Nikon 8220 Trailblazer 8x42 ATB Binoculars
Nikon 8220 Trailblazer 8x42 ATB Binoculars Reviews
I read a lot of reviews on different brands and models before buying these binos. I read about the caps being loose and ill-fitting - not a problem as I generally store the caps with the retail box - never to be seen again until I intend to sell them. I keep the binos in the soft case and they stay clean. I also read about the diopter eyepiece being a bit stiff. Not a problem I can't handle if the glass is good - and it is. The only rubs I have with these binos are the strap and diopter adjustment. The diopter is very difficult to turn if they've not been used for some time. I've gotten used to just turning them back and forth a few times before using them. This seems to loosen up the o-ring seal inside that protects the optics from moisture. Fine - I can deal with that. Much better than binos that you gently bump and the diopter is off. Grrr! I hate that even more! The other rub I mentioned is the strap. Why the hell can't Nikon come up with a better way of attaching the strap to the binos? I have another pair of Nikon binos - 7x35 and they have the same crappy design. Nikon isn't alone in this - Canon must share the same 'strap engineer' to design their straps. Camera straps? Same thing - the cheesy little plastic thingy is supposed to lock the strap and prevent slipping - it doesn't. OK - on to the optics. The optics are first rate - almost. There is some out of focus on the very edges but mostly I'm using the middle portion of the field of view the soft edge isn't a bother to me. The only times this is noticeable is when I'm viewing the night sky. Stars on the edge are a bit blurry. Other than that these binos excel under the night sky - not as good as my 16x80s but well enough and I can hand-hold these - the 16x80s - no way. They go on a tripod. With an exit pupil of 5.25mm these are about as bright as you are going to get unless you go for 7x50 binos with their 7mm exit pupil. Forget the 'toy' binos' for the night sky. An 8x30 binos net you 3.75mm exit pupils. The smaller the exit pupil the darker the image. Focusing is easy once you get the diopter eyepiece limbered up - see the 'rubs' paragraph above for more. The center focus knob turns easily with one finger - and the turn-down turn-up eye cups work great. No fumbling around when passing between people to share the view - give em a twist and they are adjusted. A quick word on buying binos - look for BAK4 glass prism - much better quality than the cheaper BAK7 glass prism. How do you tell? hold the binos up in front of you at arms length and point them towards something bright & observe the shape of the exit pupils. The BAK7 pupils will be shaped like a stop sign - STOP there and keep looking - BAK4 binos are round and aren't all that much more expensive and the quality of view is much better. BAK4 glass is maybe a dollar or two more per binos vs the cheaper BAK7. Many first time buyers of binoculars make the same old mistake - buying too high a power such as 10x50s. Any shake you have is amplified by 10. Unless you have very steady hands you'll see more shake than you will detail. A good 7x35 or 8x42 are hard enough to hold steady - those glamorous 12x50s might look appealing but unless you intend to mount them on a tripod forget it. And chances are those 'ruby coated' 12x50 binos hold BAK7 prism glass. A good pair of binos can be something you'll be reaching for for a very long time - maybe the rest of your life. A cheap pair are usually laid aside and forgotten and you never knew what you were missing because you were seduced by those ruby coated 12x50 lenses that held so much promise - and delivered so little. Buying binos looks complicated - it isn't. The only exception to buying high powered binos used for hand-held viewing is the image stabilized models. Canon makes a very good 8x25 - a 10x30 which I owned for 6-8 years before selling - and a 15x50 which I owned for a few years but found to be way too heavy for anything but short viewing bursts. Putting them on a tripod seemed a ridiculous waste. What was the point? Nikon and some other makers also make image stabilized binos. I'd opt for the Canon 8x25s if I were to buy another set. I'm happy with what I have - I own 7x35 and 8x42 Nikons and a Pro Optic 10x50 I use on a tripod (Adorama brand from the 80s-90s - and the Celestron 16x80s also used on a tripod. The 10x50s are very sharp right to the edges and excel under the night sky. At 10 power they are a bit more than I can hold steady - the stars are doing a 'racetrack' on me. The 16x80s aren't as sharp as the Pro Optic but give some wonderful wide angle views of the Milky Way and Sagittarius and a bit closer. When you see focus-free binos - RUN - do not walk - away. Think about it - your eyes need to refocus whenever something is a different distance than what you were previously looking at. Same with a camera. Even cheap cell phone cameras have a focusing