Review on Carson Scout Series: Compact & Lightweight 🔍 Porro Prism Binoculars in 7x18mm, 8x22mm, or 10x25mm by Barbara Lawler

Even after reading the dimensions of these binoculars, I was surprised by their size when I found the packaging. These are very small binoculars and they are also very light. They set up fairly quickly and the image is quite good considering the tiny lens and low price. The sharpness in the center of the image is good on both sides of the binoculars, but the edges of the image are slightly blurred on both sides. They are surprisingly bright for such a small lens, color reproduction is fairly accurate and the field of view is very wide. These binoculars are much better than similar rooftop prism binoculars and as small as possible so they don't get lost. I recommend them if you are on a very tight budget and size and weight are a top priority. I will use them for hiking and as a loan for sporting events. Since they seem pretty durable, cheap and easy to pack, I think they'd be good to put in a holdall, car or backpack. The moderate magnification and wide viewing angle are also suitable for sports and stage performances. They are good for the person who wants minimally invasive binoculars. They are easy to carry, afford and use. If image quality is the primary concern and cost, size and weight are secondary, I would recommend going up the price and size. Of course, this includes almost any binoculars compared to a mini scout. Models I've tried (and highly recommend) that are a big step up but larger and more expensive are the Olympus Tracker 8x25, the Nikon Travelite V 8x25, and the rather small Micron Swift mini 8x21. They all offer a significantly better image than the Mini Scout, but are larger, heavier and more expensive. If you intend to use the binoculars a lot and for a long time, it will reduce eye strain and make it more comfortable to use. However, if you just want very compact and inexpensive binoculars with usable optical quality, the Carson Mini Scout is a good choice.