Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Lidl 8x60 Binoculars

RyanL

By RyanL
in The Astro Lounge

Recommended Posts

Naemeth

Naemeth

Posted
Posted

On that basis "8x60" is fake!

Perhaps I should have said the it may be stopped down internally. I'm not an expert and have not measured the effective internal diameter so I can't say with 100% certainty that the effective aperture is not 60mm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Ken31

Ken31

Posted
Posted

I have already remarked about the possibility of a 7.5mm exit pupil. I have a pair in captivity, and will give them a critical once-over this afternoon and report back. However, with "BK-7" in the spec I'm not overly hopeful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
E621Keith

E621Keith

Posted
Posted

I have already remarked about the possibility of a 7.5mm exit pupil. I have a pair in captivity, and will give them a critical once-over this afternoon and report back. However, with "BK-7" in the spec I'm not overly hopeful.

A well made Bk7 prism can out perform a poorly made Bak4 prism. In fact a lot of Chinese made BK4 binoculars do not use Schott Bak4 at all. Instead they use some Chinese Bk4 that is optically closer to BK7 .

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ken31

Ken31

Posted
Posted

Right then. Based on my two previous reviews, here's the low-down (compared with my 2006 Bresser 10x50s, which for £10 I have been very happy with).

First off, I was quite surprised how big these Bresser 8x60s are. The objectives must have a significantly longer focal length than the 10x50s, and the overall package is about 40% longer. The prism section is (as far as I can tell visually) identical though, with both the objective tubes and eyepiece assembly extended. The finish is a pleasant military green rubberised.

However, I am put off straight away with the flimsiness of the eyepiece bridge. Either eyepiece moves in or out with only minor pressure, affecting the focal distance and the collimation.

  1. No rubbish is visible in the optics this time.
  2. Apart from flimsy bridge, the mechanics seem OK.
  3. The eye cups are of the fold-down type. The full field is not visible at spectacle distance.
  4. The exit pupil is slightly grey at the diagonal edges.
  5. The in-focus exit pupil is 6mm. The diamond pattern is very noticeable with the screen defocussed inside the focal length.
  6. Bearing in mind my visual problems, focus and dioptre adjustments seem OK, closest focus about 30 feet (less with my glasses off!). Noticeable pincushion and defocussing off-axis, fringing acceptable.
  7. ONE SIDE HAS A DIFFERENT COLOUR CAST COMPARED WITH THE OTHER. I don't know how to explain this.

All in all, I am not satisfied to add these to my household. They're going back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dtr42

dtr42

Posted
Posted

ok my wife bought me the last set in our local shop as a wee extra surprise for my birthday , tried them out against my 10x50 practica bins that were the same price [got these about 6 months ago ] verdict for 30 quid not bad , pretty big and with 8x light enough to be hand held with no problems , optics are surprisingly clear and crisp [used them for some bird watching in my local park tonight ] the eyepieces seem sturdy enough and the magnification works well enough for my needs . i think you will need to try them out yourselves as i would happily pay 30 quid for them [but i am easy pleased ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheLong1

TheLong1

Posted
Posted

Hi, I got 10-30(adjustable)x60 binos in lidl yesterday for £20. At the x10 mag they are crystal clear and I was very happy with them for the price. But when I adjusted the lever towards x30, I felt like I was crossing my eyes, with my view doubling up! (May as well just be 10x60). The shop also had 10x50 binos for the same price, so mite give them a whirl and see if they're any better.

Anyone else tried this recent batch of lidl specials? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheLong1

TheLong1

Posted
Posted

Ok, so I brought the binos back and tried a new set in store and there's was no double vision at all. Gona give them a blast out the back yard when i get a chance andI'll let ya's know the craic in a wee while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ken31

Ken31

Posted
Posted

Surely you jest? I'm very happy with my Lidl special Bresser 10x50 BaK4 bought in 2006 for £10, they're not superb but I have not yet seen a pair I'm prepared to pay for to replace them. I got excited when a similar pair came up recently for £17, but they were own-brand (Auriol) imitations with BK7 prisms and not a patch on the old ones. I also took a look at these Bresser 8x60 BK7, and was disappointed with the optics and the very wobbly eyepiece bridge - the optics might be a lottery (one good among many bad) but the mechanics will be the same on every one. Full details in posts 29 and 17 (in this topic)

I have not looked at the zoom bins but the extra complexity of the optics (and additional surfaces) does not lead me to be optimistic. These cheapies are put out with little or no quality control, basically you take pot luck and if you get a bad one you take it back and try another (or get a refund). However, my assessment tries to pin down how good a "good" one can potentially be (if it has been assembled correctly, the prisms and lenses collimated properly, no defects in the coatings, and no dirt on the internal surfaces).

These cheap bins (if you get a good one) are fine if you just want something to keep in the car, or if you have no other and any bins are better than no bins at all, but I do not recommend going out of your way if you have a satisfactory pair already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ken31

Ken31

Posted
Posted

By the way, the 8x60s seem to have sold well - I put that down to joe public seeing how big they are and thinking "that's got to be worth £30", but even of they were good they would be a hell of a size to cart around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
coulthamst

coulthamst

Posted
Posted

Just got my 8x60 binos from a reasonably nearby Lidl. Clear large "Bresser" labelling on the box Tthe shop had them apparently priced at £69.99. On examination the price ticket was for a tent, which may explain why they were still available (at £29.99) at 15.00 on Wednesday. The fact that they are "plasticy" makes them surprisingly lightweight, and my usual test of "can I tell the time by the school clock a mile away" was passed, with the detail to be seen very acceptable.

With luck I will try them out on tonight's sky and see how they perform.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
coulthamst

coulthamst

Posted
Posted

Tried out last night on the moon and general stars. Moon view very pleasing, good contrast between dark maria colour and other surfaces, nice and crisp focus.

I note previous posts have commented on poor eyepiece bridge mechanics. I have found practically all binos are "flexible" in this area, and these are more flexible than most. They do however return to the same position at rest, so if this is taken into account and care taken holding the set it isn't a problem. It helps that the weight is very little more than my Meade 10x50s (The Bressers weigh 1028g, the Meades 908g), and this would seem low for their size.

I did notice slight ghost reflections round brighter stars, but other than that these seem very good for the price - I don't expect a standard to be found in £100+ instruments for under £30.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ken31

Ken31

Posted
Posted

Weird. When I was extolling my 10x50s and pointing out there were some more coming in, I got harranged for it. Now I have tested a pair of 8x60s with significant defects, everybody wants one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BinocularSky

BinocularSky

Posted
Posted

Has anyone measured the effective aperture of these? (easiest way: hold phone-camera flash or other small bright LED about 6 inches form the eyepiece and measure the diameter of the cylinder of light coming from the objective.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BinocularSky

BinocularSky

Posted
Posted

Was in Lidl this evening and they unexpectedly had one of the so-called 8x60s on the shelf (wasn't one there last week when I went).

* They have BK7, not BAK7 prisms (but that is the least of their problems).

* The eyepiece bridge has to be the flimsiest, rockiest one I have ever encountered.

* Collimation was noticeably out.

* Slight, but easily tolerable/acceptable pincushion distortion.

* Noticeable CA.

* Noticeable field curvature.

* Wasn't expecting to test, so didn't have my bit of graph paper that I use for aperture testing, so I couldn't do it accurately. Using the stripes on a flour packet and measuring when I got home, I get 49mm (+/- 2mm) aperture. Can anyone confirm that?

I can think of better ways to blow thirty quid on a binocular.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.