Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsOverpriced, not as good an image as expected
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2020
I wanted a decent optic I could take when I backpack, but size and weight matter. I already have a 10x28 economy pair of binoculars. They're very compact and light. But the optics leave much to be desired. So I bought this Bushnell Legend Ultra HD monocular hoping it would be my new backpacking optic.
One reviewer said this Bushnell Legend Ultra HD monocular was overpriced. I agree.
For the money, the image quality wasn't as quite as good as I was expecting. Nor was the image as bright as I expected. Not that the image quality or brightness were lousy; but I expected better for the money.
See, I had also purchased a pair of Hawke Endurance 8 x 32 binoculars, also from Amazon, for $20 less, and I was able to compare them side-by-side while I hiked in Colorado in bright full sunny conditions, in overcast drizzly rain conditions, and early and late in low light. I found the Hawke binos to be better in image clarity, brightness and sharpness in all conditions, doing markedly better in the gray low-contrast light of overcast or light rain.
I was surprised because I thought the larger objective lens of the Bushnell Legend would provide a much brighter image (42mm vs 32mm). It didn't.
I then thought perhaps the greater brightness of the Hawke binos might be because it has two 32mm objective lens (twice the light gathering ability). So I just looked though just one barrel of the Hawke binos. And still, I judged the Hawke better.
If I could saw apart the Hawke binos I'd have a monocular with better optics and far more compact than the Bushnell Legend, -- and I'd have 2 of them. So I don't see the price of the Bushnell Legend is justified.
As for 10x magnification of the Bushnell Legend vs the 8x of the Hawke binos, I found in practical terms for me there's not a whole lot of difference. Yes 10x is more magnification but not enough to really see significantly more detail across a mountain valley. What I can see with the 10x I can see with the 8x. And I found the 8x magnification to be much better at picking up moving animals, especially birds. Steadier image, too, when free-handing. I also prefer the wider field of view of the 8x, and found it much better when trying to make sense of a terrain when looking for possible routes up a canyon wall.
For me, the 8x is best all around, and I'd really want a minimum 15x spotting scope on a monopod, not a 10x monocular free-handed, for when I really wanted see details across a mountain valley.
One of the reasons I bought the Bushnell Legend monocular was because I was looking for something with a more compact size and lighter weight than a binocular. And even this size thing turned out to be not as good as I hoped. The Bushnell is in fact a bit more compact and lighter than the Hawke Endurance 8x32 binos. But not by much. In fact the Bushnell Legend is a bit of a chunk for a monocular. And the case makes it even bulkier.
What I found was the Hawke Endurance binos beat the Bushnell Legend mono in optics, and the Hawke binos when folded without its case took up less room and was flatter than the Bushnell Legend monocular with its case. So I returned the Bushnell Legend. My Hawke binos are rubber-armored, waterproof and have low profile snug-fitting lens caps, plenty durable and protected as is, so I simply hike with them in my pack sans their case.
