Meade Canyonview ED 8×42 Binoculars: Our Review

At A Glance

PROS:

• Lightweight
• Good sharpness at center of image

CONS:

• Narrow field of view
• Stiff focus wheel
• Some fuzziness at edges
• Loses contrast in poor light

STATS:

• Price: $200 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
• Close focus: 7 feet (213 cm)
• Field of view: 5.9° (310 feet at 1,000 yards). More about field of view 
• Weight: 25 oz (709 g)—that’s about 0.7 oz (20 g) lighter than the average for 8×42 binoculars in our review
• Eye relief: 14 mm

Viewing Experience: The Meade Canyonview ED offered basic binocular functionality in a lightweight, relatively inexpensive package. The overall image was bright, but there was considerable fuzziness at the edges and slight distortion when panning, giving a fishbowl effect to the view. The field of view was among the smallest (narrowest) of all pairs tested, contributing to a sense of tunnel vision. A male House Finch sitting at the very top of a leafless tree was a single shade of gray until the tester adjusted their position to put the light at a better angle. In full light the color rendering was true, and the finch’s rosy red began to show through. A stiff focus wheel made it hard to focus quickly on the subject.

Feel and Build: The bumpy textured, hard plastic housing was unusual. Multiple testers found it off-putting. The focus wheel had a similar texture, and because the wheel was so stiff, extended use caused some testers’ fingers to get sore. The eyecups were comfortable; with solid clicking. Neck strap was thin and not padded. The color was an unusual light beige. Lightweight and fairly small, so potentially good for people with smaller hands.

Comments From Testers: 

• The color was not distorted; felt light around my neck
• Nice eyecups, bright image
• Focus wheel is hard to turn
• Eyecups not tall enough without glasses
• The focus knob was a little stiff tho
• I don’t like the bumpy texture  
• The focus knob was stiff  
• Difficult to focus
• Narrow field of view

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 8×42 binoculars.