Introduction
These are high quality compact mid-sized roof prism binoculars from a highly respected German manufacturer.
Design and Build
The binoculars consist of two inline optical assemblies joined by a broad hinge. The unit is compact and I found that I could wrap both hands around the entire binocular. Much of the external surface is covered with deeply ribbed rubber armour that is pleasant to the touch, but rather hard edged. A metal focus wheel is mounted at the eyepiece end of the central hinge. It is easily accessed, but could do with being wider. On new units the focus is very stiff (which has drawn negative comments in some reviews) but it loosens with use, and on used examples I have seen it is silky smooth. A dioptre wheel is mounted at the objective end of the central hinge. It is made from metal, is easily accessed, and although there is no locking mechanism, it will not slip. The eye tubes are made from thick rubber and although they do the job, they are not as convenient as screw in screw out eye tubes: I found them rather fiddly.
These binoculars weigh under 600g and they feel fairly light, especially when compared with full sized roof prism binoculars.
The build quality is excellent, although the rubber armour is not quite as well finished as competing products e.g. Leica 8x32 BN.
These binoculars are weatherproof and will survive exposure to heavy rain. They are though not waterproof.
Optics
The optics are excellent providing a very wide field of view with good depth of field, excellent contrast, excellent sharpness and good brightness. They are not as bright as the Nikon 8x32 HG, but compare well with competing products such as the Leica 8x32 BN.
Sharpness is excellent over most of the field, but becomes somewhat soft at the extreme edges, largely due to field curvature. (You will probably not notice it unless you look for it.) There is also a trace of linear distortion at the extreme edges of the field which gives rise to a slight funfair effect when panning.
Chromatic aberration is exceedingly well controlled. (For comparison the Leica 8x32 BN and Nikon 8x32 HG binoculars both show significant chromatic aberration in high contrast situations.)
I did not see any ghosting although I noticed a trace of flare in low light, especially when peering into dark trees set against a bright but fading sky.
I did not notice any obvious colour cast, although I should admit that I am not good at judging subtle colour casts.
Eye relief is very good, and I could see the whole field of view while wearing eyeglasses. As with most mid-sized roof prism binoculars, the eye relief is not quite as good as on full-sized binoculars of comparable quality.
The close focus is 3m, which is adequate for viewing dragonflies and butterflies.
Accessories
The binoculars are supplied with a good quality neoprene strap, a rubber rain guard, and a very good quality soft leather pouch.
Conclusion
These are excellent high quality mid-sized binoculars. They are in my opinion optically superior to the Leica 8x32 BN (more eye relief, less chromatic aberration) but the mechanics are not as user-friendly i.e. stiff rubber eye tubes, narrow focus wheel and not waterproof.
Many people, including several celebrity birders, consider that a mid-sized roof prism binocular provides all of the performance they need 95% of the time, especially when used with a spotting scope. If you are in this group then these binoculars might well suit your needs. If you are prepared to accept more bulk, and do not need waterproofing, then take a look at the Nikon 8x32 SE: they are brighter, sharper and have more eye relief. If you want noticeably brighter sharper images, more eye releif and waterproofing, then Im afraid you will have to consider full-sized binoculars.
NB The original version of this binocular the Zeiss Notarem 8x30 was introduced over 30 years ago, and used examples in perfect working order are often seen on sale. Although optically excellent, they are not as good as the latest version due mainly to the absence of modern coatings, especially phase (or P) coating.