Review on 🔍 Hawke Frontier ED X 8x42 Green Binocular by Kenneth Barnes

Bought these as a second pair and upgraded my Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42 binoculars that I mainly use for bird and wildlife watching in the garden. The Vanguards are very good binoculars and leave a lot to be desired on their own, but I foolishly tried a few high-end binoculars and found myself craving improvements, preferably without an astronomical cost. In particular, I've found that a wider field of view improves the binocular experience because it reduces the "see through a straw" effect, but getting that wide field of view with good glass without spending thousands of dollars is difficult. Then came Hawke. I bought these untested based on near unanimous praise among birdwatching enthusiasts, and when I received them I carefully compared them to my Vanguards to make sure I wasn't spending money on numbers rather than real benefits. As an audiophile, I know all too well how easy it is to get bogged down in "better” features that do next to nothing in practice, often at great expense. But in this case, it was immediately apparent that the improvements were real, and depending on how valuable that extra $200 is to you, it's probably worth every penny. Starting with the real benefits, two are really obvious; field of view and brightness/contrast. A wider field of view is really something. Passing between Vanguards and Hawkes, I wouldn't say Vanguards are restrictive or annoyingly narrow, but the Hawkes really shine and give that inevitable sense of a full field of view. This is further enhanced with improved image brightness. The combination gives a big, bright view of what you're seeing with Hawkes, not just a good view through Vanguards. Form factor, but those things are really secondary to the visual benefits. Hawkes also comes with an updated accessory kit. Also, there are far more similarities between the two sets than there are differences; Both have durable, lightweight rubber-coated bodies, phase-coated ED glass, waterproof construction, nearly identical lens caps, and an overall good quality feel. In almost all of these respects, the improvements made to the Hawkes are minor or insignificant. All in all two enthusiastic thumbs up from this guy! And this guy is the kind of guy who would never spend $2,000 on a pair of binoculars, so they could very well be my last, and the lifetime warranty should help make that happen. Conclusion - highly recommended.