justabirdwatcher
Well-known member
I thought I'd mention here how impressed I've been with these binoculars after having them for a few months now.
I don't use compacts very often, but occasionally the are the right tool for the job - when I am already overloaded, or when I'm just going to hang a pair on my archery quiver to spot arrows and don't want to be weighed down.
About this time last year, I saved some $ and started my search for a pair of premium compacts. I wasn't really willing to spend more than about $400-500 on them, and I got lucky and came across some clean used Leica Ultravids in the 10x25 version. I sure thought I'd like them better than I did.
Optically, they were good - yes - but the handling and view (blackouts mostly) were just annoying after a while. So eventually I sold them and then went back and acted on a hunch I'd had earlier - that the Bushnell Ultra Elite compacts were going to be as good as the reviews said they were.
Well, I'm happy to confirm they are. I can honestly say I prefer the Bushnells over the Leica Ultravids. And I preferred the Ultravids over the Trinovids and all the Zeiss compact offerings - and yes, I did spend some time looking at all of them at one time or another.
Short of the new Swaro compacts, I would not take any other compact binocular over these excellent Bushnells. The view is really, really good, handling is very good, the weight is nice (not too heavy or too light) and the build quality is excellent. I even like the faux-leather strap. It's a nice compliment to a very attractive pair of compacts.
Probably the only thing I'd change about them would be the silver lettering. It's a little showy. But that's nitpicking.
I would very much like to see Bushnell come up with a 8x version as I would absolutely use those for hunting. The 10x25 is just not "quite" bright enough in early a.m. or late afternoon light. But the sharpness is very, very impressive.
I'd love to be able to convince Bushnell to make a pair of single-hinge compacts with a similar optical formula in a 8x24 or 8x25 model. Those would be just superb travel, backpacking or lightweight hunting binocs.
Anyway, if anyone has a passing curiosity or has been on the fence about getting a pair of these little gems, I say go for it. I am tickled to death with mine, even after several months of use. And as often as I go through binoculars, that's saying something!
I don't use compacts very often, but occasionally the are the right tool for the job - when I am already overloaded, or when I'm just going to hang a pair on my archery quiver to spot arrows and don't want to be weighed down.
About this time last year, I saved some $ and started my search for a pair of premium compacts. I wasn't really willing to spend more than about $400-500 on them, and I got lucky and came across some clean used Leica Ultravids in the 10x25 version. I sure thought I'd like them better than I did.
Optically, they were good - yes - but the handling and view (blackouts mostly) were just annoying after a while. So eventually I sold them and then went back and acted on a hunch I'd had earlier - that the Bushnell Ultra Elite compacts were going to be as good as the reviews said they were.
Well, I'm happy to confirm they are. I can honestly say I prefer the Bushnells over the Leica Ultravids. And I preferred the Ultravids over the Trinovids and all the Zeiss compact offerings - and yes, I did spend some time looking at all of them at one time or another.
Short of the new Swaro compacts, I would not take any other compact binocular over these excellent Bushnells. The view is really, really good, handling is very good, the weight is nice (not too heavy or too light) and the build quality is excellent. I even like the faux-leather strap. It's a nice compliment to a very attractive pair of compacts.
Probably the only thing I'd change about them would be the silver lettering. It's a little showy. But that's nitpicking.
I would very much like to see Bushnell come up with a 8x version as I would absolutely use those for hunting. The 10x25 is just not "quite" bright enough in early a.m. or late afternoon light. But the sharpness is very, very impressive.
I'd love to be able to convince Bushnell to make a pair of single-hinge compacts with a similar optical formula in a 8x24 or 8x25 model. Those would be just superb travel, backpacking or lightweight hunting binocs.
Anyway, if anyone has a passing curiosity or has been on the fence about getting a pair of these little gems, I say go for it. I am tickled to death with mine, even after several months of use. And as often as I go through binoculars, that's saying something!
