OPTICAL QUALITY

from

Midpriced Binoculars Round Up

by Michael and Diane Porter

Tryig a binocular We evaluated 56 mid-priced binoculars for Bird Watcher's Digest in the summer of 2007.

Here are our findings on the optical quality of the binoculars in the study.

What we looked for

We compared the binoculars for resolution, brightness, contrast, color fidelity, detail in shadowed areas, and freedom from chromatic aberration. Each tester rated the binoculars' optical quality on a scale of 5 (best score among our mid-priced binoculars) to 1 (worst).

We also had top-end reference binoculars available for comparison—a Swarovski EL 8.5x42, Zeiss FL 8x 42 and 10x42, and a Leica Ultravid 8x42.

A word of caution on interpreting the optical quality numbers. The combined scores are rated to the tenth of a point, but the spread is tight, with most of the binoculars scoring within one point of each other. The scores are not absolutes. Every score on the chart is composed of the ratings of multiple testers, each of whom doubtless brought his or her own preferences and particularities to the test.

This doesn't mean subjective comparisons are meaningless. But there is a tendency, when seeing something reduced to a number such as 4.3, to put undue credence in its specificity.

Among the standouts for optical quality were the Leica Ultravid Compacts, amazingly sharp, clear binoculars. (See review of Leica Ultravid Compacts.) Virtually all of our testers loved these tiny binoculars.

The full-sized Vortex Razor 8x42 shared the highest optical score with the Leica Ultravid Compacts. See the review of the Razor among the Binoculars of Particular Note section.