Opticron HR WP 8x42 Binoculars 30090

Opticron HR WP 8x42 Binoculars 30090

The porro prism binocular has recently been set aside in favor of more compact roof prism designs, so it was puzzling to see a brand new porro in the Opticron family.  

A little background is in order.  Porro prism designs, which are the type that have offset eyepieces and objective lenses, are the form factor that just about everybody thinks of when they hear the term "binocular."  They are generally easier and cheaper to produce, which is why you see many porro prism binoculars available at very low consumer prices.  Look on any store shelf and you'll see the exact same binocular design repackaged by several different manufacturers.  

But what Opticron has managed to do with the HR WP 8x42 goes far beyond your typical porro prism binocular.  This isn't another mass produced porro for big-box customers, it's a serious Japanese manufactured binocular that does not fail to impress.

First of all, the HR WP 8x42 is one of the only closed-focus porro binoculars currently available.  Most (all other) porro designs have an open focusing system, which means they are susceptible to water damage, even if they are advertised as waterproof - you can't adequately protect from moisture damage if the focusing system is exposed.  This design, however, encloses the entire focusing system in the polycarbonate/magnesium/aluminum/rubber armored body of the binocular, shielding it from any possible water damage.  

Another huge plus on the HR WP 8x42 is the ergonomics.  They don't look like a traditional porro beyond the offset objectives, and in fact it has a much more modern, sleek look.  It's immediately apparent that Opticron put a lot of thought into how this binocular feels. The sides of the body are so well contoured that that they sit in the palm of your hands, making them very comfortable.  This is not an exaggeration, this is quite possibly the most comfortable pair of binoculars we currently carry.  The weight is advertised as 25.2 ounces, and a quick check on our scale shows that to be 100% accurate.  However, the ergonomics make the binocular feel lighter, if that makes any sense.

The focus and diopter adjustment are both on the center focusing wheel, which takes about two full turns to go from a close focus of 9.8 feet to infinity.  A little slower than we'd like, but the good news is that the depth of field is so wide that it almost completely makes up for it.  At any point in the focusing range, it usually takes less than one full turn to zero in on an object, the extremes being the exception.  

We were very pleased with the view.  The HR WP 8x42 maintains a very flat field of view, true to life color, and some excellent control of chromatic aberration.  The sharpness is also very good, and the offset objectives make the view appear more "three dimensional" than comparable roof prism binoculars.  Overall, the optics in the HR WP put them at the top of our list of performance exceeding expectations.

But there are a few downsides, of course.  While the eye cups do offer adequate eye relief for those who wear glasses, the twist-up eye cups are only two position, fully retracted and fully extended.  This did not present any problems when using them, but some users may be looking for an in-between setting.  

Another problem (more of a preference than anything) is the 6.4 degree field of view.  We tend to look for a FOV of 7 degrees or above.  The good news here is that given the overall ergonomics and performance, we can look past this and be happy with them.  

Final verdict: Yet another excellent Opticron model that exceeds expectations and more than makes up for imperfections.  If you are looking for a full size porro binocular, the Opticron HR WP 8x42 should be #1 on your list, without question.  We will stand behind this binocular 100%.

The HR WP 8x42 includes a leather carrying case, eye cups, rainguard, and cleaning cloth.

In a market segment dominated by the compact roof prism binocular, the Opticron HR WP re-thinks, re-works, and re-packages the porro prism binocular for today's more demanding user.

Designed for both the enthusiast and those seeking the very highest optical resolution for their money, the Opticron HR WP binocular successfully combines the innate qualities of both traditional porro prism and modern roof prism formats into a single multi-purpose, user friendly, high performance field glass.

Available in 8x42 and 10x42, each optical system uses the enlarged 'B' porro prism format in combination with internal focusing and long focal length long eyerelief eyepieces. Component glass materials are of a very high quality and all air-to-glass surfaces are fully multi-coated to minimize light loss within the system.

To keep weight at a minimum while maintaining rigidity, the chassis is built using a mix of aluminum, magnesium and plastics. Hermetically sealed, each instrument is fully nitrogen waterproof to a depth of 10ft and is covered by a 20 year Premiere Plus Warranty.

The bold and innovative design is finished in a smooth natural rubber covering with a high contact surface pattern for extra grip. The models also feature Opticron house-style focusing wheel covering, twist type retractable eyecups and left side diopter adjustment situated on the center focus wheel.

For truly high resolution optics in a modern form, look no further than the HR WP.

HR WP binoculars are supplied complete in soft case with 31025 rainguard, wide nylon neckstrap and objective lens caps. 

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