Kowa Sporting Optics 8x30mm YF Porro Prism Binoculars (Black)

Picked up a pair of the 8x, looking for waterproof, offhand, porro for birdwatching, camping, some moon-gazing, tripod mountable. The quality of these is great for what you pay. Multiposition eyecups, smooth action focus barrel, very low chromatic edge effects, good depth, sharp image, low glare. Was impressed enough I immediately picked up the 6x. The reduced image shake and increased field pretty much make up for the decreased magnification. These are no fuss, easy to use binoculars, you could hand the 6x to pretty much anybody young or old and they could "make it work". The only gripes are the case is pretty flimsy and the lens covers are almost an afterthought. But plenty of expensive binoculars pooch these too... Tightened the occular covers and jury rigged the objective covers using a hole punch and ty-raps

Lightweight! Wide field of view! Great….I mean…GREAT depth of field! An almost mesmerizing depth of field! Bright views with great clarity and color rendition! Works great with eyeglasses! Let me repeat…works great with eyeglasses! I mean……KOWA-Bunga Dude! I’ve wanted a smaller 6-7x binocular for some time and I recently ordered the Oberwerk 6.5x32 binocular. Great little binocular. BUT…..they just weren’t clicking with my eyeglasses. Since I expect to carry these things whilst hiking/walking I’m not going to concern myself with taking off my glasses like I might when gazing at the night sky. So I sent the Obies back and I ordered the Kowa 6x30’s and I am more than satisfied. I am thrilled with this little optical engineering marvel. These things are almost enchanting. Very Highly Recommended! With one caveat……… The only issue, and it’s not really an issue for me, is that these are not the binoculars you want for viewing things much under 20 feet away. I did a little further research and the close-in focus is listed as 5 meters (16.5 ft). These are not the binoculars for standing close to a bush while observing butterflies. I have some roof prisms that will let me stand 5-7 feet away with a good focus. Getting back to these little Kowa’s……I can confirm that things around 17 feet start looking a little sketchy. But they don’t get blurry. The center image remains while you start seeing the crescent effect on each side of the center image. Frankly, I can keep a clear center image under 10 feet. But the closer you focus the more you need to push together the barrels to offset some of the increasing crescent effect and at some point it is futile. But, to Kowa’s credit, they list the close in focus at 5 meters and I find that to be, more or less, accurate. NOTE: My experience with the “crescenting” was while wearing my eyeglasses. Your mileage may vary. These are marvelous little binoculars that will open a world of wonders to a new user and also delight seasoned users with very enjoyable views. 06/07/25 Note: I enjoy these little bins so much that ordered another pair as a gift for a family member.

These are built well and finished well with great eye relief. They're also lightweight and compact, with wonderful 3D clarity. If you have less than $200 to spend on binoculars, these should be at the top of your list.

This binocular fills a niche: lightweight, good light gathering power, sharp optics, large field of view but most of all: exceptional eye relief for eyeglass wearers. I use this for close range hunting from a tree stand and boating. You can find your moving deer in a dark forest and verify antlers quickly and the relatively low power and high eye relief makes it easier to use from a moving or rocking boat. Even if you don't need prescription lenses, you are likely to be wearing sunglasses when boating. All of my binoculars have to be waterproof. My only gripe is the objective (front) lens caps are not attached in any way, so I just leave them off when in the field. This is a common issue with lower priced binoculars. The strap is lightly padded and for a light binocular, is all that is needed. You can wear these around your neck for hours as I do and not feel like there is a brick hanging off of you. These are very similar to the Leupold Yosemite 6 x 30 which is not offered anymore.

Great product, hands down best bang for your buck out there. Took a while and an LOT of testing other optics and purchases I now regret (and have since given away). I FINALLY have found binoculars my 4year old can easily use.. AND SEE! She now even asks to bring them outside on short walks with the dog, not just hiking. For the price, value, adjustability (little eyes and spacing) and image clarity/true colors.. can’t go wrong. if it breaks or drops I’ll follow up but won’t worry knowing the $ spent.

what's not to like? Small, compact, clear. waterproof. porro prism bino with great clarity and excellent brightness, especially in the 6x version, altho the 8x is great too. For their current market value ~100-120 USD, I don't think these can be beat in terms of viewing experience. They still give a little something up to swavorski, zeiss, leica but it isn't much.

The optics are perfect and the build quality is good. They're lightweight and pretty. They come with great accessories for the price. You will not get better views at this price point, it's unbeatable, even compared to some binoculars that cost 2x-3x. However, you musk keep in mind that the focus wheel is not pleasant to use at all. It has some play, makes a loud friction sound when turning and has a high, uneven resistance when turning. It makes these binoculars feel like a cheap toy. This won't be a problem for most users, but if you plan to use them for birding, this can be specially annoying when making quick or small adjustments to focus.

Good binoculars for everiday carry. Lite and compact with excelent image. High quality optics from Kowa. Can't go wrong with these model. Best bang for your buck. Highly recommended.

These binos are excellent for the price and for what I need them for very happy with the quality and glass.

Nice well made, and and very portable binoculars, had them a while now so they have been well tested, only gripe is the focusing wheel took ages to slacken off, it was very stiff, so hard to focus quickly, bought them in 2022, it's fine now so glad I didn't return them!

Muy buena claridad y poco peso

Excellente petites jumelles pour le prix. Contrastes excellents, vraies couleurs, et calibrage parallèle des 2 objectifs correct.

Nothing to dislike at this price. Good bino.