Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

These binoculars were a gift to accompany an astronomical telescope, given as a graduation present. Astronomical applications are a bit more demanding on optics than terrestrial applications typically are, and these binoculars delivered decent star images for their respective cost. NOTE: The "diopter" on the binos I received was a bear to turn and adjust until it got worked around a few dozen times, and if you've got large hands as I do, the screw-out eye cups will get in the way of your twisting the diopter (someone with smaller fingers would not be bothered by this). But once the diopter gets worn in, all is well. I find that many people never learn to use a binocular correctly, as they don't adjust the diopter to suit their individual eye strengths. Most of us, by the time we're adults, have slightly different eye strengths between our left and right eyes, and if you don't adjust your binos to accommodate this, they will never function optimally for you and you'll never be getting you money's worth out of them. Binoculars are ostensibly two small refracting telescopes joined together to yield a binocular (a/k/a stereo) view. To adjust a binocular for your eyes, do the following: 1) Pick a distant, bright target. I like to use a bright star or planet. But it can be anything--a STOP sign, say. 2) Cover the objective lens (at the front) on the side of the binocular that does not have a diopter adjustment for the eyepiece. Now, look at your target and focus it as sharply as you can, using the center focusing adjustment, viewing through that side of the binocular only. Is the image as sharp as you can get it? 3) Now, cover the objective lens you just looked through in Step 2, and look at your target again through the other side. This time, adjust the focus using only the diopter wheel on the eyepiece you are looking through (do not touch the center focuser). Rotate the diopter left or right until your target is as sharp as it is going to get. When the image is sharp--you're done! 4) Uncover both objective lenses and have at it--the binocular has been adjusted for your eyes! From here out, just use the center focuser on anything you want to look at! If you didn't know this, and haven't done this, most of you will be surprised at how much improvement you'll see immediately. And unless somebody readjusts the diopter, you should be set for any viewing you want to do. Since I share my binos with my wife, I usually reset the diopter before any viewing session, as it takes just seconds to do so. RayB