Sunday, December 22, 2024
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10x42 Review
Best Feature:
Great value for their size, image quality and price
Worst Feature:
Eye relief is a bit low and the focus dial is hard to adjust
Best Uses:
Perfect binoculars for birding or nature walks
Pricing:
$260 - $300 (Limited lifetime warranty)
Overview
These medium-sized binoculars are a good value for their size and price point. With a generous field of view and crisp image quality, they perform reasonably well in low-light environments but are best used in the day. They are also lightweight enough for extended use like carrying on nature hikes. They feature coated glass to maximize available light and have a wide field of view optimal for wildlife viewing like bird watching. They are a standard size with a durable exterior that makes them easy to throw in with your gear without having to worry about them.
Product Report Card Grade
We give Bushnell’s Legend Ultra HD 10x42 Binoculars an A- because they are probably the best mid-size binoculars in this price point. They are lightweight and water-repellent and feature ED Prime glass with multiple coatings to ensure high quality images even in low light conditions. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive, but we had to deduct a few points because there were some complaints that the eye relief is a little low and that the focus dial is difficult to adjust.
Date Reviewed
December 2013
May 2012
March 2013
Pros
Great value with limited lifetime warranty; good optics; relatively compact and lightweight; fog proof and waterproof down to 50 m; made with materials typically found in higher priced binoculars; available in camouflage; fully multi-coated lenses
Powerful, high quality optics; integrated laser rangefinder and ballistic information system; waterproof and fog proof; good performance in low-light conditions; fully multi-coated lenses; wide interpupillary range
25-year no-fault warranty; powerful optics deliver crisp, clear images even in lower light; waterproof and fog proof; detachable and adjustable eyecups are shaped to block light and enhance comfort; features ED glass; fully multi-coated lenses; open bridge design makes them comfortable to hold
Cons
Flimsy strap; detached lens cover is easy to lose; focus dial is stiff; eye relief somewhat short
Expensive and warranty doesn't protect against accidents; heavy
Expensive; relatively heavy; some complaints about adjustable rain guard being more difficult to use than a one-size-fits-all model
Price
$259.95
$2,799.99
$2,499.95
Warranty
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Limited Lifetime Warranty
25-Year Full Warranty
Best Use
They are excellent binoculars for general outdoor activities like hunting, wildlife viewing, bird watching, etc.
They are ideal for hunting, but they can also be used for other general outdoor activities like nature viewing, bird watching, etc.
They are well suited for general outdoor activities including wildlife viewing, hunting, bird watching, etc.
Binocular Type
Full-Size
Full-Size
Full-Size
Binocular Size
The binoculars are 5.5" x 5" (L x W) and weigh 24.7 oz.
The binoculars are 6.6" x 5.3" (L x W) and weigh 35.1 oz.
The binoculars are 5.9" x 5.6" (L x W) and weigh 27.9 oz.
Field of View at 1,000 yds
Angular Field of View (Real)
(not available from customer service)
5.7°
6.5°
Angular Field of View (Apparent)
(not available from customer service)
(not available from customer service)
59.2°
Close Focusing Distance (ft)
Focus System
They have a central focusing knob.
They have a central focusing knob.
They have a central focusing knob that is integrated with the diopter adjustment.
Diopter Adjustment
± 2 dpt (locking)
± 3.5 dpt
± 4 dpt (locking)
Interpupillary Distance
57 - 76 mm
54 - 76 mm
56 - 72 mm
Prism Type
They have a roof prism system with BaK-4 glass.
They have a type of roof prism system known as Abbe-König and feature BaK-4 glass.
They have a roof prism system with BaK-4 glass.
Lens / Coating
They feature fully multi-coated ED (Extra-low Dispersion) Prime Glass lenses and an ultra wide-band custom coating that helps to maximize available light.
They feature fully multi-coated achromatic lenses with Zeiss' T* and LotuTec® coatings.
They feature fully multi-coated ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass lenses designed with Nikon's field-flattener lens system.
Water / Fog Proof
Yes, they feature RainGuardHD, Bushnell's patented permanent water-repellant coating, and are fog proof and waterproof up to 50 meters (according to customer service).
Yes, they are nitrogen-filled and are fog proof and waterproof.
