8×42,10×42 Sport ED

$349.95

8×42,10×42 Sport ED

(37 customer reviews)

$349.95

In stock.

Oberwerk Sport ED Series

With ED glass (extra-low dispersion) objectives and wide 65° AFOV (apparent field of view), the Sport ED are the finest roof-prism binoculars we’ve ever offered. Because of the ED objectives, chromatic aberration, or false color, is completely eliminated from the view. Oberwerk’s signature broadband multi-coatings are found on every air-to-glass surface (fully multi-coated), and the prisms are dielectric coated and and phase-coated for highest-possible light transmission and image quality. Available in either 8×42 (8.1° FOV) or 10×42 (6.5° FOV), they’re the perfect choice for advanced-level bird-watching and wildlife viewing, or for any type of viewing where flawless color rendition is necessary. While more expensive than our Sport HD II Series, they are much less than comparable ED binoculars from competing companies. We feel confident saying that the Sport ED Series provides the most exceptional value of any roof-prism binocular on the market.

A High Quality Roof Prism Binocular

The Sport ED features lightweight magnesium-alloy construction, with attractive textured dark green rubber armor and red anodized trim. Yes, the anodized focus wheel and diopter ring are aluminum (most other brands are plastic). Like the Sport HD II Series, the Sport ED’s are completely waterproof and are nitrogen-filled. The internal focusers have the widest range of any Oberwerk binoculars, allowing them to focus as close as 6 ft. away! The eyecups are continuously adjustable for maintaining optimum eye position, or for accomodating glasses- simply twist to move them in or out. Includes right-side ocular diopter adjustment, soft rubber ocular cover, captive soft rubber objective covers, rugged nylon case, and neck strap.

8×42 or 10×42 Binoculars?

Trouble deciding between the 8x and 10x model? More info on that here.

Trusted Reviews for the Sport ED Binocular

Space.com loved the Sport ED for astronomy:

…the one binocular to own if you can only have one.

space.com

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology loved the Sport ED for bird watching:

For birders looking for excellent image quality at a relatively low price, the Oberwerk Sport ED is an impressive option.

Cornell Lab

Astronomy author Dr. Neil English was blown away:

Test driving the Oberwerk Sport ED 8 x 42 has been nothing short of a revelation. Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, along comes an instrument like this that upsets the apple cart.

Dr. Neil English

Badgerland Birding loved the crisp colors:

The view through the binoculars was exceptionally clear and colors really popped, specifically the bright green on the head of an American Wigeon I was observing.

Badgerland Birding (also check out their video review)

Camera reviewer Ken Rockwell was impressed:

The biggest problem in binoculars is sloppy collimation, which varies from sample to sample. I’m happy to report that both samples of the Oberwerk I’ve tried were perfect, which says a lot.

Ken Rockwell

Additional information

Weight 4 lbs
Dimensions 12 × 9 × 6 in
FOV

8x- 8.1°, 10x- 6.5°

Eye Relief

8x- 15.0mm, 10x- 12.0mm (usable)

Exit Pupil

8x- 5.25mm, 10x- 4.2mm

IPD Range

57-74mm

Minimum Focus

2m

Product Weight

1.48 lbs.

Product Dimensions

L=5.5", W=5", H=2"

Magnification

8 x 42, 10 x 42

37 reviews for 8×42,10×42 Sport ED

  1. Michael Mann

    I’ve had these for two days now. Some of the key things I’ve noticed:

    My eyes are very relaxed and I can look through them for a long time. I attribute this to the a couple of things. Eyes don’t have to be lined up exactly in the center of the eyepiece to see the whole field of view – no black out if you are off center.
    Natural 3D view which I attribute to their precise collimation. Early or late, shade or sun, I see no “color fringes” on birds, twigs or any object in the field of view. They are able to focus precisely and have crisp detail. I don’t have a $1000 plus pair of binoculars to compare them to but don’t feel I’m missing anything.

    They feel compact, light weight and balanced to me. I have no trouble holding them stable enough. I don’t find myself looking for a place to brace myself to hold them still.

    Other observations: Large diameter focusing knob helps precise focusing. Field of view is probably not adequate for finding fast flying birds at close range, but fine for soaring raptors, flocks of ducks and geese and larger birds at a distance. Armor coating comfortable to hold. No wobble in hinge and it’s both tight and smooth. Once it’s adjusted, it stays there.

    Can’t comment on twist out eye cups as I use glasses and leave them all the way in.

    I would certainly recommend them and buy them again.

  2. David Humenansky

    I bought a pair of Oberwerk 10×42 Sport ED with a 6.5 FOV. I love them. They were great during our Antarctica trip and have been during the African Migration I am currently on. I’ve recommended them to others I am so pleased.

