KowaSV Series Roof Prism Binocular

THE GOOD:* Solid build* Compact* Sharp at the centerTHE BAD:* Little depth of field* Very soft off-center* Contrast could be betterI'm an optics junkie. I have binoculars, spotting scopes, telescopes and camera lenses all over the place, but I found myself lacking a good set of binoculars to use when out backpacking where size and weight are important. I had a really cheap 10x25 (like $15) that wasn't cutting it anymore. I spent some time looking for decent 10x25s and ended up purchasing this Kowa model. I had never purchased a Kowa product before, but had a positive view of them based on industry reputation, so I purchased these with high expectations.I am mostly comparing these binoculars with my 8x42 birding binoculars that cost 3-4 times as much, so it isn't really a fair comparison in terms of performance. I use this comparison to highlight what compromises you make when going down to a smaller binocular. Perhaps these Kowas are the best performing 10x25s out there. Maybe that should merit 5 stars if everything else is worse. I suspect that isn't the case. A dimmer view would really be the main compromise I would expect with the smaller binocular due to the smaller diameter optics. Sharpness should still be achievable.The things I like about this binocular are all in the specs- small size, reasonable weight, waterproof, twist-up eye cups, good field of view on paper. I won't dwell on these. Instead, I'll focus on things that could use improvement. First, the depth of field seems very shallow. I find myself having to make lots of small adjustments to focus on an object. It seems like the area of sharp focus at 100ft is only a few inches deep. When trying to track a bird hopping around on branches, this requires lots of work to keep it in focus. Second, something about the way the optical tubes align results in only a small area in the center of the field of view looking sharp. Outside of that the binocular vision seems to be off making it uncomfortable to look anywhere off-center. I have tried adjusting the distance between the tubes and the eye relief and still cannot get the view to look as good as my larger binoculars across the entire field of view. Looking through a single tube with one eye closed, the image stays reasonably sharp until you get very close to the edge, so I think this problem may be a combination of the tube alignment and shallow depth of field making everything off-center blurry and uncomfortable to look at.A few other nits to pick- The lens caps on the eye cups are single caps and unattached, so I expect it won't be long before they get lost. The strap it came with is OK, but not great.ConclusionAt $60 this was a fairly reasonable price for a respected brand name binocular. I would be hesitant to recommend it, however, until I have tried more 10x25 binoculars to see if there are better options out there that perform closer to my expectations. If I do get to try out more binoculars and find this one is as good as they get, I will come back and raise my rating from 3 stars to something higher.

I didn't want to believe the other reviews but they were spot on. Sharp in center and soft outer edges. Depth of field is an issue. I guess what do you expect for $100 even if it's a name like Kowa. I had high hopes.

These 10x25 binoculars are small and light and solid. Unfortunately, at a far distance they are not very clear or bright and have a very narrow field of view and little eye relief. So, I use them without glasses and at very well-lit ballgames and just for the occasional glance at a stationary player not very far away. Do not use them for birding or hunting or dim architectural details. 8x32 is a much better all-use format. You will have to pay at least $100.