johnniet
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 1999
- Messages
- 4,682
A few days ago, I got my Minolta UCIII (ultracompact 8x18) binocular in the mail.
I bought it from Moonbuzz through Ebay for about $30. Moonbuzz specializes in refurb equipment.
Optical quality and usability are terrific. Images are clear when properly focused. There's a left/right diopter adjustment so you can compensate for the difference between your left and right eye strength.
You adjust the interpupillary distance simply by sliding the sides apart. Nice and simple.
Obvously an 8x18 won't be as bright as an 8x25 or even 8x20. It's noticable. I also don't know how the roof prisms compare with really high-end binoculars. But the contrast is good, and I would even say that colors are pretty.
These guys are very light (just over 4 oz.--about half as much as typical small binoculars). Consequently there is a lot more shaking than you expect with 8x magnification. To help with this, I've started resting the close side on my nose bridge when I look through them! It's easy given the rectangular body. IF you don't have glasses, you can even shove them between your nose bridge and the space between your eyes--two points of contact for a very steady view.
Are they small enough for EDC? They certainly could be, at about 3.5" by 3" (and 3/4" deep). For anyone who strongly prefers binoculars over a monocular this could be a good choice. But when I do get my belt pouch, I suspect they won't fit: the cell phone, PDA and voice recorder are just more important for work days. I suspect they will be more useful for short hikes and other outdoor trips when you don't want to take the full-size binos.
I will have to take them out another time to see how just they compare with the Pentax reverse porros or other "regular compact" binoculars. I'm ready to give them 9 out of 10 for gadget factor; tentatively I'd give them a 6.5 for usefulness.
I bought it from Moonbuzz through Ebay for about $30. Moonbuzz specializes in refurb equipment.
Optical quality and usability are terrific. Images are clear when properly focused. There's a left/right diopter adjustment so you can compensate for the difference between your left and right eye strength.
You adjust the interpupillary distance simply by sliding the sides apart. Nice and simple.
Obvously an 8x18 won't be as bright as an 8x25 or even 8x20. It's noticable. I also don't know how the roof prisms compare with really high-end binoculars. But the contrast is good, and I would even say that colors are pretty.
These guys are very light (just over 4 oz.--about half as much as typical small binoculars). Consequently there is a lot more shaking than you expect with 8x magnification. To help with this, I've started resting the close side on my nose bridge when I look through them! It's easy given the rectangular body. IF you don't have glasses, you can even shove them between your nose bridge and the space between your eyes--two points of contact for a very steady view.
Are they small enough for EDC? They certainly could be, at about 3.5" by 3" (and 3/4" deep). For anyone who strongly prefers binoculars over a monocular this could be a good choice. But when I do get my belt pouch, I suspect they won't fit: the cell phone, PDA and voice recorder are just more important for work days. I suspect they will be more useful for short hikes and other outdoor trips when you don't want to take the full-size binos.
I will have to take them out another time to see how just they compare with the Pentax reverse porros or other "regular compact" binoculars. I'm ready to give them 9 out of 10 for gadget factor; tentatively I'd give them a 6.5 for usefulness.