Back in the day, I took a college course entitled Summer Birds of Wisconsin. It was basically a bird-watching class with some required knowledge about the things we were watching. The professor at the time was recommending a set of Bushnell 7x35's. I had a pair of 8x50's from my military days, which I soldiered on with, though more often than not, I found my Nikon FM with a 135mm lens to be a better optical instrument.
The classic prismatic 7x35 binoculars are almost as rare as hen's teeth these days, and it is a shame. I lost my old 8x50's over the years and had been making do with another set of 8x50's I purchased from a store where I once worked as I could not seem to even give them away. The Bushnell 7x35 set is half the size and half the weight. The "insta-Focus" feature took a little getting used to, but in the end, I think it is superior to the old-style focusing knob my professor's binoculars had on them. Image quality is excellent.
Yes, there are some plastic parts now that once were made of brass and aluminum, but the quality seems to have been maintained and I have no doubt that they will out-last me. The price-point has also been maintained. I have no doubt that one could purchase a pair of Leitz Trinovids and that they would be a better set in many ways, but not for anything close to the price that these sold for.
If you want to watch birds or maybe hunt or just to watch sailboats out on the Bay of Green Bay, you would be well supplied with these binoculars, and they will not cut grooves in your neck like a pair of 8x50's will. You'll also be much better able to hold them steady. I don't know if they are supposed to be water-proof, but then when it is raining, I'm probably not going out into the field these days anyway.
You got all kinds of money, buy a pair of Steiners or Trinovids. Then again, you could probably buy an old AM General DJ-5 with the money you'd save buying these, That Postal Jeep could then be used to get you back in the firelanes where you could actually use the binoculars.
Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 8.7 x 6.38 x 3.19 inches |
---|---|
Package Weight | 0.8 Kilograms |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 8 x 6.25 x 3 inches |
Item Weight | 0.6 Kilograms |
Brand Name | Bushnell |
Country of Origin | China |
Warranty Description | Lifetime limited warranty |
Model Name | 133410C |
Color | Black |
Material | Plastic |
Number of Items | 1 |
Manufacturer | Bushnell |
Part Number | 133410C |
Model Year | 2014 |
Included Components | Storage Case With Straps Manual, Bushnell Falcon 7X35 Binoculars |
Size | 7 x 35mm |
Sport Type | Hunting |