13.11.2013

I should start by saying that I have been watching aircraft for over 50 years now and don't intend to stop. I have had a series of binoculars and telescopes of various types and all have had their advantages and disadvantages in certain situations. Some, I simply couldn't get on with, and they ended up passed on to a charity shop. There are so many variables with optical equipment, what you intend to use it for, and your personal requirements and abilities, that it is impossible to give anything but a subjective review here. When on a trip or at an airport I prefer a small pair of unobtrusive Pentax 10x mini-bins as I will inevitably have my digital camera and its powerful and heavy zoom lens with me - that does the job nicely.When at home trying to identify an aircraft seen in the sky from the garden or through a window a good 20-60x zoom spotting scope also does nicely, all you need is a leaning post to hold the front end against to keep steady - but just try scanning the sky for something you can't see with the naked eye using a powerful telescope and you'll see the problem - it's hard enough finding the things you <can> see. Not all distant aircraft leave thick white trails behind them or sparkle in the sun or are silhouettes against white cloud: there are a surprising amount up there that you (or maybe it's just "I") can't see without a bit of help. Sometimes you can hear them, sometimes you know roughly where they are supposed to be in these days of "virtual radar" (eg [...] You have to scan the sky to find them and you can't do that with the tiny field of view you get from a 20-60 telescope or a pair of mini-bins. For the last 30 years I have been using a cheap pair of 7-15x35 "own brand" zoom binoculars from the UK high-street emporium formerly known as Dixons. From 7x magnification up to about 10 they are clear, anything higher is pretty useless. They have survived well, but I felt the urge for something better and plumped for these 10x50s with a respected brand name. The old ones will be retired to an upstairs window facing the approach to the local airport, for when I forget to take the new ones up with me.The binoculars look and feel quite nice. No silly blue and orange paint like the old ones. They look even better when you peel the unnecessary labels off and I was pleased to find that this does not leave a sticky residue. Unlike the previous ones there is no stippled surface to collect dirt and sweat, they are smooth and should be easy to clean. I shall not be fitting the neck strap. I never do, they just get in the way, get caught on door-handles etc. If I'm out and about the camera is round my neck anyway. Likewise the case and lens caps, it takes far too long to get them off, and then hunt for them afterwards (my short-term memory no longer exists). All you have to do is keep the binoculars where they won't get dusty, I have a handy foam-lined drawer by my desk, just grab and run. Size and weight are irrelevant to me, as I won't be lugging these binoculars around for more than a few minutes at a time.They are nicely balanced and my hands fall in just the right place to hold them steady with a good sure grip. Yes, they are heavier, and bigger, than the ones they replace, but the weight helps the balance. They certainly give a very clear view, colours are startlingly bright. I have not noticed any aberrations or fringing yet. Lack of clarity around the edges of the circle of view is something that can be measured precisely in camera lenses but in binoculars I think that for each individual user it varies with eyesight, how you hold the binoculars to your face, glasses if worn, the use of the eyecups, the diopter adjustment and the precise setting of the distance between the eyepieces. The latter in particular affects whether or not you see a single image or two, and I would have appreciated a few mm more adjustment as my eyes are just that little bit too close together. I find that if I park the top of the eyepieces against my brow-ridges the double-image resolves slowly into one, presumably my lazier eye is drawn inwards. This is a problem I have with all binoculars except my mini-bins which adjust to my eye-spacing perfectly, and it gets worse the more powerful they are. I have got quite used to closing my left eye. It probably doesn't help that I wear glasses with varifocal lenses, but if I take my glasses off (a) I'll fall over something (my neighbour's cat invariably comes in the back door when I go out of it, and often vice versa) and (b) - same problem as the lens caps in previous paragraph ! After some weeks' use I am a little surprised to be able to report that I no longer see a double-image and can keep both eyes open without problem. I do believe that most of the problems people report are due to their eyesight and the way they use the equipment - ideally you should try before you buy, and not just a 5 minute trial looking around the interior of the shop. But of course it's harder to get a bargain that way.One plus point is that the focussing and eyepiece adjustments are quite stiff at the moment - unlike others who comment on this, I really hope they stay that way. What I look for is mainly miles and miles away and at the same focus point. You can scan a blue sky and not find what you're looking for at all if the binoculars aren't focussed properly - and you can't focus properly until you've found the target to focus on. If the binoculars stay focussed at roughly the right point between uses you stand a much better chance of avoiding this Catch-22. I am delighted to say that since initially focussing on a trail about 20 miles away and setting the right eyepiece diopter correction, I haven't had to adjust anything since. A shaky image is something people also complain about, but it's the people who shake. Can't blame the binoculars for that and unless you have a medical problem you just have to learn how to control it, like using a slow shutter speed on a camera - a matter of support, technique and practice.Now the really important bit, in case you've skipped the rest. Can you see anything through them ? The answer is a resounding "YES!". As mentioned the image is clear and bright with bright colours, better than anything I have tried before. I have used them at night, and have never seen such sparkly and colourful stars before. Sometimes it's hard to tell stars from flashing aircraft strobe lights. The image is realistic enough to be immersive, and several times I have automatically ducked when it seemed a seagull was about to fly into my face.After all these years I am finally happy with a pair of binoculars that suit me. About the only improvements I could suggest would be something to make them see through clouds and an attachable umbrella :) Oh, and a better fit for those with close-set eyes. Had I paid twice as much for these binoculars I would have been happy - at £50 I'm almost over the moon (and that looks pretty good through them too). I have barely touched the telescope since they arrived, the image through the binoculars, although smaller, is clearer than the more magnified image through the telescope. Unless the sky itself is perfectly clear, no amount of magnification will improve matters.Having elected to pay a little bit more for the "Fulfilled by Amazon" option I was surprised when the binoculars turned up in the post totally unwrapped, straight off the shelf in their thin card box as you would buy them from a normal shop, with an address label stuck on. Indeed there was not even the usual circle of sticky tape to keep the box flap shut (it was open) or cellophane wrap which most boxed goods in shops seem to have these days. Two letters I had received the previous day came through the door soaked through, it was just lucky it wasn't raining the morning the binoculars turned up. Frankly, this is unacceptable, even DVDs in a protective DVD case with a cellophane wrapper come packaged up in corrugated cardboard. I have been shopping with or through Amazon for many years and until now everything has been well- if not over-packaged. Fortunately, binoculars, neck-strap, lens caps, soft case and guarantee/instructions were all still present and correct. I have decided not to let this frankly unacceptable delivery practice colour my review of the binoculars themselves - I'd just advise getting them somewhere else. I was under the impression from reviews here that the non-existent packaging process was confined to some sellers who just use Amazon as a shop window, but apparently not. I have left a separate packaging review, I'm surprised they dared invite my comments !

