BARSKA X-Trail 15x70 Binocular w/ Tripod Adapter & Tripod , Black

I was in the market for a good quality pair of binoculars, and after comparing reviews of multiple pairs on multiple sites, I settled on these. The magnification is very good, easily able to distinguish individual needles on a pine tree at around 80 yards. I had thought, because of the price, the included tripod would be fairly cheaply made out of plastic, but it is made out of metal and pretty durable. I have seen several reviews about people complaining about the weight, but these are high powered binoculars, they're going to be heavy, but really they aren't that bad.They may not be the best set out there, but I find no reason not to recommend these to any bird watcher, hunter, sky watcher, or anyone who wants a good pair of binoculars.

Overall, a very good binocular. It is pretty much what I expected in terms of finish, clarity and weight. The company's description is pretty accurate.My main use will be glassing from close proximity to a vehicle; I do not intend to pack it very far. So, the weight is not too much of an issue to me, heavier even, has an advantage in keeping the sight picture from shaking too much.For those trying to pack this unit anywhere, or even in rougher vehicle transport, the case is minimal. Not really a complaint as the marketing literature promised no more. Just a note for those budget minded hikers or bikers that want to take powerfull glass with them: Double wrap or find a better form of protection for it.An improvement from my perspective would be twofold. First, find a way to attach the tripod adapter without having to remove a screw on cover cap. I have no doubt that I will eventually lose this cover cap over time (knowing myself as I do). Second, the included tripod is cute and small, to the point of being of questionable value for my porposes. A window adapter would be much more useable. Otherwise, a full sized tripod would probably be OK for most.The last issue I have is related to all above. The carring case has no accomadation for the tripod adapter or tripod. So again, knowing me as I know myself, I wouldn't be too surprised to find one or both of these accessories missing at some point.Final recommendation is pending some prolonged field time. Isn't that the real test with binoculars? A few hours looking through them will really decide their value to me.

I've only had these for a few hours, but know quite a bit about optics. I've seen the bad reviews discussing collimation being out of alignment. I guess I got lucky as mine work perfectly.The Good:The clarity of the focus, once you get both eyes dialed in, is quite excellent; very clear and sharp focus. The closest you can focus is on objects at about 30 (+/-) feet away. From there and beyond the focus is quite good, but I've not yet tested infinity focus. I work in a fire lookout tower and will be able to test their distance focus tomorrow (will update review if things change).* The 15X magnification is spectacular, but anything above 12x becomes difficult to hand-hold steadily when viewing distant objects. The trick is to rest the top of the eyepieces against your brow, using both your head and hands to stabilize the image. If you're using them for astronomy, a tripod is an absolute necessity. Also, if you plan on holding them up for long periods of time, your arms will undoubtedly get tired (see next paragraph).The Bad:* They are heavy, which is to be expected with two 70mm objective lenses. But the strap that comes with them might as well be a shoestring. It would be unbearable to wear these around your neck for any length of time using the included strap, without severing your jugular :). I stole the wide/padded strap from my Nikon DSLR - problem solved.* The two front lens covers, protecting the objective lenses fit perfectly snug, but they also come with a single, oblong shaped cover that goes over both of the eyepiece lenses (one cover - two lenses). This cover is garbage and difficult to use without stretching either the cover itself, or deforming the eyepiece rubber (or both). I wear glasses and always fold my eyepiece rubber back, over which the oblong cover still fits oddly - but it's usable.* The nylon case just barely fits around the binoculars - especially the objective lenses. It takes a bit of work to wiggle them into the case - but they will eventually make it in. I would not call this a protective case - more of a carrying case, as it would not protect the binoculars against drops and knocks. But, at least the binoculars won't get scratched as they slam into the floor. The case does have a strap on it to make carrying them easier.

I've found these very surprising. Didn't know what to expect. Haven't bought any in years. They are large, long and very powerful. They are for long views. At 50 to 100 meters they are so powerful it actually makes it a little difficult to use. It comes with a small tripod for a table top. It has an attachment to screw the unit onto the tripod. The only negative I see is it comes with a carrying case that has no place for the tripod.