Carson 3D Series 8x32mm High Definition Compact and Waterproof Binoculars with ED Glass, Black (TD-832ED)

This is a review of the 8x32 but also a comparison to the 10x42. First, however, a comment about light transmission as determined by exit pupil. Our pupils capacity for expansion changes with age. The pupils of a 20 year old person may expand to 8mm, while the pupils of a 78 year old person, which I am, expand not past 4mm and maybe even less. Therefore, the light transmitted by the 8x32, with an exit pupil of 4mm [divide the objective lens diameter by the magnification] is as much as my eyes practically can use - not to mention than hen it's all that dark, I go home. The light transmission/exit pupil of the 10x42 is 4.2, so that aspect isn't practically different from the 8x32. That leaves the magnification, eye relief, size and weight for comparison. The 8x32 is substantially more compact and lighter than the 10x42 - but that might be an acceptable trade off if the additional magnification of the 10x42 made a substantial difference. Since I have both, I compared then in real time for three days in a row. Today, I actually carried both at the same time. I use binoculars for watching, identifying, and observing behavior of birds - and also to enjoy the beauty of some species. To test the difference, I took time on several occasions to watch a single bird with each, in turn. I also focused on one of the mountain tops in the Great Phoenix area that has radio, TV and phone towers which are several miles away. Yes, in a purely physical sense, the image in the 10x42 was [had to be]larger than the image in the 8x32. However, I found no substantial difference in what I was able to see, my ability to identify the species of a bird, observe its behavior or enjoy its beauty. The 8x32 has great eye relief than the 10x42. The 8x32 has larger field of view than the 10x42. The 8x32 has as good or better depth of field, and 3D appearance, as the 10x42. The cost is a mere $5 difference, so that's not a factor. I can't justify the larger size and greater weight of the 10x42 under these circumstances. I own more than one other pair of binoculars including one in a lower price point and one in a seriously greater price point. I find the 8x32 Carson HD as good as any, and it's a seriously good binocular. I'm keeping it and will return the 10x42. Both have focus adjustment that is just right, and the diopter ring stays put once set. They both seem to be well made and sturdy, and unlike offerings from many other binocular manufacturers they come with the very useful harness, and with lens covers for both objective and ocular lenses. A well earned five stars.

So far they seem to be nice binoculars, Pretty clear, not much difference in low light conditions compared to any of my other binoculars I’ve owned but still decent in low light. The Somewhat easy to use, center focus, Meaning not too hard to move with one finger is nice and The eye cups do you pop up into position very easily and stay in place. As far as the case, it does have a very nice magnetic closure that holds well, but I do not like the binno’s being strapped to the inside of the case and having the whole case hanging from your binno’s When you Bring them up to your eyes to view them. Also you have the whole front of the case hanging down from the binoculars, Sometimes getting in the way of your view and also getting caught on items Like a shooting rail on a Deerstand, hunting clothing and just really seems to get in the way ! And if you know a Deer’s habits, they spot all kinds of movement and when you have this big flap hanging down from the binno’s and it is breezy / windy , well now you have a flag Waving at them !I ended up using my old case with my Bino harness. For the price of these binno’s I cannot say that there is a big difference in The optics compared to any of my other binoculars I’ve is a owned, I can only hope that they will hold up better the Rest that I’ve owned to the normal abuse that they will inquire During all the hunting time that I do every year and every other hobby that I use them for like boating, ATV riding, or just hiking ! Every single pair of binoculars that I have owned seems like they’ve gotten bumped or dropped and now have double vision in them and are not usable to me ! If you do not hang onto your receipt and remember where you put it then forget about sending them back to you the manufacturer for warranty work ! I have at least half a dozen or more sets of binoculars that have this double vision, most of them are Nikons and bushnells and my very last set that did this to me very recently was my Nikon pro staff 5’s ! I bought a set of them a year ago and after the first week I don’t remember bumping them or dropping them and had the double vision in them, Took them back to the store to return them, got a new set of the exact same binno’s and they made it until the middle of my deer hunting season this year and now they have the double vision in the lenses ! I thought I had my receipt with the box But it wasn’t ! and Since I cannot find The receipt I am SOL ! At least for now unless I find my receipt.

Superb bins that are half price here compared to other outlets , mine actually came with lens caps and a rain guard which was a surprise as all my other Carson binoculars didn't . Anyway if your looking for some superb quality bins that you wont have to remortgage your house for these are the ones to go for . The image quality is nothing short of astounding and the build quality is solid which just about sums these beauties up . On a final note take a look at the black version of the same binoculars ! these being camo maybe don't seller as good or something but paying twice as much for the black ones would be daft in my eyes as the camo is very well done and certainly looks brilliant . Highly recommended WOW !ps since my purchase and this review the binoculars have gone back to full price , still very much worth the asking price though so don't let that put you off they really are fantastic birding bins .

