Olympus Binocular 10×50 S – Ideal for Nature Observation
Olympus Binocular 10×50 S – Ideal for Nature Observation, Wildlife, Birdwatching, Sports, Concerts , Black
From 8x magnification to 8-16x zoom
The 8×40 S with 8x magnification and the 10×50 S with 10x magnification are ideal for discovering expansive nature views with ease. Additionally, the powerful zoom of the 8-16×40 S is a great advantage if there is no opportunity for the user to get closer to the object. Quick and easy changes in magnification allow to suit the viewing situation with excellent target resolution across the entire magnification range.
Birdwatching
Birdwatchers require from their binoculars three basic things: they must be portable, easy to focus with and provide good-quality images. With the Olympus standard binoculars you can easily spot your feathered friends in the treetops while enjoying the birdsong. Due to the wide field of view and the powerful magnification or zoom, you will never miss anything in nature again.
Perfect for every outdoor trip
In addition to precise optics, the material of the housing is decisive. With a durable, high-quality finish that protects them against nearly all nature conditions and a robust housing that can withstand the forces of any outdoor tour, these binoculars are well equipped for outdoor use. Even tough weather conditions and rough terrain will not make a difference to the highly resistive lightweight material.
Sports and Events
Enjoy your favorite sport first hand and watch every little detail. Thanks to the powerful magnification and the wide field of view, the Olympus standard binoculars are ideal for any type of sport. As the 8-16×40 S binoculars provide a continuous zoom, fast sports such as surfing, football and tennis, where the ball and the players move rapidly across the field, can be observed with ease.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnification | 8x | 10x | 8 – 16x |
| Objective lens diameter | 40mm | 50mm | 40mm |
| Exit pupil diameter | 5mm | 5mm | 5 – 2.5mm |
| Real field of view | 8.2° | 6.5° | 5.0° – 3.4° |
| Field of view at 1000m | 143m | 113m | 87 – 59m |
| Relative Brightness | 25 | 25 | 25 – 6.3 |
| Close Focusing Distance | 4m | 6m | 10m |
| Weight | 715g | 855g | 795g |
| Size W x H x D (mm) (Width at maximum eye interval) | 183 x 142 x 60 | 192 x 178 x 64 | 183 x 154 x 60 |
| Weight: | 855 Grams |
| Size: | 10×50 S |
| Dimensions: | 19.2 x 17.8 x 6.4 centimetres |
| Brand: | Olympus |
| Model: | V501023BU000 |
| Part: | V501023BU000 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 19.2 x 17.8 x 6.4 centimetres |
| Size: | 10×50 S |
Seen all sorts of mixed reviews. I love them. I’m an enthusiastic rather than expert bird watcher. I peruse on lower magnification & then zoom once I’ve picked up on something of interest. You can then get great detail.
These binoculars are first class, very good quality. I use them daily for bird watching and occasionally at night for star gazing. Crystal clear optics with no false colours. I m very very pleased with them
After having cheap binoculars over the years and wanting to improve the experience of watching the local wildlife i decided to buy the 8×40 versions of these binoculars after reading various positive reviews. They we also significantly cheaper on amazon than other sellers. As soon as i used these i was really impressed by the optics. Super clear, very bright and could pick up way more detail than i expected. They are a nice size, feel quality and the weight is about right. Well worth the money, highly recommend!
Excellent pair of binoculars. Reasonable weight, easy to focus and sharp image.
A few years ago I bought my daughter, the ‘Olympus 10×50 dps I’ version and have always been very impressed by them. Recently bought the 10×50 S version for my own use. They have same clarity and build quality as far as I can see and I have not been able to see any difference in the vision quality between the two pairs of binoculars. The 6.5 field of view is great and provides clarity in the image. I wear glasses and even when I keep them on and lift the binoculars for a quick look at the world(without turning back the rubber cups) I obtain a clear image and have obtained a quick focus. There is a slight loss in the field of view but not enough to concern me.
Adjusting the diopter setting is easy and if it moves you get to know where you normally place it. The binoculars are comfortable to hold and not too weighty. I have not experienced any shadowing at the sides, which I have experienced when using other binoculars, especially when trying 20×50 versions for example.
