Nikon Aculon T11 8-24x25 - Reviews

(4.6)

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For Nikon Aculon T11 8-24x25, 75 customer reviews collected from 1 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.6.

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12.3.2013

I bought these binoculars (admittedly not through Amazon) and they are great. While researching before purchase, I encountered many reviews and "expert" opinions from binocular purists saying to avoid compact binoculars, and compact zoom binoculars in particular, like the plague. I'm glad I ignored all that "advice" as these binoculars don't have any of the doom-and-gloom problems the "experts" claimed they would. I write this review to help anyone else who is considering these binoculars and may be similarly put-off by such "experts." I'll address all the usual objections one at a time.1. "Compact binoculars won't be as good as full-sized ones." Yes this may be true - the smaller optics are a compromise.Bigger binoculars may be better in some applications, but these compact ones are certainly more than good enough for most uses. I deliberately wanted small binoculars so that they are easy to take with me - better to have a reasonable, compact pair of binoculars with you and use them, than a super-dooper big pair that are too large actually to take anywhere. I find these binoculars are a good compromise. Possibly cheaper compact binoculars do suffer, but these Nikon ones are well-made with good quality optics. The image is clear with no distortion or colour-fringing or fading etc, even at the edges of the image.2. "The small objective lens makes the image too dim, and the zoom makes this worse." I won't go into the theory, but yes it's true that the smaller the lens and larger the magnification, the dimmer an image will appear. The question is: is the image still bright enough? On a clear day, the image is nice and bright at all zoom levels, no problems at all. On a dull, overcast day, the image is perfectly bright at 8x zoom. At 24x zoom, slight dimming is apparent, but the image is still clearly visible and usable. At worst, on a very dull day, just don't use the full zoom - these still function very well as straightforward 8x or even 16x binoculars.3. "The field of view is too small." Again this is a compromise, and goes back to making a deliberate choice: to at least have a usable pair of binoculars with you, than a perfect pair sitting at home. Other binoculars do have wider fields of view, and if Nikon had limited these ones to (say) 16x zoom rather than 24x they could have given them an overall wider field of view even at 8x. The question is: is the field of view good enough? I find that yes, it is - having spotted with the naked eye what I want to view through the binoculars, the field of view is wide enough to find the object without having to 'scan around' for it. The ability then to zoom in on that object for extra detail is, in my opinion and for my purposes, more useful than having a wide field of view surrounding the object of interest. At 24x I can fill the entire field of view with a close-up of a single bird at considerable distance (or racing car the far side of a track, or whatever you want to observe!), which is fantastic.4. "Compact zoom binoculars don't have enough eye relief." Again I'll avoid the theory, but with these bincoulars this isn't a problem at all. I don't wear glasses; with the rubber eye-cups extended and just gently touching the skin around my eyes, there is more than ample eye relief to ensure the entire image is clearly visible. The eye-cups retract for glasses wearers, so those people will also have no problems.5. "With high zoom and small field of view, you can't hold the binoculars still enough to get a stable image, so they're useless." Yes it's true that it's tricky to hold binoculars completely still - this is why the biggest binoculars are tripod-mounted. But that's a lot of extra kit to carry around (or rather, for the non-specialist user, to get left at home because it's too much aggravation to take it everywhere). Personally, I find these compact Nikon binoculars perfectly usable at up to about 16x hand-held. There is some slight wobble, but not enough to detract from studying the object being observed. At 24x, simply resting my elbows on something is enough to minimise the wobble. So as with the other points, there is a bit of a compromise here - but not the "useless" claim the experts make. All the good points of these binoculars make the compromise eminently acceptable. And even if the wobble at 24x is too much for some people, these are still very usable at up to 16x.6. "All zoom binoculars are rubbish because the mechanisms in the two barrels can't be perfectly synchronised." Binoculars are really two separate telescopes, one for each eye, joined in the middle. The focus and zoom controls need to move each side exactly the same, otherwise each eye is getting a slightly different image. I'm sure that cheap binoculars probably don't do this very well. These Nikon binoculars however don't suffer at all. The focus and zoom stay perfectly in-step between each eye and there is no distortion at all when 'sweeping' through the zoom range while studying a detailed image. This could be because of a clever design feature of these binoculars: the objective-lens end is a single unit, so the zoom can be a single mechanism for both barrels, which helps ensure everything stays synchronised.So, if you're happy with full-size binoculars then yes they will provide some advantages. However, if you want the convenience of a compact set, and particularly if you want a pair of compact zoom binoculars for the extra flexibility they provide within a single package (rather than having to carry two or more pairs of binoculars), and if you're ok with the compromises as discussed above, then these Nikon binoculars are definitely worth considering. I'm sure there are people with specialist uses for whom these won't be suitable, and that's fine - just don't let the sometimes obsessively fastidious demands of such uses dissuade the average user.

