Hawke Endurance ED Binocular

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.

I just received my package today, 2/1/2022. I have never purchased a Hawke product before but was going with the reviews about quality and customer service. I opened the package with anticipation. When I took the carrying case out of the plastic wrap, I noticed that there were pieces of something on the bottom of the plastic wrap. I tried to open the carrying case and the zippers were not on the bag. They were broken. I nevertheless opened the case and went outside to view the clarity. Its a sunny day here in South Texas. The Binos are or appear to be well made. The clarity is very good. The glass covers are well made and I like that the front covers are attached to the binos and hang down. I am a bowhunter and I normally use Swarovski Binoculars 8 x 20s since I normally hunt from a ground blind. However, I am sending those in to be cleaned up and repaired after 20 years of use. I also have some 10 x 42 Swarovski. Both are amazing. I need a pair as a backup for my 8 x 20s so I chose Hawke. Based on my preliminary review of the Binos, I am very satisfied with the clarity of the optics. They are a little bigger than I expected but that is ok. Price is very reasonable for the clarity. I hope to receive a response from Hawke about repairing or replacing the carrying case. I did not give it a five at this time because of the Zippers. The package was well wrapped so I believe that the damage occurred during the initial packaging. I will follow up after I wait for a response from Hawke. I do not want to return the binos, but do expect some resolution with respect to the carrying case. Update. Left message with Seller and responded promptly. Contacted Hawke and Hawke sent me a new case within a couple of days. Very satisfied with customer service. The bino's performed flawlessly during my hunting trip this past week.Ed.

These are something I can see I will have for a long time.Comparing these with an old pair of Minolta binoculars, the difference in contrast and color is quite noticeable. The Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass makes that difference.I've used these during the day, and even from the porch at night looking into the pastures and farther off. The clarity in low light impresses me. Whether overcast or under an almost full moon they are very easy to focus in the dimmer light.For the 8x42 binoculars in this price range, I looked at the Hawke and the Vortex Diamondback HD. I don't think one could go wrong choosing either brand.Personally, I think binoculars in this price range are a great starting point for a better quality binocular if you plan on using them more frequently and if your budget allows. You could buy something very sufficient for less. However, this price range is where optical quality starts to show in many brand as it seems to be where use of ED glass and better coatings, and even sturdier build quality start.There are plenty of binocular review sources out there for researching what may fit your needs.Pros are optical quality, overall build, caseMy only con with this binocular is the lens caps for the objective lenses. They will come off if you look at them. At least they are attached.