Opticron 30452 Discovery WP PC 8x32 Binocular, Black

The first thing that struck me when I took these out of the box was the quality...they feel very substantial with a magnesium housing which incidentally Opticron do not use on some of their more premium “made in Japan” binoculars.. the build quality on this discovery model is very good. The eye cups move up and down smoothly & firmly and eye relief is a generous 22 mm which means if you use these wearing spectacles & sunglasses you will get the full field of view... the right side diopter adjustment works very well & has incremental firm clicks which means once you have set this to suit your eyes you won’t have any worry of accidentally moving it because it sits rigidly in place. The central hinge is nice and firm and the focus wheel is smooth in operation. Optically i can’t fault this binocular, they deliver a tack sharp high contrast image and resolution is superb when compared to similar priced offerings from the likes of vortex, vanguard & Bushnell… field of view is 7.5 with hardly any edge distortion & is pretty decent for tracking birds in flight, 8.1 would have been better but you can’t have everything.. close focus is the best iv seen on any binocular.. it’s 1.5 metres which makes this instrument very good for insect observation. Before i purchased this discovery my primary binoculars were the “old fashioned “ porro prism design which give lovely stereoscopic 3D views but don’t have the close focus, portability and ruggedness a roof prism can offer out in the field. This Opticron has changed my mind about roof prism binoculars, it’s an exceptional bit of kit for under £200, incidentally i picked these up on a warehouse deal and there is nothing wrong with it, most binoculars on warehouse deals have issues with them...just give these a go because i very much doubt for the money you will find better....highly recommended! NB* I recently tested & compared this discovery 8x42 with the opticron imagic BGA SE 8x42 which was discontinued in 2013 but was listed at the time on the opticron website at £439 and made in Japan…after an extensive & thorough comparison i actually preferred the discovery…optically it was able to resolve detail better than the imagic plus the slightly wider field of view (7.5 vs 7 ) all contributed to a much more satisfying view! I have also recently compared this 8x42 discovery with the latest opticron verano BGA VHD 8x42 ( made in Japan and has an RRP of £429.. with almost identical specifications as the discovery) and again in a thorough field test optically i still preferred this excellent discovery, build quality is better with the magnesium housing compared to the polycarbonate Verano and in terms of contrast and resolution I couldn’t see any improvement…returned the verano and kept this discovery… please note opticron have now sadly discontinued this discovery 8x42 model, it’s demise was confirmed in October 2023. Get it while you can!!

Bought the Opticron Discovery WP PC 8x32 for my girlfriend to enjoy wildlife watching with me. What a fantastic pair of binoculars. They are small and unobtrusive and sit very well in the hand. They are half the weight of your average binocular, so are very easy to hold steady when using and not weighty or prone to giving you neck ache when sat around your neck for long periods of time. The focus wheel is smooth and seemless and the eyecups are well designed, able to rotate in or out depending on whether you're a glasses wearer, and staying in position. Optically, they are excellent, unbeatable at the sub £150 price range, and I've used considerably more expensive pairs too that are no better optically than these.Overall then, at around £150, unbeatable value for money, super to use because small and lightweight, optically excellent. Why get sucked in, like so many people these days, of spending over £1500 pounds for the top makes (Swaro, Leica, Zeiss), just for trend and status? If you don't need these very top ranges, and there are many out there with them that don't!, then for a tenth of the cost, make this model top of your list for consideration, you won't be disappointed. (Alex Carlisle, 40 years experience of bird and wildlife watching)

I bought these binoculars for bird and wildlife watching. My first thought was to get higher spec 8x42 binoculars to produce high quality bright images and have a robust magnesium alloy body. However I realised that the weight and size of the higher spec binoculars would have meant that you would be less likely to take them out and use them.These binoculars have a ‘plastic’ casing making them about a half to one third lighter than my initial choices. Despite this the casing feels very robust - time will tell if I’m right. The smaller objective lenses allow a more a more compact binocular and these are one of the most compact 8x32 binoculars. In theory this allows less light in and so less bright image. I have been testing the binoculars today, on a dull late autumn day. I have to say I am very happy to say these binoculars, produce a nice bright clear image, with no discernible defects like fringing.Pros:Compact and light, very portable.Good bright high quality image.Feel like quality construction.Easy and firm focusing and diopter adjustment.Easy to adjust to use with glasses.Anti fog, with sealed in Nitrogen.Wide field of view.Good value.ConsNot really any.I would have liked higher spec optics, but for most uses I don’t think it will make a diffence.In summary I have very portable binoculars with little or no compromise in Image. I’m very pleased.

I bought these for my daughter as I already had a pair that I use daily. I did a reasonable amount of research as I was looking for a pair of small, light, high performance binoculars at a reasonable price - presently I don't think that there is a better model on the market that combines those criteria in a single package. They deliver a clear, crisp image, are relatively robust and fit into a coat pocket or the side pocket of a car so that you can always have them to hand. If you are travelling they take up very little space and are good enough to allow for serious bird or other wildlife watching. They are very light so there is very little 'shake' and the close focus (just over 1m) makes them ideal for identifying butterflies, dragonflies or other invertebrates if you can get that close to them (and saves you having to bend over too far if you have bad back!). Overall a terrific and highly affordable piece of kit.

Very good.Great value for money