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The Opticron Countryman 8x42 BGA T in our optical test got a very decent result of 118.4 points. Taking into account its price and a narrow angle of view we weren’t exactly impressed with its performance. Perhaps it will fare better in the endurance test.

Low temperature

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In low temperature the central focusing wheel started to work unevenly but there weren’t more serious problems with it. The dioptre correction ring was far more problematic as it is narrow, with sharp ribs. If you add to it a far greater resistance caused by the low temperature, turning it becomes not especially comfortable; additionally you can hear loud cracks when you use it. The gauge of the tubes and the tripod mounting exit performed as they should for a change.

High temperature

The central wheel gets a significant slack – it moves sideways and those movements don’t change the set focus in any way. Similar slacks you can feel while turning eyecups which are not very stable in the intermediate positions. The gauge of the tubes can be changed a bit too easily but the dioptre ring and the tripod mounting blockade work as they should.

Waterproof qualities

No reservations in this category. One hour of submersion the binoculars survived without any problems.

Falls

The tested Opticron can be hardly called shock-proof – after two falls the binoculars get noticeably decolimated and the eyecups didn’t survive the test at all. The left one is left skewed and works very heavily, the right one tore off completely – it can be seen in the photo below.

Optics cleaning

Fingerprints on front elements are not distinct and can be removed instantly, even after a swipe of a dry cloth. Water residue, which got stuck after the exposure to high temperature, was very hard to clean, though. The water drops dribble down quite efficiently, leaving just minuscule traces. Big grease stains can be smudged on the element; it can be removed with several swipes of a dry cloth but not without some resistance.

Other

No other problems.

Summary

The chart below shows the results the tested pair of binoculars got in particular categories:

The Opticron Countryman 8x42 BGA T fared moderately well in our endurance test. A bad result concerning its shock resistance lowered the result so if you never drop your binoculars and take care it never hits anything solid you can use it for a long time.