Leupold Binoculars - Comparing Compact Leupold Binoculars
Outdoors May 10th, 2009When a company like Leupold has a 100 years of experience with manufacturing a wide range of optics like binoculars, range scopes, spotting scopes and more, you can expect them to have a solid lifetime warranty on all of their products. Their engineers have refined optical components and purged the interior with nitrogen to ensure the highest quality lenses available.
Leupold Compact binoculars are favorites of mine. Because I use binoculars for field explorations and work I want something lightweight, durable and compact and easy to pack. The Olympic Compact Dual Hinge Series is one I consider worth looking at. It folds really small for packing. These compact binoculars weigh less than 15 ounces.
For practical reasons, I need to compare these with Leupold’s Katmai Compact binoculars. These have full-size features yet only weigh 18.9 ounces and are only 4.1 inches long. Like the Olympic series they have fully coated lenses. This is essential for good light transmission and contrast as well as clarity. Both types are waterproof and have rugged casing. I recently learned that all Leupold binoculars are fog-proof and waterproof. The engineers have ensured that all of them are purged with nitrogen to provide the highest quality in optical preparation.
Both the Katmai and the Olympic Compact Dual Hinge Series come with in black casings. An added feature for the Olympic series is the optional mossy oak tree camo colored casing. You will need to choose between 8×25 or 10×25 with the Olympic series. Both of these sizes fit my compact criteria. My preference is 8X25 because it is easier for me to scan the field at that magnification than it is at 10×25.
It is hard to beat the ease of using the abundant information that Leupold has for its products. They are generous with information and specs. I found it very easy to compare binoculars online before purchasing.
Leupold’s Katmai binoculars are awesome for me. They fit perfectly for my small hands. They have full-size components and a much wider range of possible applications. Both the Olympic and the Katmai binoculars have an interpupillary distance that is almost identical, ranging from about 60-70 mm. Both binoculars give good eye relief for long periods of use. The Katmai has an exit pupil that is less than 1 mm. larger.
Another characteristic that distinguishes these two Leupold binocular series is how close they focus. At 4 feet away the Katmai binoculars are still giving you good focus. But the Olympic close range focus stops at about 8 feet. Most often I would not find that a problem. Rarely do I need to see a bird closer than 4 feet anyhow! Butterflies are another story.
Nonetheless the Katmai has full size eye cups which are good for people who wear glasses, which I do. That could be the primary point that makes me swing toward these gems for my new birdwatching binoculars. The Katmai Compact Binoculars are available in 6×32, 8×32 or 10×32 magnification. My preference is 8×32. They are comfortable in my hands and sturdy enough to be my primary binoculars. It is not possible to go wrong with Leupold binoculars.
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