OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS 7X21 PC III Classic Binocular (Blue)

I did not get the best price possible. Just a few weeks before, it was on sale for $15 at [...]. But even at current Amazon Warehouse price of [...], it is still a great value. The optics is superb. It is a head and shoulder above all the crapshoot brand names like Barska, Alpen, Tasco, or even Vivitar and Bushnell. It is about as good as Nikon, at less than half the price. At the same time I bought this Olympus, I also bought a $10 Barska to get free shipping. The Barska has very good reviews on Amazon. But the difference in optical and build quality is so large, I feel that the $10 Barska is not worth it at all.The best parts of this pair of binoculars are: clear and bright optics, solidly built, compact, good price. The only thing I wish it had a little more is the wider field of view. But I know that it is probably unrealistic to ask for it because wider FOV will need to have a bigger object lens, therefore more expensive and less compact. So it is really as good as it can be.

After years of suffering with dark, weak, wobbly binoculars (thank you, Magnacraft), I found myself needing two types: the best quality I could find (1) at any weight but under $250 for use within a drive of home (home binocs), and (2) under 10 oz, easy to travel with in tour groups, simple for impatient family members, and ideal for night concerts and day baseball games (travel binocs).After studying reviews and comments thoroughly, I concluded there are brilliant experts commenting regularly on Amazon - much more insightful than the professional reviewers who focus on expensive, heavy devices purchased by others of their ilk. From my fellow consumers' insights, I purchased 11 binoculars with at least 70% five-star ratings that fit my general specifications for home or travel.GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. After exhaustive examination - reading a DVD box at 46 feet, finding individual cattle from a moving minivan, and watching stars and planets in my backyard - I concluded the essential attributes for binoculars across categories are:(A) Plenty of Light brought to your eye. Light is determined by the diameter of the light-gathering lens divided by the magnification. In other words, an 8x42 pair has a ratio of 5.25 and produces LOTS of light, while a 10x21 pair has a ratio of 2.1 and always appear dark. Conclusion: About 3.0 is adequate and the best available for compact binoculars.(B) Good Stability of View. View stability depends on (i) the degrees of field of vision (can you find what you are looking for), (ii) the depth of visibility (do you have to refocus for every few feet of depth), and (iii) wobble (which is itself determined by (i) and (ii)). Conclusion: field of vision is rarely as broad as advertised, depth of visibility depends on the lens quality and you just have to check it out, and any binoc with a magnification of 10 or higher proved to have poor stability of view without a tripod, at least for me. There is a big difference between 8x and 10x, particularly below a 42 lens diameter.SPECIFIC CONCLUSIONS. (Home Binoculars) The best Home Binoc was the Nikon Monarch ATM 8x42, and it outperformed all other 10 by a wide margin. I could read a DVD box at 46 feet, keep a broad and stable view to find the cow with three white spots while bouncing in a minivan, and find and watch Mars. At 24 oz, it's too big for constant lugging, but oh what a treat. At $230, it was comparable in price to the Vixen 14502 Foresta 8x42 and the Bushnell Ultra HD 8x42, but it performed noticeably better, particularly on view stability. Several cheaper, heavy models under $100 had cloudy lens.(Travel Binoculars) The Pentax 8x25 UCF XII and the Olympus 8x25 PCI were best in class, although the Pentax had less wobble, more clarity while the Olympus provided more light and more accurate color tones, but a smaller field of vision. (Forget finding the cow, but if you found it, you could count its ear hairs at dusk). Both were 10 oz, and about $65; the Pentax, which gets slightly better overall reviews, is larger but felt better in my hand. Small hands, viewing at dusk, standing still = Olympus. Larger hands, viewing in daylight, on a bus = Pentax. Lastly, the itty bitty Olympus 7x21 PC III at 7 oz in metallic blue is adorable and $24 (refurbished), with fantastic clarity and ease of use, but a very narrow field of vision, despite its 7.5% claim.So what did we do? I decided to travel with the heavy Nikon Monarch, but kept the Pentax 8x25 in reserve. Different members of my family preferred the Pentax 8x25, the Olympus 8x25, and the Olympus 7x21, each predictably on the basis of the decision maker's age, size, and goals. None showed any interest in the other six binocs.As a final note, Beware of imperfection and non-Amazon sellers. Two of the 11 binocs arrived with lens imperfections. The heavy Bushnell Falcon (7x36) at $30 had a cloudy lens, and Amazon accepted the return promptly. The lightweight but expensive Nikon Travelite 10x25, already with little light and a small field of vision, had a defective lens, making it darker. The vendor wanted me to pay shipping in both directions plus a restocking fee to return the defective item.Good luck with your decision. I hope my odyssey was helpful to you.

