Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars

Comments about Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars:

I use these binoculars mostly for hunting and wildlife viewing. The quality and clarity of the optics is outstanding.Lightweight,sturdy and built to last a lifetime.You can pay alot more money and not get the quality of these binoculars. Outstanding quality and clarity for a very affordable price.

Comments about Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars:

Sent my first pair back to Bushnell for a little tweaking and they were right on it. Great service and knew exactly what I wanted done even though I'm a lingo illiterate.

This, my second pair, is abosultely flawless. They would be a bargain at Euro prices. They just don't get better.

Comments about Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars:

I've owned Leitz and Swarovski glass in the past and I put the original Bausch & Lomb version of these as close to those others as it gets. The Bushnell version is just as bright and just as clear as those B&L's I've carried for almost 20 years. Only negative I can see is at close distances (less than 100 yards) it feels as though the lenses have a slightly diffent power setting. Almost like the right side has 1/4 - 1/2 power more than the left side. Had my partner check it out just to make sure it wasn't me and he agreed. All seems great at longer distances though. Definately not enough of an issue to spend the extra [$] for the euro glass. Just wish they were as perfect as my two older pair of B&L's.

Comments about Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars:

These binoculars are just beautiful! I'm an amateur birder, but have been a professional photographer for many years, so I know something about optics and since many of the lenses I used on my Hasselblads and Sinars were, by choice, Zeiss, I totally respect the quality of that company. In fact, I've always been someone who appreciated and spent the extra money for the best of whatever it was I was looking to buy. So I have owned Porsches and Leicas, Mieles (vacuum cleaners :-) and McIntosh Stereo systems to name just a few. I'm a high end junky! So when I went looking to buy my first pair of serious binoculars I was looking at Zeiss, Leica and Swarovsky right off the bat. Of course they are all beautiful pieces of excellent equipment with the most sophisticated build, construction, design, materials and engineering. And looking for a 10x42 (or equivalent)I found much to be appreciated, certainly. But then a very good friend of mine, someone who I greatly respect and who is a serious birder for over 30 years, told me that he has always favored the Bausch and Lomb (now Bushnell) Elites and recommended I give them serious consideration. Now, he paid about $1000 for his pair a few years ago. Since then, Bushnell has taken over their development and has made some improvements every year. A few years ago they created the e2 line of Elites which was good enough to be called an Elite but still a small compromise in some of their techs. It was created to sell at a lower price point which was about $600-$700 and was an addition, not a replacement, to the Elite line. Just this year, they raised the e2 to full sail specs with no compromises at all, and left the MSRP where it was.I believe that the new e2 is the present Elite. Period.

After examining a pair I was extremely impressed with the quality of the construction, the ergonomics, and, most important, the brightness, sharpness, clarity, ease of focusing, generous eye relief (I wear glasses), extraordinary color accuracy (actually better than the Zeiss IMHO) and 3 dimensionality. Comparing them to Zeiss I found there to be a very close balance in the attributes of the two glasses; except for one feature. The Zeiss cost over $2200 and these Elites could be obtained for considerably less ! Hello? How much of a big name junky am I? The Zeiss were larger than the Elites, came with a skimpy strap unlike the generous comfortable one which Bushnell provides, and has a focus wheel which, while smooth, is not as easy to turn as the Elite's.Also, the Zeiss eye-cups had click stops (and felt a little chunky when moving them), while the Elites just rotated smoothly to where you wanted them and would lock in max position if desired to be there Were the Zeiss Victory's "sharper?" Hard to tell. The Zeiss Victory was really nice, but not any startling difference in sharpness, or brightness from the Elites (maybe just a little . .I was trying hard to see it). I really had to keep changing the two back and forth to see if I could notice a difference . . .any, and certainly one which justified the cost disparity. This was the test. And the Elites are so good that I actually made a rational decision and bought them, I saved over $1700 which I could use to take a trip with my new binoculars if I so chose. And I haven't had any remorse or sense of loss. Every time I grab them and put them to my eyes, I become more addicted to them. They are like a part of you once you start using them.

I could talk about all the specific binocular tech points in detail and give my take on them vs. the other brands mentioned, but that wouldn't add much. Suffice it to say, these Elites are as good as it gets, every bit the player in the top brand parade if all you want is a great pair of binoculars which will not be a compromise in any meaningful way, which will delight you and work for you flawlessly, and will not cause a ruckus at home with your mate once the monthly account is put on the table. Enjoy!

Comments about Bushnell 10x42mm Elite E2 Binoculars:

i compared these glasses to the best. for the money i could not justify buying the higher priced binoculars.the light transmission is only 1/10 of percent lower, in fact i like the construction of these better (i did'nt like the plastic housing the others offered)made to last and warrenteed for life.