24.6.2019

First impressions were not good. These binoculars are very lightweight and the casing is made of plastic. Frankly, they look and feel cheap. In fact, they almost look and feel like one of those "hybrid" binoculars i.e. half way between a toy and a real pair of binoculars - of the kind that you can buy for kids at science museum shops and the like. They are not waterproof (although in fairness they don't claim to be) and they certainly don't appear to be robust. I wouldn't want to use these binoculars if there was any risk of even fine rain or drizzle; I certainly wouldn't put then down on wet grass; and I'd be wary of dropping them any distance onto a hard surface or knocking them with any force.If you want a pair of binoculars for nature watching then I don't think they're ideal. I would also add that the focussing dial / ring is quite far forward on these binoculars and it's location is not, therefore, intuitive: it takes some getting used to. Furthermore, when using the zoom a degree of re-focussing is necessary, although I don't find this, in itself, problematic.In terms of optical performance, however, these binoculars are, surprisingly for compact zoom binoculars, remarkably good and it's primarily for this reason that I've given them 5 stars. The image at 8 x magnification is sharp and clear. The image holds up pretty well at 12 x magnification and even at 16 x magnification it's not bad. At 24 x magnification the image is a little grainy and there's admittedly a discernable loss of clarity - but the quality of the image is still extremely impressive for 25 mm compact binoculars. Hand movements are, of course, also noticeably magnified at this high magnification level and that's only to be expected. Nevertheless, it's still possible to use these binoculars at 24 x magnification and especially so if you're able to rest your elbows on a hard surface. In short, these binoculars are great fun to use. I think they're especially suited to viewing city vistas, harbours, and the like. They are, undoubtedly, at their best on clear bright days with the sun behind you. But even in overcast conditions I find the image quality impressive. If you're looking for a pair of binoculars primarily for outdoor nature watching then personally I think you would be better off spending your money on a pair of semi-compact binoculars with a fixed magnification that are robust and waterproof - the Celestron 8x42 Nature DX binoculars come to mind as a prime example. However, as second pair of binoculars for very general use in good dry weather conditions these are, quite simply, great fun to use. I've built up a collection of binoculars over the past 47 years or so but I have to admit that if these Nikon 8x24x25 binoculars were waterproof and rubber armoured then I'd probably end up (rather guiltily) packing just them for many of my excursions.

20.8.2014

Excellent binoculars. The continuously variable zoom range goes from 8 to 24 and easily adjusted while looking through the binoculars.As you increase the zoom, the image brightness does indeed reduce (as must be expected - laws of optics) but the brightness even at full magnification is acceptable in daylight. Before purchasing these I was trying to decide between fixed magnification and zoom binoculars, the zoom was an attractive feature but many reviews say that compromises in optics and the inherent limitations of high magnification (reduced brightness, restricted field of view, and image shake) make them less useful. In practice I have found these binoculars to be the perfect compromise.

9.8.2018

I bought a similar pair of zoom binoculars from a different manufacturer on Amazon which were clearly faulty and duly returned for a refund.So I decided on these binoculars as they are from a very reputable manufacturer.First impressions are they look good and feel like quality, not cheap plastic lightweight.Looking out of an upstairs window at a farm 2 miles away I was impressed with the clarity and sharpness of vision on the 8x setting.Zooming out to 24x and the image darkened slightly (expected) but was still clear and sharp after a small re-focus.I then put on my glasses, wound in the eye cups and was very pleased with the same image quality.All this, by the way,

30.4.2017

I was looking to upgrade my Olympus x8 binoculars to something compact but more powerful. Like many other reviewers I was initially reluctant to purchase binoculars with a zoom facility. However having used them for extended periods whilst on holiday viewing wildlife/birds I'm very glad I did. They are very easy to use once you have mastered moving between the zoom ranges and adjusting the focus. This is simple as the two adjusting controls are very close together and can be adjusted very quickly when viewing a subject. Yes at above x12 it's difficult to keep it 'steady' however resting your elbows or leaning against something does help. This would be one criticism - it hasn't got the facility to connect to a tripod - pity.

