Binolux 8-24x50 binoculars

by Zac
(Ohio, United States)

I got these cheap, they were about 30 bucks, and I got a chance to test them out on a trip to Costa Rica. Here's how it went:

In terms of magnification power, these are great. I was able to see birds in faraway treetops, as well as spectacular volcano plumes. I don't know how well these would fare against a really professional pair, but for a family vacation, they worked perfectly. Focusing and zooming in and out took a bit of time to get used to, but were pretty intuitive, and overall, these are certainly easy to use.

However, my one complaint would have to be about the binoculars' build quality. From the start, these felt fairly cheap. The parts are all fragile plastic, the paint came off easily, and the focus knobs and dials seemed to wiggle back and forth, and felt prone to coming off.

Eventually, during the trip, one of the main lenses just fell off! What I think happened was it came loose from the sides, tilted so that it was at a 90 degree angle to the socket, and got stuck. Eventually I was able to get the lens out, and put the securing ring back in, and, while it came loose a few times and that procedure had to be repeated, it held together well enough for the rest of the trip.

Overall, these are a fine pair if you're looking for something simple and cheap, but if you want something that'll survive some tumbles and will give you professional-level performance, you should look elsewhere.