Binoculars review
Opticron Countryman 10x42 MC T
The porro-prismatic Opticron Countryman MC series consists of two instruments with the parameters of 8x42 and 10x42. Both are characterized by high build quality, wide field of view, BaK-4 prisms and affordable price.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10x | 42mm | 106/1000(6.1o) | BaK-4/Porro | 15 mm | 771g | 850PLN |
Results of the review
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 41.57+/-
0.05mm Right: 41.6+/- 0.05mm |
6/8.0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 9.78+/- 0.15x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 90+/- 3% | 13/15.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Low in the centre and at the edge. | 7.8/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Low. | 7.5/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of vision radius: 26% +- 3% | 2/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Low. | 7.9/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur occurs in the distance of 77% +- 4% from the field of view centre. | 5/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Slight. | 3.6/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Minimal yellow. | 4/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Exemplary. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
2.7/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Super solid. It seems to be indestructible. Very comfortable to hold but not so comfortable to look through because big eyecups without stops stick into your nose. | 6.5/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Quite comfortable central screw. Classic bridge moves evenly and smoothly. You can sit on it and nothing will happen. Individual focusing a bit too loose and it moves the lens. | 3.8/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | There is a comfortable exit. | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 58.8 to 72.5mm | 3/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 3.3 m. | 1/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 63.2 degrees. | 7/10.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 6.46 +- 0.03 degrees and it was wider than in the specifications. A wide field for this class. | 7.5/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Inner tubes dark and matt; gray bottom with white glue. Minimal specks of dust on the right prism. | 3.4/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
OL: 4.9%, OR: 4.8%. |
2/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Very high quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Green on the objectives. Green-purple on the prisms and eyepieces. Low intensity. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 5 | 3.5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 41st place in global rank of our 10x42 test. | 121.2/170
71.3% |
||||
| Econo result | 9th place in Econo rank of our 10x42 test | 7.7pkt. |
Summary
Pros:- very good transmission,
- wide field of view,
- low coma,
- low astigmatism,
- chromatic aberration very well-corrected,
- good quality of coatings and prisms,
- good whiteness rendition,
- solid housing.
Cons:
- distinctly truncated exit pupils,
- big and uncomfortable eyecups,
- too narrow IPD,
- significant distortion,
- the image at the edge could have been sharper.
Although the result in the test is far from excellent in my opinion this is a very interesting option – one worth considering the most from the whole Opticron 42 mm class instruments’ offer. The list of cons is a bit long but the pros are definitely more numerous, including good results in many important optical categories. For less than 300 USD we get a set of binoculars with a very wide field of view, put into a solid housing, with good transmission, good whiteness rendition and a very good correction of main off-axis aberrations. In the end, we are presented with a product with a very good price/quality ratio and without artificially limited parameters.
