Home > Consumer Reviews > Nikon Travelite V 10x25 Binocular

In selecting a binocular to use in my backpacking and mountaineering hobbies, I wanted something small, light weight, and with reasonably good optics, yet not so expensive that I'd cry in my beer for days should I drop or otherwise damage them. These binoculars seemed to be the ideal choice. Although slightly more expensive than the half-dozen other brands which I compared them with, to my eyes the Nikon Travelites had noticeably superior optics. They are compact yet comfortable to hold, and the rubber body covering provides for a secure grip. And with a weight of around 9-ounces I almost never give a second thought about adding them to my pack. I chose the 10x model, but 8x, 9x, and 12x models are also available for those with differing needs and preferences. An all around quality binocular for this price range.

I will skip the technical mumbo jumbo and focus on the experience of using these binoculars.

When I first picked these up, I was surprised and pleased at how light and comfortable they were in my hands. My pleasure remained and my surprise quickly turned to amazement when I brought them to my glasses (Yes, I wear glasses and no, I did not take them off to try them out. I use them with my glasses on - very nice!). WOW! Beautiful color and pristine field of view - from the left of the lenses to the right the of the lenses. I did not know such a wonderful image could be seen through binoculars. Images seen are crystal clear and higher detail than what can be seen with the naked eye (or in my world - through glasses). This is true from the closest focused items to the furthest focused object. (I looked at weeds ~15' away and on the weeds I could see grains of dirt not seen with the unaided eye. Also the weeds were more distinguished than with the unaided eye. I turned to look at some nearby mountains and I clearly saw eagles riding thermals that I could not see without the binoculars).
The focus knob is easy to use, they are very easy on the eyes, the price is reasonable, and I even like the color. These would make a fine gift for most any age group and for most user levels.

These binoculars are spectacular. WOW!

I bought these to replace a cheap $20 pair of binoculars that were stolen out of my car. The thief did me a big favor. He can ruin his vision with those old binoculars. My new Nikons are far superior. They have a much sharper image, are easier to focus and they hold their focus. They also feel comfortable in my hands. At $73 and free shipping you can't go wrong. They also include a nice nylon case and neck strap. BTW, I debated on whether to go with the 10X power (i.e. 10x25) binoculars and I'm glad that I didn't. The 8X binoculars are more than powerful enough for concerts and sporting events. The higher the power, the harder it is to hold the image steady and the narrower the field of view. More isn't always better.

I've been an avid Nikon user for over 30 years, but had never purchased a decent set of binoculars before - THESE ARE AMAZING - especially for the price. Lightweight, but feel good in the hands. Very bright and easy to focus. I'm really impressed.

Introduction:

I already own Nikon Action 8 x 40 Binoculars that work really well and are in the same price range as these Travelite binoculars. BUT! The Action 8 x 40's are way too big and way too heavy and I found myself not carrying them outside the house much. I needed a smaller, lighter pair to travel with that could fit in my pockets. So I went to several different stores and tried a lot of different smaller lower weight binoculars some costing almost $1,000.

But I kept coming back to these Nikon Travelite's and so went home and ordered them from Amazon.com for the best price and no taxes.

Review:

Here's what I love about these binoculars:

I love the way they fit in my hands like a natural extension of my body.
I love the way without glasses my eyes sit inside the cups shielding them from external light
I love the way I can still see pretty good even with my glasses on
I love the way they resolve detail with great contrast, colors and sharpness
I love the way I can hold them up for hours to my eyes looking for birds without straining my back and arms.
I love the way with several different binoculars present people always want to borrow these.
I love the way the focus adjustment wheel fits my hand and works perfectly
I love the way they are small enough to fit into my pockets but large enough to work.
I love the precision high quality feel you would expect on a much more expensive pair of binoculars
And of course I love the price.

Regrets:

They aren't waterproof / resistant.
Cheap eyepiece caps are too easy to lose and no end caps

Verdict:

Buy them you will probably love them and if you don't someone you know will!

In the end binoculars are a highly individual thing and you should go to an actual store and try out as many different ones as possible before going home and then ordering from Amazon.com. That's what I did and that's why I bought these Nikon Travelite 8 x 25 binoculars. If you want something in the same price range but even brighter, bigger and heavier try the Nikon Action 8 x 40 Binoculars

02-08-2008 Update:

Still loving these binoculars, have lost one eye piece cover now but other then that no problems even after letting lots of other people borrow them including kids.