Pentax SD 8x42 WP

Good Points: Very clear binoculars with great low-light performance. They feel sturdy and well made. Improvement Points: Stiff focal wheel is ok for me but may not work for those with weaker digits. The covers pop-off a little too easily too.

Very well made binocular with excellent optics in terms of color, contrast and corrections for aberrations. Price is very reasonable, compared to high end binoculars that cost double the money. Handling is excellent. Main problem is the narrow depth of field of only 331 feet at 1000 yards (110 m at 1000 m). That is 10-20% less than other similar binoculars. So this is not the best binocular if you're looking for a wide field of view. But if the narrower FoV works, then you're getting $2000 quality optics at half the money. The eye relief is large enough that it should work for people who wear eye glasses, but as an eye glass wearer, it was marginal for me. As always, you have to check the binocular to see if the eye relief can work for you. Overall, I am clicking the Yes, I would recommend choice below for the Bottom Line, but with the qualifier that this binocular has enough good things going for it that it deserves serious consideration, but it may not work for all.

One of the best values in 8x42 roof prism binoculars, with optics that is far above the incredibly modest price. Very easy to handle, but the eye relief twist mechanism is mushy, and a little difficult to precisely set at a given position. I would have preferred a geared mechanism that provided like 3 or 4 crisp, clickable positions. But that's a nit - for the price, this is just amazing value. The eye relief is big enough that it should work for a lot of eyeglass wearers, but this is always a question of individual physiology. So I would highly recommend testing it to see how well it works for you ergonomically.