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Zen-Ray SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars Binoculars


Binoculars Manufacturer: Zen-Ray
Zen-Ray Model: SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars
Review Category: Binoculars

Purchase: Binoculars I bought this pair of binoculars for $160 directly from Zen-Ray Optics's online store. store.zen-ray.com

Things I like about the Zen-Ray SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars Binoculars: The image is very sharp across 90% of the FOV. Even at very edge, you only see a slight softness. I also like the wide FOV of the unit. At 388ft/1000yards, it makes it so much easier when I stake out and survey the area during the deer hunt season. The view is also very bright. It is especially important during twilight hour use. The waterproof is a must. I dropped my binoculars into a muddy water early this January. I simply rinsed the mud off at a nearby creek and binoculars come back alive without a scratch. The best part is it is really inexpensive. For $160, it easily beats several of my other binoculars I used for hunting in the last several decades that are 2 or 3 times more expensive.

What I don't like about the Zen-Ray SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars: There is slight color abberation when looking at some high contrasty object. But I saw this even with my $800 binoculars.

Binoculars SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars quality: When the binocular first arrived, I opened the box with a much dampened expectation. I have been shopping for my Leupold replacement for 3 weeks without much results. I didn't expect much for $160, figuring I am ready to send it back to vendor after a quick check up (they do have ane excellent return policy). BUT, I was pleasantly surprised to see what I have seen. The binocular is solidly built with sufficient rubber armor to protect its alloy body. The lenses are fully multi-coated with green color on both objective and ocular lenses. The eye relief is very generous with 19mm. I wear glasses and the large eye relief is very important to me. Focusing is easy and smooth. Even though the binocular is labeled with 6ft close focus, I think mine can reach down to 5ft, which is perfect. The view is bright thanks to the FMC optics. scanning horizon with 8x is also pleasant because of its large field of view. I did notice some slight pincushion distortion at edge FOV. It is very minor, only noticeable when I intentionally looked at some straight lines at the edge. This is perfectly acceptable for any optics below $800 mark.

SUMMIT 8x42 Waterproof Binoculars summary: Overall, I think I scored a great gear for hunting hobby. It has been almost a year since I had the binoculars. It has sustained a lot of abuse in the field and survived very well. After using it for this long period of time, I changed my opinion that high quality optics cannot be obtained under $500. I have recommended this binoculars to many of my fellow hunters.

Rating for this Zen-Ray product: 5

Author of this review on Zen-Ray Binoculars: Kevin P.

Date: 2007-12-03

Usefulness Rating: 4.73333 out of 5.
15 reader(s) voted.

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