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Pros - Clear, crisp images - Fully multi-coated optics - Rugged, waterproof design Cons - Limited use during low-light conditions - Carrying case lacks a shoulder strap

Welcome to my review of the Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars. Levenhuk is relatively new to the business of optics, having begun in 2002 with a focus on markets in Canada, Central and Eastern Europe, but they are growing in popularity within the United States. I was anxious to test out this relatively new name in binoculars, so was excited to get my hands on a pair of Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 bins. Let’s see how they stand up against the competition.

What Do I Get in the Box?

Every pair of Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars comes thoughfully packaged in a sturdy box (none of that plastic wrapped crap here!) containing the following items:

• Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars
• Objective lens caps
• Eyepiece cap
• Neck strap
• Cleaning cloth
• Nylon carrying case

The objective lens caps are clip-on, so you don’t have to worry about them falling off when your bins aren’t in use. I wish they included retention straps to attach them to the optics, but I found that slipping them into the carrying case worked out quite well. The eyepiece cap is a single piece of rubber that fits tightly enough, but not so tightly that you pull the eyepieces up when you remove it.

The neck strap is nicely padded, and quite comfortable to wear. My only real complaint about the included accessories is in the carrying pouch: the bag has only a belt loop, but no shoulder strap. I prefer to carry my bags on a strap rather than on my belt, but I cannot do that with this carrying case.

How Much Magnification Do I Get?

The 42mm objective lenses provide 10X magnification, and the resolution of the magnified image is superior to many similar-priced competitors. The field of view through the bins is a generous 342 feet at 1,000 yards.

What Type of Optics Do the Binoculars Have?

Levenhuk has spared no expense with the Vegas 10×42 binoculars, using BaK–4 glass in a roof prism design with fully multi-coated optics. There are a total of eight layers of anti-reflective coating on all of the air-to-glass lens surfaces, maximizing light transmission and providing a light gathering capability of 75 percent. The exit pupil, though, is a small 4.2mm. This small exit pupil makes the bins barely useful at all during low-light conditions, and utterly useless at night.

The center focus knob is perfectly sized, making it easy to adjust the focus even when wearing gloves. The focus wheel has just enough resistance to prevent accidentally defocusing your image, and rotates very smoothly to provide an excellent focus on your image.

The eye relief on the Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars is an excellent 15mm, making them easy to use with or without eyeglasses. The twist-up eyecups are marked with the eye relief distance, so you can easily adjust the bins to the perfect length for you.

What’s the Body Like On These Binoculars?

Levenhuk has constructed the shell of the Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars out of shockproof plastic, and then rubber-armored the housing to provide a very comfortable grip on the barrels while protecting the bins from drops and bumps. The closed bridge design makes it difficult to grip the binoculars with one hand, but only slightly.

How Durable Are the Binoculars?

The thick, rubber armor coating the housing of the Levenhuk Vegas 10×42 binoculars protects the glass from short falls and bumps. Also, using roof prisms helps with durability, since roof prisms can withstand a bit more of a shock without affecting collimation.

The lenses are O-ring sealed to keep out water, and the optics chamber has been nitrogen-purged. Because of this, the binoculars are waterproof to 1m, and the bins are fogproof. These binoculars will be great no matter what Mother Nature might toss your way.