Opticron Countryman BGA HD 8x42 Binoculars

Opticron Countryman BGA HD 8x42 Binocular Review

The Opticron Countryman BGA HD 8x42 binoculars are Opticron's mid-priced HD full-size binocular representative.  It's pretty basic by the looks of it, built from polycarbonate wrapped in some pretty solid rubber armor.  It's a solid 24.1 ounces, a little over 5x5 inches with the eye cups retracted, and feels like a well built piece of optical equipment.

Like most Opticron models, the Countryman BGA HD 8x42 doesn't show off.  There's not a lot of flair to the body, being a single hinge design, but it does have some interesting armoring.  The first inch or so of the rubber armoring surrounding the objective lenses is a slightly flatter color than the armor over the rest of the body.  This doesn't appear to be functional, more stylistic than anything.  But closing the body hinge reveals the seam between the polycarbonate body and the armor, and we can see that the armor is almost a full 3mm in thickness.  A lot of models we've seen have only the most superficial rubber armoring, so we assume that this thicker armor goes a long way towards protecting the body and internals.  

The eye cups on the Countryman BGA HD 8x42 binoculars are four position twist-up cups, and exhibit the same tolerances we've come to expect on the twist-up cups on most other Opticron models.  Just the right amount of tightness, without being too tight, yet loose enough to adjust without much effort.  The two middle positions don't lock as securely as the fully extended and fully retracted positions, but they do stay in place once adjusted.  The fully extended position makes it easy to achieve just the right amount of eye relief.  

The diopter adjustment on the Opticron Countryman BGA HD 8x42 is not the right-side dial that you're likely to find on comparable models.  Instead, this model features the center focus push/pull diopter adjustment that seems to be gaining popularity in higher-end models.  Once you pull the dial out, it's possible to adjust left eye focus (using the focus knob) and right eye focus (using the diopter adjustment) independently of one-another with one or two fingers.  This is a cool feature, and it makes it easier to find that perfect combination.  Once adjusted, it's easy to pop the dial back into place with the index finger, locking the right eye adjustment to the left.  

But we do have a complaint.  Like some of the higher-end Opticron models, the focus knob goes two full revolutions between close focus (7.5 feet) and infinity.  We tend to prefer a faster focus closer to one full revolution.  But that's personal preference, some people prefer a slower focus because they tend to overshoot focusing on a target.  So it's a wash.

The tripod adapter at the front of the body hinge is expected, but the cap over the thread is a little bit difficult to remove due to it being slightly recessed into the hinge.  

Optically, the Countryman BGA HD 8x42 is a solid performer.  Excellent edge-to-edge clarity and excellent resolution.  The HD glass does perform.  There's also little to no field curvature, and the picture is super bright.  The 7 degree field of view is equal to that of the higher priced DBA oasis, and the clarity is just as good (in our opinion).  But, the downside is that there is quite a bit of chromatic aberration, even with objects that don't have a heavy contrast with their backgrounds.  

The CA is the biggest weakness we can find with these binoculars, but then again we are very mindful of it (and make it a point to look for it on every binocular we come across).  So while it may jump out at us, that may not be true for everybody.  

The Opticron Countryman BGA HD 8x42 binocular includes soft case, rainguard, neck strap, rubber objective lens covers, and Opticron's 20 year Premiere Plus warranty.

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