Nikon Aculon T11 8-24x25 Zoom Binoculars 8 to 24x 25 mm Front Lens Diameter

First impressions were not good. These binoculars are very lightweight and the casing is made of plastic. Frankly, they look and feel cheap. In fact, they almost look and feel like one of those "hybrid" binoculars i.e. half way between a toy and a real pair of binoculars - of the kind that you can buy for kids at science museum shops and the like. They are not waterproof (although in fairness they don't claim to be) and they certainly don't appear to be robust. I wouldn't want to use these binoculars if there was any risk of even fine rain or drizzle; I certainly wouldn't put then down on wet grass; and I'd be wary of dropping them any distance onto a hard surface or knocking them with any force. If you want a pair of binoculars for nature watching then I don't think they're ideal. I would also add that the focussing dial / ring is quite far forward on these binoculars and it's location is not, therefore, intuitive: it takes some getting used to. Furthermore, when using the zoom a degree of re-focussing is necessary, although I don't find this, in itself, problematic.In terms of optical performance, however, these binoculars are, surprisingly for compact zoom binoculars, remarkably good and it's primarily for this reason that I've given them 5 stars. The image at 8 x magnification is sharp and clear. The image holds up pretty well at 12 x magnification and even at 16 x magnification it's not bad. At 24 x magnification the image is a little grainy and there's admittedly a discernable loss of clarity - but the quality of the image is still extremely impressive for 25 mm compact binoculars. Hand movements are, of course, also noticeably magnified at this high magnification level and that's only to be expected. Nevertheless, it's still possible to use these binoculars at 24 x magnification and especially so if you're able to rest your elbows on a hard surface. In short, these binoculars are great fun to use. I think they're especially suited to viewing city vistas, harbours, and the like. They are, undoubtedly, at their best on clear bright days with the sun behind you. But even in overcast conditions I find the image quality impressive. If you're looking for a pair of binoculars primarily for outdoor nature watching then personally I think you would be better off spending your money on a pair of semi-compact binoculars with a fixed magnification that are robust and waterproof - the Celestron 8x42 Nature DX binoculars come to mind as a prime example. However, as second pair of binoculars for very general use in good dry weather conditions these are, quite simply, great fun to use. I've built up a collection of binoculars over the past 47 years or so but I have to admit that if these Nikon 8x24x25 binoculars were waterproof and rubber armoured then I'd probably end up (rather guiltily) packing just them for many of my excursions.

Not great but pretty good quality. Zoom out, focus with middle wheel then zoom in.Needs a steady hand or lean on a fence at high magnification - no placr for tripod mount.Nice and lightweight compared to most - ideal for taking on holiday.

Excellent binoculars. The continuously variable zoom range goes from 8 to 24 and easily adjusted while looking through the binoculars.As you increase the zoom, the image brightness does indeed reduce (as must be expected - laws of optics) but the brightness even at full magnification is acceptable in daylight. Before purchasing these I was trying to decide between fixed magnification and zoom binoculars, the zoom was an attractive feature but many reviews say that compromises in optics and the inherent limitations of high magnification (reduced brightness, restricted field of view, and image shake) make them less useful. In practice I have found these binoculars to be the perfect compromise. I would say they are at their best at 12x magnification giving a bright image and an easy to use field of view.When you do adjust the zoom you twill find you do need to refocus slightly but since zoom and focus are located conveniently this is not hard to do whilst still looking through them. In fact after a period of use adjusting them becomes quite natural.Most of the non optical parts in these binoculars are plastic and not metal. I know this because the first pair of these that I bought as a present got chewed to pieces by my new dog. We purchased a second pair! Plastic may be less durable but you it is also lighter. Those binoculars are much lighter that a convention old fashioned full size set.At full magnification you will find image shake becomes very noticeable and you may want to rest them against a fixed surface to steady yourself.Overall I rate these binoculars very highly and would recommend them for daytime and theatre use.

I was looking to upgrade my Olympus x8 binoculars to something compact but more powerful. Like many other reviewers I was initially reluctant to purchase binoculars with a zoom facility. However having used them for extended periods whilst on holiday viewing wildlife/birds I'm very glad I did. They are very easy to use once you have mastered moving between the zoom ranges and adjusting the focus. This is simple as the two adjusting controls are very close together and can be adjusted very quickly when viewing a subject. Yes at above x12 it's difficult to keep it 'steady' however resting your elbows or leaning against something does help. This would be one criticism - it hasn't got the facility to connect to a tripod - pity. The construction is solid and feels robust, it comes with a neck strap and case. It's compact in size making it ideal for traveling on holiday. I'm very pleased with me purchase, by the way I love the colour, much better than your dull black or grey !!!