Minox MD 8x16 Monocular

by Minox

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 1 x 1 inches ; 3.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000BZM43
• Item model number: 62201
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,610 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 8, 2004

Product Description

Minox MD 8X16 Water Resistant Metal Body Monocular w/ Neck Strap 62201

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, bad, ugly, August 8, 2011

By 

Big Max (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minox MD 8x16 Monocular (Electronics)

This review is for the Minox MD 8x16 Monocular

I actually purchased it from Binoculars(dot)com, but they didn't post the review I sent there. Returned it because of the "ugly" item below.

The good:

-Very small, with a more pocket-able form factor than standard monocular

-Eye-catching appearance

-Optics are good. For example, better edge sharpness than the Brunton 8x22 Lite-Tech monocular I purchased to replace this

-Eye relief good enough for glasses, though not great

-Strap attached to the sides so the monocular will hang straight (but see below)

-Slide focus allows one-hand operation, but see below

-Slide focus is very smooth

-Close focus, about 5 feet

The bad:

-The attractive silver body is hard to hold on to. I would have preferred at least some rubberized areas. It is steel and makes the monocular quite heavy.

-The novel slide focus, though smooth, is very sensitive. A slight change makes a big focus change. See below.

-The neck strap is attached by removable metal pins on the sides. When attached, the pins rattle a bit when not under tension. Secondly, the pins stick out enough from the otherwise sleek monocular to catch on pockets, etc. Not a good design

-Expensive, though I'd probably have kept it if not for the other negatives

The ugly:

-I'm not sure if this is a design flaw or a defect, but I suspect the former. With no finger on the focus slider, and the monocular pointed downward (looking at a butterfly, for example) the front lens will slide forward under its own power, losing the focus. There's a protective piece of glass in front of the lens, but it can be seen repeatably to slide when the monocular is tilted down. This was the deal-breaker for me.

In sum, this would be a very nice, incredibly small item except for the deficiencies listed above. Too bad.

3.0 out of 5 stars The good, the bad, the ugly, August 8, 2011

By 

Big Max (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is for the Minox MD 8x16 Monocular

I actually purchased it from Binoculars(dot)com, but they didn't post the review I sent there. Returned it because of the "ugly" item below.

The good:

-Very small, with a more pocket-able form factor than standard monocular

-Eye-catching appearance

-Optics are good. For example, better edge sharpness than the Brunton 8x22 Lite-Tech monocular I purchased to replace this

-Eye relief good enough for glasses, though not great

-Strap attached to the sides so the monocular will hang straight (but see below)

-Slide focus allows one-hand operation, but see below

-Slide focus is very smooth

-Close focus, about 5 feet

The bad:

-The attractive silver body is hard to hold on to. I would have preferred at least some rubberized areas. It is steel and makes the monocular quite heavy.

-The novel slide focus, though smooth, is very sensitive. A slight change makes a big focus change. See below.

-The neck strap is attached by removable metal pins on the sides. When attached, the pins rattle a bit when not under tension. Secondly, the pins stick out enough from the otherwise sleek monocular to catch on pockets, etc. Not a good design

-Expensive, though I'd probably have kept it if not for the other negatives

The ugly:

-I'm not sure if this is a design flaw or a defect, but I suspect the former. With no finger on the focus slider, and the monocular pointed downward (looking at a butterfly, for example) the front lens will slide forward under its own power, losing the focus. There's a protective piece of glass in front of the lens, but it can be seen repeatably to slide when the monocular is tilted down. This was the deal-breaker for me.

In sum, this would be a very nice, incredibly small item except for the deficiencies listed above. Too bad.