  3. Mitch Frieber

    I received the 8×42 Sport EDs a couple days ago. They came with a paper indicating Kevin Busarow’s (owner of Oberwerk) personal measurement of the alignment of the barrels. Out of the box, the Sport ED is a beautiful binocular to behold with it’s red, aluminum adjustment rings against the dark green body.
    Upon first use, which was daytime, I was amazed how light and easy they were to hand hold without shaking. They are much lighter than I remember my Swift HHS 8.5×44 roofs and with a wider field of view. I focused on a corner of a white roof and was rewarded with a view of perfectly aligned roof shingles. There was slight chromatic aberration but only at the edge of the field. It was less than half of the chromatic aberration of my 10×50 Ultras obviously due to the ED glass in the Sport EDs vs. the Ultras, which do not have ED glass. Neither binocular had chromatic aberration in the center. The Ultras had a lot more chromatic aberration at the edges.
    This morning, I brought my brand new Sport EDs to the local Audubon store to compare with their Swarovski, Zeiss and Nikon Monarch 7, each of similar specs. Still daytime but of birds at feeders–unfortunately through a glass window. The Sport EDs held their own against the Nikons. The Zeiss and especially the Swarovski’s seemed to be just a little more comfortable to use. Focusing seemed to take a little longer in the Sport EDs and that could be that the focusing mechanism was a little less smooth or maybe there was less depth of field but it was hard to tell. The ability to focus quickly is important in birding obviously. Hey, we are talking about $300 binoculars vs. $1.5-2.5K binoculars. As far as I could tell, brightness and sharpness were up there with both the Zeiss and the Swarovski’s. The Sport EDs were noticeably lighter than the other binoculars due to the magnesium housing and this is certainly a plus.
    Tonight, I tested the Sport EDs against my 10×50 Ultras and 15×70 Orion Resolux (same as Ultra) looking at Jupiter. Jupiter is a very challenging test for any astronomical instrument. Having these three binoculars gives me a nice range of magnification (8x, 10x and 15x). I had them on tripods and I was sitting. I have to say, although, of course, the image of Jupiter in the Sport ED was smaller, it was just a little sharper than either of the larger binoculars. As well, there was noticeably less chromatic distortion. Stars were pinpoint in all the binoculars.
    I was looking for a cheap birding binocular and was considering Oberwerk’s 8×40 Porros at roughly half the price of the Sport EDs. Kevin convinced me to go for the Sport EDs and I am so glad he did. Chromatic aberration is practically non-existent, which is important in birding. As well, there is no light loss throughput, which is important when it is getting late in the afternoon or when you are looking in the shadows. Kevin explained that these binoculars incorporate a robust prism system so that the binoculars are unlikely to fall out of alignment.
    I rate these Oberwerk Sport ED binoculars excellent and probably on a par with the Nikons at twice the price.

  4. BB3 (verified owner)

    I purchased the 8×42 SED primarily for bird watching. The binoculars sit on my desk which overlooks large window showcasing a tree with hummingbird feeder hanging from one of the branches. The 8×42 SEDs are perfect for the task. They are lite and very easily focused. It is easy to track the hummingbirds and re-focus as they go from branch to feeder to flower. The color is excellent, and the image is sharp. At night I use them to scan the night sky. Being 8x binoculars, they don’t have the power to tightly zoom in on the treasures of the night sky, but they are excellent for general scanning of the sky. The ED glass is worth the upgrade. These are wonderful binoculars. Highly recommended.

  5. Jerome Santos (verified owner)

    I purchased the 10×42 model. The clarity is absolutely incredible throughout most of the field of view. I compared these side by side with a pair of Zeiss Conquests 10×42 (a $1000 purchase) and the view was, to my eyes, indistinguishable from each other. One of the slight differences was in the focusing knob – the Zeiss pair felt a slight bit tighter and firm, but I would have never had noticed had I not had a pair side by side. Overall, the Oberwerks Sport EDs really are comparable to a $1000+ purchase. These are the best purchase of optics I have made to date!

  6. Jon B.

    Buy with confidence! I ordered the 10×50 Ultra, but put a note with my order about my age and that I wear glasses, in case that was a problem. Kevin e-mailed me with some alternatives, since that model really isn’t good with glasses. I switched my order, and I’m very pleased with the 10×42 Sport that I got. The quality is outstanding, and I really appreciated the advice. Great buying experience.