system. With focus-free binos there is a happy spot where everything is in focus - closer or further than that and everything is a bit out of focus. The 'focus' on focus-free binos is at infinity. I've spent a lot of time watching small birds from 20-30 feet away - focus-free binos rob you of that. One trick I've found handy for when you want to take a picture of some far off animal and you only have your binos and cell phone is to stick your cell phone camera up to the binos lens and take a picture with that. Not the clearest pic you'll ever take with your cell phone but I bet you the pic taken without the binos can't be blown up enough to look better than the one taken with the binos. Just something to think about next time you think that bird is too far off to get a pic of because all you have is your cell phone and binos. Try it! Be sure to hold the cell phone square to the binos. Just make sure the binos are focused to your eye - the cell phone sees much the same way you do. One last thing - never clean your optics with your shirt - and NO - not your finger either! Think about this - your lenses have the best coatings the maker could afford to place on your optics and you want to use a dirty gritty shirt on those fragile optics? Go the the drug store and buy some optical cleaner and some optical tissues. The coatings are easy to scratch - they will haze over in a few cleanings using that shirt. I've had my Pro Optics binos for over 20 years and have cleaned the optics ONCE. A bit of dirt won't make much difference in the views and can be cleaned off next time you are home and have the cleaning supplies handy. Smudged up coatings will be on there for ever.. this is my Nikon 8220 Trailblazer 8x42 ATB Binoculars reviewsNikon 8220 Trailblazer 8x42 ATB Binoculars Specs
- From the Manufacturer
- Nikon Trailblazer All Terrain Binoculars (ATB) are full-size roof prism binoculars that are right at home or on any hunt. The Trailblazer features a slim, easy-to-carry design with a full-size view for the budget-conscious consumer.
- Nikon Trailblazer ATB Binoculars offer generous eye relief and turn-and-slide rubber eyecups allowing the binoculars to be used as comfortably and effectively by eyeglass wearers as those with uncorrected vision. In addition, the Trailblazer binocular offers a sizeable field-of-view at 1000 yards.
- Nikon Trailblazer ATB Binoculars incorporates Nikon's exclusive Eco-Glass (made without the use of arsenic or lead) for lens and prism elements, as well as multicoated lenses for maximum light transmission and image quality. Ergonomic styling, mated with a rubber-armored exterior, the Nikon binocular provides added shock resistance and a firm grip, wet or dry.
- Nikon Trailblazer ATB Binoculars are fully waterproof and fogproof and they are covered by the legendary Nikon ruggedness guarantee -25 Year Limited Warranty and No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy.
- Technical Specs
- Focusing System – Center Focus
- Magnification – 8x
- Objective Diameter – 42mm
- Angular FOV – Real – 7°
- Angular FOV – Apparent – 52.1°
- FOV @ 1000 yds – 367 ft
- Close Focus Distance – 16.4 ft
- Exit Pupil – 5.3mm
- Relative Brightness – 28.1
- Eye Relief – 19.7mm
- Size (L&W) – 6.1 x 5.2
- Weight – 23.6
- Waterproof/Fogproof – Yes
- Rugged Rubber Armor for Added Durability
- Warranty Information
- Nikon is dedicated to quality, performance and total customer satisfaction. If your Nikon binocular, Spotting Scope or Fieldscope requires service or repair not covered by our 25 Year Limited Warranty, Nikon will repair or replace it (even it was your fault) for just $10, plus return shipping and handling.
- Excludes – StabilEyes, Laser Rangefinders and Spotting Scope/Fieldscope eyepieces.
- FAQ's
- Real field of view
- Real field of view is the angle of the visible field, seen without moving the binoculars, measured from the central point of the objective lens. The larger the value is, the wider the viewfield available. For example, binoculars with a wider field of view are advantageous for locating fast-moving wild birds within the viewfield. This also applies for finding small nebulas or a cluster of stars in astronomical observations.
- Apparent field of view
- Apparent field of view is the angle of the magnified field when you look through binoculars.
- The larger the apparent field of view is, the wider the field of view you can see even at high magnifications.
- With the conventional method used previously, the apparent field of view was calculated by multiplying the real field of view by the binocular magnification. (With this formula, apparent field of view wider than 65˚ is called wide field of view.)
- After revision, Nikon's figures are now based on the ISO 14132-1:2002 standard, and obtained by the following formula:
- tan ω' = τ x tan ω
- Apparent field of view: 2ω'
- Real field of view: 2ω
- Magnification: τ
- (With this formula, apparent field of view wider than 60° is called wide field of view.)