I use them for bird watching and species identification as well as having an occasional look at the moon. Stars are a different challenge. A tripod is useful for this and there is a front fitment that can be removed to access the screw point for the tripod fitment( I use the celestron version). Unfortunately, this cover is made of plastic and has a fine thread for unscrewing the cap, which can be a bit of a challenge when replacing it. It would have been helpful if Olympus had provided a better design for this.
This is a minor issue, overall a great pair of binoculars and off to see if I can spot the Killer whales and other sea mammals at Orkney in the near future.
Superb optics, bright clear and great definition. The zoom feature is excellent really helpful for bird watching from the wide angle to spot and watch to the higher magnification to aid identification. Easy to hold and use just a little bit heavier than I had anticipated.
This are really good binos ideal for bird watching – slightly heavier than more expensive options. They feel and look really good quality.
GOOD PRICE , GOOD QUALITY , FAST DELIVERY , WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED
Absolutely fantastic binoculars , I connot find a single thing wrong with them ,easy to focus . I focused on what looked like a static sign what must have been 200 metre’s away I could barely see it with naked eye’s and boom it was there as if I was standing next to it .
I can mount it on a tripod , with appropriate accessory and look at the moon amazing.
And not made in China the build quality is fantastic all the lens caps fit snuggly and don’t fall off and a nice padded case and neck strap .
These binoculars were to replace a damaged 8×40. Because these new ones are larger, 10×50, I expected them to be heavier. Whilst they are slightly heavier they are good to hold and have a nice balance. I am happy with the close vision, watching the garden birds as I am with the distance which is better than my old pair. At the price point I would rate them good value.
All features comfortable to use.
Like the bag and strap for comfort.
Great clarity.Amazed at detail.Brings the skies to life!
Isecond pair I bought for my hubby left the first pair in Canada he just couldn’t live without them, he watches the birds from our conservatory every morning
The image is crystal clear and focusing is easy once you get used to it, I do find that unless you keep them perfectly level the view is distorted, they also don’t like the rain,
I also found that opening and closing them seems to upset the settings and I had to fiddle a bit to recalibrate them for my vision,
These are great glasses that don’t weigh a ton
The only problem is I can’t use them with glasses o
Sharp clear optics, well made with a strong quality feel. Reason for this purchase over other makes was the strong brand and the zoom function. Glad to report I am not disappointed with my purchase. First used on a damp foggy day over looking a lake and the images were chrystal clear, the zoom function as hoped was very easy to use and a fantastic function in my opinion, true clear close ups and I love the fact I can focus in on objects as close as two metres away. Great piece of kit and a welcomed addition on walks.
Soft padded carry/storage bag with strap and lanyard to attach the binos included.
Minor niggle; the lens caps are all individual and not jointed to the lanyard either. Just to note.
These are brilliant binoculars for the outdoors. I take these with me every time I go fishing, they’re fantastic for watching birds and basic astronomy.
The full moon last night was absolutely incredible, and using these binoculars I could easily see all the craters and seas. It was amazing and I found myself just looking at it for hours. Using my Skyscanner app, I was able to pinpoint Saturn and Jupiter (with one of its moons!). Hand-held is rather shakey for the planets but if you rest your elbows on a stable surface, you can just pick out the rings of Saturn and I could clearly see Jupiter and its moon.
Back on earth, the picture is so clear. Birds and other animals can be picked up in amazing detail. While I sat on a hill near Macclesfield and could easily view the skyscrapers of Manchester 23km away.
The case is adequate to hold and carry the binoculars, and it comes with caps in each lense (front and back) to protect it from dust or damage.
My friend used them during our fishing trip, and he’s already ordered some for himself! For my needs, they are perfect.
I bought 2 different pairs (the olympus one (48) and a Dehlzer 10×42 (65)) so that I can compare. These Olympus ones left the Dehlzer one standing. The viewport was much bigger and the detail very clear. Something that appeared as a dot in the distance became very clear when I looked at it through the binoculars. My 9 year old son didn’t have any issues using them on safari – and my wife who wears specs loves them. Finally a pair that works.
Note, we wouldn’t use these for bird watching (flying birds) as you can’t see the detail. However, detail on game on animals that don’t move as fast as birds is great. I tried taking photos using my phone through the view port and they came out fine (albeit a bit fiddly to pair up!)
