1999 Sample List at Living Bird (1999) 1-5, 1 is best. (Worst score was an $80 Celestron with a 4.4)
Make Model | MSR | Disc | View | Rating* |
Oversized |
Swarovski 10x50 SLC | $1,332 | $1,050 | 19 | 1.3 |
Leica 10x50 BA | $1,345 | $980 | 14 | 1.5 |
Leica 10x50 BN | $1,495 | | 21 | |
Pentax 10x50 PCF | $274 | | 14 | 3.3 |
Swift Kestrel 10x50 | $495 | | 22 | |
Full-sized |
Swarovski 8.5x42 EL | $1,820 | $1,640 | | 1.3 |
Leica 10x42 BA | $1,145 | $900 | 15 | 1.5 |
Zeiss 7x42 B/GAT | $950 | | 28 | 1.2 |
Bausch & Lomb Elite 10x42 | $860 | | 16 | 1.9 |
Swift Audubon 820 8.5x44 | $570 | $250 | 26 | 2.5 |
Swift Ultralite 10x42 | $460 | | 16 | 2.7 |
Celestron Regal 8x42 | $659 | | 21 | 2.4 |
Eagle Optics Ranger 10x42 | $348 | | 16 | 2.3 |
Eagle Optics Voyager 9.5x44 | $298 | | 19 | 3.0 |
Minolta Activa 8x40 WP.FP | $150 | | | 3.0 |
Bushnell Legend 13-4208 8x42 | $300 | | | 3.0 |
Nikon Egret II 8x40 | $170 | | 19 | 3.4 |
Midsize |
Swarovski 8x30 SLC | $832 | $650 | 22 | 1.6 |
Leica 10x32 BA | $1,095 | | 17 | 1.6 |
Nikon Superior E 8x32 | $936 | | 24 | 1.6 |
Nikon Naturalist IV 7x35 | $144 | | 30 | 3.8 |
Eagle Optics Ranger 8x32 | $158 | | 16 | 3.4 |
Canon 10x30 IS (Image Stabalized) | $640 | $290 | 19 | |
Compact |
Pentax 8x25 UCF X | $100 | $90 | 20 | 2.6 |
Bausch & Lomb Custom 7x26 | $279 | | 20 | 2.0 |
Eagle Optics 8x24 UCF (Pentax) | $108 | | 18 | 3.2 |
Eagle Optics Voyager 8x25 | $59 | | 17 | 2.8 |
*Rating - Image quality rating
Field of View: Measured as width of field (inches) seen from a distance of 15 feet.
Field for:
in./15' | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 |
ft./1000 yds. | 233 | 266 | 300 | 333 | 366 | 400 | 433 | 466 | 500 |
Degrees° | 4.4° | 5.1° | 5.7° | 6.3° | 7° | 7.6° | 8.2° | 8.8° | 9.5 |
10x = 14-22 (4.4-7.0°); 8x = 17-24 (5.4-7.6°); 7x = 20-30 (6.3-9.5°)
See updated 2005 report "The Age of Binoculars" (5 is the best)
last updated 8 Nov 2009
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