Binoculars review
Bushnell Legend 10x42
A new series of the binoculars from the American Bushnell company consists of porro and roof prism systems instruments. Porro prism models are available in the following versions: 8x26, 10x26, 8x42, 10x50 and 12x50 and roof prism models include: 9x25, 12x25, 8x32, 8x42, 10x42, 10x50 and 12x50.
The binoculars are characterized by a very solid casing and physically light weight. All the instruments from this series are waterproof and nitrogen-filled. There’s a central focusing system.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10x | 42mm | 105/1000(6o) | BaK-4/roof | 15 mm | 844g | 1635PLN |
Results of the review
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 41.93+/-
0.05mm Right: 41.91+/- 0.05mm |
8/8.0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 10+/- 0.15x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 75+/- 3% | 8/15.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Medium. | 5.5/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Slight. | 6.8/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of vision radius: 71% +\- 8% | 8/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Slight. | 6.3/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur occurs in the distance of 78% +\- 4% from the field of view centre. | 5/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Low but noticeable. | 3.7/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Almost perfect. Minimal cream. | 4.6/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Exemplary. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
4.6/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Very solid, very comfortable to hold. Profiled. Eyecups with four stops. No objections! | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Very comfortable central screw which can be turned by 450 degrees. A big and convenient ring on the right eyepiece which moves the outer lens. | 4.6/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | There is a comfortable exit. | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 58.5 to 74.3mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.7 m. | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 60.3 degrees. | 7/10.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 6.03 +\- 0.03 degrees and it was in accordance with the specifications. | 5/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Inner tubes black but not matt to the very end. Bottom gray. Minimal specks of dust on a prism. | 4.2/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
7/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Good quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Greenish everywhere. Low intensity. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 5 | 3.5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 19th place in global rank of our test of 10x42 binoculars | 130.3/170
76.6% |
||||
| Econo result | 10th place in Econo rank of our test of 10x42 binoculars | 7.6pkt. |
Summary
Pros:- very solid housing,
- negligible distortion,
- slight coma and astigmatism,
- excellent whiteness rendition,
- negligible flares,
- good blackening and workmanship inside,
- sharp image already from 1.7 meters.
Cons:
- minimally truncated left pupil,
- the transmission level could have been higher.
It is a well-made product of that widely-known American company. Especially impressive is the build quality. The device got the maximum score for the housing which means that none of the critics from our testing team found any reason to deduct even half a point - it happens really seldom. In other categories connected with workmanship like blackening, focusing, coatings, prisms’ quality, IPD or tripod the Bushnell Legend also reached results close to perfect.
If the optical categories’ scores, are added to that performance, and they are in the range from medium to very good without any serious slip-up, we must reach a conclusion that this instrument can be recommended to anybody without reservations.
