Customer Reviews

Carson Minizoom 5-15x17 Compact Zoom Binoculars MZ-517

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I received these about a month ago and can not believe how very functional these Binocs have been.
I have been using Binocs all my life(past 60) and the 517 lives up to the best in performance . I grew up in a Sporting Goods Retailer family and had an opportunity to use a lot of different products over the years and -for the price -really at any price -these fall into the top ten of my favorites.Compact and easy to use,these fit in my coat pocket.They are very light weight and can be easily worn around your next with absolutely no discomfort. These are small enough that I get very little " shake" when these are in full zoom. For the money-the best buy in Binocs that I have found.

these binoculars are excellent, light weight, compact, clear, crisp viewing. The zoom feature is an added plus. This instrument is well worth the price. I would highly recommend this product

I have no opinion about how these mini binoculars compare to others in it's class. I was unaware of how small these really are. I could not get comfortable with the physical size of these binoculars and feel that unless you really know what you want these are a good candidate for local purchase so that you are comfortable with the size and features. I find Amazon a great source for many of my purchases, it just didn't work out this time.

I purchased these binoculars due to the zoom and Carson's great warranty. The binoculars were defective as I could not make it so I could see only one circle when looking through the eyepiece. I contacted Carson multiple times over a two week period to get a replacement pair. Each time customer service informed me the person in charge of warrantys was out. After leaving multiple messages I have never received a call back after several weeks. I ended up returning the binoculars to Amazon, which was great with the return process.

I bought this item based on other people's review and to be honest it's only fair in quality. It feels a little cheap and the zoom is not at all impressive. But the price was fair so it's true you get what you pay for.

These are lite, easy to use and inexpensive. After looking at several different pairs, these are the best set I could have bought. I took this set to a rainforest and they performed great and they never fogged.

Small enough, easy to use, stays in focus, the zoom is just right - and all for about $40: a good buy, so much so that I got two.

One minor, but puzzling complaint: only one hook, so cannot use the usual neck strap.

The optics seem fairly good for the price, though definite spherical and chromatic aberration apparent around the edge of the field. Works fine at the lowest power (5X), but the zoom function only works on the right lens! I'm assuming a got a defective unit -- at least I would hope so. The objective lenses are so tiny (17mm) that at the highest power (15X), the image is so dark it's hardly visible anyway. I checked the manufacturer's "Warranty Procedure" notice enclosed and it says I have to return the item at my expense and even enclose a check to them for $12.00 to cover the cost of handling! This is no way to do business -- unless, of course, you're selling crappy merchandise.

These bino's are small compact and lightweight. Unfortunately, due to the small diameter opening of the lens, they are very dark in all but bright sunlight. Not very helpful if you are using them in an Arena or Stadium indoors, at night or on a cloudy day. Also for me, they never seemed clear. Everything always looked a little cloudy or fuzzy. Never super sharp. The magnification was great, but for their small size, any movement you have, is also magnified in the bino's. I think you can find better for the price. Just my .02

These are difficult to adjust and than are not very clear after you have completed the best adjustment for your eyes. I would not recommend these binoculars to any of my friends (MZ-517).