Opticron Oregon 4 PC 8x32 Binoculars 30665

Opticron Oregon 4 PC 8x32 Binocular Review

The Opticron Oregon 4 PC binocular lineup is quickly becoming one of our favorites from Opticron.  The Oregon 4 8x32 is the smallest model available in the Oregon 4 family, weighing just over 1 pound (17.5 ounces) in a 4.3x4.6 inch body.  In this litlte package, you get fully waterproofing, fogproofing, a polymer body coated in 2mm thick rubber armor, and an excellent wide field of view.

Our introduction to the Oregon 4 started with the Opticron Oregon 4 8x42 binocular, which is the full-size big brother to the 8x32 model. The similarities are immediately apparent.  The body design is identical, and build quality is superb at this price.  The rubber armor goes from smooth on top to slightly textured on the sides for just a bit of added grip.  Diopter adjustment and focus knob are smooth, precise, and just tight enough to stay where adjusted, without any grinding or excess force required.  The body is a single bridge type, with an interpupillary range of 58-74mm, and a tight hinge (yet very smooth and easy to adjust).  Hidden behind the cap on the front of the hinge is the obligatory tripod adapter thread.

The eye cups on the Oregon 4 8x42 are three position twist-up style cups, and they do lock firmly into each position.  They appear to be the same style rubber as the armor.  The cups are comfortable, but we had a minor issue with eye relief.  When fully extended, the view is good when looking straight forward, but we noticed some vignetting when looking to the side of the sight picture.  We believe that a fourth position would be useful, or at least another millimeter or so of eye releif in the fully extended position.  

But this issue is minor when compared to the advantages.  First of all, the focus knob on the Oregon 4 8x42 takes a little over 1.5 turns to go from a close focus of 5.9 feet to infinity, making this model a little faster focus than some other Opticron models we've tested recently.  We are a fan of fast focus, and find that one full revolution from close focus to infinity is usually ideal.  That being said, we are very happy with the focus on this model.  

In addition, the clarity and sharpness of the image seen through these binoculars is stunning when you consider the fact that this is non-ED glass.  There is some minimal chromatic aberration, but it's not noticeably more than we've seen on comparable 8x32 models, and in fact it may even be a little better.  It's also very well controlled when viewing bright objects on dark backgrounds (and vice-versa).  Color is very true to life, but after some careful observation, we did notice a very slight edge toward the warm side of the spectrum.

The field of view on the Opticron Oregon 4 8x32 is extremely wide, 423 feet at 1000 yards (8 degrees), and truth be told, that is a huge factor in why we like these binoculars so much.  In our eyes, a wider field of view is more comfortable for extended viewing, and when you combine that with the excellent value and the obvious optical performance, it's very hard to disagree with the price.  

The Opticron Oregon 4 PC comes with a rain guard, soft case, neck strap, and Opticron's five year protection plan.  

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