Compared to my old binoculars (which were supposedly 12 x 50)…… well there is no comparison. The clarity of vision is such that I can see things way way in the distance, perfectly clearly – things that I would have no chance of seeing with my old binoculars – and the field of vision is much wider than my old ones.
Just looked out over the fields at the back of my house and seen (small) birds flying around in crystal clear vision – could see their markings very clearly. Not being a bird-watcher I had no idea what they were (although definitely not sparrows, blackbirds, pigeons, gulls, magpies or starlings – or robins – or owls – or eagles) but they were good to watch and almost converted me to being a twitcher! Might even become a train-spotter now! Will have a look at the moon later tonight.
If you buy these binoculars you will not be disappointed – not for the price, anyway. I can’t say this for certain, but I am pretty sure you could pay a lot more and not get much better quality of vision. OK, not the cheapest you can buy, but certainly not expensive. I bought my old binoculars years ago, but obviously did not pay much for them! The difference is truly amazing.
Update:
I have now had the binoculars for a couple of weeks and “sold” them to a friend – not physically, but I think she is now going to buy two pairs, one for her husband and one for her brother, she was that impressed.
Having bought these, I began to wonder, “have I got a really good bargain here?” and have spent some time researching the matter even more than I did before I bought them! My conclusion is yes, I have got a bargain. For 65 these binoculars are exceptional and, having now used them a lot over the two weeks I have owned them, would say that if I had paid 100 (or even 150) for these binoculars, I would still think I had got a bargain and be very pleased with my purchase!
So, if you are thinking of buying a cheaper pair, think again – the extra 10, 20, 30 that you spend on buying these binoculars will be money well spent. And if you are thinking of buying a much more expensive pair of binoculars, also think again. Buy these and you could save yourself hundreds of pounds. OK, if you need a really, really good pair for some reason (perhaps because of your job), it might be worthwhile you spending that extra money, but for the vast, vast majority of us, these binoculars are all you will ever need (for whatever purpose you need them for). They give fantastic quality of vision at a very (very) reasonable price. My old bins have been binned with just one regret – why did I put up with them for so long!
So I searched various websites including Amazon trying to balance price and spec together with reviews opinions.
The Olympus 8×40 DPSI Binoculars seemed to do everything I wanted and were at a reduced price of 48.
Finally I have some binoculars that do all I need. Not to large or heavy, they are easy to focus the image is really bright allowing you to see loads of detail in whatever you are looking at, the lenses are wide angle so it is easy to pick up on your target even if it is moving.
They come with end caps, neck strap and carry case which are perfectly aeiquate for the job they are there to do.
A friend has a pair of Nikon Prostaff 7s 8×42 which are around three times more expensive and in my opinion these compare very well in terms of image and build quality.
I have a fairly large garden area with multiple bird feeders and already have a great (more expensive) pair of Pentax binoculars that I keep in the house for quickly grabbing and getting a closer look at the birds. However, it got to the point where me and my wife were constantly passing the binoculars to each other to see the birds before they flew away.
I bought these 10×50 Olympus binoculars during Amazon’s sale so the already cheap price was a little cheaper again and I must say I’m impressed. They don’t feel as well made as other more expensive binoculars, the focus wheel isn’t as “fast” as other binoculars and the eye cups don’t come close enough together for some users BUT for the money the quality is excellent.
Coming from a photography background, yes there is slight chromatic abberation along high contrast edges in the background but you have to actively look for that. The bokeh (out of focus area) behind the in focus subject is nicely separated and smooth which helps make the subject stand out. They’re nice and bright, I don’t really use them in low light situations but they are noticeably brighter than my more expensive bincoculars.
The only let down would be size/weight and the accessories. They are big and heavy, couple that with a cheap and thin neck strap that is included and you really wouldn’t want to be taking these on a long hike. The strap problem is easily solved, I always attached PeakDesign connectors to my cameras and binoculars so I can use comfy wide PeakDesign straps with them, this helps spread the weight around your neck but if you are looking for a pair of travel binoculars, look elsewhere.
If you want a decent pair of binoculars to keep in the kitchen/conservatory to grab to look at wildlife in the garden, these are for you. You won’t care about the extra weight or size because they’ll be sat on a coffee table. Likewise, if you keep them in your car and take them to a sporting event (motorsport, horseracing, etc) then they’re perfect.
