Today is Black Friday and everyone knows the old adage – you get what you pay for. This is especially true of anything that comes with a mirror, such as binoculars. If you want the best binoculars and don’t have the cash, you can save a few hundred bucks Leica 10×42 binos in this Amazon Black Friday deal – actually $629 of them.
We haven’t uploaded our full review yet, but during our time with them, we thought they had amazing sharpness and exceptional light transmission. These have the 19mm eye relief we’ve never seen before, so they’ll be perfect if you wear glasses, although we noticed there’s no tripod adapter, which seems like an odd omission. They offer good views of the stars and nearby planets, but their wide-field views don’t let you see much beyond that.
Because of their price and optical performance, we wouldn’t recommend them as the best binoculars for kids, but we think they’d be pretty high up in our best binoculars buying guide.
There is nothing unusual about this addition Leica 10×42 Noctivid Black Friday deal, the usual suspects – 2 x objective lens caps, one piece eyepiece cover, neck strap and carry case. However, they do come with a Leica Lifetime Warranty, (for the price, we should think so!) for extra peace of mind should something happen to them.
Not only are they beautiful, but they are incredibly functional. We thought they produced bright, vivid scenes with excellent color reproduction, even on cloudy days. They’re not the lightest binoculars we’ve owned (30.4 ounces (862 grams), but they don’t feel heavy, and they’re slim enough to fit in a large jacket pocket. They’re one of the few binoculars with no discoloration (color fringing) or coma around high-contrast objects. We checked where we didn’t look.
For travel-friendly binos, check out our best compact binoculars buying guide. We also have guides on the best rangefinder binoculars and the best night vision binoculars.
Key Specifications: Roof prism design, 10x magnification (8x more available), 42mm objective lens diameter, 6.4-degree field of view, 19mm eye relief, 1.9 lbs / 862g, 4.88 x 6.06 x 2.68-inches (124 x 68mm).
Consensus: These may be our favorite pairs of binoculars. They have excellent sharpness and exceptional light transmission and are absolutely beautiful. But the price may be out of reach for beginners.
Buy if: Money is no object, you want the best.
Don’t buy: You’re on a budget or just want to see deep space stuff.
Alternative Models: If you want some of the best binoculars money can buy, but can’t stretch to a Leica, give it a try Canon 10×42 L IS WP Binoculars – They have image stabilization and use the best glasses we’ve seen. If you’re on a budget, The Celestron TrailSeeker 8×42 A great all-rounder and light enough to travel with. For dedicated astronomers, The Celestron SkyMaster 25×100 High magnification is available for stunningly detailed views of the night sky.
Check out our Black Friday 2023 Deals Page For a roundup of the best discounts and deals Telescopes, Telescopes, Cameras, Star projectors, Drones, Lego More teeth.