| Autumn 2020 | | Viking Navigo | 8×32 | 32mm | Waterproof | 531g | Multicoated | RRP £199.95p |

The Technical Stuff:

Magnification 8
Objective Diameter 32mm
ED No
Real field of view 8.30\
Exit pupil 4mm
Eye relief 16.9 mm
Close focus 2m
Waterproof Yes 1m / 30min
Coating Fully Multicoated
Body Construction Magnesium Alloy
Nitrogen Filled Yes
Dimensions (mm) L126 x W122 x D47
Weight 531g

Viking’s View:

Out birding for the day, going on holiday, hiking, taking the dog for a walk, or any other activity where you can benefit from some quality optics, we have a new binocular which will suit all of these purposes!

The 8×32 Navigo is bright, compact enough for travel, and waterproof to take whatever nature can throw at it. No need to compromise on image quality when size and weight are an issue – in fact, we would say it’s the perfect all-rounder!

With large eyepieces and a good eye-relief for spectacle wearers, this binocular will be an ideal companion from the garden to the nature reserve. Close focus of 2 metres mean you won’t struggle to focus on insects which may catch your eye either.

Wherever you go, take Navigo!

Fatbirder View:

These binoculars seem to have been created for a niche that they fit very well. I imagine the idea was to create some general-purpose binoculars, that are pretty light to carry, robust enough to survive less than perfect use and affordable while offering decent quality viewing.

There are millions of people that love our countryside, especially in the time of the Corona virus, that are out and about taking some exercise and enjoying the fresh are but without specific targets. When they see a bird or beast they probably want to get a better view so they can end the walk knowing what they saw. At 2m close focus this would not suit a specialist entomologist but most of us would be able to get a better look at a butterfly in the bushes or a dragonfly in the reeds. The optical qualities, while pretty good for the money, would probably fall short of the twitcher’s need to closely quiz a migrating warbler flitting about in the top of a sycamore tree. Maybe a dedicated race goer would want to be able to see in sharp colour-true detail the silks of the leader of the field in a distant steeplechase, but the average punter would be more than happy to follow that race with these bins.

Using them to watch migrating warblers in a hedgerow a hundred yards away I was surprised at how well they performed. I had some difficulty focusing simply because a small adjustment made a lot of difference and it was not always easy to nuance the desired crispness of a moving critter. Colour and brightness were both acceptable, particularly as these are not ED. At a little further away I was not getting 100% crisp image across the whole field of view. However, switching back and forth between these very inexpensive binoculars and my own very expensive ones it did not feel anything like the difference in quality suggested by the price gap. My better half even said she couldn’t see a lot of difference at all, but then she isn’t quite as hard a taskmaster as me.

I did not find them particularly comfortable while wearing spectacles and the folding eyecups are a bit clunky. Moving the two arms apart was stiff too, but this could well be their very newness.

They come supplied with good quality cases, straps and rain-guards, in fact surprisingly good cases given that many moderately priced optics get presented in poor quality ones.

The design is pretty standard stuff too. They are lightweight and feel soft in the hands but have no particular comfort features.

The one thing I really do not like is the colour… but such aesthetic matters are very much a personal preference.

I conclude that for the casual nature observer or the newly interested birder etc., these lightweight binoculars offer good value for money.

Review item supplied by Viking