Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 DCF

Advantages: High-quality bright and clear picture, without distortion throughout the entire field of view, filling with nitrogen and multilayer coating of all surfaces of the lenses, the exit pupil is at a comfortable distance and thanks to the rotary-retractable eyecups, a convenient viewing distance can be easily set. It is not afraid of rain and splashes (I have not tested it, I trust the manufacturer). In general, it is just a pleasure to watch, at night there may be small glare from bright light sources (lanterns, the Moon, but glare from Jupiter and Venus was not noticed). Small, as in size as a small photo-soap dish, but which allows you to see the world in a completely different way, bright and so alive.

Disadvantages: Of the shortcomings, perhaps the fact that there are no protective covers on the lenses, but when I worked with the binoculars, I realized that this only slows down the preparation of the binoculars for work, and it’s just not convenient, I bought suitable plug-in ones inside, you just don’t wear others, I threw There is no use in the binoculars box, only you are afraid to scratch the lens, here it would be a bit to think out.

Comment: I needed it as an assistant to the more powerful instrument Yukon 6-100x100, but it turned out to be more useful than I could have imagined, and now it is always with me, not only day and evening, but also for viewing the night sky. This is the best compact travel option for a nature lover, it sits well in the hands, the lenses do not sweat after frost (filled with nitrogen), a good lens magnification ratio, a wide field of view. It is very convenient to observe from the hands, the picture is bright and rich, without distortion throughout the entire field of view, and this is not a little 8.2 degrees and everything is in full view. I have not found any competitors for him yet, neither in terms of field of view nor in image brightness. When buying, I compared it with Celestron7x35, it is cheaper, but the quality is correspondingly lower, so Nikon even seemed brighter in brightness (it was in the evening, not twilight, but the difference was caught well), although the Celestron7x35 had an exit pupil of 5mm, versus 3.1mm for Nikon ...

Advantages: Clear and very bright picture. Excellent image quality for this size and performance. In terms of enlightenment, it is not inferior to products with a larger pupil size. A minimum of chromatism, can only be at the boundaries of the contrast of dark objects with snow, and even then not significantly. Sealed. When used in frost (-8), the glasses do not really sweat from evaporation from the face. Excellent glasses. The product is of high quality, all movable joints are free of play.

Disadvantages: All the same covers that are not attached to the belt. too easy stroke of the retractable eyecups. Ergonomics is not very ..., this is from a long jumper between the pipes, but thanks to it, strength increases. And of course, due to its small size, it is less grasping.

Comment: I wanted to buy a compact binocular that could be put in my pocket (large ones are already available). Overexposed in my hands many others with similar and higher characteristics. Most competitors, even those that are much more expensive, are inferior in clarity and clarity. Some of them are outright "blue haze". When I picked up a sportstar after them, I was delighted. Indeed, a small masterpiece from nikon. I am very pleased with the purchase!

Advantages: lightweight, clear juicy contrasting image. eyes do not get tired - large exit pupils (period of continuous observation 15 minutes)

Disadvantages: maybe the only one is there is no antiglare coating. otherwise NO complaints.

Comment: I was puzzled by the purchase of portable binoculars (for everyday use), small, clear in image and magnification up to In my arsenal, in addition to the thermal imager, I have a Yukon 20-50x50 WA spyglass (a heavy thing, and you can't work with it without a tripod. My choice stopped between two almost identical models Nikon Aculon A211 8x42 and Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 DCF.The first is shock-resistant and with a higher aperture, BUT its size and weight of 700 grams are too bulky for constant wearing. Therefore, I chose (by the way, the choice was based on different articles like http: / /www.modernarmy.ru/article/101 and the rating on the market and a budget of up to 4000-4500) on Sportstar EX 8x25 DCF (moisture resistance also played a role) .Tested both NIKONA on the spot. YES, of course A211 gives a much lighter picture conditions of twilight, but this is where all its advantages ended. I really liked the acquired Sportstar. The build quality is excellent, the kit includes a noose around the neck :) not MOLLE but stationary). image quality at a height: juicy, clear, without distortion. The fact that the optics are not coated with glare dust did not bother me very much. I also tested it for moisture resistance - I spent an hour in a bath with water, took it out, shook it off - no leaks, no fogging. CONCLUSION: excellent binoculars from inexpensive ones. Can be taken and used.

Advantages: Really compact, perfectly fulfills its function.

Disadvantages: This can be attributed to all binoculars of this class, but if you choose the first binoculars, then you should know that it is very difficult to aim with your eyes at the eyepieces with this exit pupil size, millimeter to the side - and instead of the picture you will see black spots. Not suitable for long-term observation.