19.8.2019

Just got back from a cruise down the Norwegian Fjords and enjoyed looking at the scenery through my old binoculars but realized that they weren't really all that good, so when I got home I treated myself to a new pair of binoculars. The cruise was fantastic and I would happily go again - especially now I have the new binoculars; oh why did I not think of buying them before the cruise!!Compared to my old binoculars (which were supposedly 12 x 50)...... well there is no comparison. The clarity of vision is such that I can see things way way in the distance, perfectly clearly - things that I would have no chance of seeing with my old binoculars - and the field of vision is much wider than my old ones.Just looked out over the fields at the back of my house and seen (small)birds flying around in crystal clear vision - could see their markings very clearly. Not being a bird-watcher I had no idea what they were (although definitely not sparrows, blackbirds, pigeons, gulls, magpies or starlings - or robins - or owls - or eagles) but they were good to watch and almost converted me to being a twitcher! Might even become a train-spotter now! Will have a look at the moon later tonight.If you buy these binoculars you will not be disappointed - not for the price, anyway. I can't say this for certain, but I am pretty sure you could pay a lot more and not get much better quality of vision. OK, not the cheapest you can buy, but certainly not expensive. I bought my old binoculars years ago, but obviously did not pay much for them! The difference is truly amazing.Update:I have now had the binoculars for a couple of weeks and "sold" them to a friend - not physically, but I think she is now going to buy two pairs, one for her husband and one for her brother, she was that impressed.Having bought these, I began to wonder, "have I got a really good bargain here?" and have spent some time researching the matter even more than I did before I bought them! My conclusion is yes, I have got a bargain. For £65 these binoculars are exceptional and, having now used them a lot over the two weeks I have owned them, would say that if I had paid £100 (or even £150) for these binoculars, I would still think I had got a bargain and be very pleased with my purchase!So, if you are thinking of buying a cheaper pair, think again - the extra £10, £20, £30 that you spend on buying these binoculars will be money well spent. And if you are thinking of buying a much more expensive pair of binoculars, also think again. Buy these and you could save yourself hundreds of pounds. OK, if you need a really, really good pair for some reason (perhaps because of your job), it might be worthwhile you spending that extra money, but for the vast, vast majority of us, these binoculars are all you will ever need (for whatever purpose you need them for). They give fantastic quality of vision at a very (very) reasonable price. My old bins have been binned with just one regret - why did I put up with them for so long!