- For example, the apparent field of view of 8x binoculars with an 7.0°real field of view is as follows:
- 2ω' = 2 x tan-1 (r x tan ω)
- = 2 x tan-1 (8 x tan 3.5)
- = 52.1°
- Relative Brightness
- Relative brightness value is obtained by squaring the diameter of the exit pupil. The greater the relative brightness is, the brighter the image will be. With 8x42 binoculars, the brightness is (42÷8)2= 28.1. This means that if the magnification is the same, the larger the effective diameter of the objective lens, the brighter the image will be.
- Do binoculars with the same exit pupil offer the same brightness?
- No. Brightness may vary even if the exit pupil is the same. This is because the amount of light reaching the viewer's eyes varies according to the number of lens elements and quality of lens/prism coatings. Superior optical design and highquality coating greatly contribute to the brightness of binoculars. Brightness values specified in product brochures, etc. are theoretical ones calculated in the design process. Please note these factors when comparing actual brightness values.
- Prism Coatings
- Multilayer coating is also applied to prisms to raise transmittance. A roof prism system has one surface that does not feature total internal reflection, so vapor deposition with metals, etc. must be used to raise the reflectivity of this surface. Also, phase-correction coating on roof surface ensures high-contrast images.
- *Binoculars' brightness and contrast are affected by not only prism coatings, but also the number of objective lens and eyepiece lens, and types of coatings.
- Metal-vaporized, high-reflectivity prism coating
- Using vacuum-vaporization technology, metallic material such as aluminum or silver is applied to the reverse side of a prism surface that is not totally reflective. This raises the reflectivity of the prism mirror surface.
- Dielectric high-reflective multilayer prism coating
- This coating features reflectance that exceeds 99%. By utilizing light interference, this coating assures high reflectivity across the full visible range, and ensures high color reproducibility.
- Reflectance characteristics of prism coatings on mirror surface
- The horizontal axis indicates the wavelength of light. The vertical axis indicates the reflectance of light.
- Binoculars' brightness is determined not only by the reflective mirror, but also by the total optical system such as the number of lenses and quality of coatings.
- Phase-correction coating
- A roof (Dach) surface can cause phase shift of light that affects image resolution. This phenomenon is caused by phase differences arising from total light reflection on a roof (Dach) surface and it can occur with even a perfectly processed prism. Phase-correction coating is applied to the surface to minimize loss of resolution, ensuring high-contrast images.
- Twilight Factor
- The factor that has the greatest impact on resolution or image detail, will be dependent upon the amount of light available during the time of observation. During daylight hours, when your eye pupil size will be only about 2 to 3mm, magnification will be the principal factor in image resolution. At night, with the eye pupil dilated to 6 to 8mm, aperture size is the controlling factor. In twilight conditions both of these factors control resolution effectiveness and the twilight factor is the term that compares binocular performance under these conditions.
- The twilight factor is calculated by taking the square root of the product of the magnification and the aperture. The higher the twilight factor, the better the resolution of the binocular when observing under dim light conditions. For example, a 10 X 40 (twilight factor 20) would effectively resolve better under these conditions than a 7 X 35 (twilight factor 15.4) even though the 10 X 40 has a smaller exit pupil. Remember, however, that the twilight factor does not take into account the transmittance or quality of the optical system.
- Product Description
- The Trailblazer offers a slim, easy-to-carry design with a full-size view, for the budget-conscious consumer. Offering generous eye relief of 19.7 mm and turn-and-slide rubber eyecups, the binoculars can be used as comfortably and effectively by eyeglass wearers as those with uncorrected vision. The new 8x42 Trailblazer binocular offers a 366' field-of-view at 1000 yards.
- Nikon incorporates its exclusive Eco-Glass (made without the use of arsenic or lead) for all Trailblazer lens and prism elements, as well as multicoated lenses for maximum light transmission and image quality. Ergonomic styling, mated with a rubber-armored exterior, provides added shock resistance and a firm grip, wet or dry.
- FEATURES:
- 100 % Waterproof/Fogproof
- Bright, Multicoated Optics
- Turn and Slide Rubber eyecups
- Rubber Armored body
- Long Eye Relief... Great for eyeglass wearers
- Internal Focus system
- 25 Year Warranty
- Features Lead- and Arsenic-Free ECO GLASS
Nikon 8220 Trailblazer 8x42 ATB Binoculars Best buy
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