Carson Binoculars Review

Why buy Carson Binoculars?

Carson have the widest range of binoculars available on the market. They produce binoculars to exceptionally high standards and are completely fool-proof to use. Carson's carefully designed binoculars are more affordable than rivals Carl Zeiss but are no lower in quality. Carson manufactured over five different binocular series’ with the XM models (8 in the series), the YK models (7 in the series), the ‘Full Size’ models or JK series (2 in series), the Zoom models (4 in series) and the Compact models (15 in series). In total Carson have over thirty six models to choose from with a price range from as little as $55.00 to as much as $399.99. Still, even at these prices they are one of the most affordable manufacturers.

Short History of Carson

Carson is a relatively new company started in the mid seventies. The company began by designing ophthalmic equipment for hospitals and doctor’s surgeries, before finding a niche in recreational optical equipment. Today Carson is a name that most of the bird watchers and night hunters know.

Common Features

Carson has developed a range of binoculars that are very different from the other brands available in the binocular market. The XM models share a high definition glass design, a minimum focus range of just over nine feet, quite heavy in weight at around twenty ounces, and rubberized armor coating. The YK models share a design that is ideal for those that wear eye glasses, minimum focus range of sixteen feet, a much heavier weight of around thirty one ounces, and nitrogen purged soft grip handle. The JK models share fully multi-coated optics for a crisper picture, a reasonable twenty two ounce weight and a minimum focus range of six feet. The list goes on, but the most common features are only the BAK-4 prisms and the rubberized handles, showing that Carson binoculars offer a truly diverse range to any potential buyer.

Performance/Ratings

It has to be admitted that binoculars developed by Carson is one of the best among the low priced binoculars. Most customer reviews place at around three and a half stars with only one out of twenty reviews being negative. Few people have a few complaints about Carson binoculars i.e. the zoom makes the picture fuzzy and it is difficult to focus properly. But these binoculars are comparatively low priced than the competitors in the binoculars market

Popular Carson Models

The most popular model is the 8x25 Compact Zoom model retailing at around $65.00 to $94.00. It comes with a long range, rubberized handle and ergonomic fit-to-hand design. The other most popular seems to be the waterproof XM 10x42 with high definition model retailing at nearly $300.00. It is the most reliable of the binoculars and has a four star rating from most internet reviews. In buying a pair of binoculars at a medium price range, the best model to look out for would be the 8.5x42 extra wide field of view binoculars with a wider range than any other Carson binoculars. It is easy to focus as compared to other models and with a three and a half star customer rating, retailing at around $139.99.

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