Customer Reviews

Nikon Action 12x50 Binocular

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was looking for a medium-powered pair of binoculars for back yard astronomy. I had picked up a pair of Bushnell 10X50's for a few dollars less than the Nikon's and I was disappointed with the quality (there was something wrong with the optics... could not get them to ever completely focus). I promptly returned them and picked up these. What a difference! They were much clearer than the Bushnell's, and the focus is extremely sharp in the center. I take them out just about every night and they offer me a great view of the sky. If you're looking for a good all-around pair of binoculars that's worth more than what you're paying, look no further!

These are wonderful binoculars. Rugged, and easy to use, these binoculars have great clarity, as much magnification as you can get without spending thousands of dollars, and come with a 20 year guarantee from one of the best optic producers in the world. You really can't go wrong on this one.

I know these are a fraction of the cost of some binoculars but for amateur use the Action series are fine for everyday viewing. The Nikon name also means a lot and considering that it comes with the tripod mount, they are well worth the money.

This is for the Nikon Action 12x50 binoculars. I am not a hard-core bird watcher, nor do I hold myself out to be overly knowledgeable about binoculars. I use binoculars to look at the landscape and wildlife in my backyard and on vacations -- at distances from 20ft. to approx. 1 mile. My previous binoculars were an old (probably 15 years old) pair of 10x50 Bushnells.

After reading hundreds of reviews here at Amazon, and googling and reading binocular reviews at other sites, I bought these Nikons. They are much better than the old Bushnells I have! I would imagine that a new pair of Bushnells would also be better than my old ones, due to technological progress, so I realize it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

After reading reviews and giving thought to how I use binoculars, I decided to go with the Nikons. My only dilemma was whether to get the 10x or the 12x. The hesitation came from other reviewers stating that with anything over 10x, you wouldn't be able to hold it steady enough and may need a tripod. I have not had that problem, and am extremely glad that I went with the 12x. I notice no difference in being able to steady them from the old 10x.

I purchased this product as last year's Christmas surplus at a very good price, but even at the list price it is a worthwhile buy.

Image quality for most average uses is excellent (you would invest in something much more expensive if you were a serious hobbyist). The advantage of this pair is that it is well made, and serves the purpose over a range of multiple uses (backyard birding, airplane spotting, landscapes, etc). And at the price point, if the kids drop it into the water, not a huge loss.

The unit is made well with excellent fit and finish, worthy of the Nikon name. I would recommend unhesitatingly for family use.

Excellent celestial binoculars for the price. The view is generally quite good, the device is not exceedingly heavy and they are rugged. This is an inexpensive pair of binoculars perfect for casual celestial viewing. The distortion of at the perimeter of the field of view becomes more apparent after usign them for a couple of hours, but overall the quality of viewing is good.

Update to my review 7-22-08. After using these binoculars for another year and some others, I can make additional recommendations for astronomical viewing. These ones still perform reasonably well for hunting down objects in dark sky (M, etc.) and are OK in bad conditions for getting oriented. However, for less money (about $50.00) I got a much better pair of Barska 15x70 at Big5 Sporting Goods. The Barskas are a better celestial scope, pariticularly in dark skies. I sometimes still start with the Nikon to get oriented, but once I am set to look in detail at things, the Barska gives a much better view, higher magnification, clearer field, less distortion. Therefore, I revise this review to indicate that the Nikons are perhaps not a great value. Also, the Barskas come with a really lame case, but who cares, cheap binoculars are meant to be out of the case and heavily used - don't baby them.

So far, I have used the binoculars for watching various birds and they perform well, the only drawback is that they are somewhat bulky. There is no distortion and the quality is what you can expect from Nikon.

Quality optics and solid construction, as I would expect from Nikon. Good binocs for basic astronomy. Smaller diameter of the light exiting to the eye is better for old eyes.

This is exactly what I expected after reading other reviews. The focus is precise and the magnification enough to see details of small birds at 150 m.

This is a very good binocular. The only downside is its very heavy. Not for children. Good to use with Tripod ( Does not come with the binocular).