Looking for my first real pair of binoculars last year. Doug and Joel spoke highly of the Kowa BD2 line in 10x42.
At the time it was a little more than I wanted to spend. I had been looking at the Vortex and Luepold mid/low lines prior to the recommendation. I ended up buying the Kowas and am very happy I did.
I liked the 42s so much after using them for the past year I started getting interested in an even smaller pair. I read a fellow members post on a set of Maven 6x30s I believe they are. That lead me to do a little more "learning" on a lower power set. I ended up going back to Cameraland and grabbing a set of BD2 6.5x32s. Top notch service and lighting fast shipping!
I took this pair on my 3 week trek through Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Now I don't know shit about shit in optics.
The Kowa BD2 line is the real deal! I wore glasses this whole trip as I ran out of contacts. With the eye cups down I experienced just a slight bit of haze while looking through the lens. And I found this was dependent on the way I held them. Other than that the view/vision through them was very clear. The eye cups down gave me the best sight while wearing my glasses. I had my GF try them and she found that she had a clear site with the 2nd or 3rd "step" in the eye cups. The cups locked into place and did not move.
The 6.5s focus wheel is light and spins freely with no noticeable "grit" or stiffness. This I found was also a bad thing as I kept them in my small day pack, forgoing a chest rig for the trip. As easy as they are to focus, they also go out of focus, requiring a quick adjustment to get a clear sight picture. The build is great, they feel very strong in the hand. Weight is noticeable but, nothing at all horrible to wear for extended lengths of time. The protective caps are firm and do not fall off when not in use.
I've read a lower power bino is great for light stargazing. Again, these did not disappoint. I've always had an interest in astronomy, again something I am a novice in. I knew these western skies would allow for some great star gazing, and they sure did! Obviously getting detailed views didn't happen. We managed pretty good views of the moon and various well known constellations easily with this little pair of binos.
I carried them with the Rick Young Harness and this thing is money! I plan on one for my other set soon.
I just need to find a binocular chest rig built for a small 6 power pair. Which is sort of hard to do I'm finding.
Cons:
China built
Focus wheel spins almost too easy. Not anything horrible, as they focus just as quick. Be nice to see a maybe a locking ring on them.
Weight- Both pair of my BD2s are my first real pair of hand held optics, so I don't know what they are supposed to really weigh. There is some weight here, again nothing a WKR cant handle! And I'd venture a guess the weight equals strength ?
Warranty- Kowa says 10 years, seems kind of short compared to other brands. Yet, few post I've read is they are pretty good to deal with. I did notice a requirement is to register them within 30 days of purchase. Something I did not do with this pair of 6.5s. I need to get it done and see what happens.
The "adapter" cap can and will come loose. I find myself checking the cap on both my pairs frequently. I had actually lost the one on my 10x42s. And thank the Gods it was in the bottom of my chest rig pocket.
In closing, if your looking for a reasonable priced seemingly great pair of binoculars. Give the Kowa BD2 line some serious consideration. And buy from Cameraland!
At the time it was a little more than I wanted to spend. I had been looking at the Vortex and Luepold mid/low lines prior to the recommendation. I ended up buying the Kowas and am very happy I did.
I liked the 42s so much after using them for the past year I started getting interested in an even smaller pair. I read a fellow members post on a set of Maven 6x30s I believe they are. That lead me to do a little more "learning" on a lower power set. I ended up going back to Cameraland and grabbing a set of BD2 6.5x32s. Top notch service and lighting fast shipping!
I took this pair on my 3 week trek through Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Now I don't know shit about shit in optics.
The Kowa BD2 line is the real deal! I wore glasses this whole trip as I ran out of contacts. With the eye cups down I experienced just a slight bit of haze while looking through the lens. And I found this was dependent on the way I held them. Other than that the view/vision through them was very clear. The eye cups down gave me the best sight while wearing my glasses. I had my GF try them and she found that she had a clear site with the 2nd or 3rd "step" in the eye cups. The cups locked into place and did not move.
The 6.5s focus wheel is light and spins freely with no noticeable "grit" or stiffness. This I found was also a bad thing as I kept them in my small day pack, forgoing a chest rig for the trip. As easy as they are to focus, they also go out of focus, requiring a quick adjustment to get a clear sight picture. The build is great, they feel very strong in the hand. Weight is noticeable but, nothing at all horrible to wear for extended lengths of time. The protective caps are firm and do not fall off when not in use.
I've read a lower power bino is great for light stargazing. Again, these did not disappoint. I've always had an interest in astronomy, again something I am a novice in. I knew these western skies would allow for some great star gazing, and they sure did! Obviously getting detailed views didn't happen. We managed pretty good views of the moon and various well known constellations easily with this little pair of binos.
I carried them with the Rick Young Harness and this thing is money! I plan on one for my other set soon.
I just need to find a binocular chest rig built for a small 6 power pair. Which is sort of hard to do I'm finding.
Cons:
China built
Focus wheel spins almost too easy. Not anything horrible, as they focus just as quick. Be nice to see a maybe a locking ring on them.
Weight- Both pair of my BD2s are my first real pair of hand held optics, so I don't know what they are supposed to really weigh. There is some weight here, again nothing a WKR cant handle! And I'd venture a guess the weight equals strength ?
Warranty- Kowa says 10 years, seems kind of short compared to other brands. Yet, few post I've read is they are pretty good to deal with. I did notice a requirement is to register them within 30 days of purchase. Something I did not do with this pair of 6.5s. I need to get it done and see what happens.
The "adapter" cap can and will come loose. I find myself checking the cap on both my pairs frequently. I had actually lost the one on my 10x42s. And thank the Gods it was in the bottom of my chest rig pocket.
In closing, if your looking for a reasonable priced seemingly great pair of binoculars. Give the Kowa BD2 line some serious consideration. And buy from Cameraland!
