cheetah1's Full Review: Barska Optics Gladiator AB10170 Binocular
These are 70mm zoom binoculars offered by Barska. They are made in China. These were purchased at Big 5 sporting goods for 80 dollars. These binoculars have magnifications of 12 to 36 power, however to get clear images at longer distances the zoom lever must be turned up to about 18 power and over in magnification.
These binoculars are very stylish and the rubberized coating is an added plus. They come with a tripod adaptor and a carry case. Because of the relative light weight of these you can use a lightweight camera tripod with no problem.
The optics are OK for the price but they can't match the higher priced models of other companies. With binoculars you pretty much get what you pay for as far as optical quality is concerned. The lenses are coated but do not have the more expensive multiple coatings which offer better light transmission. These binoculars use BK-7 prisms not the better quality BK-4 prisms found on higher priced models. For distance viewing I notice some blurring on the edges of the field of view, also because these are zoom binoculars the field of view is less than standard binoculars. Regular binoculars just offer a better vista view for sporting events, bird watching or whatever. These binoculars are set up with a lot of eye relief, if my eyes are pressed to close to the rubber eyepieces I notice an annoying black crescent that comes and goes on the lenses.
For astronomy use they work well after my eyes adjust to the darkness after about 15 to 20 minutes of time. The zoom feature is an added plus to zoom in on star clusters. I don't really get tired holding them like I do with my Celestron giant binoculars. The plastic lenses help contribute to the light weight of the Barskas.
Update: 3/23/2008
The binoculars went out of alignment. Anything over 18 power and the binoculars get double images. Also the lenses on the left hand side are not as sharp as they were before, a bit worse lens performance now. These binoculars were never dropped or mishandled so I was surprised I have some problems now. These binoculars look to be well constructed but they must not be built good enough for the long haul. Barska offers a limited lifetime warranty but somehow I lost my sales receipt when these were first purchased so they can't be repaired as I have no proof of purchase. I kept the warranty information but that's it. Barska wanted 20 dollars to inspect them and you also have to pay for the shipping to get them to the company.
Powerful zoom with different magnifications ideal for all outdoor activities and sporting events Fully coated optics for crisp and sharp images Large ...More at Amazon
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
The best way to get closer to nature. The Gladiator zoom series offers the added advantage of enjoying multiple magnifications in a single binocular. ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.