MY experience with binoculars is limited to old pairs and parents and grand parents houses, that I thought were OK. I then recently went to Kruger national park where I used what I thought to be a decent pair of 10 x 50 binoculars and 8 x 25 (I think). We spotted a Lion at distance eating a hippo carcass, I used the 10 x 50 bins and managed to view the scene which at the time I thought was great quality. However after a few minutes of viewing the 10 x 50 started to become cumbersome to hold and continue with without shaking and distorting the image. I tried everything to steady myself but I found it increasingly difficult to sustain a good image with them……….. this leads me to the Olympus!
Unfortunately I purchased these after the trip (!) but I can honestly say I have never used anything that stand up the the image clarity of these! The 10 x 50 I used look like kids toys in comparison. The 8x magnification with wide field of view make these and absolute dream to use. Testing the range I can see with absolute clarity across the downs where I walk my dog from one side to the other approx 800m I can also see structures like the Shard in London which are just visible with the naked eye – clearly through the binoculars. Last night I tested on the moon and I can actually see the definition of the craters which I was astounded by.
Maybe I have used complete junk binoculars up until now – as I said I am no expert. But these Olympus bins are everything I could ever need and a pleasure to use, no fatigue like the 10 x 50 which were a lot larger with smaller field of view. Look no further for a decent pair of every day bins that you can easily use.
For those new to bins, the first figure is the magnification, and the second figure is the lens size (or as I prefer to put it, how much of everything do you see when you look through them). With bins it is a tradeoff between magnification, lens size, and weight. The higher the first two, the bigger the bins, and the bigger the bins, the more you will need a tripod to stop the miage shaking. If you go for the same magnification, but a smaller lens size ( 8×25 are typical), you are looking at “compact” bins, which you can shove in your pocket or bag. However, you will not see as much of the view looking through these. The holy grail is something that is light, you can carry, but still use without a tripod, but with a great field of view. These pretty much fit the bill.
First of all, the 8 magnification was a great choice as my 7YO daughter can easily hold it by hand and enjoy a good stable image without getting too tired. The 40mm front element was a good choice too as it combines image brightness with compact shape and light body weight. In other words, we can easily carry this binocular with us when we are out and about – as we all know the best devices are the ones you can easily carry with you and use. This binocular ticks that box.
In daylight it performs reasonably well giving good views of, for example, birds and squirrels about 30 to 50 metres away. However in my opinion this binocular really shows its potential at night. Sky observation is great. You won’t see nebulae or galaxies in detail – you need more serious optics to do that – but you will see many more stars and have a great view of the moon; any child, or adult, will from time to time be tempted to pick the binocular and look up at the sky for a few minutes. But the impressive bit comes when you observe the land in low light. My first target was a car parked in a rather dark spot at night and I was surprised to see how easily I could see the plate number and clearly read it, something that wasn’t possible with the naked eye, not because of the distance but because it was too dark (note that my vision is very good and I don’t need glasses). So whilst this is not a night vision device and it should not be bought with the expectation that it will allow you to see in the dark, it performs very well even in very poor lighting conditions where you only have low street illumination available or the light of a good full moon. I wasn’t expecting it to perform like this and I am impressed.
The less impressive part is the optical quality, but again consider the price of this item. The image tends to have a cushion distortion on the sides, with some image stretching effect once you move from the central sweet spot of the observation field. The focus tends to fade as you look away from the centre of the image. Not great, but to be honest and in light of a few years of experience in photography and as the owner of optics costing in excess of 2k apiece, I wasn’t expecting a jewel for this money so I don’t feel disappointed at all. As anyone with a reasonable photo or video experience would testify, with some exceptions (e.g. some 50mm lenses) good optics are never cheap and the discerning eye will definitely see the difference.
The accessories also have a cheap-ish feel, but again at this price I’m not surprised.
The bottom line is: would I recommend this? Definitely yes. If you buy this you can’t go wrong, it comes with a pouch, front and rear caps, lanyard, which are pretty much all you need. Another thing to consider is that if it falls and breaks, or disappears in the depth of the sea, you won’t be tearing your hair out in desperation.
I cannot begin to describe how impressed I am with these optics, stunningly clear vision a perfectly correlated set of lenses everything looks like its in 3d!
