Clarke BIN0750
Price £28.14
Optical specification 7x50
Size 19 x 20 x 5.5cm (WxLxH)
Weight 756g
Tel 01922 565300
Website www.clarkeinternational.com
Comments The casing of this model is a comfortable amalgamation of of textured, rubbery, plastics. This reduces overall weight but the glasses are just too big to compete with the other products reviewed here. Optical clarity is excellent but marred by their low-light performance, which is less impressive. Focusing is crisp only as close as ten feet away. As with other Clarke products here, the ruby-coated lenses turns the world bluish, but you get used to the tint. The large carrying pouch, supplied, felt flimsy.
Verdict Traditional styling, but light. Optical performance is superb. As is the price.
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Praktica CN7-22x22
Price £29.99
Optical specification 7-22x22
Weight 210g
Size 10 x 9.5 x 6cm (WxLxH)
Tel 08706 003030
Website www.argos.co.uk (Product ref 580/3563)
Comments The silver-coloured plastic finish is nice enough but the addition of some rubber would have improved things by making the binoculars more comfortable to hold. However, we cannot argue with the specification and optical performance.
In our long-distance clarity and low-light tests it was hard to spot any difference in quality between these and the Clarke products here. Ultimate magnification is slightly less than that of the Clarke BIN103025-Z (opposite), but close-up focussing is better (useful if you’ve spotted a rare bird or insect in the nearby undergrowth).
Verdict Solid optics and great magnification.
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BEST BUDGET BUY

Jessops 8x40 ZCF
Price £32.99
Optical specification 8x40
Weight 630g
Size 17 x 14 x 7cm (WxLxH)
Tel 0116 232 6000
Website www.jessops.com
Comments The ZCF echoes the excellent performance and affordability of Clarke’s BIN0750 but is nicer to use, lighter, and no ruby-coated lenses. Optical performance is breathtakingly good and the ZCF got full marks in our clarity and low-light tests. The soft, rubbery, plastic makes the binoculars comfy to handle but the only gripe we have is that when folded in, the eyecups tend to pop back out.
Verdict Excellent optical performance. Great price.
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Luger LR 6x18
Price £40
Optical specification 6x18
Weight 146g
Size 6.5 x 8 x 4.5cm (WxLxH)
Tel 01539 721032
Website www.whitbyandco.co.uk
Comments These are so tiny, you could mistake them for a toy. The combination of size and non-staggered telescope means the optics inside have to be spot-on. Luger very nearly manages to achieve this. Optical clarity and low-light performance is amazing. These binoculars are so light to hold that you can gaze through them comfortably for hours. Focusing is carried out at the eyepieces rather than by a central adjuster. The best feature is that you can focus on things only six feet away.
Verdict Reasonable optics combined with pocket-size convenience.
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Clarke BIN103025-Z
Price £41.07
Optical specification 10-30x25
Weight 294g
Size 10 x 11.5 x 6.5cm (WxLxH)
Tel 01992 565300
Website www.clarkeinternational.com
Comments We were impressed with the appearance of this product: a smooth, silver-coloured plastic body to protect the optics if the binoculars are dropped, and a comfortable rubber grip. Their compact size and low weight further enhance usability.
At a cost of just over £40 we were not expecting optical miracles – but we were pleasantly surprised. In our low-light test, this model did just as well as any other here. And, in our distance clarity test, the results were also impressive. The only feature we don’t like is the ruby-coated lenses, claimed to reduce ultra-violet shimmer over long distances: it gives the view a blue-ish tinge.
Verdict Excellent price. Powerful, high-performance optics.
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EDITOR'S CHOICE

