RSPB HDX binoculars

4.5 out of 5

9

I've had a pair of 10x 50 unbranded, Japanese porroprisms since 1969 (wedding present from my wife) which, although inexpensive, are very sharp & robust. I've also got a small pair of 8x 23 Nikons in the car for convenience. I'd been happy with my 10x 50s until I tried the HDX 10x 42s at Rainham and found them so much brighter that I bought a pair. They are robust, sharp & bright and are much better value than the hugely expensive top brands.
Having said that, the case is dire & really makes no sense in its design, so that is just left in the boot of the car as it's so fiddly to get them out.

RSPB response: Thank you for your lovely review. Sorry to hear you are not happy with the case, all cases should be perfect for the binoculars so we will feed this back to the manufacturer. In the meantime if you'd like to get in touch with us we can look into how we can help with the case.

I again would like to thank the lady at RSPB Loch Leven who patiently walked and talked me through just about every pair they had from £2k down (I wish I had taken her name). I tried them all and settled with these. Very user friendly, light and well balanced, the clarity was such that I really could not tell the difference between these and the far more pricy brands. I understand the comments about the case and sense covers as I too was disappointed considering the price. That said I personally leave the case in the car so it wasn't too much of an issue, the strap however I found very good and the cushioning around the neck is better than most. length is a personal thing and although I didn't think I would I later liked the length too as it kept things well in check and easy to slip inside your jacket if required. All round a good offering.

I sought guidance from Viking as requested by RSPB Otics on how to fit the carrying strap as my fitting looked so untidy. Viking confirmed my fitting was correct. Why RSPB Optics could not help when it is RSPB binoculars from whom they were purchased and who have total responsibilty for what they sell felt the need to pass the enquiry to a third party is not understood. I have 10 x 42 HD binoculars and the carrying strap is much easier to fit and a much better design. Why change it.

RSPB response: Thank you for your review, we are delighted that you are happy with the binoculars, they are excellent and well priced. We are very sorry that you did not receive the customer service you expected. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we will look into it however Viking are responsible for our repairs and if the shop assistant couldn't help it may be why you were given their contact.

came in a rather small carrying case , strap too short , no lens caps, after two uses eye rubbers came loose and one is lost. easy to use lightweight.

RSPB response: Thank you for your review. If you are dissatisfied please contact customer services who will be able to help. We will feedback your comments to our supplier.

I'm used to Zeiss 10x50 which I bought 50 years ago with a lifetime guarantee. They are still good.
These HDX only have a 10 year guarantee, but as I'm now 50 years older, that's not so important!
The difference is like looking at a screen compared to looking through a tube. Really high definition and easy on the eye. I compared them with the Swarovski equivalent and there certainly was not £1100 worth of difference. Not that I could see, anyway.
Some small imperfections in the strap stitching and a very weak rainguard ""slip clip"", so not perfect. But outstanding VFM.

The Product Information is misleading - there is no tripod fixing point. I didn't notice this until I was back at home! The binoculars are light enough to use without a tripod but there is no way to leave them in a fixed position (e.g to view a nest) from a hide).

The carrying case is quite a cheap construction and there is a slot to thread the binocular straps through so that the latter act as the case carry straps. The binocular straps have clips to enable the neckstrap to be detached - advisable to avoid tangle between binoculars and carrying case. Next purchase will be a dedicated case to avoid this faff.

Lens quality is very good and the extra light entry (compared against an 8 year old pair of non-HD binoculars) is a revelation. Clarity of view is really very good indeed, even in dull conditions. Focusing is very easy and the binoculars feel really solid but not heavy to hold - a good balance.

I think I would have preferred to pay, say £675, and had a tripod mount and a better quality case with its own carrying straps. Theses omissions make the packing/unpacking a bit of a faff and risk missing the bird whilst untangling the carrying case and binoculars - probably looked good on the drawing board but a disappointing outcome in the real world.

RSPB response: Thank you for your review. There is a tripod adaptor socket in these binoculars, it is located on the front of the bridge as is common with binoculars. The cap on the bridge unscrews revealing the socket. Thanks for the feedback on the case, we will bear this in mind for future product development. These binoculars are a real customer favourite and we are pleased that you appreciate their quality.

First thing's first - many thanks to the gentleman who was on hand at the Pullborough Brooks ""optics weekend"" and talked us through the options and let us try out various different options. This was an immense help, and gave us the confidence to buy. If you're unsure, I'd definitely recommend an optics weekend visit.

I've never got on with bincoulars until I tried these. But these are light, easy to look through, very sharp focus and incredible quality. Somehow the images seem better than real life, even taking into account the magnification. Perhaps it's the blur effect that brings out the foreground.

We were so impressed with these that we bought 2. Have been using them for a couple of weeks now and remain truly impressed.

absoluetly class binoculars

The RSPB have created an optic that is on a par with anything the 'big 3' have to offer. The whole package exudes attention to detail. The lightweight composites used make these one of the lightest in their class and a 10x42 binocular is usually quite heavy and bulky - these on the other hand are very easy on the neck and I carry them about all day without noticing them too much.

The quality of the rubber armour is very good and feels comfortable in the hand and with a top bridge they allow for easy handling in the field.

The image itself is as one would expect from other manufacturers producing HD or ED optics and the image is crisp right up to the edge. There was no noticeable chromatic aberration that I could detect and this surpasses many mid range binoculars on the market.

I simply cannot put these down as the RSPB have become a force to be reckoned with these at top of their range. Why spend over £1,000 on a premium pair when these are around. 10/10 to the RSPB