Leupold BX-1 Yosemite 8x30 Binocular (Black)

Purchased these binoculars about a month ago. One word summary, awesome.

I bought these primarily for hunting. I was looking for a compact, clear, and reliable product. They have lived up to each of those expectations. I did quite a bit of research and shopping around before going with the BX-1's. The closest I found to compare them to were the Nikon Monarch and they sell for over twice as much.

For the price, I really don't think these can be beat. Actually for twice the price. For an affordable yet great pair of binoculars, go with these, you won't be disappointed.

Actually - these are great binoculars for the price. The complaints on stiffness and difficult adjustment are explained in design. These binos were initially designed for kids, with the idea that too easy focus and diopter might get pushed out of alignment if set to a very loose adjustment threshold - thus the resistance when turning - which I didn't find a problem at all. It sort of made them feel very sturdy. They are extremely light, compact, and well made (rugged) making them an ideal choice in the field for birding and other uses. With porro design, BAK-4 quality prism, good size exit pupil (3.8), fully multi-coated optics, and decent size objective, not to mention waterproof casing - they are an exceptional value. I highly recommend this binocular for both kids and adults.

I bought these to give as a gift. Not happy with what I found in stores, I did a ton of reading (Including the Cloudy Nights forums and other places) and bought these on reputation. The only real complaint I could find was that some said it was wanting mechanically.

Optically, these are a 5 (within the context of price). The images were relatively flat, clear, bright, and with good contrast. Edge sharpness was quite acceptable, much better than a more expensive pair I have. They are reputed to have good eye relief, too, but I don't wear glasses, so couldn't comment on that.

They also were solidly built, medium weight and easy to handle, armor clad and ostensibly waterproof & fog proof. Seemingly, the perfect gift for a young teen who wears glasses. I was impressed with the way they looked and felt, until I tried to focus them.

If these were even "average" mechanically, I would recommend them in a heartbeat. If I had the luxury of time, I would have returned them. First, the right ocular is extremely stiff. I feel sorry for the kid when he tries to balance the focus. There's a knurled knob which I could not casually adjust while keeping them steady (I am 6'2" / 190 lbs). It took a lot of force. The one positive aspect of this is it will be years before they accidentally get out of adjustment! This was not a deal breaker for me, though.

The killer aspect was that the center focuser had 2 prominent "rough spots." I have never experienced that before. The toughest rough section was right in the sweet spot where I was doing most of the focusing. Aside from a ridiculous amount of "squishy" noises the grease makes (it was overboard bad), I would be smoothly focusing on an object, and then it just halted. With a substantial effort, I could get it going again, but then it would go too far because of all the strength I had to use to get "over the hump."

I worked the wheel back and forth quickly for about 5-6 minutes to see if I could get the problem to abate, but achieved no appreciable affect. It took an inordinate amount of work to get a satisfactory focus on any object. It also exhibited inconsistent pressure across the entire range, which is disorienting. Developing a "touch" was impossible.

Now - I will compliment Leupold customer service... I called them about this and got a real live American who was quite conversant with the issue and helpful. Leupold would have gladly taken them back directly and made this right - so if you're willing to take a chance - if the ones in the box don't pan out, you can always deal directly with the factory to get satisfaction.

The person I spoke with was very helpful and offered to do whatever he could, but unfortunately, I had to gift them the day they arrived (thanks to Eagle Optics, they arrived well packed and promptly).

This attitude inspired me to check out a pair of the Mojave 10x42's (which is on the opposite end of the spectrum cost wise). They live up to their reputation optically, and exhibited none of the mechanical gremlins I found in the entry level Yosemities. (They're also a totally different design - roof prisms vs Porro). They are definitely worth owning ($400 - $500 range).

Based on my experiences with Leupold customer service and the Mojaves, I would trust Leupold generally, but based on the anecdotal comments I had read (I thought they were just being picky), and my own experience, I would pass on this pair. Sad, too, because everything else about the Yosemites makes me want to like them,