Nikon Trailblazer 10×25 Review – Hunting Binoculars
- Posted By Jeff Byrnes
- Binoculars Reviews, Reviews
Check Today's Price | Pros: - Compact, all-terrain design - Amazing images for the size - Excellent field of view Cons: - No diopter lock - Eye piece covers fit too snug - Limited light-gathering capability |
Welcome to my review of the Nikon 10×25 Trailblazer ATB Binoculars. This is a compact set of binoculars, designed for hunting or trailblazing use. They feature 10X magnification in 25mm objective lenses, and are made to withstand the rigors of the great outdoors. Just how well they fare against the competition in this market, though, remains to be seen as we take a closer look (pun definitely intended).
What Comes With the Binoculars?
When you open the box, you’ll find everything you need in a set of travel binoculars. You get:
- The Nikon 8218 10×25 Trailblazer binoculars
- Objective lens covers
- Eyepiece covers
- Neck strap
- Carrying case
The included accessories are definitely meant as ‘free’ add-ons, and the quality shows. The neck strap is not ergonomic at all, and the carrying case is just’meh. The objective lens covers work perfectly, but the eye piece covers fit way too tightly on the eyepieces. When you remove the eyepiece covers, you have to be careful not to pull the eye relief completely out.
How Powerful Are the Binoculars?
These binoculars provide 10X magnification, which is ideal for hunting or scouting purposes. You can focus on objects as close as 11.5′ away, up to infinity for long distance viewing. With the small 25mm objective lenses, though, you would think that you wouldn’t get much field of vision, but you actually do’as we’ll talk about in a few minutes.
What Type of Optics Do the Binoculars Have?
The Nikon Trailblazer features Bak4 roof prisms with multi-coated lenses. The interpupillary distance is 56mm to 72mm, which is adequate for just about any user. The eye cups are twist up design, providing up to 10mm of eye relief for adjustment to eyeglasses or sunglasses.
The central focus knob moves smoothly and easily, providing a fast range of focus for quick viewing from 11.5′ out to infinity. Unfortunately, the binoculars do not provide a way to lock the diopter adjustment, which is very unfortunate considering how easy it is to move your diopter adjustment when you are removing the eyepiece covers.
From 1,000 yards, you get a 6.5o angular field of view with a 342′ field of view. This is outstanding, considering the 10X magnification and the small, compact 25mm objective lenses. These binoculars are great for scouting terrain or watching sporting events, as long as the lighting conditions are good enough.
The glasses are 100% waterproof and fog-proof, with nitrogen-filled chambers and O-ring seals. You shouldn’t need to worry about fungus, mold, or heat damage with these binoculars.
Light gathering capability of these binoculars is quite limited, with a relative brightness of just 6.3. You will find these binoculars work fantastic during daylight hours, but heavily overcast or other low-light conditions could dramatically affect your contrast and clarity. This is my only beef with the optics of these binoculars, but it’s pretty much to be expected in a 25mm lens; there just isn’t enough glass to gather all the available light.
What’s the Body Like On These Binoculars?
These lightweight binoculars weigh a mere 9.9 ounces, and the body is covered with durable protective rubber-armored coating. This set of binoculars is a closed-bridge design, unfortunately, so you won’t find yourself getting a firm grip around the lens when you try to keep the binoculars from bumping against your chest too much.
How Durable Are the Binoculars?
The Nikon Trailblazer 10×25 ATB binoculars are pretty close to indestructible under normal use. I’ve even dropped them from my tree stand a couple of times, and suffered no ill effects. The rubber armor coating provides an excellent amount of protection, and also gives you a good grip on the binoculars when it’s damp or raining.
Nikon Trailblazer 10×25 Review – Hunting Binoculars Summary
Thanks for reading my review of the Nikon Trailblazer ATB binoculars. These 10x25mm binoculars are great for budget-conscious outdoorsmen (or women), sports enthusiasts, or anyone who wants a compact set of travel binoculars. I wouldn't recommend these binoculars for bird-watching, since the relative brightness is so low that you'll find it difficult to capture the full range of colors of the birds, but these work great for scouting and watching baseball games.
Conclusion | Rating |
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Durability | |
Image Quality | |
Optics | |
Value |
This post was written by Jeff Byrnes
Hi there! I’m Jeff, an avid outdoorsman and hunter who really likes exploring new technology. I’m especially into hunting optics, which is why I’m writing these reviews! I hope you find my articles helpful in your own shooting and hunting.
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