Kowa's lightweight, porro-prism style YF binocular provides you with the advantage of an exceptionally wide field of view. Add the fully multi-coated lenses and Bak4 prisms for bright views with waterproof and fogproof construction and you have a great economical binocular for beginners and beyond. Kowa provides a limited lifetime warranty for this binocular.
Optical Features
| Fully Multi-coated Lenses |
Increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces. |
| BaK-4 Prisms |
Optimize light transmission. |
Construction Features
| Porro Prisms |
Generally offer a rich depth of field, wide field of view, and three-dimensional image. |
| Rubber Armoring |
Provides a secure, non-slip grip. |
| Adjustable Eyecups |
Twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses. |
| Center Focus Wheel |
Adjusts both binocular barrels at the same time. |
| Right Eye Diopter |
Adjusts for differences in a user's eyes. Located by the right eyepiece. |
Design Features
| Waterproof |
Optics are sealed with O-rings to prevent moisture, dust, and debris from getting inside the binocular. |
| Fogproof |
Barrels are filled with nitrogen gas to inhibit internal fogging. |
More than I hoped for
-
11/03/2011
by
James from United States
I wanted a 6X inexpensive knock-around bino mainly to leave in the boat, and intended to buy either the Leupold Yosemite 6x30 or possibly the Vortex 6.5x32 porro binos. When I saw that Kowa had introduced the YF 6x30, I decided to take a chance, as I've been impressed with whatever Kowa optics I've looked through before.
Well, I was so impressed that I decided these need to be used more than just in the boat. Recently I took them on a trip to Central Oregon, and spent quite a bit of time with them instead of my go-to Nikon LX's. I wish I was able to evaluate the Kowa's side by side with the comparable Leupold and Vortex, but suffice to say, I'm very happy with them. My wife also likes them, and used them a number of times instead of her own LX's. Then my brother showed up, and vowed that he was going to order a pair upon getting back home.
The image is very sharp, with the sweet spot surprisingly wide. Field of view is OK... about what I would expect. The eyecups are excellent, with two click-stops between all the way down and up. I'm a glasses wearer, and the generous (20 mm) eye relief is plenty. Focus is just a tad stiff, but not enough to be troublesome. There's nothing remarkable about the diopter adjustment, but it seems to work as expected. I do have to comment on the focus knob. The only thing I can think is that the Kowa engineers wanted something to distinguish these binos from other similar ones. Well, if that's the case, they certainly accomplished it with the bright red barrel. I believe it's metal, and is covered by a rubber shroud with oval cutouts. Focusing works best by using the tip of each index finger in an oval cutout. Yeah, it's bit weird, but certainly works, and is smooth and positive. There is no annoying play either. My brother, wife and I all agreed that the unusual focus knob didn't detract from these nice little binoculars at all.
I very much recommend them to anyone looking for an inexpensive pair of compact porros. They deserve 5 stars,especially given the price. For a hundred bucks, you cannot go wrong!
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