AllBinos.com

Cons: For the price - none really. I agree with the previous poster that the eyecups aren\'t the best, but they are still pretty good. As a glasses wearer I don\'t use then much, but when I\'m not wearing my glasses the full-out position works well for me, so I don\'t miss the intermediate stops. Optically it\'s not a Swaro NL competitor, but at 20% of the cost I wouldn\'t expect it to be. It\'s not flat-field, so the outer 10-15% of the view isn\'t as sharp as the center.

Pros: A really likable, easy to use, set of mid-priced bins. They feel solid, and (unlike the previous poster) I really like the focus wheel - to me it feels nicer than the top end bins I use. Smooth, well-weighted, no slack and consistent resistance. Most importantly, the view is lovely, natural, and easy eye placement makes them a joy to use. The central resolution is all you\'d ask for and the relatively wide field of view provides an immersive experience, even if the very edges aren\'t as sharp as the centre. For \'normal\' use you\'ll have to look for the softness. They handle tricky lighting conditions well, not very prone to glare. Eye-relief is good - I can still easily see the full view with glasses on. They are pretty lightweight for an 8x42, yet feel solidly built. The neck strap that Kowa supply is better than supplied with many more expensive bins, and the case is OK if nothing fancy.

Summary: I\'m lucky to have one of Europe\'s best optics shops just down the road, so compared these with many others at this price point before buying. They were easily the best of the bunch for me. I\'d recommend trying them if you\'re in the market at this price point. I use NL Pures if I\'m heading out birding for the day, but keep a pair of these Kowas in the car, and don\'t feel short-changed when I use them. As an aside, also try the 8x32. The FoV is even wider, and for daytime use they are just as good apart from a slight tendency to show glare. The 8x32s do suffer from a softer view as the light levels fall though.

Cons: Disappointing focussing wheel – looks good in the pictures, but in reality, it is just shiny plastic. Given the quality of the optics, this is disappointing and detracts from what is essentially a high quality optic. IMO a metal/rubber wheel would have been more versatile (appealing to a broader audience e.g. hunters) lengthened product life expectancy, reinforced the feeling of quality, and done more to create a sense of brand loyalty and pride of ownership. Additionally, the staged adjustments on the eye-cups don\'t click positively into place. This again creates a plasticky feeling that doesn\'t inspire confidence and which detracts from the overall feeling of quality. For someone who doesn\'t wear glasses, or who had to fiddle a lot with the adjusters, I can\'t help but wonder how long they would last before suffering serious wear. Lastly, while very clear in the centre, there is noticeable CA around the periphery.

Pros: Optically very good – a pleasure to look through with good colour, clarity and brightness even in low light. Good control of chromatic aberration – at least in the centre (there is some noticeable CA around the edges of the field of view). Good flare control – doesn\'t seem too fazed by direct sunlight (unlike my Zeiss Terra ED\'s). Very good field of view. Good exit pupil – so relatively easy to line up on your face. Good eye relief – so easy to use with glasses. Good solid hand feel. Relatively lightweight and compact – a real boon if you intend to carry them all day (they fit quite snuggly in the map pocket of my Swazi rain jacket) Good body armour – feels good with good positive grip. Comfy eye-cups. Great strap – very comfy with good weight distribution.

Summary: Optically, the Kowa BD 8x42 XD Prominars are very good (IMO) and a pleasure to use... but ultimately a little disappointing re some of the finishing touches i.e. focus wheel and eye-cups. For just a few more dollars Kowa could have made a really exceptional optic that could have appealed to a very broad audience while inspiring real pride of ownership and brand loyalty. Still, if it’s the optics, compactness, eye relief and field of view that matter most to you, and you are on a budget, then buy with confidence.