william j clive
Well-known member
Having recently asked for opinions of flat compact binoculars on this forum, I have just tried Opticron's Sopera. This is on promotional offer at www.warehouseexpress.com. The rrp on this model, that I had never previously come across was £99. It is now available for £19!
The Sopera is about the size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. It measures 90mm wide, 85mm long and 23mm thick. It is a zoom model 5-15x17. It weighs less than 7oz. and has a 5.2 degree FOV at 5x. Close focus is around 6 feet. There are levers for zooming and focussing and a tiny wheel for diopter adjustment. The body slides open for ocular adjustment. The instrument comes with a case and strap. Unlike the similar models offered by Pentax, Minolta & Canon, images are round and not oblong.
It is surprisingly bright and sharp at 5x. It remains quite usable up to around 7 or 8x, though obviously brightness and field of view diminish dramatically as it is zoomed in. By the time it is at maximum zoom, 15x, the image is very narrow and dark, difficult to focus, and sharpness is quite difficult to achieve.
At £19 it does seem to be something of a bargain, if you need to have optics with you at all times.
Clive
The Sopera is about the size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. It measures 90mm wide, 85mm long and 23mm thick. It is a zoom model 5-15x17. It weighs less than 7oz. and has a 5.2 degree FOV at 5x. Close focus is around 6 feet. There are levers for zooming and focussing and a tiny wheel for diopter adjustment. The body slides open for ocular adjustment. The instrument comes with a case and strap. Unlike the similar models offered by Pentax, Minolta & Canon, images are round and not oblong.
It is surprisingly bright and sharp at 5x. It remains quite usable up to around 7 or 8x, though obviously brightness and field of view diminish dramatically as it is zoomed in. By the time it is at maximum zoom, 15x, the image is very narrow and dark, difficult to focus, and sharpness is quite difficult to achieve.
At £19 it does seem to be something of a bargain, if you need to have optics with you at all times.
Clive