West Midland Bird Club

It's not often a completely new make of binoculars come onto the market; nor that they offer so much, for the price, as these.

What strikes one immediately, when handed a pair, is the comfortable grip. They nest snugly in the hand and it takes no time at all to feel at home using them. They were, apparently, as comfortable in smaller and younger birders' hands, as they were in mine, which are fairly hefty.

The compact size and moderate weight of the bins would make them ideal as a second pair, for carrying in glove-box, handbag or briefcase, though that's not to suggest they're not good enough for use as a main pair.

As a spectacle wearer, I used them with the eye-cups rotated to their low setting, and found them very comfortable in that regard, also. Unlike some bins, the dioptre adjustment on the right eye is firm, and does not come out of position as the eyepieces move against spectacle lenses.

A one-piece rain-guard (or sandwich-guard, as a similar item was once described to me) attaches to the strap, as, oddly, do two separate object-lens caps. While making it hard to loose them, they do flap about in use, making the whole assembly look ungainly and occasionally getting in the way. The binoculars are provided with a soft case, which will keep them clean, but offer no protection in, say, the boot of a moving car - a hard case would be preferable.

Optically, the image is bright and clear, though some friends who used them thought the colours were a little artificial — it's a matter of taste — and all noted a blue cast around the outside of the lenses, under certain conditions. No other aberration or distortion was apparent, and the bins were happy in low light.

Focussing was easy, though rarely required in every day use, as the field of depth was so great. That's handy when looking for a little brown job in a deep tree, not knowing whether it's at the near or far side, but somewhat disconcerting when trying, for instance, to pick out one wader in a flock of many. Once again, though, it's a matter of taste.

Where these bins really score, though, is with their close focus — it's astonishingly close, making them ideal for plants, butterflies and assorted creepy-crawlies. I'm a smidgeon under six feet tall, and I could focus them on my feet — though I'm not sure I'd want to do that too often!

Obviously, bins at this price can't compete with optics costing three times as much from Swarovski, Leica and their ilk, but if you're thinking of spending in this price bracket, or even a little over it, they'd be well worth comparing with their better known competitors.

Futomo binoculars are available exclusively, in the UK, from Monk Optics  (delivery £6.50). Other sizes are available.

Features:

Andy Mabbett
July 2002

Please remember that opinions expressed are those of the individual reviewer, and not necessarily the West Midland Bird Club.