Bushnell 7 x 35 Falcon Binoculars- For The Average Person

This is a totally redone review of my Bushnell Falcon 7x35 binoculars (13-3410). The original was written in May 2000. To fully understand binoculars I did some research and included some definitions both for you and for me. I have put it on the bottom so the information wouldn't be part of the review or appear as a filler.

About the binoculars

~My Bushnells’s provide 7 times the magnification of an object I may look at. That’s where the 7 comes in. I live on the ocean and I use it all the time to see boats, birds, and a seal! or Provincetown and I will see any one of these things 7 times bigger and closer than I do with the naked eye.

~ The lens system is called a Binocular Lens System: Porro Prism. The company claims that this system provides a view that is clear and sharp. In my opinion this claim is true. The magnification of, let's say, the row boat I want to make sure isn't headed to the nuclear power plant is coming in clear and sharp!(See below)

~My binoculars are armored. This means there is a protective coating on it, which according to the company makes them more durable and less easily damaged. In my opinion this claim holds true.

~The focus method is “center focusing” which means that both lenses adjust at the same time. The company claims that this makes focusing quick and smooth. In my opinion this claim holds true.

~The Bushnell’s have an optic coating which according to the company improves light transmission and reduces glare. I have never owned other binoculars with which to compare the light transmission or glare. When I look through them, I don’t see a glare, though.

Specifications some of which are repeated from above: (from http://www.modells.com/product/index.jsp?productId=99714)
- Model Number: 13-3410
- Optic Type: Binocular
- Magnification: 7 x
- Objective Diameter: 35 mm
- Field of View: 420 ft @ 1000 yds
- Weight: 21 oz
- Eye Relief: 12 mm
- Exit Pupil Diameter: 5 mm
- Tripod Adaptable
- Case Included
- Strap Included
- Eyepiece Cap Included

My thoughts

~Compared to our friend’s expensive binoculars, these are big and heavy. I realize they are less than 2 pounds but they are 7 inches across (from lens to lens) and 4 3/4 inches from eyepiece to lens. If you also have a camera around your neck you will start to feel these binoculars.

~The strap that is noted above is a nice, strong plastic one that is adjustable. It isn’t noted in the specs, but there are extra holes if you want to shorten it.

~As seen above it comes with a case. The case is large 7 1/2 inches across by 5 inches down. It is a heavy cardboard case with an adjustable strap. We have had these binoculars for over 5 years and we have had no problems with them. They have traveled to Ecuador with us. After all this time the case is cracking but it is still functional. We also bought, a little later, a flexible plastic case if we don’t want to take the larger and heavier one with us. Actually the plastic one fits in the cardboard one making the binoculars very protected!

~These have proven over the years to be of high quality, very durable and very inexpensive.

Warranty

There really is no warranty. For $7.99 you can get a replacement warranty, however. In addition you can get
up to two additional years of full protection against product breakdowns.

With an extended warranty, you get:
· A choice of one or two years of extended coverage
· Replacement or full refund for products under $100
· Full coverage of parts and labor for repairs of any product defects or faulty workmanship
· Access to more than 12,000 service centers nation-wide
· Up to $45 coverage for removing and/or reinstalling equipment that has suffered a breakdown

Your warranty is underwritten by an A+ rated insurance company. And, there are no hidden fees or deductibles.

It's guaranteed protection for your purchase. For additional information, see the helpdesk section of our website, or call NEW at 1.866.633.2419.

Warranties are only available at the time of product purchase and cannot be sold separately.

[All warranties are fulfilled by NEW (National Electronics Warranty Company), and are sent out via regular mail within 30 days of purchase. Extended warranties are not available for products shipped to the following states: AK,FL,KS,ME,MT,NV,ND and SD.]
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=99714

My final, final thoughts

~These Bushnell Falcon’s are so simple to use! The focus is so easily adjustable and adjusts enough for most people's activities. You just move left or right a middle pieces that adjusts the focus. The product is great to bring along to concerts and plays, for example. They are a bit too big and heavy, though, for me to have said, “Sure, throw them in the suitcase and let’s bring them to Hawaii.” There were a couple of times I wish I had done just that and if they were smaller I would have. If you want them to better see the pitcher throw the ball or the singer in concert, these are great but they were not great to see the Toucans in the Amazon jungle. I needed more magnification for that and should have bought a more expensive pair for that trip.

For the average person, though, who just wants a pair of binoculars to literally see things much closer than the naked eye can, this one is a good buy. At the stores listed at epinions they are on sale for $29.99. That is a fantastic price! The regular price and what we paid was closer to $39.99.

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What are binoculars?

“Usually, binoculars. Also called pair' of binoc'ulars, prism binoculars. an optical device, providing good depth effect, for use with both eyes, consisting of two small telescopes fitted together side by side, each telescope having two prisms between the eyepiece and objective for erecting the image. “
http://www.infoplease.com/ipd/A0341992.html

From the same site:

“binocular, small optical instrument consisting of two similar telescopes mounted on a single frame so that separate images enter each of the viewer's eyes. As with a single telescope, distant objects appear magnified, but the binocular has the additional advantage that it substantially increases the range of depth perception of the viewer because the magnified images are seen with both eyes. The frame of a binocular is usually hinged to permit adjustment of the distance between the telescopes. Focusing can be done by means of a wheel on the central axis between the telescopes; turning the wheel changes the distance from the objective lenses of the telescopes to the eyepieces. Separate focusing of each telescope from the eyepiece may be provided in some types of binocular. The term binocular now usually refers to the prism binocular, in which light entering each telescope through its objective lens is bent first one way and then the other by a pair of prisms before passing through one or more additional lenses in the eyepiece. The prisms aid in reducing the length of the instrument and in enhancing the viewer's depth perception by increasing the distance between the objective lenses. A binocular is often specified by an expression such as “7×35” or “8×50”—the first number indicates how many times the binocular magnifies an object and the second number is the diameter of either objective lens in millimeters. The size of an objective lens is a measure of how much light it can gather for effective viewing. J. T. Kozak, Deep-Sky Objects for Binoculars (1988).”

Going to the same site I looked up prism which is “a unit of prismatic deviation, in which the number one represents a prism that deflects a beam of light a distance of one centimeter on a plane placed normal to the initial direction of the beam and one meter away from the prism.”


If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.