  7. Peter G.

    My binoculars arrived today and I just wanted to thank you, they are brilliant, and just exactly what I have always wanted. They will be wonderful in spring and summer here, as I don’t tend to look at far away things as much, the brightness and close focus these have will make viewing Damsel’s and Dragonfly’s down on the riverbank (The Eden) an utter pleasure. I do like the anodized red aluminium and green colours you are using too. Thankyou so very much for what you are doing and bringing these things within reach of many people.

  8. Paul Lofgren (verified owner)

    I have to say thank you to Kevin who quickly responded to my Email about which model of the Sport ED binocular would best meet my needs. His suggestion that the 10x42mm would best compliment my vintage Canon 7×35’s was spot on. I got my new Oberwerk Sport ED 10×42’s two days ago and I have probably already spent several hours observing everything from birds to Jupiter and stars at night. These are seriously the best binoculars I have ever looked through and at this price, I know it knocks all the competition out. These are extremely well built and feel like they are built for a lifetime of use. They will be no problem to carry in my Jeep for all my trips up the Forest Service roads in the surrounding mountains. The glass is crystal clear and they weigh exactly the same as my old Canon 7×35 porro prism MIJ binoculars but feel so much more solid. Thanks Kevin for bringing such amazing optics to people at the most reasonable prices of anyone. I don’t see anything in the $500-$1000 range that rivals our has better specs than the Sport ED binocular. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking to have a set to hand down to your kids as these are built to last!

  9. Andy

    I received the 10×42 Sport ED this past week and they are awesome. They were packed well and and collimation seems to be spot on. I really like the way they look and feel. The red color on the focus wheel and diopter makes it stand out with a unique look. Since it’s been very cloudy I cannot comment on how they do looking at the night sky. I did quite a bit of bird watching and compared them to my 8×32 Wingspan Probirder Ultra HD which for $110 is a very good binocular. Comparing both views while looking at birds about 50 feet away I could not tell much of a difference aside from the 8×32 seeming to be just a hair brighter. The 10×42 brought me closer to the birds and was as sharp as the 8×32. For terrestrial viewing I’d say the binocs gave me equal quality of viewing pleasure. Is the 10×42 worth almost $200 more? It is debatable but I like knowing that Kevin stands behind his products and I’m not rolling a roulette wheel when I order something so I’ll probably order again and pay a small premium. Inside the box I also received a nice Oberwerk neck strap, but unfortunately one of the belt slips on the strap was missing. I just took one off the from the other strap so no big deal. Great product and great company.

  10. Eric Holmstrom (verified owner)

    I bought my 8X42 Sport EDs some time ago and carried them on a world cruise that sadly, was cut a bit short by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our three months at sea proved their quality and sharpness of view and light-gathering ability over and over again. Now I walk with them on my fitness eBirding walks during this time of social distancing and have found that the Sport EDs are the best birding binocular I have ever owned. Oberwerk’s service on this purchase and others that I have made with them over the years has been excellent as well.

  11. CL (verified owner)

    I was looking for an upgrade to my do-it-all binocular, and I wanted the assurance of quality that comes with shopping at Oberwerk (I hate wondering if my instrument is properly collimated, or if the focuser is going to start catching etc., and so far in this market range buying from Kevin is the only way I can rest easy on those points). After some extensive research, I settled on the Sport ED 8×42. My goal was a bit more portability than my other instruments, but also an instrument that would work very well for hand-held astronomy use. Like many others, this little gem changed my mind on the “roof for birds, Porro for stars” old mantra. The quality of the views through this well-designed and well-made bino is outstanding.

    The shopping experience was as I’m used to, from a comprehensive advice session with Kevin, to fast receipt of the item, with the trademark hands-on checklist included. The instrument feels really good in the hand, and screams “well-made”. Metal focusers, expensive-feeling rubber coat, and beautiful clear lenses.

    During the day I get very sharp images with great colors and contrast. Good immersive feeling as I scan through layers of trees next to my house, and they focus very, very close.

    At night, the views are really crisp, and the huge 8.1º FOV makes for a great floating-in-space feeling. I got a chance to check out comet Neowise, and wow, what a view! First off, I pulled it out even standing under bright lights on a road bridge, shielding my eyes from the flood lights with my hand! Then in the slightly darker spot, I got a brilliant nucleus, and about 3 degrees of slightly curving tail without any effort. I did some A-B checking with my other hand-held, the Celestron Skymaster DX 8×56. I still think the Celestron is a great instrument, but I am confident this (yes, roof prism!) instrument is actually better, in spite of the big decrease in aperture! I have yet to do a proper test in a dark sky to see how they pull in dim fuzzies – hard to do in my Bortle 7-8 skies, with neighbors who love their night lights. I could clearly see Albireo as a double! It’s a bit of a soft mess with the Celestron, in comparison, and I wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a double if I didn’t already know it. The coat hanger seems to be a bit brighter in the Celestron, but it is much crisper in the Obie.

