Great Binoculars for Beginners, Kids, & Teachers

This is a review of the Bushnell Falcon 133410 Binoculars they have 7x magnification and 35 mm lens and run for about $27 (as of 3/13/19) on Amazon. I also own a pair of Clear Point Sport Optics that are 7×35 as well but are usually sold for over $100 used. They are a little bit older binoculars but are a great pair to use to compare to the Bushnell Binoculars to see if they are of a good quality for their price. The Bushnell Falcon Binoculars are great binoculars for beginners, kids, and teachers and here is why!

Initial Thoughts

The binoculars were snug in their case and wrapped up in plastic in both the case and the foam binocular case was wrapped in plastic as well. They came with instructions in multiple languages as well as a special fabric wipe for the lens. As well as caps for all the lens

The strap for the binoculars is a wider nylon and more comfy than the typical narrow cord that cuts into the neck. The foam case is a thin foam not meant to protect the binoculars from being dropped but from more cosmetic damage during transport. The case & cases strap are sewed well and look like they will last and not easily rip.

Binocular viewing lens caps are pretty snug 1 is very loose and 1 is sort of loose both are the eyepiece lens caps so this could be potentially bad in the future and lead to damage.

The binoculars came intact with no cosmetic damage scratches or wear and all the parts fit together well and mechanically worked. No cosmetic damage to the binoculars all screws and such were accounted for and in good condition. There is no damage to the turn wheel and other moving parts, the turn wheel moves easily but the diopter sticks and is harder to turn. The binoculars weigh 21 ounces which is significantly less than my Clear Point Sport Optics 7×35 which weigh 2 pounds so this makes them a lot easier for kids to use.

The rubber piece around the eye lens was very comfy to use and did not bother my eyes additionally I was able to fold it back so I could use the binoculars with sunglasses and it stayed back and then when I was done I was able to easily unfold it and it went right back into place.

Lens Magnification & Viewing Distance

The lens do make things at a shorter to mid-distance appear 7 times closer as I demonstrated in the video. At the farthest the binoculars are supposed to see and focus on things at 1000 yards or a little over a half mile away and make them appear to be 460 feet away. When testing the binoculars out they did appear to make things appear to be 420 feet away instead of 1000 yards this was a little harder to test. Things came in a lot more clear than I was expecting for the price of the binoculars but viewing things smaller than a microwave at this distance would be challenging to do. My Clear Point binoculars also make things appear to be a little closer than the Bushnell’s but it is so slight you barely notice it which is remarkable since the Bushnell’s are sold for such an affordable amount in comparison.

Focusing

The central turn lever was quite easy to use and as my fiance pointed out especially for if you are wearing heavy clothes so this should also make them easier for kids to use since kids have less dexterity with their fingers. It did the trick well at all distances bringing things into clear focus at the farthest distance though was where the finer focusing really counted. I was able to get a crystal clear image using the finer focusing method with the diopter on these binoculars. However the diopter was harder to turn to focus even using my bare hands which would make it harder to use in colder climates and weather. The Clear Point also made things come in a little bit clearer and were more easy to fine focus but the Bushnell’s turn lever was ridiculously easy to use especially with thick gloves.

Overall, these binoculars were a wonderful surprise! They over delivered on the quality and ease of use I was expecting for their price. They are well made and strong feeling with not too much weight to them and work very well almost to the same quality as my Clear Point Sport Optics. I am pretty confident they would make a great classroom set and confident enough that I am adding them to the list of supplies to purchase for my outdoor programs.

The only things I do wish is the lens caps all fit snuggly and the diopter was a little easier to use. However when considering both these things they are not the most important things if the rest of the binocular works well. Since when viewing wildlife with kids you tend to stick to a range of 50 to 500 feet which means you don’t have to use the diopter most of the time. As well as when it comes to lens caps most of them did fit well enough and the more important thing is not losing them; which is easier to do when the caps are loose.

So because of all of this I am giving them a 4.5 rating out of 5 because i did feel the issues were big enough to not give them a perfect 5 but small enough to not demote them down a full level. As I said before these are only about $27 on Amazon right now (3/13/19) so they are super affordable, work well, and are easy to use. So they are a great fit for beginners, kids, and for educators like me looking to get a class set. They honestly are a steal for that price which is why I am recommending them, reviewed them, and gave them away as a prize in a recent giveaway.

If you want to see them in action check out the link to my Youtube video reviewing them!