Athlon Optics Midas Binoculars: Perfect for Adults and Kids Alike!

imageoptions: These binoculars are fabulous, easy to focus and so bright. best feature is the ease of getting both eyes in focus for excellent viewing. great price

United States on Oct 29, 2023

Jo-Anne Lacroix: I’ve been working on the water for 21 years… wish I’d had binos like this way before now! Clear, sharp, bright, light and yes, worth every dollar!!

Canada on Sep 30, 2023

Island hopper: This is the best pair of binoculars that I have bought (4). Easy focus, very clear image, feels good in the hands.

United Kingdom on Aug 16, 2023

johnserinus: These are remarkable binoculars. For the price, the coatings and treatments that make up the quality of the optics are amazing. When they arrived I compared them side by side with my Swarovski SLC 10x42 bins. I genuinely found it very difficult to see any difference between the two instruments. If anything, the Athlon bins were slightly brighter, with better colour rendition. At under £300, that is truly impressive. They are not without fault. The twist up eye cups let the side down. Plastic, and feeling like they come from bargain bin binoculars. Three positions, down, middle, and up. They twist up smoothly, but in the middle and fully up positions there is noticeable play. The movement doesn’t detract from effective use, but it does show where the savings to achieve the low price are made. The body has a heft that suggests quality. Overall size and weight is good and will be comfortable to use for long periods. The ergonomics and rubberised armour are excellent despite the modernist visual styling. This model of Midas ED 8x42 is now discontinued and no longer features on the Athlon website. I could not buy them in the U.K. where I live, and had to order them from the the USA....

United States on Aug 08, 2023

interested buyer: Excellentes jumelles ! Vision lumineuse, compactes et confortables

France on Dec 09, 2022

Alp Walker: Four weeks of birdwatching in and I find these binoculars to be terrific thus far. Very sharp optics, low internal reflections, great color rendering, good low light performance, very little 'fringing', reasonable 'flat field', handle well, are pretty light in weight, focusing is no problem (no stiffness after initial use), good lens covers. Of course a "top flight" binocular, Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica is going to be better, especially in terms of that 'flat field' effect, and probably in long-term reliability. Just maybe these top brands are 5% better in real field use conditions. But not four or five times better, and if you want that 5% better you are going to have to pay four to five times as much. My wife has a pair of Swarovski 8x32s. I've used the Swarovskis a fair bit. I prefer these Athlons. The Athlons are brighter and seem sharper and wider field, and handle better for me -- they are just a little bit less 'flat field' in terms of edge to edge sharpness. And Zeiss glass does have that extraordinary brilliance, so I get that each brand has its strengths. So, whatever floats your boat -- just saying that these binoculars float mine.

United States on Nov 07, 2022

Snipetacman: Upon opening the box I was a little apprehensive as the supplied straps and case were very average. First impressions are the best and boy was I surprised as I held them up for the first time. The clarity, contrast on tree trunks and green foliage whilst trying to identify discolouration and imperfections was outstanding. The Midas 8x42's are a real dark horse and I did not expect them to be this good. I actually expected coke bottles at the Amazon price but the BBR 12 X 50 review was spot on. Over the next few days I compared them side by side to my set of 10 x42 Kahles RF Helias. I am not sponsored by anyone but the Athlon Midas were right there with the Kahles and dare I say a touch better optically at dusk. Comparing 8x versus 10x isn't that easy but they held their own in a direct comparison. In fact these Midas are 100% keepers and can just live in the 4WD as a knock around all rounder. I have owned alpha class Zeiss 10 x42 RF's so I have an idea what good glass should look like. They aren't EL Swaros but at a 10th of the price WOW, I did not expect this. The Midas 8x42's are recommended and a bargain.

Australia on Nov 03, 2020

Get Saved Today: First i bought the carson vp then the athlon midas next the endevear ed, I kept the athlons. The views thru these are bright and crisp the focus wheel is so smooth and dialing them in is just perfect . I can hold them in one hand and turn the big focus knob with my finger, so easy to do. The endevears focus is way to touchy. I did not care for them at all. The midas really looks so much better than the other two. And the views thru them are more crisp with better color. I have yet to see any chromatic discolorations etc. They are built like a tank. Feel good in the hand. They are a bit heavy, about like any other 8x42 thats made out of good metal. Im so happy with these. I also own a pair of zeiss terra ed 8x25. They are great binos and lightweight. I use my binoculars for birdwatching and they serve that purpose very well.

United States on May 05, 2020

Karl Erich Martell: I haven't had a chance to give these a shakedown, but I'm impressed out of the gate. The Athlon Midas 8x42 HD ESD binoculars caught my attention when the New York Times' Wirecutter review site gave them a high rating and compared the quality they delivered to that of much more expensive Leica glasses. After the NYT review went up, the price kept dropping here and - wow - you can get into this HD set for pretty much the same money as other decent makers' binoculars that are at least a tier lower in performance. Anyhow, it made me willing to take a risk and I'm glad I did.

Being cognizant of the optical innovations of the last 30 years, I was expecting a solidly decent set of binoculars. What I got was a pair of binoculars that - even with my reasonably high expectations - just sort of blew me away. The image is terrific, focus is a breeze (and, yes, it focuses down to c.2M with no issues) and - well, looking at my wife from across the room reminded me of when my eyes were young and I was able to look at her up close - wow, she's pretty and wow, I've missed that.

I got these to bring on my trips out into the desert wilds to help me decide the best paths to...

United States on Apr 08, 2020

Steve H: Pros:
• Superb optics – excellent clarity/resolution, brightness (excellent in low light conditions) and field of view
• Build quality, ergonomics and “feel” of binoculars is excellent.
Cons: Some “quality control” issues pertaining to focusing, as follows:
• Grinding noise - I have tried 3 pair and all have a grinding noise when focusing. The third pair, which I am keeping, is acceptable but the others were distracting and very noticeable.
• Focusing knob is somewhat stiff, but acceptable, but that is under hot summer conditions. I have to wonder about the performance in sub-freezing weather. I suspect the focusing will be very stiff (don’t expect quick focusing response).
• Close focus is not as specified (6.5’). One pair was >10’, the third pair is about 8.5 feet. I would have expected that the specs would be conservative, meaning performance should be at least as good as specified, not worse. In contrast, my Bushnell Legends (originals), Legend UHDs and Bushnell Elites, all have smooth, silent focusing and focus closer than specified.
Bottom Line: I would like to give 5 stars for the optics and overall “feel”, but quality...

Canada on Sep 05, 2018