Exceptional!
| Explorer WA ED-R 10×32 | Opticron | Roof Prism | 10-year Guarantee| Price: Price £239.00 | Product code: 30769 |
The Technical Stuff:
| Colour | Black | IPD Range (mm) | 54~74 | |
| Size | 10×32 | IPD Range (inch) | 2.1~2.9 | |
| Magnification | 10 | Waterproof | ||
| Lens Dia. (mm) | 32 | Roof Prism | ||
| Lens Dia. (inch) | 1.3 | Length (mm) | 120 | |
| Field of View (m@1000m) | 105 | Width (mm) | 116 | |
| Field of View (°) | 6 | Depth (mm) | 46 | |
| Field of View (ft@1000yd) | 315 | Dimensions LxWxD (mm) | 120x116x46 | |
| Close Focus (m) | 2.3 | Dimensions LxWxD (inches) | 4.7×4.6×1.8 | |
| Close Focus (f) | 7.5 | Weight (g) | 4.3 | |
| Eye Relief (mm) | 16 | Weight (oz) | 15.2 | |
| Eye Relief (inch) | 0.6 | Weight (lb) | 0.9 |
The Maker’s View:
Employing the company’s trademark compact optical system, the Explorer WA ED-R 10×32 delivers an unbeatable combination of specification, quality and ergonomics. With a 6.0° FOV, they are the perfect choice for anyone looking for a compact wide-field high power 32mm with ED optics and the latest multi-coatings for extra light transmission and colour contrast.
Features
- High quality roof prism design featuring ED glass objectives
- PC phase corrected prisms with R-type high light transmission multi-coating
- Nitrogen waterproof construction finished in full body rubber armour for comfort and protection
- Wide-angle eyepieces with long eye relief for spectacle wearers
- Multi-stage retractable eyecups
- Close focus to 2.3m/7.5ft
- Tripod adapter socket
Supplied Accessories
Explorer WA ED-R binoculars are supplied in a soft case with rainguard, padded
Fatbirder View:
You would expect, from my past reviews to say these are good binoculars and offer good value for money… well not this time… these are exceptional value for money, remarkable for the price.
I tested them in the field firstly overlooking the ‘scrape’ at my local observatory. Nice bright day looking at wildfowl and waders. Alongside me, my usual bins, which cost more than six times as much. How did they compare? Well, optically, I could see very little difference. These explorers are bright and sharp, colour true and I couldn’t see any image distortion.
These days I have to wear glasses when birding and the eye-relief is such that these bins are comfortable to use. I’m also long-sighted in one eye and short-sighted in the other so need quite a lot of dioptre adjustment, and these were easy to adjust and then stayed put.
Next stop a patch of wood land where I sat under the canopy where only a few patches of sky are visible… in other words much reduced light… and the Explorer’s performed very well indeed. I had no problem picking out every detail of the Goldrest I watched high overhead and fifteen meters away.
As a Robin hopped very close to me I watched it focusing down until it was only a few feet away… I couldn’t focus as closely as with my top-of-the-range bins, so don’t think these would suit the insect watchers and fungi foragers, but are spot on for the birder.
Back to following a buzzard over the fields two things struck me… firstly, the ease of focus. The focus wheel is easy to turn but not loose, so I could easily and accurately re-focus as the bird flew closer. The other thing that struck me was how light-weight they are. Being a decrepit arthritic I find there is a limit to how long I can hold my normal bins up with nothing to rest my elbows on… these explorers let me hold them longer without my shoulders aching. They are small but not in the ‘compact’ range, which don’t feel like proper grown up binoculars. The explorers are for big boys and girls although smaller than average.
Of course the wide field of view is exceptional for an 10×32. This means they work well bashing the bushes or scanning over the wetlands.
You can tell I’m very impressed. They are not just among the very best in the price range, they compare very well indeed with much more expensive optics. It’s a 10-year guarantee not life, they are not as pretty as some and there is no focus or dioptre lock, but one has to ask how much is it worth paying for fashion or minor refinement.
I’m used to being impressed by Opticron who for me are at the top of the tree when offering high quality at lower cost. The Explorer WA is Light weight, optically superb and great for following birds in flight, at less than 250 quid, they are exceptional!