This article was taken from the April 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Wired decamps to the great outdoors to test the best binoculars.
How we tested
Wired took five pairs of binoculars to the countryside, where they were tested for accuracy and ease of use. We then tested them on a Snellen chart, used by eye-care professionals, to log performance away from the driving rain.
Leica Ultravid 10x42 BL (above)
The hermetically sealed Ultravids are watertight to a depth of five metres and nitrogen-filled to ensure they don't fog up.
Despite being one of the lightest binoculars on test, their aluminium and magnesium body feels sturdy and looks great. An easy-to-use wheel makes focusing fast and precise, and adjusting the centrally mounted diopter to suit our tester's eyes is also quick and simple.
8/10
Wired: Handsome casing
Tired: Premium price tag
£1,199, leica-camera.co.uk
Nikon Monarch 12x42DCF
Nikon's field glasses have a powerful 12x magnification but no image stabiliser, which leads to difficulties locking on to distant objects in windy conditions. Its small dial makes it tricky to adjust, and our tester found it hard to find a focal point without missing it -- a problem that happened again when we used the Snellen-board sight test. But the small size, simple layout and light weight makes the Nikon a practical choice for campers.
6/10
Wired: Compact size and weight
Tired: Shake issues; expensive
£362, nikon.com
Olympus 12x50 EXPS I
A non-slip rubberised shell offers enough protection for the EXPS I's lenses to survive general knocks and drops. Focusing is intuitive and fast, though the diopter is difficult to reach and stiffens when the eyepieces are extended for use with spectacles.
The excellent overall visual clarity is hampered by stability issues -- a high (x12) level of magnification needs elbows or a tripod for a steady view.
7/10
Wired: Budget price
Tired: Shaky; stiff
£255, olympus.co.uk
Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars
More a camcorder with a huge zoom than a pair of binoculars, the DEV-5 has 10x optical magnification -- boosted to 20x in digital mode. However, picture quality becomes grainy at its upper limit.
Autofocus is a welcome option; minimum focus is a minuscule 1cm.
Image stability, however, is not very impressive for an expensive piece of kit, and they weigh in at a hefty 1.2kg.
7/10
Wired: 2D/3D modes
Tired: Weight; cost
£2,049, sony.co.uk
Canon 10x42L IS WP
The Canon's image stabiliser is excellent; hold a button on top of the unit and internal gyroscopes sense moment and smooth any jitters from the user's hand. Microprocessors control the refraction angle of incoming light, making images vivid and colour levels high. On the down side, its bulk makes it a cumbersome partner on a long trek, and adjusting it is rather complicated.
9/10
Wired: Excellent stabilisation
Tired: Weighty; tricky to adjust
£1,949, canon.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
