Great open spaces birding binoculars - Leupold Golden Ring 10/17x42mm Switch / Power Brown Binoculars 62715

I highly recoommendthese binoculars, but they're not perfect. I purchased them for birding around large lakes. I consider them excellent for that purpose, but prefer the 7/12x32 model (which I also have) for general and woods birding.

At 10 power I consider them the equal of my 10.5x43 Brunton Epochs. There is no perceptable difference in sharpness between the two (field comparison - I don't bother with things like resolving the lines on a dollar bill), and while the Bruntons have a very slightly wider field of view, the difference is negligible. Focus on 10 power is a little faster than I prefer, and the close focus distance is about 11 feet which is a little long for butterflies.

17 power is definitely useful. They don't seem quite as sharp at 17 as at 10, and I think this is both because of the difficulty of holding 17 power steady without a tripod, and because the focus is extremely sharp and critical at 17 power. Close focus at 17 is about 14 feet. Contrary to some opinions about 17 power being no better than 10, I find it very useful. Hand-held on a sale sign on a house about 100 yards away I can easily read text at 17 that I have trouble making out at 10. They really work.

When switching from 10 to 17 it's definitely necessary to refocus, but the object stays centered in the field and is generally still identifiable before refocusing. It would have been nice if Leupold had managed to make the focus hold when changing power.

The eyecups lock in place and won't move accidentally. I had some trouble figuring out how to adjust them. To lower the eyecups you need to pull them slightly away from the body while twisting. There are two sets furnished - flat ones and tapered ones for people who don't wear glasses.

I think Leupold could have done a much better job with the straps. They give you both a wide, curved, well-padded neck strap and a binocular harness. Unfortunately, while both have quick disconnects on the short pieces that attach to the binoculars, the connectors are different sizes. The neck strap connectors also have the genders reversed from side to side. This means you can't leave the short straps from the harness on all the time and just switch between the neck strap or harness.

My final comment is with quality. Right out of the sealed box I found a 1/10th inch scratch on one objective lens. This should not happen at this price level. I contacted Leupold and they exchanged them for a new pair, paying the UPS both ways, but this took over 4 weeks including shipping time.

Bottom line: I'm glad I bought these.
Pros: Switch power, sharp, secure eyepiece settings
Cons: Focus too critical, focus changes with power switch, poor strap design

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.