Comment: I took it with the thought that if I take "adult" binoculars, it will be lying around at home instead of always being with me. I think that binoculars are better for such dimensions and weight. But if weight is not critical for you, take larger binoculars, at least 8x30.

Advantages: Lightweight, compact, good picture, sufficient field of view.

Disadvantages: Not the most comfortable eyecups.

Comment: A great thing "on the road". Takes up little space, but despite its toy size, it shows almost like "adult" binoculars. The eyecups are a little inconvenient, but not critical.

Advantages: Compared to competitors in this price range - the best option. Rubberized housing, moisture protection. The image is clear, bright, wide viewing angle. Folds compactly into a convenient belt pouch. Low weight, only 300 gr.

Disadvantages: There are no protective caps on the lenses, the rest is not critical.

Comment: I was very pleased with the purchase.

Advantages: Small size, lightweight, packed in a decent box, complete with a case and a strap. Made in China, but Japanese and well made. The viewing angle is very large, the optics are coated. Sharpness adjustment is smooth, easy. Retractable eyecups. To use the binoculars with glasses, the eyecups slide in, and if used without glasses, they slide out (unscrew). For people with visual impairments, there is a diopter adjustment for the right eye.

Disadvantages: Eyepiece covers have no eyelets and cannot be attached to the strap. Easy to lose. It will be necessary to finalize this matter himself.

Comment: Just bought this binoculars after researching the specs and reviews on the Market. The model is really great.

Advantages: Excellent optics, robust design and good performance. Almost reasonable price, given the upward trend in these same prices. The image is very good.

Disadvantages: Retractable eyecups could be made with fixation in the extreme position (this drawback is corrected by the purchase of two thin rubber rings-gaskets with a circular cross section with a diameter of 25 mm in plumbing stores. They are put on the eyepiece under the retractable eyecups when they are in the extreme extended position (however, bring the eyecups to their original the position will not work completely, although this is not necessary during operation)

Comment: About compact binoculars. I have two quality binoculars from Nikon (Nikon Action EX 8x40 CF and Nikon Prostaff 5 10x42) each for their own purposes. But for cycling trips I needed compact binoculars, so I bought a Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 DCF. Wonderful binoculars - just perfect in image and compactness for the price. But after using for six months, I realized that compact binoculars with a folding mechanism of this type are personally inconvenient for me. It is impossible the first time to unfold the two halves at the same angle relative to the middle part (this is my personal pedantic fad). And retractable eyecups without fixing the extreme position also cause inconvenience, they always strive to fold back to their original state. Therefore, with great regret, it was sold and Celestron Nature DX 8x32 was purchased in its place. I sacrificed the compactness and weight (although the dimensions are acceptable), but still the 32mm lens and the large exit pupil provide greater eye comfort. Plus it has prism phase correction (silver coating on prisms) which significantly increases the contrast of the image. Despite these shortcomings, I definitely recommend purchasing the Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 DCF for those who need a good, high-quality compact. And the 10 year warranty is also a nice bonus.

Advantages: A very high relative brightness of 9.6 so a clean, even, crisp image. Can lie in water for 2 minutes. The glasses do not sweat, the space between them is filled with gas. All mechanical moving parts are tightly fitted and move with resistance, there is no backlash, so if you set the distance between the eyes and hold with one hand the binoculars will not go astray

Disadvantages: funny eyecups - incredible, but their presence is generally incomprehensible, maybe for transportation

Comment: Great binoculars. Lightweight, light, comfortable. The set includes a strap, a bag for a belt. In terms of relative brightness, 9.6 is higher than the same but 10X (6.3)

Advantages: Small footprint with high image quality.

Disadvantages: There are no eyepiece caps, but I think they won't be required. And I am always afraid of losing them on another model of binoculars.

Comment: I wanted to buy theater binoculars. I chose from a low price one, so I chose the Roof lens, but with a good "picture". In the store I looked through all the offered binoculars and settled on the same Nikon. By this time, I already had a Nikon 8x40, which I was very pleased with, but the dimensions did not always allow taking it on trips, business trips and trips to the theater, for example. That same evening he visited the theater and conducted tests. I'm happy with everything, 8x magnification is quite enough, for a theater it is possible and less than 6 for example. The viewing angle is sufficient, the same with the "older" model. The aperture range of focusing, ease of wearing - on the belt, and not in a separate bag - everything is fine. On the street, when looking at distant objects (a skyscraper under construction), a slight difference with the older model is visible, some distortions at the edges of the picture. The dimensions and the difference between the prism still affect. But I'm a gourmet in optics ... I find fault.