I work at the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle Program in Central Florida and even after 28 years, I still love watching all the amazing work going on around me in preparing each vehicle for its next mission. Even though I am typically very busy, I love to look up, grab the binoculars and watch the orbiter being towed from one place to another, or rolled out to the Pad, or the external tank being towed from the barge at the turning basin in to the Vehicle Assembly building. There are also the occasional launches on the Cape Canaveral side (unmanned rockets) and the fact that KSC is in the middle of a National Wildlife Refuge, eagles, falcons, hawks, gators and racoons, always provide a brief diversion. It is a great little utility spec with very good optics for such an inexpensive piece of equipment. Great to put in locations where you can easily grab to get a better view, and likely in situations where you dont care if they get hurt. Only negative for me is that I have a small face and it does not adjust down enough for my eyes, meaning that it remains just a bit too wide.

Four step directions. I could not even get the thing to extend far enough to do anything but perch on the bridge of my nose. I am not usually a complete idiot, but nothing in the directions made it possible for me to comfortably place this thing over my eyes, nor was I able EVER to get the distance changer to change at all. Whatever it was will remain a mystery, as I broke down and paid the postage to send this thing back. Honestly, it is so small, it seems more appropriate for a chld, maybe. But I couldn't find one to test it on.

The prisms went cross-eyed in shipping. I know most pairs are probably OK, just mentioning this for the rating averages and QC feedback. Some binocs are tougher than others. My Roamer 8x21 DPC I pair is aligned solidly even after a small carpet-drop.

The moment we receive this compact binocular, we use it immediately during our morning walk. It is light and very well built . I had a Nikon 7x21 and this Olympus is just as good but a whole lot cheaper ! Object is bright and the focus is fast and smooth . My 8 year old has no problem using it and he already asks me to get him his own pair for his bday.I only wish that it does have another eyelet on the other side so one can string it evenly instead of let it hang lopside with its one eyelet design. The package also includes a handy pouch with a belt loop and velcro flap . We are very pkease with this purchase and would not hesitate to let my kids use it as it is very inexpensive to be replaced.

This product pops up when you search for binoculars, NIGHT VISION. In fact, it pops up twice on that list. What a disappointment to see my husband open it as a gift from me only to tell me the product was NOT night vision, which he'd wanted.

Excellent product! Absolutely satisfied with the purchase. Very handy and sturdy built. Lens quality is brilliant. Very useful for the beginners who are interested in bird watching.

Prismáticos compactos con un aumento pequeño pero con una nitidez de imagen muy buena, son ergonómicos, ligeros y ,al comprarlos de oferta, la relación calidad precio es muy buena.

These binoculars have very bright and clear images. They are light and small enough to carry anywhere in a pocket or small bag for when you are on the move. I use them for birdwatching and can honestly say they have transformed my experience. They are much better than my old Pentax of a similar power and superior to many larger and more expensive models I have used over the years. For the price, they are an exceptional bargain in my opinion.

I have now used these binoculars on many overseas trips. They are light to carry and easily fit into my rucksack. They are more than adequate for wildlife spotting and general use. They are reasonably priced and very good quality. I have lent them out on several occasions and other users have taken down the details as they plan to buy a pair for themselves.