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Pros - Waterproof and fogproof - Outstanding field of view - Compact and lightweight Cons - Included carrying case is too small and snug - No lens caps included - Short eye relief

Welcome to my review of the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars. These compact binoculars are designed to be ready for any wet-weather application, but how useful are they for real-world use? Let’s take a look and find out.

What Do I Get in the Box?

Any time I’m shopping for a new pair of binoculars, one of the first things I want to know is what I’m going to get for my money. Here is what comes in the box:

• The Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars
• Carrying case
• Neck strap

The neck strap is fine, but the carrying case that is included with the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars is much too small. You have to really struggle to put the binoculars back in the case, and do some pretty rigorous pulling and tugging to get them back out again. The lack of eyepiece or objective lens caps was also disconcerting, since I like to provide a couple of layers of protection to my glass when I’m not using my binoculars.

How Much Magnification Do I Get?

The Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars feature 25mm objective lenses, and provide 8X magnification to bring the action to you. These compact bins provide an excellent image that is crisp and clear. Unfortunately, since the binoculars are just multi-coated instead of fully multi-coated, the image isn’t as pristine as it could be.

What Type of Optics Do the Binoculars Have?

These binoculars are built using a roof prism design with BaK–4 prism glass. The optics are multi-coated, so at least one surface of the glass is layered with multiple applications of anti-reflective coating. I wish the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars were fully multi-coated, though, because that would make them much more useful during overcast and other low-light conditions. During bright sunlight, the binoculars work wonderfully, but the image is only adequate and slightly washed out during inclement weather and other low-light times of the day.

The eye relief on these bins is a short 13.5mm, so they could be a bit uncomfortable for eye-glass wearers. Fortunately, Bushnell has build the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars with twist-up eyecups, so you can adjust the fit to work okay with your eyeglasses. I wear glasses, and haven’t had much trouble getting a good field of view through the bins.

Speaking of field of view, this set of binoculars features one of the best I’ve seen in 8X magnification. You can easily see 341 feet of terrain at 1,000 yards, making the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars perfect for scanning the horizon and getting the most bang out of the binoculars.

What’s the Body Like On These Binoculars?

Bushnell has designed the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars to be great for use even on the water. The non-slip rubber armor coating the binoculars not only protects your investment, but also provides a firm grip for those times when your hands are wet or you’re wearing gloves. The large center-focus knob is easy to use, even with gloves on, and the binoculars are very nice to use when I’m out boating.

How Durable Are the Binoculars?

I’ve dropped these binoculars out of a tree stand, and they took that licking and kept on ticking. That’s one of the beauties of roof prism designs, is that drops and falls don’t knock the prisms out of collimation as easily as with a porro prism design. The rubber armor does a great job of absorbing the shock while still providing a nice, firm grip.

The body and lenses of the Bushnell H2O 8×25 Waterproof/Fogproof Roof Prism Binoculars are 100% waterproof, since the lenses are O-ring sealed. Bushnell advertises these binoculars as being terrific for “any wet-weather application,” and I’ve put that to the test. I submerged mine at the bottom of a 6-foot-deep swimming pool for 20 minutes, and there was no water infiltration at the end of that dunk. Additionally, the optics chambers are nitrogen-charged to prevent fogging. These binoculars are definitely good for on-the-water use, since you don’t have to worry about water damaging your investment or the lenses fogging up on you during use.