Customer Reviews

Minox MD 8x16 Monocular

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.