I had a pair of Zeiss binoculars stolen recently and required a replacement, after much research and comparison site checking I came across a review that involved the Carson 10 x 42 3D series. I had never heard of this product before. After reading the reviews that compared the Zeiss 10 x 42 and other similar glasses and the Carson's.I looked into the Carson's a little more closely.The Carson's came out very well. None of those reviewed came out 100% but these were reviewed well. I have only had them 24 hours and I have not, so far been disappointed . They are very clear and sharp and handle well. They appear robust and well made.They are a little larger than my previous pair and slightly heavier but this is not too much of a problem. They come in a very professional looking box and cups for both lenses also two types of straps are also included. The straps are the normal over the head adjustable type and the other is a shoulder strap. I have never used this type before but I am willing to give them a try. The case is a well constructed soft BinoArmor Deluxe binocular wrap. A little different from any previous case I have used as the front folds down and the bins can be used still partially within the wrap.As my previous pair were quite small ,hopefully this may encourage me to keep the bins close to me and not so losable.Price - well the bins I had been researching were all in the £300 to £400 range,whereas these are just over £200. Taking the reviews into account and the price I decided on these on the basis that I had little to lose but so far they compare very well with the more expensive bins I have previously used.

I purchased the carson 10X 50 3D with ED glass after careful comparison with other brands and models. I find them to be extremely good - powerful enough to identify birds in Britain's second largest bay with plenty of light admittance with extremely clear image and focusing but a lot lighter than my previous 'submarine commander' type binos. I find I can use them with or without my prescription glasses simply by extending the eyepieces but they are slightly more comfortable without my glasses.They are also around half the price of similar quality ones I had trialled.The makers are proud of their case which is a soft but cushioned vinyl - it wraps around the instrument and just flips down to bring them into use without taking them out of the case. I personally do not like this because the case remains attached by means of an elastic strap meaning the case sometimes gets in the way and the strap can become tangled - I would have preferred the old fashion 'box' type case though I can see that many people will find the flip down type case useful.Having such confidence in the case has led the makers to omit supplying lens covers for either the loses or the eye-pieces. This, I think is a mistake as even if you never take to bins from the case the lenses are vulnerable to finger marks and dust etc. Indeed, when I took them from the box brand new one of the lenses had a big finger print on it. you do also get a shoulder harness type strap but I can't see me ever having to use this and I think it would look just plain silly!Had the case been more to my liking I would have awarded 5 stars but I am still more than happy with my purchase.

I bought these to replace an old pair of 10x50 porro prism binoculars which at around 1000g were just too heavy and were bulky too. I hoped that the Carson's new multicoated optics etc. would mean that there would be no loss of brightness despite the smaller objectives (42 versus. 50 mm). I need not have worried; the new ones are actually significantly brighter. They are also much sharper and have a wider field of view (6 degrees versus 5.5 degrees).Any criticisms are pretty minor. I'd hoped that with the ED glass any chromatic aberration would be invisible but I can actually see a little when viewing dark branches against a bright sky and conversely around a while Egret when viewed against a dark river. Normally, however, this aberration is indeed invisible.My old 10x50s have a scale showing the interpupillary distance in mm. and this is lacking on the Carsons. Similarly the new ones lack any markings for focus adjustment on the right-hand eyepiece; there is just a zero, plus and minus sign. These sets of markings make it easier to reset the binoculars after someone else has used them.As others have mentioned, lens covers would have been nice to have when one is not using the BinoArmor case which is actually pretty good - rather like the old ever-ready camera case which seems to have rather gone out of fashion. Since these Carsons are waterproof there is perhaps less of a need for a case and lens covers might be sufficient.All in all these are recommended. As an example, I made a recent trip to a flooded meadow with many water birds on it and the colour in the heads of the male mallards was spectacular - quite the best I remember having seen through binoculars.I wasn't sure whether to give four or five stars - perhaps 4.5 would be ideal.

I have wanted some decent binoculars for years. Having thoroughly researched the market I opted for these (Carson 10 x 42 3D Series ED). I am delighted with them. However, when I opened the box a red warning notice fell out. 'It said, This product contains magnets and should not be used with someone who has a pacemaker'. Incredibly disappointed I contacted Carson and my pacemaker manufacturers. Both were prompt with their replies. It turns out that only the BinoArmor case contains the magnets and providing I 'disconnect' the casing it would cause me no health problems. I am very glad I have not had to replace these excellent binoculars. They are ideal for my needs of bird, butterfly and dragonfly watching and well as taking on fishing trips both sea and fresh water. They are well made, have clear crisp vision and are waterproof. I just need to buy a new case now. First rate quality product.UPDATE. Looking at some of the Amazon reviews on binocular cases, it seemed that some were not big enough when purchased. Accordingly, I contacted Carson for a recommendation for their 10 x 42 model. They did better than that.They sent me a superb (magnet free) case along with an additional strap, all free of charge . I have also had the opportunity of using the binoculars for a couple of weeks now. All I can say is that the very high ratings this product gets are fully justified. Their aftersales/customer service is obviously equal to the very high standard of their products (certainly if these binoculars are anything to go by). First rate, all round.