22.7.2014

A very sensible design, with a solid construction where it matters and thin steel elsewhere.Performance is excellent thanks to Nikon quality optics. The controls are very smooth and progressive. I liked the presence of neoprene edges wherever the binoculars are likely to get knocked. It was a nice surprise finding that a light case for them had been supplied, although not mentioned in the sales literature.Having owned a pair of Leitz 10 x 40s for over 50 years, I had intended to buy their (now called Leica) zoom binoculars but was hesitating because of their (over £2 000) price. The Leica zoom binoculars feel typically solid, with superb optics,

15.3.2017

I too was a bit sceptical after reading reviews about zoom binoculars and reading the negative reviews but after reading a few of the positive ones I decided to get a pair. So far they haven't disappointed me and I have been using them for a couple of weeks now. They are small and light are perfect for taking with you on a walk. The image is sharp and the focus adjusts well. You do inevitably lose a little light when zooming in to 24x which is to be expected, however I have not used them during dawn or dusk so cannot comment on light levels at those times. I have not experienced any collimation errors yet and the zoom is quite smooth, requiring just a little tweak of the focus.

10.2.2015

I sent them back, but only because I needed some portable bins for star gazing. These are very sharp and bright at 8x, but at anything above 12x the sheer lightness makes the image bounce about all over the shop. Increasing the mag also reduces the image quality so for low light their use is limited to 8x (very good at 8x it must be said).However if you want very high quality optics at a keen price and you will only use the zoom in good light then these are pretty fantastic. Very little purple fringing and super image quality for birds etc. They are very very lightweight. Maybe too light for stable viewing.Sadly, I'm going to have to spend a lot more money to get what I need!

16.4.2017

I bought these a as a gift for my wife. We live in the countryside and she likes to look across the fields and hill in the distance at wildlife etc.I really wasn't sure what way to go but at the last minute I went with these instead of full size versions.Perfect choice, she loves them. Nice and light, If needed she just puts an elbow against something to stabilise herself. All i can hear now is" wow, come and see this" every few minutes. Also the view of the moon is great with lots of detail.The only problem with them is the fact I can't get a minutes peace and have to keep getting up and show an interest in what she's spotted through them.

16.11.2017

Bought as a gift for my partner who loves these! They are extremely light and compact, and have really opened our eyes to new sights. They allow lots more light than my 10x25 compact binoculars, and we've enjoyed watching gannets diving into the sea, and dolphins from the carpark at the coast in Cullen. We leave them hanging on the back of the car seat when we're travelling, so they're on hand when we go for a walk, or if we see something interesting as we're driving. I might need to get another pair, for myself :) Lovely colour too!

30.5.2015

Yes, they are as good as everyone has said. All I want to do is add my support to those who have said, "ignore the anti-zoom faction". I was trying to identify the small bird that had occupied a new nest box 50m away from my viewing point. It was flitting about so much that I could only keep track at 8x. When it momentarily stopped long enough, I could quickly zoom, small refocus, and id. I have some expensive Zeiss, some iffy compacts for adventurous situations and these definitely have their place in the toolbox.

30.11.2017

Easily one of my better purchases this year!Those that say stay away from zoom binoculars haven't tried these.Prior to getting these I had been using a large pair of Smith and wesson 10x50.I can't see myself picking up the old pair since buying these. They're light, comfortable to hold and compact.Case is high enough quality that it adds some protection!They're not optimal in low light and increases magnification in but they're still very much functional.Highly recommended.

19.10.2018

One of the best compact zoom binoculars. The Zoom mechanism operates within a single central barrel avoiding the synchronisation problems of conventional designs. However, like all zoom binoculars it suffers from edge distortion and poor low light performance at high magnifications - not a problem if you only use the zoom for enlarging the central part of an image captured at low magnification - image quality at low magnications is good.

16.6.2015

Good value for money and the zoom is most useful. There are better optics on the market for which you will pay a premium but for most purposes these are more than adequate. I have already used them for a range of tasks including inspecting buildings in relation to my work and ship spotting one of my hobbies and the binoculars have more than measured up to the tasks.

21.9.2016

Purchased to take on safari to South Africa and really proved their worth. Straightforward to use and simple to operate. Great for getting close to the birds and game, but as others have noted, and as with all small zoom binoculars, you need to accept that there will be trade off between the extreme close up and the steady hand needed

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