Columbia by Kruger Optical Backcountry 8x25 Roof Prism (1 Viewer)

These came up in the Binocular bargains thread

The bins are here for $80

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/kruger.pl?page=kruger_backcountry8x25

with decent specs: moderate FOV; good ER; reasonably light

Specifications:

* Power: 8x
* Objective: 25mm
* FOV @ 1000 yds: 370' (7.0 deg)
* Close Focus: 1m
* Eye Relief: 18mm
* Size (mm): 110x118x37
* Weight (oz.): 14.1

Any reports of people looking through them? How are the optics?

I am wondering if they are any better than the other lower cost 8x25 roofs that are out there?

They sound great, but most compacts like this and in this price range leave alot to be desired.

These are closeout prices. They originally cost over $200.00.

I purchased one from Camera Land and I am surprised at how good it is. Certainly it is a bargain at the current price! If you are looking for a good small binocular to just carry around with you or in your car this one will fill the bill!

It is solidly constructed and sharp-with a large center area of sharpness tapering off slowly to the edges. It has some veiling glare (looking toward the sun) but otherwise it does quite well. CA on bright edges is minimal. Contrast, looking into the under canopy of my nearby woods and at pine trees, is very good. The Focus Wheel is very smooth and on the fast side. It turns clockwise. The Diopter is click type but you have to hold it near your ear to hear the clicks. I kept it overnight in the glove compartment of my car on a very cold night under 20 degrees without it affecting the focusing but the diopter wouldn't move until the car interior warmed up. The eye cups have 3 positions and move into these positions freely. There is plenty of eye relief for my sun glasses. It is a bit larger than I expected and will barely squeeze into the large pockets of Chamois type shirts but it readily fits into the side pocket of a jacket. Accessories are good. Nice colorful Red and Black hard case and nice strap and rainguard but small snap on eye covers.

There might not be many left so if you are interested.........?

Bob

Bob:
How do these compare with some reverse porros, such as the Nikon Travellite 8x25?
Have you tried this Nikon?

Jerry

NDhunter said:

Bob:
How do these compare with some reverse porros, such as the Nikon Travellite 8x25?
Have you tried this Nikon?

Jerry

Click to expand...

Jerry,
I have the 9 x 25 Travelite which I used as a car binocular for a long time. Same FOV as the 8 x 25-294' I think. I like it but I think these Columbia's are better all around except for edge sharpness. Travelites have had flare problems for me. I haven't compared them against my older (next to last version) Bushnell 7 x 26 but I know I like the ergonomics of the Columbia better now; E.R., eye cups and diopter for instance. Optics I will compare tomorrow if I get a chance. My guess is that the Bushnell will be better there somewhat. Their original prices are in the same range unlike the Travelites. By and large I find that you get what you pay for.

Bob

Thanks for the review, Bob. Mine should arrive today and I'll add my two cents. I'm still looking for a best all-rounder compact and assuming it's sharp enough in the center (I'm picky about that I guess) this could be it.

Over the holidays, I looked at an REI 8x25 XR compact (inside the store) that had the same ER and FOV as the Columbia but didn't mention anything about phase coating and broadband coatings. Kruger makes those for REI as I understand it. Kruger also makes the Columbia, but with PC and broadband coatings it could be a step up from the REI version?? Hard to tell if they're really different, but I guess I'll know soon enough. REI was selling their version for $80, so maybe this close-out is really a step up??

Mark

Kruger makes those for REI as I understand it.

Click to expand...

Xi'an Vision designs and makes those for REI (and anyone else who wants them). You can find them and all the other REI brand bins on Xi'an Vision's website. Search for other threads about this.

I think Kruger does use the same OEM.

I'd be interested to hear a comparison to the REI bin as I though the REI VR 8x25 wasn't very good.

Bob (ceasar) hits the high points on the Columbia 8x25 and having a pair in hand I agree. Comparing to my Leica 8x20, here's my two cents:

ER is stated as 18mm, but in use the Leica at 16mm has a bit more usable ER. The Columbia has enough, though, and is good for glasses.

The Columbia is not as sharp as the Leica, the sweet spot is smaller, the edges are a little soft. The added FOV (370' v. 341') is not especially noticable maybe because of the ER and soft edges. It's a definite improvement over many compacts though. In the field the Columbia is sharp enough to please, and the focus is smooth and sweet. The closest view I can compare it to (from memory only) might be something like the Nikon 8x25 Prostaff. Pretty good in other words. It's also about the same size/weight as the Prostaff. It's got a solid feel and appears to be very well made.

Hands down, the Leica handles glare better and has better contrast. The Leica really shines here. How big a problem is the Columbia's glare? I'll have to use them more to know. Probable no worse than most compacts. Brightness and color are about the same--in other words nice. In low light, the Columbia might be a tad brighter, but it's pretty close.

Accessories are top-notch. You do have to flatten the bins to max IPD in order to get them in the hard clamshell case. Could be annoying to some, including me. Give me a soft case any day.

Overall, the Columbia is a very nice bin. For the price, probably unbeatable. Considering all it does, I'll keep them (until I sell them :-O). Still, I come away with newfound respect for the Leica which just betters it in so many ways. Of course there's a little difference in price.

Mark

Just a quick update. Glare is not much of a problem in the Columbia. In compacts I've seen better, I've seen worse. It does have more CA than the Leica, however, and it can become noticable in backlit situations. Had them out this morning in about 15 degree weather and the big focus knob was really nice with gloves. Much easier than the tiny Leica knob. I came away thinking even more highly of the Columbia, although I didn't have the Leicas to compare. Turns out it's only about 1/4" shorter than an 8x32 FL--big for a compact. 6 oz less though.

size comparison
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a57/Tero1111/binos3a.jpg
they may be a little bulkier than the reverse porros but not much. The right hand pair is a Nikon Sportstar 8x25.

Kruger did well in bird walk, 10 year birds. But I really needed a 32mm, it was a little dim still in the forest. I did see all the birds, more birds pleasure at 32mm. The field is typical 25mm, so it odes get soft around the edges. Only bothers me when panning.

I could easily close my jacket and forget I had anything hanging around the neck.

I put a new pair up in the For Sale area for those that may have an interest.

the designed was nice, placed an order from amazon, can't wait.....