Binoculars review
Opticron Classic 10x42 BGA
The Classic series consists of roof prism binoculars with the following parameters: 7x36, 8.5x36, 8x42, 10x42, 10x50 and 12.5x50. These instruments use BaK-4 glass prisms put in the Schmidt-Pechan system in which reflecting surface is covered by a special Oasis coating, which increases the transmission level of binoculars. The prisms are also phase correction coated and all optical elements are additionally covered by antireflection multicoatings. The housing is waterproof and nitrogen-filled.
As it is the case of all top-of-the-line Opticron products, we get a wide selection of stylish accessories in box (a hard case, two straps, a double set of caps, cleaning accessories) and a 30-year-long guarantee period.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10x | 42mm | 87/100(5o) | Bak-4/roof | 16 mm | 695g | 2650PLN |
Results of the review
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 41.4+/-
0.05mm Right: 41.47+/- 0.05mm |
5/8.0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 9.7+/- 0.2x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 78+/- 3% | 9/15.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Low in the centre, medium at the edge. | 6.2/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Very low. | 8/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of view radius: 39% +\- 4% | 4/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Low. | 7/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur occurs in the distance of 89% +\- 3% from the field of view centre. | 8/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Low. | 4.3/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Slightly gray cream. | 4.2/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Exemplary. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
2.8/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Small and handy. Eyecups with three detented stops but very delicate. Slippery rubber. | 7/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Central screw is comfortable. A narrow metal ring on the right eyepiece – not comfortable and it squelches near the ear. | 3.8/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | There is a screw there but you can’t twist it off without damaging the binoculars. | 0/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 57.3 to 76.3mm | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 1.45 m. | 2/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 50.5 degrees. | 5/10.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 5.21 +\- 0.03 degrees and it was by 0.21 degrees wider than that in the specifications. A narrow field for this equipment class. | 5/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Dark, matt and clean. A lot of grease near the prisms’ casing. | 4/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
7/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | High quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Greenish everywhere. Low intensity. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 30 years | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 32nd place in the overall ranking of the 10x42 binoculars test. | 123.3/170
72.5% |
||||
| Econo result | 49th place in the overall ranking of the 10x42 binoculars test. | -8.2pkt. |
Summary
Pros:
- solid and physically light housing,
- good IPD,
- good sharpness at the edge of he field,
- very low astigmatism,
- slight coma,
- chromatic aberration well-corrected,
- sharp image already from 1.45 metres,
- good quality of prisms and coatings,
- good warranty conditions,
- low light fall-off at the edge,
- good whiteness rendition.
Cons:
- average transmission,
- narrow field of view,
- lack of a tripod exit,
- slightly egg-shaped left pupil,
- too high distortion,
- too small objective lenses,
- noticeable flares.
Next to the Vortex Stokes and the Steiner Sky Hawk this is one of the biggest disappointments in our test. A steep price and a small field of view suggested we might get an excellent product with a faultless, bright and sharp up to the edge field of view. Unfortunately it is not the case. Although the test’s score is more or less good, it hardly justifies such a high price. For an amount of about 200-300 USD less we can buy significantly better sets of binoculars (like the Olympus EXWP or the Vortex Viper) and adding a bit more money we can even have a much more prestigious and also better Zeiss Conquest.
