Opticron Oregon 4 PC 10x50 Binoculars 30668

Opticron Oregon 4 PC 10x50 Binocular Review

The Opticron Oregon 4 PC 10x50 is the largest and most powerful available in the Oregon 4 family.  Features include a polycarbonate body wrapped in some thick and durable rubber armor, 6.7x5.1 inch frame, and a weight just under 30 ounces.  Like the rest of the Oregon 4 binoculars, the 10x50 is waterproof, fogproof, and has fully multi-coated optics.

We have been very impressed by all models in the Oregon 4 lineup, predominately because of the build quality.  It's rare to see a binocular so well built for under $200.  Tolerances on all moving parts are very precise, and we were surprised to find out that these binoculars originate in China.  Opticron has done an excellent job of quality control.  The center hinge is very tight, yet very smooth.

Starting at the top of the binocular, we have a set of two position twist-up eye cups.  Why two position instead of three or four?  We have no idea, but the good news is that the fully extended position provides perfect eye relief for either handheld or tripod-mounted observation.  The diopter adjustment is the standard right eye dial type found under the right eye cup, and features a small raised section that does an excellent job of assisting with fine adjustment.  

The focus adjustment is a little tighter than the 8x32 and 8x42 models, and it takes a long time to go from the close focus distance of 8.2 feet to infinity - over two full turns, to be exact.  So the focus is a little slow for our tastes, but it doesn't pose any functional problems during viewing.  We're pretty vocal about our personal focus preferences - as close to one turn as possible.  It's just a matter of preference.

We had the opportunity to spend some time with the Opticron Oregon 4 PC 10x50 during some backyard birding, so we got a pretty good feel for these binoculars.  We noticed a woodpecker in a nearby tree and decided to mount the 10x50s to a tripod and see just how they performed.  

At almost two pounds, these binoculars can get heavy in a short amount of time, so the tripod thread is something we consider an essential.  We mounted the Oregon 4 10x50s on our tripod using a Celestron binocular tripod adapter, which is the slimmest profile adapter we have in stock.  This is where we ran into some frustrations.  Once we actually got the tripod thread cap off, we noticed that it was difficult to screw the tripod adapter into the thread due to the size of the objectives and the lack of available space between them.  We did get it, but it took longer than usual.  We found that it was slightly easier once we closed the hinge to the minimal IPD and tightened a bit at a time.

Once we got everything assembled and on the tripod, we focused on our woodpecker at a distance of about 100 feet.  The 22mm of eye relief offered by the Oregon 4 10x50 made tripod-mounted viewing a breeze.  Conditions were pretty bright and we were easily able to identify the bird as a downy woodpecker, then spent a few minutes following it between brances.  

Two things stood out: brightness and resolution.  Granted, it was mid-day with intermittent sunlight, but we are comfortable saying that these large 50mm objectives are some pretty effective light-buckets.  The amount of detail we were able to discern was phoneomenal.  Excellent clarity all around.  Little to no field curvature.  Color bias is very true to real-life, with maybe a slight edge towards "warm."  Identification was no problem whatsoever, and we were able to spot the texture of the woodpecker's feathers.  There is some noticeable chromatic aberration, but no more than expected from a binocular on this level.  In fact, we've seen 8x50 binoculars with a much higher price tag exhibit considerably more CA than this 10x50, so we think it does a pretty good job of controlling it.

So what's the final word?  Excellent.  No binocular is perfect, and you are going to have to make some compromises when you are looking for a 10x50 roof prism binocular.  But in exchange for those compromises, you're also getting some extremely impressive optical performance and excellent build quality - for under $200.  

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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