The 50mm lenses and whatever they coat them in pulls in the light really well, so well in fact that looking down my garden some 50 yds in pitch black of night I can actually see the detail of my deck and shed as if it were twilight, ok its not night vision but its enough to keep an eye out for Charlie and know when its time to get the gun out!
Now I have seen what a good set of optics can do I wish that I had maybe gone for something slightly higher powered say a 12 or 15x but then I doubt they would be as light or as compact as these DPS-1’s
For hunting and general use without spending 2k on those brands normally found in my local gunshop, these Olympus 10×50’s are exceptional VFM and the deal I got from Amazon was around 40 less than the nearest high street stockist.
Lets face it you need hands steadier than a brain surgeon to use anything above 15x and the wage packet of said surgeon to afford Swarovski’s anyway so these are undoubtedly the best set of bins I’ve ever had and I expect to get many years use from them.
I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than 30 for a set of bins and they all end up in landfill, buy cheap buy twice I think is the saying.
This time I’m totally satisfied but I would have given 5* had I found a 15x pair for the same money.
For stargazing they are not,
I was originally looking at getting 8×42 hunting bins but decided on the 10×50 Olympus as the brand was reputable and has a 25 yr warranty.
They arrive boxed, with an instruction leaflet and padded carry case, with strap. There’s a separate strap to attach to the binoculars along with eye and lens caps. They’re nicely balanced. They felt comfortable and the central wheel is large, responsive and easy to use. Very smooth.
The view is the main thing though and these are superb. Really superb. Wide angled, the images are clean, crisp and clear. No distortion anywhere. Everything was bright and sharp and I was amazed at the clarity of colour and markings when following a small bird into a hedge a couple of fields away. I was able to pick him out easily to identify. The lenses have a UV coating to protect the eyes from the harmful effect of the sun. I haven’t been able to test that yet! I took them to the shoreline this morning and was delighted with the definition of some cliffs nearby. It’s an area where birds will be nesting soon and these bins will allow clear sight of them tucked into the rocks. They’ve added a whole new world to that area of the beach for me!
I have different distance vision in each eye. I don’t how, but that difference is totally ironed out when using these. It’s incredible. I’m thrilled with their capability and believe they’ll last for years. The slightly rubberised coating makes them warm and comfortable to use in colder weather. They’re an amazing price with stunning performance. Highly recommended.
If there is a downside, and this may be nit-picking, is that of the lens caps which are individually independent and not connected via cord etc. to the main body of the binoculars. If asked to improve on the product this would be my only, albeit minor, suggestion.
In summary the Olympus 8 x 40 binoculars are a quality product and recommended for bird watching and general use. I am very satisfied with my choice in all aspects.
The only downsides I’ve found are the lens caps are not attached and with no pocket provided in the case it is very easy to lose them (thankfully haven’t done so yet) so a lot of the time we just put the binoculars into the case or carry them around without caps on just to save time removing each one individually. The case is thin which is good because it’s light but won’t offer much protection if dropped. There is a detachable strap so a lot of the time I just wear them around my neck but you definitely notice the weight and it can be a bit uncomfortable. That said, the binoculars do seem to be very well made and very durable. The focus dial I do find a bit of a pain to move as it’s quite stiff but still moves smoothly and it’s strange you almost get a 3D view with a lot of the foreground and background in focus.
Personally I don’t find them perfect for wildlife spotting due to the fact it’s only an 8x magnification so you still have to be pretty close if you really want that close up, highly detailed view but the clarity and light on these are fantastic for the price so if you do have a limited budget I would highly recommend them.
Right, the binoculars, they are outstanding value for money. You expect a good image with Porro bins, but these exceeded my expectations by a long way for what I paid for them and I did a big ‘WOW’ on first use. They feel good in the hand as well, comfortable and solid. I found the focus wheel just about right, if anything a little on the stiff side, but rather that than sloppy. The rubber eye cups are fine for me, but I could understand if some might find them a bit softish. They’re in the average weight range for Porros at 850g and with the good quality wide neck strap I used I didn’t find them tiring at all.
