My 11 year-old needs some decent bins. She is a small eleven without glasses. I am considering Nikon Monarchs 8x, Nikon Action 7x, Leupold Katmai 6x. Any suggestions, testimonials or other advice?
Thanks,
Morrisos
Leupold Yosemite 8x30. I "ga-ron-tee" that she will like them. They are small and light, have a small inter pupilary distance, sharp and bright, inexpensive, optically superior to the Monarchs or Actions, comfortable eyecups. Very little distortion at the edges, no halo, image is very pleasing. Very very nice binoculars.
Let me put it this way: i've been using a Swarovski EL 8x32 for more than a year now. When i opened the box and got the Yosemite 8x30 out on the porch, not only that I was not disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised.
I usually go: “what the hell…”
Action 7x: Never really tried. Just quickly handling in a store, they felt big and bulky, especially for a kid.
Yosemite 8x30: I second Luca. I recently tested a pair and gave as a gift, over the Monarchs (price not an issue). Additional point: They are fairly light according to the specs. But, they feel much lighter than they are - very comfortable in the hands.
Yosemite 6x30: Tried these against the 8x - Unfortunately, there was something wrong with them - probably misaligned. I would definitely try a different specimen of these if looking for kids bino.
Monarch - good, but not as good as cheaper Yosemites
Katmai - I preferred the 8x over the Monarchs optically, except for the narrow FOV. They are very small - but ideal for a compact unit. I'm considering the 6x currently, which has a better FOV. If they're comparable to the 8x, but with the advantages of 6x, they could be the ULTIMATE kids bino (although the Yosemite is a better deal).
In that price range, the EO Ranger 6x has gotten good reviews.