When I tried shopping for a birding/nature viewing binocular with excellent quality with reasonable price, this one and also the Olympus EXWP I 8x42 are both the best deal I could find.pBriefly speaking, there are 5 factors I emphasize on binoculars: 1. power (7-10x); 2. aperture (40mm and above); 3. prism quality (Bak-4 with MULTI-coating, don't be fooled by those "fully coating" lower quality ones, only consider "phase corrected" and "multi coating"!); 4. waterproof/fogproof (most binoculars in this category use nitrogen filled hermetically sealed); 5. durability: with rubber armored and roof prism style.pYou can find those perfectly fitting on some Zeiss and Leica binoculars, with price [price]. They are really better than this Olympus, but bet you don't want to spend such amount on a pair of binoculars. Then there were 3 great deal falling in my category: Pentax DCF WP 8x42, Minolta Activa WP 8x42, and this Olympus model. Compared to the other two models, this one is the latest introduced (early 2001) with the latest technology (with UV coating which the other two don't have). The lower price is due to the brand equity of Olympus, which is considered not such a high price brand than Pentax and Minolta in camera world.

These are as much 10 X 42 roof prism binocular as one can expect in the $200 price range. I don't know why Olympus doesn't break down and start using ED glass and make a binocular competitive with the E series Nikons in the $800 range. As one of the leading optics/research institutions on the planet, they certainly have the capacity to do it. My advice is this: If you want premium optics for the price, get a small pair of Steiner glasses in the 8 X 22, 8 X 24, 8 X 26 realm. These can be had now in the $200 - $250 price range, and nothing on the planet, and I mean nothing, compares with fine German glass, period.
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br /The 10 X 42 Megellans on the other hand, are just one more also-ran in a sea of mediocre entry-level consumer roof prism binoculars (that look trendy and "birdy"). They suffer from coma, and are "nitrogen filled", not nitrogen purged, which makes a considerable difference in image sharpness. In spite of the fact that these glasses are made in Japan, it might be some indication of declining quality control in that nation, that a giant thumb print was smeared on one of the eyepieces right out of the factory sealed box. Shame on you Olympus.

The Magellan 8x42's, while slightly heavy, are sturdy and compact for the price. My pair had excellent alignment, a firm focus control and a sharp, bright image with minimal distortion. The two quality issues I encountered were minimal eye relief (4 more mm might have done the trick) and one relief adjustment uncomfortably loose. It will undoubtedly need repair somewhere down the line. Large lens caps are over-sized for the unit and fall off very easily. Customer support is poor, but the warranty is competitive.
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br /In short, an excellent starter pair of 8x42's.
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br /In general, for about $50-$100 more, the Nikon Monarch is far superior in every respect. Prices for these binocs vary sharply from week to week, so be patient, try the Nikons at your local sport shop, and purchase them from amazon when they drop below $200.