Reviews - Oberwerk 15x70mm Binoculars Reviews - OW-BI-15x70

Author: charybdys from SE Minnesota on Apr 20, 2009
Pros:  large objectives, lightweight, excellent value
Cons:  not as sharp as others,
Would recommend:  yes

charybdys wrote:

These are very nice binoculars, unless you're used to premium binoculars in this size range. They are an excellent value for the money, and sit well between the "iffy" lowest end binoculars, and the pricey really good ones. They are easily light enough to hand hold for a short while, but better mounted. Mine seem very well aligned, so the images merge nicely. The focus is pretty smooth unless it gets really cold, where it stiffens quite a bit. The eyecups are fairly soft, and can be folded back for those with glasses. Images are sharp in the center but get softer towards the edges. The close focus isn't very close, so not good for nearby birdwatching, but I would guess not many people want them for that. I use them mostly for astronomy. They are great for that; they show many clusters, galaxies, double stars, and some nebulae. You might want a heavy-duty tripod adapter, and a tripod that can support 6-10 lbs to make them stable. Some people prefer monopods with these too. I have noticed ...
Read full review / Buy this product

Author: Kopernic (verified customer) , military retiree, amateur astronomer, from Beach Lake, PA on Jan 19, 2009
Pros:  relatively flat field
Cons:  needs re-focussing often
Would recommend:  yes

Kopernic wrote:

This is my third attempt at finding happiness with a large binocular. The first two attempts, both with 80mm binos, suffered field distortion about 2/3 of the way to the edge. It made galaxy hunting impossible. To the Oberwerk's everlasting credit, that kind of field distortion is largely absent. In fact, they are comparable to the 16x70 Fujinons in this regard. They are very light-efficient, and have top-grade multi-coatings on the objectives, although the outer eyepiece lenses appear to be single coated. Mechanically they are very nice, but the focus knob seemed a bit stiff. (My earlier model may not have had the improved focus mechanism) Also, if you press them to your face they will need to be re-focussed. When used with a tripod this fault was less evident. Bottom line: Not perfect, but excellent optics for an excellent price. Recommended for the Astronomy enthusiast who wants a binocular for serious observing.