the creatures are a bit larger and you are looking to view for a different purpose than one who is birding. So expectations differ. For birding, these are light enough, fit in your hands well, offer good view in close up situations and provide pretty good light all in all. Towards dusk or early morning when shades of gray are more prevalent, I would say they lack just a bit but again for someone just starting out or as a second pair laying around these are excellent.

The center focus wheel is easy to use, the right eye diopter is stiff, but really you only set it once anyhow and it is best to be stiff so there is no accidental manipulation of it. I like the drop-down lens covers as they are attached and you are not going to be losing them as you walk. The feel is solid, rubber coated. The strap is just an average strap, many times I buy a separate one anyhow to replace the ones that come with any binocular.

Clarity of focus is really good in the middle sweet spot, not so much on the sides, but who cares as you always center your object anyhow, right? As I mentioned earlier, ease of the focus wheel makes it easy to focus from different ranges, there is not a ton of turning of the focus wheel to obtain focus when changing ranges. This is a good feature. The focus wheel is easy to use, in the center and my fingers found it and easy manipulated without any issues. The case, is just a case.... The bino's are light so if you wanted you could easily travel with this. The size is about that of the nikon Monarch, unlike some of the Vortex ones I have which are larger.

All in all...I would suggest this pair as a beginning pair of binos, perhaps a second pair for others to borrow..or like I use it as, a good 'car bino'..one that stays in my car and I use it as I drive around. A solid pair for $200, better than a Tasco by far, better than some of the Bushnell $100 pairs that are floating around as a beginning bino, but surely not as good in color, light and feel quality as a Vortex Talon, Razor or Nikon Monarch.

Atlas Optics Radian 8x42 Binocular

From Robert in MA:

5/5 Rating

I bought these as an upgrade from my cheap 8 x 21 pocket binocs. I'm glad I did. I did several weeks of research, both in brick and mortar stores and online. Although I had heard positive things about Eagle Optics I had never heard of Atlas Optics prior to finding the reviews on the Radians. I was cautious. But the large number of very positive reviews and the miniscule number of negative comments, plus the unbeatable guarantee, persuaded me.

The Radians are sturdy and all parts work smoothly. This is the first set of binocs that I've been able to use both with and without glasses; the adjustable eye relief works quite well and the diopter adjustment stays in place even after repeated returns to and extractions from the case. I've not experienced that with other binocs that I've tried, including some that were much more expensive.

Most importantly, the optics in these binocs are amazing. In very low light (nighttime with only walkway lights for illumination) I was able to see details on a flock of Canada geese gathered around a small pond. In all levels of light the color rendition and sharpness of the image are impressive. I could not detect any distortion. I'm very sensitive to color distortion, so much so that my optician knows I'll accept only a true gray lens in sunglasses.

In short, these binocs outperform many that are at least as expensive and some that are considerably more expensive.