Jessops 12x50 ZCF
Price £42.99
Optical specification 12x50
Weight 766g
Size 20 x 18 x 7cm (WxLxH) Tel 0116 232 6000
Website www.jessops.com
Comments This is the most powerful of the non-zoom models on test here. The high magnification amplifies hand movement but we did not struggle to keep the view steady. Low-light performance was excellent, but despite the higher power, this model did not fare as well in our clarity test as the Jessops’ 8x40 product (above). Another drawback of the ZCF’s high-power optics is an inability to focus on any object that is less than 12ft away.
Verdict These feel similar to Clarke’s BINO750 (opposite page) but with higher magnification. Clarity is not as good, though.
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Clarke BIN0750W
Price £46.94
Optical specification 7x50
Weight 900g
Size 19 x 20 x 5.5cm (WxLxH)
Tel 01992 565300
Website www.clarkeinternational.com
Comments This is the waterproof version of Clarke’s BIN0750, which model’s ruby-coated lenses have been replaced by standard ones in this ‘W’ version. Also, high-quality BaK4 prisms are used. Clarke doesn’t specify how waterproof these binoculars are, but the neck strap incorporates a buoyancy aid – a hint that they have been designed to withstand full submersion. Inside, the binoculars are filled with nitrogen gas, which prevents any of the optical components fogging up. Visual clarity and low-light performance are excellent.
Verdict Fine optical performance. Waterproof. Shame about the size and weight.
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Praktica 10-30 x 30A
Price £59.90
Optical specification 10-30x30
Weight 402g
Size 11 x 14 x 7cm
Tel 08706 003030
Website www.argos.co.uk (Product ref 580/3233)
Comments These binoculars have similar magnification and zoom qualities to our ‘Best Budget Buy’ (p122), and the controls work more smoothly. But this product is heavier, and more expensive. And, in our long-distance clarity and low-light tests, they trailed many of the other models here. Close focussing was poor, too: we struggled to see anything clearly at less than 15ft away.
Verdict Average performance doesn’t justify the high price compared to others on test here.
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Luger LW 8x25
Price £64.95
Optical specification 8x25
Weight 276g
Size 7 x 11 x 5cm (WxLxH)
Tel 01539 721032
Website www.whitbyandco.co.uk
Comments This Luger product has a central adjuster for easy focusing and, with its 8x magnification, it is competitive with many of the larger pairs of binoculars on test here. Despite their compact size, these binoculars feel incredibly well made. They are durable and waterproof, which makes them ideal for outdoor use. Clarity, at distance, is an improvement on that of the company’s LR 6x18 model. Low-light performance, though, challenges that of some of the larger binoculars in our test. Close-up focusing on objects as near as ten feet away is good and clear.
Verdict Better than the smaller Luger LR 6x18, but not an all-round performer.
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Sunagor Micro Zoom 10-40 x 21
Price £69.90
Optical specification 10-40x21
Weight 242g
Size 9.5 x 9 x 6cm (WxLxH)
Tel 08706 003030
Website www.argos.co.uk (Ref 580/3161)
Comments With a zoom of 40-times magnification, these are the most powerful binoculars here. However, at maximum zoom you see far-away objects in fantastic detail but the slightest hand quiver moves the view uncontrollably. At minimum zoom, we struggled to focus on anything closer than ten feet away. The supplier’s claim of excellent light transmission did not stand up to our low-light test, placing these binoculars marginally below the Clarke and Praktica zooms – long-distance detail was just as good, though.
Verdict Good, but the view through these is less clear than that of our top choices.
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HIGHLY COMMENDED

Barska 10x25WP Blackhawk
Price £69.95
Optical specification 10x25 Weight 310g
Size 7 x 11 x 5cm (WxLxH)
Tel 0116 234 4644
Website www.burton-mccall.co.ukwww.burton-mccall.co.uk
Comments Small and light, with ten-times magnification. The central adjuster allows fast, easy, focusing. We love the finish and style, and the choice of materials and light weight make this product ideal for extended use. It’s waterproof, too. The downside is the high price. Optically, these binoculars are close to our recommended products in terms of clarity and low-light performance. Only close-up focusing lets them down: nothing less than 15ft away can be made sharp.
Verdict Offers much the same performance as standard-size models. But it’s pricey.
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Jessops 8x32 DCF Aqua
Price £79.99
Optical specification 8x32
Weight 536g
Size 12 x 14 x 7cm (WxLxH)
Tel 0116 232 6000
Website www.jessops.com
Comments Jessops claims that these binoculars can be used to a depth of one metre for 15 minutes at a time. The Aqua is filled with nitrogen to prevent fogging. If you plan to use these binoculars under water, they would be preferable to Clarke’s BIN0750W model (page 123) because they are smaller and lighter, with a higher magnification, but illumination and optical clarity and are not as good.
In this model’s favour is superb close focussing, which, unlike other products here, breaks the six-foot barrier.
Verdict Waterproof, and can be used under water. Compact size.
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