    Overall I am very happy with this purchase.

  12. Mike Marshall (verified owner)

    I have owned the 8 x 42 for 2 or 3 months now and they are an ideal all purpose binocular. They are solid and well made. They focus quickly and easily for birdwatching near or far and that was expected. The pleasant surprise was just how good they are for the night sky. These are easily handheld with minimal shake and the lenses gather more than enough light for the views that I need. They are great for when I don’t have time or feel like getting the 20 x 65 and tripod out. Views of constellations are crisp and sharp. They work great for searching out objects that are borderline naked eye sights. In the past week I used them to find the NEOWISE comet before attempting to see it naked eye and then eventually looking with the 20 x 65 and tripod. I also used them the morning that I looked at 5 planets viewable at the same time. Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Venus were all easily seen naked eye, but I used the 8 x 42 to “find” Mercury as it came above the horizon prior to being able to see naked eye. The sliver of moon in the area was just an added bonus. In short the 8 x 42 has done everything I expected and more. This is my second purchase and again prompt service and confidence that everything would be “right” was my experience. We have been pleased with the 8 x 42 ED and the 20 x 65 ED we purchased previously. I look forward to our next purchase, either something to fill the gap between the two we own or possibly a binocular telescope.

  13. Shaun (verified owner)

    Very nice binoculars. I was on the fence about these for a while. I was considering these and a handful of other brands. I can only compare them to my 10×50 Nikon Actions. The sport ED is much clearer and brighter. No internal reflection on the moon and no CA. Daytime views are crystal clear. I love the wide field of view. I’m pleased with the purchase. Maybe a 5 star if I had a chance to compare with similar spec binoculars

  14. Bob Boltz (verified owner)

    I’ve had the ED 8X42 for a year now and am completely satisfied. Recently used them to view Neowise and could the color and hollowness of the tail. Turning to Jupiter, I could see two moons. These are very solid and are half the weight of the old pair I inherited.

  15. Mike (verified owner)

    I picked up the 8×42 Sport ED model to use as an all-purpose binocular. My use is split about 50/50 between bird/wildlife viewing and looking at the stars, and I am very pleased with the performance for both uses. The binoculars are compact and light and easy to carry on a hike, and that same compactness and light weight makes them easy to hand hold while looking at the stars. Views are crisp and bright, and have plenty of contrast. The field of view is nice and wide and is great for sweeping the Milky Way. The overall fit and finish is solid, the focuser is very smooth with no backlash, and the collimation is spot on. Oberwerk as a company is great to do business with – shipping was prompt and everything was well packed. This is my second pair of Oberwerk binoculars but they won’t be my last, and I would happily recommend Oberwerk binoculars to anyone.

  16. William Ross

    I’m not an expert on using binoculars, but so far very pleased with this 8×42. It’s easy to focus and I enjoy being able to focus perfectly on insects on the glass window I look out of to spot birds. From what I’ve been reading it’s a great value for the price.

  17. Nancy Plumfield

    I use these binos for observing shore birds both wading and in flight. They were very easy to focus and the clarity was terrific.

  18. Raimund McClain (verified owner)

    These are well built, well designed, and the best value on the market. They were shipped promptly and came very nicely packaged. Highly recommend.

  19. Kevin C (verified owner)

    I recently bought the 8×42 Sport ED binoculars. Other than a set of image stabilized binoculars I own, which are in a different class due to their size, these 8×42 from Oberwerk are the best binoculars I have ever owned.

    I like everything about them – the weight, the feel, and the views. These are not so heavy that I can’t wear them around my neck for long periods. The coating gives me a good, firm grip. I am not in fear that I might accidentally drop them.

    It was easy to adjust them to fit my face, such as interpupillary distance and the right eye’s diopter setting.

    The center focus operates flawlessly, and I am glad that it is metal instead of plastic.

    The views are incredibly sharp. I use these for bird watching and watching other wildlife; I also use them for star gazing.

    I chose the 8×42 instead of the very similar 10×42 set. I could have gotten the 10×42 set for the same price as the 8×42. But as I get older, I find that my hands shake more than when I was younger. The Oberwerk web site mentions something about this when trying to choose which model. I already knew to choose the 8×42.

    As a plus, they are waterproof. I typically don’t use binoculars in bad weather, but it’s nice to know that I can if needed.

    I always wear my eyeglasses when using binoculars, both during the day and at night, and I have no problem at all with eye relief.

