I really like my Hawke Endurance ED 8x32 binoculars. The clarity, sharpness and brightness are excellent for this price range. I found them to be superior to Vortex's Diamondback 8x32, and to the Bushnell's Legend HD monocular. And important for me, the eye relief is greater so they work very well with my glasses. It really is nice not to have to remove my glasses if I need to quickly grab them and look.
I bought these for hiking. They aren't as small and light as I'd ideally like, but compared to full-size 8x40 binos, they are indeed compact. Most of all, I was impressed by the optics. I had already spent some time looking through a Vortex Diamondback 8x32, and these were superior.
There are 8x28 binos that are much more compact. But I've never found any 8x28 in this price range that have optics that come close, and forget about using them with glasses. The eye relief on 'pocket' size binos just isn't generous enough. In fact, I have a pair of Alpine 10x28 binos. They are light and very compact but the optics are much inferior to the Hawke's, and nope, I can't use them with glasses. It was so pointless that I stopped putting them in my pack. The whole point of optics is the optics.
But I thought I might get similar optics to the Hawke but in a smaller size with the Bushnell Legend monocular. So I bought the Bushnell Legend monocular.
I was wrong. The Hawke was noticeably better. And the size was not much larger. The Hawke, folded, without its case, was less bulky and a better shape (flatter) for my pack than the Bushnell Legend monocular in its case. So I returned the Bushnell Legend and kept the Hawke. With the Hawke's rubber armor, waterproof/fogproof construction and the tight-fitting low profile objective lens caps, I am not worried about damage in my pack.
It's a dog-eat-dog world in my pack. The quality of the optics really earned these binoculars their place in my pack. I decided if I want to cut weight or bulk then I will ditch other gear that gives me less enjoyment and utility.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 8.35 x 6.97 x 3.15 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 1.3 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 5.6 x 4.9 x 2.5 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.65 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | Hawke |
| Model Name | 36204 |
| Color | Black |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Hawke |
| Part Number | 36204 |
| Model Year | 2017 |
| Included Components | item |
| Size | 8x42 |
| Sport Type | Hunting |