20.6.2012

I have had these binoculars for just three days and am very, very impressed with them. I have never owned binoculars before but wanted to start astronomy in a very amateur way. These were highly recommended and reviewed. Sadly, the great british summer has not been favourable for astronomy in the last three days so I can not comment on the ability regarding stargazing but for normal terrestrial use there are fantastic. I didn't really understand what people meant when the said in their reviews that these bins made things look 3D but now I understand, they are so good the view almost looks better than normal eye sight,hard to understand until you try them!Given there high magnification and my desire to use them for astronomy I was conscious that even the slightest movement would ruin any space viewing so decided to buy the following product to attach them to my regular DSLR digital camera tripod.http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005XXZCR0/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00It is the best £10 I have ever spent.The Olympus website and google search does not give much information on how to attach these binoculars to a tripod but it is possible and incredibly easy with this attachment.having done some reading on optics and there inherent problems I am aware that there bins have a VERY, VERY, slight discolouration on the very bottom on the image, nothing to worry about but it is there in a tiny (I mean minuscule way). As I am an amateur this does not bother me but nice to know what has caused it. From my limited reading it is something to do with the manufacture of the glass. It seriously affects less that 1% on the image and can only been seen if you are looking for it, as I was! With such a big field of view this is really not a problem, I only mentioned it as some serious buyers may be wondering if it exists. However, to be fair to Olympus, I have only tried the one pair, this problem/issue may vary my product.I will monitor the review page so if you have any problems just ask and I will answer ASAP.AS I intened to use these mainly on a tripod I wash;t put off buy the slightly heavy weight. i am sure there are heavier models out there but this was not my number one priority but be aware, good glass weighs more hence these are heavy compare to less strong bins. Weight is clearly the price you pay for quality and I am very impressed.Overall, highly recommended and very happy with my purchase (especially as I bought them from Amazon.com (USA) and my dad bought them over for me saving me 30%!)These bins come with a neck strap, four lenses covers and a relatively attractive plane black case with carry strap.TOP TIP - Keep lens covers on when not in use, especially if left on a tripod like mine, I have read/heard horror stories of the sun shining through and starting fires.Happy viewing!

9.4.2018

Just got mine today. Very pleased.Nice large 65 degree apparent field of view. (Basically this is how much you can move your eyes to the side before you get to the black edges.) I measured that this is like looking at a 59" TV from 55" away. Very big. A few expensive binoculars seem to go up to around 70 degrees.Tack sharp! I have almost no experience with binoculars but I'm a pro photographer with superb eyesight. This is SHARP. The far corners lose some sharpness but since the apparent field of view is so large my eyes never go anywhere near the edges so all I see is a perfectly sharp image.Really decent build quality. Very solid. 879g /

17.4.2019

You can spend a lot of money on binoculars and much like camera lenses, you do get what you pay for but there's a balance between acceptable quality and price. I think these are great value for money and offer more than adequate quality for the casual user.I have a fairly large garden area with multiple bird feeders and already have a great (more expensive) pair of Pentax binoculars that I keep in the house for quickly grabbing and getting a closer look at the birds. However, it got to the point where me and my wife were constantly passing the binoculars to each other to see the birds before they flew away.I bought these 10x50 Olympus binoculars during Amazon's sale so the already cheap price was a little cheaper again and I must say I'm impressed.

2.1.2016

I bought this product a couple of weeks back. I compared it primarily to the Celestron 71256 G2 10x50 before buying. The celestron costs cheaper in the US but in India the selling price seems bloated. The olympus however roughly costs the same in both countries. Both the binoculars have 10x zoom which is ideal for sky watching. The quality of optics on Olympus seems better. For instance I viewed the moon and I could see the texture on its surface very clearly. Of course you can not view the craters that clearly. If you think you can watch the rings of saturn with this binocular then you should think again, only a telescope can help you. Next I went to the beach to watch over ships at the far-end of the sea (Marina).

13.10.2015

Just received these bins and took them out for a first field trip. First things first though; the strap which comes with them is worse than useless, it's positively dangerous for the binoculars. If I were to use this strap I would want to stitch or staple the ends to make sure they don't slip free, which I'm sure they would if left as they are. I just threw the strap away and used a quality neck strap I had spare..Right, the binoculars, they are outstanding value for money. You expect a good image with Porro bins, but these exceeded my expectations by a long way for what I paid for them and I did a big 'WOW' on first use. They feel good in the hand as well, comfortable and solid.