    Due to my budget, I am like most of you reading this review – I want a very good/excellent set of binoculars, but I also don’t want to spend $3,000 for something that may come close to optical perfection that I can’t notice anyway. I have never even looked through a so-called “alpha” brand of binoculars, because unless I win the lottery, they are always out of my reach. I am unsure whether I would really notice any big difference between an alpha brand and the Oberwerk.

    But with these Oberwerk binoculars, I feel like I have won the lottery and have money left over. Of course, there are more expensive binoculars in the same 8×42 size that may squeeze out a little more detail. But I don’t think I could discern such a difference. I am very satisfied with these.

    With these 8×42 binoculars, I feel like I am immersed into the view – both during the day, and at night. At night, the images are much brighter than expected. I am delighted with the views.

    Don’t worry about where these binoculars are made, and don’t concern yourself with where the alpha binoculars are made. Instead, worry about the quality control, regardless of country of origin. Oberwerk’s owner has a well deserved reputation, and he maintains it by ensuring quality control at point of manufacture. So I don’t care where these binoculars were made. I care about how they look, how they feel in my hands, how they fit my face, and how great the views are when I look through them.

    The one thing I regret about these binoculars is that I waited so long to buy them. I should have gotten them long ago. Thanks Kevin, Linda and the other people at Oberwerk for making a quality product at a decent price.

  20. Jacob Brady (verified owner)

    I purchased the Sport ED 8×42 primarily for birding which I recently got interested in, but also for night sky viewing. I have been involved in amateur astronomy for several years so am familiar with optics and have owned many telescopes. The Sport ED binocular is simply wonderful. The build quality is exceptional, the focuser is smooth and has ideal resistance, the hinge is robust, and the diopter has stayed where I set it the day I received the binocular. I have a low/mid range 10×50 binocular that I have used for astronomy and birding and the Sport ED blows it away in image quality and comfort of use, I was astounded by the difference and no longer have a use for the 10×50. I think the perfect collimation plays a big part in comfort and immersive view. Coupled with the wide field of view and sharp optics it is a pleasure to use as well as functional. I have no experience with high-end binoculars, but am not sure how it could get much better than the experience the Sport ED provides.

  21. Richard Mendenhall (verified owner)

    I have viewed through a lot of binoculars in my years. I currently own a pair of Nikons. They served me well over the years but after seeing what I was missing with these Oberwerk 8×42,10×42 Sport ED, there is no comparison. I love these binoculars and am now considering a larger pair for digging deeper into the sky. I am an Oberwerk fan for life. And the customer service is top-notch. I highly recommend these optics.

  22. David A Pansini (verified owner)

    First let me start by Thanking Kevin for his help. I’ve been emailing him with questions for about two years. He always responds quickly with good information and suggestions.
    I have a Celestron 9.25 Telescope, but it weighs a lot and takes about 20 minutes to set up and align. I was looking for a good pair of Astronomy Binoculars that would be lighter, easier and set up in just a few minutes. Like the 15×70 Ultra and 20×80 Deluxe III.
    I have always looked at the 8×42 Sport ED for wide view Astronomy viewing, but I already have a 10×50 pair. I really wanted a bigger, higher power Binocular for a more detailed look at the Heavens. But recently, my 40 year old Minolta 10×50’s had an accident. Although they still work, the image is not as good as it used to be. So, I started looking at the Sport ED’s again. I also looked at other brands like Celestron, Vortex, Zeiss and others. None of the other brands have anyone to talk too about their products. You have to send them an email and hope they get back to you in a day or two. Thanks to Kevin, I purchased the 8×42 Sport ED’s. And I’m glad I did.
    I’ve been using them daily and not just for Astronomy. I sit outside in the morning with my coffee and view all the birds in my yard. I’ve actually learned what kind of birds they are. I live in Eastern NJ and will be taking them to the many parks along the Jersey Shore.
    The 8×42 colors are natural, and everything is sharp. I can focus quickly to see amazing detail. I’ve only had a couple of good nights to look at the stars, and the view was amazing. Wide, clear and sharp from edge to edge. Can’t wait for the next clear evening. I even purchased a Gravity Chair for ultimate comfort at night.
    I love the size and weight of the Sport ED’s. It has a very nice grip and the focusing knob is smooth. I’m still looking at big Bino’s. And when the time comes to purchase one, I’ll be contacting Kevin. No reason to go anywhere else.
    These binoculars will be coming with me everywhere. They are a pleasure to use. Couple this with the Binocular Harness, which I would highly recommend, and you have an amazing, comfortable, tack sharp binocular that is a pleasure to look through, every time.

