Carson 3D Series 10x42mm High Definition Compact and Waterproof Binoculars with ED Glass, Black (TD-042ED)

*Please note in my pics I use a sling/satchel that I bought separately (just generic brand) to house these, as I'm not a huge fan of the case it comes with but the binocs themselves are magnificent. I've owned the Carson 3D ED 10×50 binoculars for over 8 years, and they have never disappointed. Love the lifetime warranty but I've never had to use it thus far. The lense quality is top notch, with no chromatic aberration that I've experienced and crystal clear quality. The focus wheel works great and you can clearly focus on what you want, such as a family member paddle boarding in the middle of a lake. After owning these I don't think I could ever own a pair of binocs that don't have fully coated ED optics, as once you experience them you can't go back. I take them to the mountains in CA every year (Sequoia, Mammoth, Tahoe, etc) and they are wonderful to view the wildlife, or see across the lakes, or to view people on top of the mountains or rock climbing from below, or to look at the stars and the moon at night. These easily connect with a tripod if needed (I have even seen Jupiter + 4 moons around Jupiter this way, or a detailed view of our moon with its craters), but the tripod is not needed for casual viewing such as on hikes etc (there's really little to no shake when just panning around, or if you place your elbows on a railing or chair armrests its ideal for zero shake). Field of view is plenty big enough for me and I like the 10x magnification with 50mm aperture (this creates an exit light pupil diameter of 5MM which is good for daylight or lower light situations such as twilight). Never experienced "black spots" with these. The only thing is I may want to buy an 8x32 version since those are lighter/smaller with larger field of view (although less magnification) and potentially better for day hikes or bike rides due to the weight/size. But if you're gonna plop down at the edge of a lake with pristine surroundings and mountains all around, the 10x50 Carson 3D ED binocs are magnificent 👌. Your friends and family will want to look through them and be equally amazed. Recommend.

After a lot of research, I came across Carson's 3D-ED 10X42 binoculars. I initially intended on purchasing a pair of Nikon monarchs or Bushnell Legend HDs, but after reading testimonials about the tremendous value of these, I decided to give them a try.I'm not an optics expert by any means, but I've looked through expensive glass before. I'm familiar with the outstanding quality put out by Leica and Zeiss from experiences with binos owned by friends and family. In my experience and from extensive research, you get what you pay for in the world of optics. That being said, I can only surmise from trying these out that Carson is aggressively trying to increase their market share in the industry. The quality of this product mirrors that of binoculars that can be twice as expensive. To jump right into it, you're getting binoculars with lots of great qualities:-Multi coated lenses-Phase correction-Completely waterproof and nitrogen filled casing to prevent fogging and internal damage.-Generous eye relief (to the uninitiated this means the eye pieces screw out so you can find a "sweet" spot for the picture)-Excellent field of view at range-HIGH overall build quality-Innovative Bino Armor Deluxe case. I was skeptical, but it's clear a lot of thought went into designing this case. It works like they advertise it to.-Comfortable neck strap and back harness system. I didn't find any other binocular that includes these in this price range.-Included cleaning cloth. This isn't anything more special than what comes with a pair of glasses, but it's still appreciated!-LIFETIME NO NONSENSE WARRANTY. This is huge. Binoculars are expensive and complex tools. One bad drop can result in any pair of glasses requiring repair. It's a great relief knowing that even if I damage these by accident, I'll be covered.The meat and potatoes of this product is the image. I plan to get a lot of use from these for hikes, and to take on vacation to look out at objects from the beach. I haven't put these through the full ringer yet, but the quality can simply be described as fantastic so far. I would describe these as "bright" optics, meaning that they transmit a lot of light. The image is also sharp throughout. This means that you'll see detail not only centered in your view but also on the edges of the view.I haven't really found any downsides yet. You could argue the lack of lense caps is a problem along with the fact that the case isn't completely sealed from dust. This first issue is mitigated by the Bino Armor Deluxe case, given that the two are designed to be used together. Regarding the latter issue, this is easily solved by a ziploc bag when it's on your shelf.BOTTOM LINE:If you're looking in this price range, you'd be crazy not to have these on your short list.If you're looking at more expensive pairs in the sub $1000 range, you'd also be crazy not to entertain the idea of these.Hope this helps!