After the quick initial field trip I spent a whole day with them round my neck walking the cliffs around my seaside home observing everything from hovering kestrels to a pod of dolphins rolling across the bay, a search and rescue helecopter doing what looked like training out at sea, and a big 3 masted ‘tall ship’ just about on the horizon. These binoculars returned an excellent image in all these different applications. They represent outstanding value money and I’d recommend them to anyone for general purpose use. By the way, they have ‘Field 6.5’ stamped on the side which if my trigenometry is about right should be around 56 metres at half a kilometer. I checked this using some prominent landmarks and using the Google Earth ruler on my PC at home found that the 56m field at half a kilometer is sopt on.
So definitely 4 out of 5 for these binoculars. Such a pity about the supplied strap. A decent strap would definitely raise them to a 5/5
There is neither any noticeable chromatic aberration nor geometric distortion. I was pleased to see that there is UV protection in the lenses, always a risk when outdoors.
The lens caps while not captive are a snug fit; no worries about them falling off. The neck strap has the extra fold feature on the fasteners to help prevent it from working its way out with time and exercise.
It took me a while to discover the tripod thread socket hidden behind the Olympus badge on the front of the focus rack; the badge unscrews, eventually. I’ve also bought the usual Opticron tripod adaptor for more relaxed viewing. This allows fixing to various mounting points such as the pan/tilt head on a tripod or the end of a monopod or stick when out walking.
The only weakness I’ve noticed compared with my other (lesser) old binoculars is that there is some flex in the focus rack allowing the eyepieces to move when they shouldn’t. So instead of using the supplied soft case I have stolen the hard case from one of the old bins to better protect the precision optical instrument that is the Olympus.
Addendum 10th February 2016
We’ve been using these a lot more than I expected, and much to my surprise have yet to lose a lens cap. They are excellent for general use on walks in the country, as well as the original intention to help one of us spot our feathered friends and guide the other taking the pics with the more clumsy long lens on a tripod.
I purchased these binoculars after reading some positive reviews on this site. I enjoy taking a leisurely stroll around our local nature reserves, woodlands, and along a disused canal, watching our local wildlife. These binoculars have been excellent for identifying birds in the trees. My old pair would have just showed up a blurred, brown blob ( they were very basic and very cheap), but with the Olympus 8 x 40 DPSI Binoculars, a bit of knowledge, and my RSPB guide, it is a far more rewarding experience knowing the diversity of birds spotted on my walks. I was standing at the edge of a brook the other week, and was distracted by a small white object that looked a little out of place. On further inspection using the binoculars, it soon became apparent that the white object was in fact the white breast of an adult dipper standing on a rock in the river. I then noticed it had a chick which was well camouflaged on the rock, but the binoculars gave me a very clear view – if I did not have the binoculars, I would never have seen them. The binoculars have a secure strap and a good quality case too. I had no problems ordering them, and they arrived much sooner than suggested, so overall, I am very happy with this purchase and am happy to recommend the seller and binoculars.
I visited 6 different shops and tested about 10 different makes. From the cheapest to Leica and Zeiss. I was prepared to pay anything as long as the quality and the image produced could justify it.
The most disappointing was the Bushnells. I tried 4 diffent pairs in the fist shop and the first two produced double vision. the other two could not focus properly. It was the cheapest part of their range but after 4 tries I lost confidence in their quality and wrote them off on the spot.
I tried a few other makes in the same price range but was not impressed. In another shop I tried the Nikon range and they were realy good, and at about 140 GBP a reasonable buy.
Comparing Nikon to Leica and Zeiss there were some difference in quality but only marginally. The sharpness was more or less the same but the periphery of the viewing field of the expensive German makes had some advantages.
The last of the 6 shops I visited had the Olympus 8×40 DPSI and I tested one on mid and long distances. The image quality was more or less the same as the Nikon ones. Image distortion at the fringe of the viewing field was may be slightly better on the Nikon but only by a very small margin. The Olympus cost 90 GBP compared to the Nikon at 140GBP.
I decided to think about it and did not buy anything until i returned home and found the Olympus at the Amazon site at just over 40GBP and then decided to take the plunge.
I have now had them for several days and had a chance to test them properly.
Pros:
1. The images produced are very sharp
2. The viewing field is over 8 degrees and makes it easy to find moving objects.
3. The focusing is very easy, from about 80 meters to 5 km ++ you hardly need to move the focus dial more than a few mm and it is very smooth. In fact the debth of focusing is very high – that is why some comments that it is 3d – that just means that the focus in front of the object and behind it is also in focus.