    Good viewing

    David

  23. Ken J Hubal (verified owner)

    Outstanding binoculars and outstanding service!! I just received my 8×42 Sport ED and have used them for bird watching and will be using for wide field astronomy. They are tack sharp across the entire field and show no signs of chromatic aberration!!
    I also have a pair of vintage Japanese 7×50 binoculars and together with these 8×42 Sport ED’s, my binocular observing needs are covered for the rest of my life. I am an avid bird watcher and amateur astronomer and these 8×42 Sport TEd’s will definitely be put to good use!!

  24. Mark Shale (verified owner)

    My girlfriend’s family has a cabin on Lake Superior and I was considering buying an astronomy binocular to use for night sky observing. Unfortunately, the view of the sky from the cabin in limited by all the trees, and since we go up only a few times in the summer, I thought astronomy binoculars would be a bit much and not be used very often, especially considering the cost. I have a pair of Nikon 7X50s that I bought 40 plus years ago that I’ve used for stargazing and terrestrial use and they have proven excellent: exceptionally sharp images, little chromatic aberration (CA), wide field of view, and would cost over $800 in today’s dollars if I bought an equivalent pair. With advances made in lens construction and coatings over the past 40 years, the Oberwerk Sport ED 8X42s appear as bright as the Nikons, have as sharp an image, an even wider field of view, even less CA, are more compact, and lighter, have superior adjustable eye cups, and can be easily mounted using a tripod adapter (a feature which my Nikon lacks). For the reasonable cost, I bought two pair, one for me, one for her, so we each can enjoy the excellent views. I am impressed with these, even if they had cost twice as much.

  25. David Jirsa (verified owner)

    Got the 10×42 and I am glad I did. I use these for work which requires a lot of bird observation on construction sites and other environmentally sensitive areas. I carry them with me all day when I work. I have never gotten eye strain from them. Very clear and bright and the magnification is perfect for birding and general observation. I have never had an expensive pair to compare them too but I cant really imagine that binos need to be much better. My coworkers with other brands in the same price range were impressed by the performance as it was better than what they were using. The focus knob really adds something. It is very smooth and precise. You may not think that makes a difference but when you are using these a lot it makes a huge difference. I did the collimation test and as advertised they are perfect!

    I would highly recommend these.

  26. Bob (verified owner)

    First rate binoculars both day & night! I use my 10×42 Sport ED for stargazing [70%] and birding [30%]. They provide edge to edge sharpness, spot-on color and offer a wide field of view which is very helpful in the night sky to help pinpoint a secific target. And scanning the Milky Way with these binoculars is pure joy.
    For birding, the 10x gets a fabulously close view and allows me to see such fine color variations. Really fascinating!
    They are solidly built and fit well in my hands.
    This is the latest in my Oberwerk collection of optics and I could not be more pleased.

  27. ATSF (verified owner)

    Very impressive optics and solidly built. The focus knob is slight stiff for my taste, but the rotating eyecups and diopter adjustment feel just right. A rugged, comfortable feel in the hand. Optical quality is equal to or better than Canon IS binoculars, which of course are otherwise a very different beast.

  28. James C. Allewelt (verified owner)

    I purchased a pair of Oberwerk Sport ED 8×42 binoculars (August 2021) for night sky observing, so my evaluation will reflect this. I plan to use the Sport ED rather than my Fujinon 10×50 FMT-SX when I need a smaller and lighter glass, especially for travel purposes. I like the 5mm exit pupil and 65-degree AFOV of the Fuji 10×50, and therefore chose the 8×42 in which the exit pupil and AFOV are about the same. All my other binoculars are of the porro prism style; the Sport ED is the first roof prism design I have owned, and the price point of ~320 USD was an additional incentive to use it to check out roof prisms in general.

    The binocular seems a bit heavier than its advertised weight, perhaps a function of its compactness? Both focus and diopter adjustments are stiff enough to remain where I set them. The neck strap is one of the nice wide ones. Objective dust caps are of the “captive” kind, but these are held on by plastic rings that can be slipped off the barrels so that the caps may be removed altogether.

    The Sport ED comes with twist-out eyecups to provide 4 different eye-position distances from the eye lens: the default, and 3 clicks out. The twist-out eyecups felt very snug at every position, unlike my Nikon Action Extreme 10x50s, whose similar eyecups shift around a bit. For my eyes, I had to twist the eyecups out 2 clicks to get back far enough from the eyepieces to eliminate blackouts. The AFOV at 2 clicks was still visible but a bit soft around the edges as if the eyecups were starting to infringe upon it. I wear glasses, but as I do not view with my eyeglasses on I will not comment on that experience.

