If It Were A Horse, It Would Have To Be Shot!
Written: Oct 17 '02 (Updated Oct 17 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Um...in perfect light, they do make things look bigger...
Cons: Everything--Poor image quality, cheaply made, neck string gets in the way.
The Bottom Line: This binocular is junk--top to bottom. Don't bother.
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| wadesam's Full Review: Tasco Compact (10x25) Binocular |
If you absolutely needed some magnification, in perfect light, and only had $15 to your name, then by all means, buy this binocular.
GENERAL: The Tasco 10x25 is marketed as an economy, compact binocular. It features magnification of 10x and objective lenses 25mm in diameter. The barrels fold together, allowing the binocular to fit in a normal size shirt pocket. It is not waterproof and the lenses are not multicoated. It does come with a very cheap zippered, vinyl case and a neck string--not a neck strap, but a neck string. It retails for right around $15.
PROS: Never have I been at such a loss for something good to say about a product. I suppose I can say that this glass is compact and lightweight. It stores about anywhere you want. In good natural light it does magnify the viewed object ten times normal size. But beyond that, there are few good things to be said about this glass.
CONS: Optics. Binoculars always boil down to optics. What does the world look like through your binoculars. Through these binoculars, the world looks dark and blurry in the middle and white and fuzzy on the edges. Seriously, I tried to use this binocular while fishing last weekend and it drove me nuts. The viewed image was very dark, except around the edges. At the edges, it was like the lenses were not ground or polished at all. There was just a white, blurry ring all the way around.
In direct sunlight the image was tolerable, but even by simply moving into the shade, the binocular was unable to gather enough light to produce an acceptable image. Compact binoculars fight light-gathering problems simply due to their design. Most compacts don't have an exit pupil greater than 3.0 which gives them two strikes to begin with. Exit pupil is determined by dividing the objective lens size by the magnification. In this case, the exit pupil is 2.5 (25/10=2.5). Most full size binoculars have an exit pupil of 4.0 or better. However they also weigh two to three times as much as a compact. In selecting a compact model, the user compromises, shedding weight but also sacrificing performance. However, the vast majority of the compacts in the world are at least worthwhile for "here and there" type use. The Tasco 10x25 is not. I suffered significant eye strain after only a few minutes of continuous use.
The neck string is tied to the body of the binocular directly over the barrels. This ensures that every time you lift the binocular to your eyes the stupid string is in the way! It was amazing; that string could not have been any more inconveniently located. The binocular has no warranty and is not guaranteed against any defect.
CONCLUSION: Overall, I find that this binocular is the single biggest waste of money I have encountered on the market to date. Do not under any circumstances purchase it. Save your money and get a pair of Leicas, or at least some Steiners.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
wadesam
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Member: Wade Samuelson
Location: Centralia, Washington
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 34 members
About Me:
Where do you stand in the Valley of Decision?
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