Nikon Action 12x50 EX Extreme ATB Binocular
See it at Amazon.com for $146.95Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Jumps into your hand like it lives there.
This binocular simply fell into my hand as though it were made for me personally. Love at first feel? Yes!
I compared this binocular to several others in the same price range, here is what I found:
Fit and finish: Nikon is easily the equal of any Vixen or Pentax or Olympus (I didn't try Canon).
Feel: Nikon was by far the best.
Optics: Nikon did something clever here. First of all, they gave this one a wider field of view than, for example, the Pentax PCF. Looking through the Pentax (and, by the way, I have a high regard for Pentax and *love* their Papilio series, but that is another binocular for a different purpose) after using the Nikon, the view seemed dimmer and claustrophobic. With the Nikon, you have that wonderful feeling of actually being "out there" in the field or in the sky with your object. And everything is so bright and sharp! The Nikon really excels in sharpness at the center.
However, Nikon did another clever thing (and I checked a couple of pairs of these Nikon binos to see if this was true generally, and it was): at this price point you can't possibly have the whole field of view perfectly sharp. No binocular is perfectly sharp at the edges. Here is what Nikon did, best as I can tell: they put the sloppiest edges at the outside and top of the field of view. Wow! Think about it: if you had to compromise somewhere, you want to compromise AWAY from the center and bottom. Why? Because, the inside edge of the FOV of each barrel is where the object will be. And, most likely (especially for terrestrial viewing), the object or its environment will also be resting on or near the bottom (think of a bird in a tree or an animal on the ground) So, Nikon seems to have made sure that the bottoms and inside edge of the FOV was as sharp as possible, while allowing the far outside and top edges to be a little worse. Smart!
There is some chromatic abberation, but that, too, is unavoidable at this price. Even some very high priced camera lenses (with only one barrel to worry about) have this. The CA is not at all objectionable. A little rim of faint purple at the edges of the FOV in high contrast situations.
A very nice binocular. Not too heavy, not too big, very comfortable to use, excellent imagery, top-of-the-line sharpness-at-center, great construction. I expect to get a lifetime's enjoyment out of them.
(4 out of 5)fantastic
bright, clear, wide of field view.(That's it.Whatelse you need?)
chromatic aberration is on edge of it, but it's not a big problem with observing a STAR!
good product with good price.
highly recommend!!!
(5 out of 5)Very nice product
Although I don't have a lot of experience with good binoculars, the Nikon Action Extreme has impressed me with its quality, image brightness, field of view, and image sharpness. It's a fairly large binocular and will tire your arms after extended handheld use. An excellent value for the price.
(5 out of 5)Superb Optics, Comfortable Depth of Field. Excellent for Raptors, Shorebirds
I took the plunge on 10x50's after reading a compelling article on the Cornell Ornithology website.
These Nikon Action EX 10x50 binocs are unusually well-crafted for a "low end" product. Their optics are sharp and bright, even at dawn or dusk. Their eye fatigue index approaches 18. Their ergonomics and controls are rugged and smooth. Most of all, the wiggle you'd expect from 10-power binocs are rarely a problem here because the frame is lighter than most products in this price-range. Indeed, without a harness or monopod, you can watch a Bald Eagle fish the surface of a river for a quarter-mile and not miss any of the action.
While I use these primarily to view raptors at distances of 500+ feet, they focus very clearly at 27.5 feet, too. Whatever the distance, the view is bright, the colors generally vivid and the detail superb.
That is not to say that Leica wouldn't produce a superior product; but at a fraction of the price, nearly 50% off retail, they are wonderful. Keep a pair of 8x42 binoculars on-hand, especially if songbirds are your passion; but if you expect to do some long-distance viewing, these Nikons are a sensible buy.
(5 out of 5)Great Binoculars
I bought the Nikon Action 10x50 binoculars to replace an old "no name brand" pair my father gave me 30 years ago. I didn't use the old ones regularly until we moved to the Gulf coast. The old binoculars were in sad shape so I ordered the Nikon. Wow was I surprised. Bright, clear view, true color, I didn't know binoculars could work so well. The EX Extreme is easy to focus, easy to adjust and light enough to carry around all day. The case that comes with them doesn't provide much protection I'll be looking for something better for travel. I'm looking forward to taking them on my next sailing trip.