    The Sport ED nighttime field of view reminds me of the Fujis – a little dimmer overall, but with the good light transmission that is the hallmark of modern optical coatings. From 3600 ft. up in the Virginia mountains, the Milky Way clouds glow in the Sport EDs in much the same way as the Fujis, and stars are intensely bright. Sharpness is very good across the center half of the FOV, with minor and unobtrusive fall-off towards the edge. Jupiter is a tight, round dot in the central FOV with no flares, no color fringing, and with the four primary moons resolved to sharp points. At 8x I can pick out objects such as M15 and M27 in my own Bortle 5 skies. Color is accurate, with no fringing around even the brightest stars, so the Sport earns its “ED” rating.

    In summary, if you are looking for a roof prism binocular that clears the entry level hurdles into the advanced class, the Sport ED does this at a very competitive price – the reason for my 5-star rating. The fact that Oberwerk inspects all their binos for collimation prior to sending on to customers is an additional and significant plus.

  29. ATSF (verified owner)

    It’s hard to find any fault with the 8x42s. Optics are flawless, easily on par with a pair of high-end Canon ISs I had. I don’t notice any issues away from the center of the view with my use cases of astronomy and rugged build with a monoblock feel, really nice action on the focus ring and twist eyecups. Eye cups are comfortable. The whole thing is not too big and not too heavy. I’ve used them in wet and foggy weather with no issues. Color accuracy is superb (obviously better than my comparably priced Nikons).

  30. Andy C. (verified owner)

    I’ve never owned roof prism bino’s before and these are superb. Crisp, tack sharp views, and vivid color rendition. Ergonomics are great, everything feels solid. Adjustments for IPD and diopter are easy and stay spot on while using.

  31. Greg (verified owner)

    The Ultimate Binocular! Compact and oozing with quality!

    The Sport EDs use FK-61 Extra Low Dispersion glass (similar to FPL 51).
    The sharpness across the entire field is incredibly good in these. I have not tried them at night yet but the view is unbelievably sharp across the entire field (to my eyes) during the day! The focus knob is buttery smooth and you can focus so close with these! The build quality is top notch and these look a lot more interesting than binoculars that cost 4-5 times as much in my opinion. These binoculars are a bargain for the category and what they offer people. Oberwerk is the best binocular company in the world. Nothing leaves their facility in OH without being checked for collimation by Kevin. You don’t get that level of care anywhere else. Incredible

  32. Christine Zacharer (verified owner)

    “Not bad, not bad at all!” (I’m sure I’m quoting someone…lol)

    Normally I wait a bit of time to post a review (I have a couple more here that were posted a year + with frequent use). I’ll make an exception here.

    The 8×42 Sport ED: These were purchased primarily as a quick look astronomical viewer/star hopper. I have larger and more advanced optics for the night sky viewing. I also have extensively used a set of 7×42 Zeiss Victorys. I prefer the low power, light weight of the smaller binocs. These fit a specific purpose for me: That being a wear all night lightweight, low power binoc for star hopping and finding difficult targets.

    The look: Nice soft case storage bag with its own strap. The grey color and anodized red focuser and diopter adjusters look very stylish.

    The feel: Great in my hands. They are light and easy to hold. The rubberized coating is well done and feels perfect. Quality. The focus knob, ipd bridge, diopter, lens caps and eye cup stops all are tactile fit well are easy to manipulate and adjust and stay put once set.

    The fit: Again great. They are probably the smallest you would want to use for astronomical viewing. Again, these are not my primaries, but a set I keep around my neck for an evening of viewing and quick star hopping to my next target. The strap is comfy, the lens covers fit well and are easy to pop on and off. They are also easy to alternate to help with focus. The EP covers attach to the strap which is a nice touch.

    Eye Relief: Excellent. Beyond excellent actually. These are a perfect set up for glasses wearers. There is no loss of FOV at all. I cannot say this about many other binocs. The eyecups twist out and lock in 4 positions. They do not slip.

    Focuser: easy to reach with index fingers and can easily be turned with a single finger. That being said, the focus is very smooth, yet has a good amount of resistance. I could detect no backlash in movement.
    The diopter is standard on the right eye. It is more resistive than the focuser, but is easy enough to turn with your right index and thumb. It will not move once adjusted to your eyes.

    IPD/Bridge is solid, stiff yet smooth and again won’t move once you have it adjusted. I doubt it would move even after repeated storage in its case.

    Now the critical stuff: the optics. Mind you, these are about 1/7th the cost of “comparable” pair of Swarovsky or Zeiss. I found the field to be flat and sharp to the edge. Collimation was perfect. Are they as sharp or bright as the Zeiss Victories? Not quite, but they are darn close, and therein lies the value of these. I will say though, that I found them to be superior to the Zeiss for star color.