14.9.2016

Ok its not until you have had at least 3 sets of dodgy Chinese BINs with iffy optics and double vision that when you spend a few extra quid on a decent pair the difference really hits you!I cannot begin to describe how impressed I am with these optics, stunningly clear vision a perfectly correlated set of lenses everything looks like its in 3d!The 50mm lenses and whatever they coat them in pulls in the light really well, so well in fact that looking down my garden some 50 yds in pitch black of night I can actually see the detail of my deck and shed as if it were twilight, ok its not night vision but its enough to keep an eye out for Charlie and know when its time to get the gun out!Now I have

4.1.2016

First off, this is a genuine Olympus. That is saying a lot.I'll quickly summarize different aspects of the binoculars so you can make up your mind whether its a pro or a con.1. Size- Its fairly large, about the volume of a DSLR with a 70-300 lens attached. This will take up some space in your bag, as well as on your person when you are carrying it.2. Build Quality- I would say fair. Everything fits snugly, and the knob is well damped. But the quality of rubber used for the external layer feels a little cheap, but good quality nonetheless.3. Magnification- Very good. Can see clear detail of birds and animals from a fair distance off.4. Image Quality- This is average. The plus is that the exit pupil is large,

28.4.2012

We've owned a pair of Bushnell 10x42 Natureview binoculars for a few years - and they're superb. We use them mainly for watching birds and wildlife in the garden and the surrounding fields. We wanted a second pair of binoculars to keep upstairs for those occasions when we spot something out of the bedroom window but we didn't feel we could justify the cost of another pair of the Natureviews. We were torn between the Olympus DPS-1 and the Bushnell Falcons but chose the Olympus on the basis of the many positive reviews.They're twice the size of the Natureviews but the same weight; very comfortable. The image is bright and the focus is sharp. But the depth of field is very narrow compared to the Natureviews.

27.1.2012

In response to K. Gill's review... The 60-70 markings are there as a guide to aid the setting of the distance between the two barrels of the binocular, this is known as the interpupillary distance. The centre-to-centre distance between an adult person's eyes average between 60 to 70mm which is what these markings represent.The goal is to have the center of the left and right eyepieces directly in front of the pupils of your left and right eyes. But people's eyes differ. Some are wide spaced and others are closer together. So binoculars are hinged to let you adjust the interpupillary distance to match the distance between the pupils of your eyes.Hold the binocular up to your eyes and move the

19.10.2016

First Binoculars ever. Bought it for Target Archery. The old eyes can no longer clearly see those small arrows 70 meters away. Works well, everything is up close and sharp. Sure does highlight how shaky your hands are.Only little complaint pertains to the neck strap. The Trooper has some weight to it, and the strap digs into your skin. Solved the problem by sliding on a neoprene pad. Pity Olympus didn't think of including one.For those who have been asking if there is a hole to mount a tripod, the answer is yes, BUT it could prove a bit tricky to achieve. The hole is behind the cap with the OLYMPUS. Unscrew it.You will have to turn the mount on your tripod to vertical (90 degrees).

26.2.2015

Very happy with these binoculars. The image is sharp and clear, easy to find objects in view, the dial is easy to turn, and I like the non slip feel.It was a toss up with these or the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 Porro Binocular 71256 (cheaper). I decided based on feedback to get these and glad I did.I wanted binoculars for my downstairs. I already have an old pair (8x42) upstairs along with the Celestron 25x70. Most of my viewing is in the house looking out. I have the city below I like to look at.Looking out I've seen birds flying miles away that I couldn't see with just my eyes. At night, the vision is just as clear. I can see planes or helicopters flying miles away. I looked at the moon and see the craters.

10.5.2011

The rubber eyecups on my last binoculars disintegrated and there was something wrong with the internal focusing mechanism. I only had them a couple of years and even then thay didn't get a great amount of use. But that'll teach me for being a skinflint for only spending £12 on them. So in the bin they went and I went looking for a replacement. After searching lots of binocular sites for reviews on something decent, this Olympus pair seemed to crop up a lot and got some favourable reviews. So I decided to take the plunge and ordered from Amazon who had the best price at the time. My first impression was how light they were compared to previous binoculars I've had in the past.

28.4.2016

Very good pair of bins, had tried 8x50s and was disappointed as most twitch sites recommend this size, however I find the 10x50s far better suited for my needs, these have a wide viewing angle good quality image and magnification. Sturdy build and not heavy, even when you check the specs against the 8x50 these are not much heavier, also the size is not huge, no they won't fit in your pocket but certainly spot on for bird watching and other uses. I have several german optic bins from a very old pair of 7x 30s, and a pair old 20x50, the 7 x30 I had as a child for twitching and they were a hand down from my grandad, the 20x50 were my dads, and they are heavy old beasts.

Olympus 10x50 DPS I - Reviews

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