Alpen 8x32mm APEX Waterproof Binoculars

Comments about Alpen 8x32mm APEX Waterproof Binoculars:

I bought these for my girlfriend to watch birds while we kayak. The binoculas are lightweight and easy to focus. She loves the extra padded retention strap. We have not tried out the waterproof feature yet but they held up well with surface moisture.

Comments about Alpen 8x32mm APEX Waterproof Binoculars:

I replaced my Bushnell Legend 9x25 with this Apex. Moving from 25mm to 32mm objective lens and the superior coatings really make a diference. I am an avid birder and the close focus at 4 ft is great. I wear contacts and sometimes use my glasses. Works well with both. I loved my old Legends and believe I will like these even better.

Comments about Alpen 8x32mm APEX Waterproof Binoculars:

I only tried these in a store but since there are no other reviews I'll give you something to go on. I tested them pretty extensively in a large store that has some test targets on the back wall so I could check them pretty well.

In short I was pretty impressed for the money and size etc. I also tried the Leupold Katmai and these seemed much better. For cheaper binocs the focus was not too sloppy like some. Not as tight as the best but pretty good.

These were good and sharp but I think the contrast is a little short of the more expensive glass..... for the money though I can't imagine you'd do any better. I can't believe they are making roof prism binocs this good in this price range now. I did not test them side by side with my Swarovskis but they didn't seem too far off. Maybe the field is not as flat etc.

They have decent eye relief and are very usable with glasses. There are better ones but not much better unless you spend a lot and go bigger.

I did not notice much chromatic fringing or other distortions which surprised me.

So why didn't I buy them....
I bought the Bushnell 7x26 Elite instead because they had a little better contrast and a little better eye relief. They seemed easier to focus too.... and a bit smaller and lighter. I felt the Elites would be more comfortable for long term viewing.

I think these Alpens are decent binocs and a good value. I wouldn't mind having a pair. I sampled some other popular brands in similar mid sized binocs and felt the Alpens were better.

Comments about Alpen 8x32mm APEX Waterproof Binoculars:

The optics are crystal clear, better than many others I have tried that are twice the price. The size is semi-compact. This is my second pair because my first one was stolen at a ball game. I immediately bought another from Binoculars.com at an even better price than the first pair.