    First light was spent mostly looking at challenging low power doubles. Zeta Lyra at 44″ was easily splittable. Kuma in Draco at about 65″ was easy as well. Albireo in Cygnus, at 36″ was a challenge, with beta1 Cygni having good orange color, beta2 Cygni was visible as a tiny dim dot. Its blue color was not easily discernible however. Now the real challenge: Beta Lyra…even though wider than Albireo and Zeta Lyra, Sheliak at 46″ is a very difficult binocular double due to the fact that beta1 and beta2 are the same color, but are 3 orders of magnitude different in brightness. By way of reference, I can just barely split the dimmer star in very good 13×80 finder scope. I am happy to say, I could split it, it was a challenge, It was actually better to hand hold and scan, as opposed to supporting the binocs to split beta Lyra.
    Another challenging object for low power binocs is the tiny and dim open cluster M29 in Cygnus. With the 6 main stars being ±9th magnitude, they are all very close as well. Picking out the distinctive M29 in the star rich region around Sadr can be a challenge, but I was able to “find” it.
    Star colors were excellent, actually this was remarkably better than with the Zeiss. Carbon stars were a lovely red, Yellow stars were yellow and I detected no CA in brighter stars, like Vega, Deneb, Alkaid, Mizar.

    Jupiter was a lovely bright yellow orange. The 4 Jovians were sharp and crisp (Io and Europa were within 6″ and viewable as a single moon)
    Saturn had ears, I was not able to separate the rings from the disk. Titan was visible.
    Uranus was easy to find, as it should be. But by the time I looked, Neptune was fairly low, but just barely visible. The two outermost were not discernible as disks. Nor should they be at 8x.

    To sum, the 8×42 Sport ED are a wonderful pair of binocs for quick scans of the sky. Need a wide field to star hop to your next target, these fit that bill for me. I was left really impressed with their size, weight, comfort to hand hold and very smooth adjustments. Especially so, thought and 10 stars for star colors…this was the most outstanding impression I had from first light. Another great value from Kevin and folks at Oberwerk.

  33. Rick Hoag (verified owner)

    I have spent months trying to decide on a good handheld binocular for astronomy to pair with my bt-100xl Ed, and I finally settled on the 8×42 sport Ed. I’m so happy with it. I was able to use it up in a pretty dark sky at a mountain cabin over the weekend, and was blown away! The clarity, contrast and detail I could see blew my mind! I brought the BT with me and I barely used it, as I was so happy with the views with the 8×42 (and honestly the convenience). Super comfortable to use, and fantastic to look through. Also it’s extremely well built and sturdy, and it makes it a pleasure to hold. Amazing product and at a really great price!

  34. John Leimgruber (verified owner)

    The 8×42 Sport ED roof prism bino’s ease of use and wide FoV are wonderful for getting me out there and learning the constellations and stars. Works great on a tripod with a small fluid head as well as hand-held!

  35. Gordon Stam (verified owner)

    This is for the 8x42s. I like them alot. I’m building a binocular collection which includes other brands that cost 3 times as much and these hold there own. The view is bright, flat, sharp almost to the edge, and the FOV is good. There’s plenty of eye relief with glasses on and with my glasses off, and with a strong myopia, the focus goes well beyond infinity. That is a plus. Appearance wise they are pretty businesslike: dark green rubber with contrasting machined aluminum controls rings, focus and right side diopter adjustment. Nothing fancy. The focus wheel is smooth and light, the diopter adjustment is firm.

    I think they stack up well against their competition even up to binoculars that are much more expensive. If you’re on the fence about buying these I think you could pull the trigger and not be disappointed.

  36. Gary (verified owner)

    Excellent product. Best tool in my home inspection toolkit (indispensable). Extremely good even in dark corners of roof eaves. Great for nighttime astronomy hobby also. Love this binocular.!!!!

  37. WillieK (verified owner)

    I purchased my 10X42 ED glasses in 2019 specifically for a trip to Great Basin National Park. They functioned great for both wildlife and dark-sky star gazing. They’re reasonably compact when compared to some of the glasses we saw others toting around. We’ve used them regularly without issue until 2023 when the right twist-up cup and the diopter control ring became unusually stiff to turn. The right twist-up cup was far stiffer than the left one – so stiff in fact, you could no longer sense the detents that are easily felt in the left cup. The diopter was difficult to adjust while looking through the tubes because it took two hands to twist it. I spoke to Kevin at Oberwerk by phone and he gave me two options to get them looked at. I chose to send them to Oberwerk rather than the other approved service company. Oberwerk’s customer service and repair team were great. They turned them around in about a week for ~$70.00 repair & shipping. They’re working fine now. Had it not been for the unexplained mechanical failure, I would have given these glasses 5 stars.

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