Yes, they are nitrogen-filled and are fog proof and waterproof down to 9.8 ft for 10 minutes (confirmed with customer service).
Rangefinder
N/A
Yes, they are engineered with an integrated laser rangefinder (class 1) and Ballistic Information System (BIS™) for quick and accurate targeting information. In about 1.5 seconds, they can measure any distance between 10 - 1300 yards with an accuracy of about 0.5%. The rangefinder is powered by a CR 2 (Lithium 3V) battery, which should last for about 10,000 measurements.
N/A
Exterior
They are made from a lightweight magnesium and are rubber-armored for durability, shock-resistance and comfort. They are available in a matte black or camouflage finish.
They have a lightweight magnesium construction with a rubber armor that provides durability, shock resistance and a comfortable, secure grip. They are only available in a matte black finish.
They have a magnesium-alloy, rubber-armored body that is lightweight, durable, shock-resistant and comfortable to hold. They are only available in a matte black finish.
Eyecups
They have twist-up eyecups.
They have twist-up (and detachable) eyecups with 4 detents.
They have horn-shaped adjustable and detachable eyecups with detents.
Tripod Adaptable
Yes, they are tripod adaptable.
Yes, they are tripod adaptable.
Yes, they are tripod adaptable.
Accessories
They come with a carrying case, neck strap, microfiber lens cleaning cloth and a harness.
They come with a leather carrying case, a neck strap, an eyepiece cap, protective lens covers and an optics cleaning cloth.
They come with a travel case, an adjustable soft touch neck strap and rubberized objective frames.
ProductReportCard Editors' In-Depth Review
Pros And Cons
Pros
- Crisp and clear viewing quality
- Good quality for the price
- Lightweight
Cons
- Flimsy strap
- Detached lens cover is easy to lose
- Focus dial is stiff
- Eye relief could be better
Key Features
Product Design
Available in a black or camo finish, these binoculars are made with a lightweight magnesium and feature soft touch grips.
Size
Measuring 5.5" x 5" (LxW) and weighing 22.5 oz, these binoculars are portable.
Waterproofing
A pretty standard feature, these binoculars are both waterproof and fog proof.
Added Benefits
Included with these binoculars are a carrying case, strap, microfiber lens cloth, and binocular harness. These binoculars are also tripod adaptable.
Warranty
These binoculars come with a limited lifetime warranty with 100% money back satisfaction guarantee.
Optics
- Magnification: 10x is on the high size and makes these binoculars good for wildlife viewing.
- Objective Lens (mm): 42 mm lens size
- Exit Pupil (mm): 4.2 mm lets in a fair amount of light.
- Eye Relief (mm): 15.2 mm is low, but suitable for most eye types.
- Field of View (ft/1000y): 340 ft is respectable for binoculars this size.
- Close Focusing Distance: 8 ft keeps you close to the action.
- Diopter: A locking diopter helps maintain your settings.
- Interpupillary Range: The small end of the range is 56 mm, which makes them comfortable for most people, with or without glasses.
- Twilight Factor: At 20.49, you can use these binoculars in low light.
- Prisms: These binoculars have a standard roof prism system with BaK-4 glass.
- Lens Elements: These binoculars feature lenses with ED (extra-low dispersion) Prime Glass.
- Coating: These binoculars are fully multi-coated, which is a great feature and common in higher-end binoculars. They also have an Ultra Wide-Band Custom Coating that helps uncover details in low-light conditions and Bushnell's patented RainGuardHD coating that repells water.
Reputation
Bushnell has a reputation for being a cheaper brand of optics, but don't let that keep you from purchasing these binoculars. Bushnell boasts that the Legend Ultra HD 10x42 binoculars are best in class among medium sized optics. In terms of customer feedback online, the reviews I saw were very positive. They received a 4.6/5 on Buzzillions.com (80 reviews), a 4.8/5 on OpticsPlanet.com (53 reviews), a 4.2/5 on Cabelas.com (18 reviews) and a 4.3/5 on Amazon.com (22 reviews). In general, customers felt that the binoculars were a higher quality than their price point, and a great bargain. Outdoor Life Magazine was impressed with the binocular's image quality, design and diopter adjustment but only gave them 3/4 stars because of the low eye relief. Binoculars.com, however, awarded the Legend Ultra HD 10x42 a "Best Buy" rating for best value binoculars.
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