Opticron Discovery WA ED 8×32 Binoculars: Our Review

At A Glance

PROS:

• A very small and light design, even among compact binoculars
• Good for smaller birders
• Great packability for travel or storage
• Bright image

CONS:

• Small adjustments to focus can be touchy
• May actually be too small for larger birders to grip comfortably
• Strap attachment location can lead to bounce when walking

STATS:

• Price: $289 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
• Close focus: 3.9 feet (107 cm)
• Field of view: 8.0° (420 feet at 1,000 yards). More about field of view 
• Weight: 14.5 oz (411 g)—that’s about 3.25 oz (91 g) lighter than the average for compact binoculars in our review. Compare binocular sizes and weights
• Eye relief: 18 mm

Viewing Experience: Opticron makes a wide variety of birdwatching binoculars, and the Discovery is clearly designed for comfort and portability. At barely 4 inches tall and weighing less than a pound these packable binoculars can still deliver a pleasingly clear and sharp view. The focus mechanism can be a bit touchy; minor adjustments sometimes drift past the focus point, requiring multiple small adjustments. As soon as we locked in focus, they offered a nice view of a pair of soaring Ospreys in bright light. They also provided stunning views of the subtle shading of a Green Heron foraging in a shallow pool at close range. We did note that the image is not quite as bright as slightly larger models like the Vortex Diamondback and Opticron Savanna, but the Discovery’s small size and sharp view make it a good candidate for birders who want to save space or minimize weight.

Feel and Build: These sturdy, compact binoculars are great for small hands. They offer a slight texture around the barrels and a flat hinge to rest your fingers on. The focus wheel moves easily and has small ridges to grip when turning the wheel. The eyecups dial up and down with ease and the diopter clicks satisfyingly with each adjustment. A minor downside to the construction is that the attachment points for the straps sit toward the center of the binocular body, which may cause the binoculars to swing around as you walk.

Comments From Testers:

• Very compact design
• Light weight is nice
• Nice focus wheel
• Colorful image but the view felt a bit cramped

This article is one in a series of mini-reviews. To see how these binoculars compare to others we’ve tested, see our full review of affordable compact binoculars.