4 The distortion in the periphery is minimal and with the large wide viewing angle it has no practical downside.
5. It is very well build and sits comfortably in your hand.
NEUTRAL:
The light sensitivity is more and less the same a the naked eye. I have had a 7×50 bino and there you see more than the naked eye at night when the moon is out. The Olympus binos reproduce no advantage over the naked eye or may be just a few % more. It is therefore not recommended for night use.
Cons:
1. It does not fit in you pocket. It is a mid seized Bino but then again not too heavy.
2. It is not waterproof, so if you live in a damp and humid climate consider a Nikon (well only if you consider using it in pissing down rain or for nautical purposes – I do personally not- but for longer hiking trips it is an issue in the UK)
3. The neck strap is by some considered too thin – I actually do not mind because the weight is just over 700 g but I see the point.
Conclusion. This is by far the best buy I have tested. Super sharp, relatively light, great viewing field. Ideal for general purposes, bird watching, horse racing and the like, . In fact it is a steal at that price. Thanks to Amazon for delivering it as promptly as stated on their web site.
They’re small enough to fit in a large jacket pocket, but they’re not so light that you wouldn’t notice them – then again a lighter set I had a few years ago also were of no practical use, so these seem a decent compromise in form and usability.
As others have pointed out it would have been better if the lens caps were attached to the body, but after a fair bit of use I haven’t misplaced any of them.
A perfect starter set that live on top of a cupboard rather than in it gathering dust as they’re so easy to use.
Having trawled through a number of different items available on Amazon, the first thing that struck me about these Olympus binoculars was the low price (compared to other similar items) and the extremely positive reviews from users. I purchased them as a gift for my husband, and am delighted with the look, feel and the quality of the binoculars – they are simply excellent. Brilliant value for money, and arrived extremely quickly!
My husband loves them, a great gift, and they now accompany us on nature trail walks every weekend as they are as fantastic over longer distances as they are simply looking from the kitchen window to the bird feeders. Extremely easy to use, and a great buy.
Just to comment as well in relation to the case these come in, previous buyers have noted that they do not have a hard case and that the lens caps can feel a bit cheap. These comments are true, but by no means detract from how fantastic a product this is.
The binoculars feel well made and are not too big or heavy to take out with you.
They come with an olympus carry case to put them in and place over your shoulder and a strap to attach to them to put around your neck. The stap around your neck is just a basic unbranded strap, i did expect something better but it does the job so no real worrys.
As for the binoculars themselves, they are fantastic really. at 8x the clarity is very good and they work really well. Slide a lever around and you can be up to 16x magnification. This is still very clear but not as clear as at 8x. Also, at 16x magnification you need reasonably steady hands. I tried viewing the moon and jupiter at 16x and i needed to rest my elbows on something. Once i did that i could just about make out the moons of jupiter with these binoculars. I found at 8x for star gazing these were good for scanning the skies and stars came visible that were not with the naked eye. I prefer them to my celestron telecope to be honest, even though that has much higher magnification its easier to find things with binoculars.
General object, birds, planes and so on look really good in these binoculars. Id recommend them at the price. I paid 52 from here but the price seems to go up and down. I gave these binoculars 4 stars because there is always room for improvement on anything, like a better neck strap for these maybe?
Andy
These bins came in really good time and I immediately went out for a spot of birdwatching with them,the image they give is really excellent and Though at first I did find the zoom lever a little stiff, that soon settled down( just as I was considering a little WD40) Zooming up to 16X I really could not see any huge amount of dimming and it is well possible to hold the bins steady enough for a good view.Though holding the bins steady for any length of time would be an issue and you would need some sort of prop to steady against.
Now the bad news,within two hrs a hair or something similar fell across the right lens and ruined the view through them,I cannot find the heart to remove a star for this as the binoculars are so good!I then e-mailed the brilliant return service at Amazon who e-mailed me a pre paid printable Royal Mail address form,As the company I ordered them from had none left in stock,I was forced to take a refund.
I had kept the original packaging so I packed it all away and posted it on the Tuesday,On Wednesday evening I received an e-mail saying they were in posession of the return and on Thursday morning another mail saying my money had been refunded! Brilliant service so I immediately ordered another pair from a different seller 2.70 more expensive but they are well worth the money!
I have just received my relacement bins and they are really terrific! I am so pleased with them.