Pros: Good Optics, small size, fold-able, carrying case, lanyard, durable construction.
Cons: When used for what it was made to be used for, not a thing.
The Bottom Line: I would recommend these to anyone for general viewing. A good pair to keep in the glove box for that special moment that presents itself at inopportune times.
moregon's Full Review: Bushnell PowerView 13-2514 Binocular
Before I go too much into depth about these particular binoculars, let's review a couple of things to make it easier for you to understand exactly what you are getting. In general, the two numbers you see that denote these binoculars, are 8 and 21, which you must pay attention to in order to better compare these to other binoculars. The first number, 8 tells you that these are 8 power, or what you see will appear to be 8 times closer to you than it actually is. The second number, 21 is the diameter of the glass lenses at the big end of the binoculars.
When comparing binoculars, compare those of equal strength and glass diameter, to do anything else is unfair and will not give accurate results. If you compared 8X with 20X binoculars, the 20X will always win out because of it's magnification ability. The other number, 21 in this case is important when you are considering light gathering capabilities. The bigger this number is, the more capable it is to use is low light situations. You would not get good results using these binoculars to try to view dim stars or other space objects at night. You may also find trying to see distant objects at dusk or after sundown are near impossible.
Ok so what can a 8X21 pair of binoculars made by Bushnell do? Just about anything else you want it to do. The one thing I noticed right away, is that one lens has a vision correction ring, not usually found on cheap binoculars. The best way to use this, is keep they eye that has the correction ring in it's lens closed, and focus using the other eye. When it's clear, close the eye you just used, and now turn the ring until the same scene is clear in the other eye. When you use both eyes, the scene should now be clear and crisp. The quality of the optics are very important, some binoculars with bad optics will never present a clear image. It's like comparing looking through a crystal wine glass or one made of plastic. These binoculars use GOOD OPTICS! I was very pleased with the quality of the image I got, especially with an under $20 pair. The body of these is made to fold up, and fit in a small pouch that you can carry on your belt, or simply slip into a jacket pocket. The hinges seem to be sturdy enough that they will last for a long time. With it's ability to fold up, it's quite easy to get them in a position that fits the distance between your two pupils for easy viewing. It also comes with a string type lanyard already attached that allows them to hang around your neck with little interference to anything else you are doing.
Over the years I've owned many pairs of binoculars, ranging from a low 1.5X to a zoom model that topped out at 36X. I've always tried to match the type of binoculars I had, with the type of viewing I was going to be doing. So what made me choose these? The truth is, I had no real choice. I had been planning to visit the Oregon Coast to watch the whales during their winter migration, and several months ago had bought a pair of zoom 10-36X80mm binoculars that I was going to use for this purpose. Unfortunately somebody else thought they deserved them more than I did, and broke into my truck 2 days before Christmas and stole them. I planned on still going, and hopefully getting on a boat to get close enough to view the whales from and taking pictures. That didn't work out either, as at this time of the year they only do group charters for whale watching, not on an individual basis. So, there I was, 140 miles from home, doomed to watch for whales from the cliffs over-looking the ocean. A quick trip to a local department store for some moderate priced binoculars so I could at least see something brought even more disappointment. Their entire inventory of binoculars were depleted except for these, a pair of Meade 4X30, and a brand I've never heard of at 8X40 complete with built in AM-FM Radio. I opted for the Bushnell's due to the higher magnification and that I was familiar with their quality.
Arriving at a spot well known for a place to watch for whales, I was somewhat taken aback that the ocean was quite some ways off from my vantage point. I wasn't sure that 8X would prove to be enough boost to see anything. I asked the Whale Speak Volunteer there if they had sighted any whales yet, and was told that several minutes before I arrived she had seen two way out by a fishing boat. She pointed in the direction of the boat, and at first I thought I was looking at a seagull floating on the surface, it was WAY OUT THERE! I slowly lifted the binoculars to my eyes, not expecting to see much of anything, when the boat suddenly appeared crisp and clear! Within a minute she shouted there they are, about a quarter mile further down the coast. I quickly scanned the area where they should be, and at first seen nothing, my heart sank again, until I seen the surface of the water erupt into a spray of water.... TH'AR SHE BLOWS!!! I'll admit, the image wasn't nearly as big as I wish it had been, but it was clear, crisp and I could easily make out the color of the whales skin, the shape of it's tail, the blast of water from it's spout, the shape of it's head and back as it surfaced, and it's fin as it slapped the surface.
I spent another 4 hours there scanning the surface and saw almost 20 whales migrating along the coast. It may not have been the best possible trip I could have hoped for, but my $14 investment not only saved the day, it gave me a lot of enjoyable viewing!
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