Customer Reviews

Nikon ProStaff ATB 8x25 Waterproof Binocular

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

 

 

Sharpness: Excellent
Flatness of field: Very Good
Ergonomics: Excellent
Eye Relief: w/o glasses- Excellent, with glasses-Very Good

These binoculars are very friendly to hold, both in your hand and to your eye. The sharpness and contrast are excellent with the exception when looking toward a bright light source. This is when flare kicks in and contrast suffers. These binos are prone to flare and that is about my only criticism of them.

The rubberized surface is ideal. It lends a grabby texture that's easy to grip but doesn't have that gummy quality that makes some attract lint and dirt. The eye cup design is great and has a relatively wide ring diameter and a fairly broad surface that is very comfortable. I mention this as most minis have an eyecup design that is too small and fits too deeply into one's eye socket causing discomfort. These feel like mid size binos in use.

The focus knob has a very nice feel to it. Very smooth with no play. The large diameter focus knob is like what you'd find on a full-sized bino and is better than most minis.
The simple case it comes with is quite useful and has a belt loop. Being as light as they are they carry on a belt without issue. The rain guard (ocular cap) works OK, though not as snug as I'd like.

I like the reverse porro prism design of these (and other makers) better than the two parallel tube (roof prism) design for a mini binocular as they feel more substantive and are easier to hold steady.

Other binoculars I currently own: Leica 8x32 BNs, Leica 10x42 BAs. In the past I have owned Leica, Minolta, and Celestron minis as well.

Keeping in mind they are an inexpensive compact, these are an overall excellent binocular and a super value IMO.

I'm not a binocular expert, but I'm very pleased with these binoculars. They are compact, relatively lightweight, bright clear images, adjustable eyepiece. Perfect for me -- I take them onboard my kayak for birdwatching.

I bought this for my kid, we started doing birdwatching trips regularly this year. It folds nicely for the right distance between the eyes and stays there. The focus control is easy to operate even for small hands. The twist out eyepiece cups are great for using over eyeglasses. This part actually works!
Finally, the optics are superb! Everything about this pair of binoculars is solid and smooth. Bit higher on the price range, but worth every penny. Should last for a lifetime.

These are my first pair of binoculars. I bought these due to many suggestions from the birdwatching community. I will be using them for hunting and whale watching. I would suggest staying with the lower power magnification unless using a tripod, because all movements are magnified (pardon the pun :) when viewing. Would recommend these to anyone looking for great quality for a reasonable price.

When I used a friends Prostaff binoculars I was impressed with the ease of use and the clarity of the image. Afterall, they were Nikon and I expected as much. When I received my own, the image was good but I had to struggle to get it adjusted. They weren't like the ones I had tried earlier. After four months of struggling, eye fatigue, and occasionally getting double images which I could eventually eliminate by changing the focus and/or making them wider or narrower for my eye, I decided they must be defective.
I mailed them to the Nikon repair center and had to call them ten days after they were received to confirm they had actually received them. I expected them to be repaired or replaced under warranty. I learned I was going to have a $20.00 charge even if they were under warranty.
The poor communication from the repair center and poor service is making me rethink my support of Nikon. I have purchased several Nikon film cameras, lenses, and binoculars from them and always appreciated their quality. I am rating these low because of their poor service and quality control. These should never have left the factory. I fully expect the replacement to be excellent, but the negative experience from customer "service" is very disappointing.

These are the most fragile binoculars I have ever owned. If you drop them two inches with the case on, they will need to go back for repairs. I swear this to be the truth. Two inches in the case, out of alignment, $22.50 for repair and shipping. If they are so fragile, they need to provide a better case!!!! I traded them in for the Nikon 8x42 Monarch ATB