You've got to like your odds when buying an item from a manufacturer when that particular item has a large chunk of company pride staked to it. This is unquestionably the case from Canon in their 7x42 AWP binocular, with the A standing for aspherical and the WP being the denotation of its waterproof and fogproof status.
While Canon has risen to the forefront worldwide with their fabulous Image Stabilizer binoculars, those are limited to use in brighter conditions due to their exit pupil diameters which hover on the smallish side. Not so with this 7x42 AWP, which is Canon's first real effort to reach birding purists, the dominant sect of this particular segment of humanity. People try birding once and, habitually, fall in love with it. Those types eventually always yearn for the familiar refrain; a go-anywhere waterproof binocular with fullsized objective lenses, incredible optics and as light a weight as would be possible. At long last, Canon has launched a home run in this direction.
The 7x42 AWP has finer touches that are simply beautifully tailored. A thorough glance into the barrels should be something any serious buyer should do, and comparing these innards to the best of the best leaves nothing to be desired. The baffling, tolerances and workmanship are simply phenomenal. The eyecups slide up and down on buttery-soft tracks. The lines are clean, the look is sleek.
For whatever reason in the fickle land of consumerism, 7x42 binoculars have become less fashionable while 10x42 versions have become more dominant. There are a number of reasons for this, amongst them the ability for manufacturers to produce good views with the historically more demanding configuration as well as the mass of primarily uneducated consumers simply assuming that a 10x unit of the same variant simply must be better than its 8x or 7x sibling. It is a shame, for a 7x42 is a great configuration for many applications, and indeed for years the recently-deceased Zeiss 7x42 CA binocular was considered the ultimate birding tool. While the Canon exhibits the typical Japanese preference for a slightly warmer color palette, it can honestly be stated that the resolution, contrast and brightness are every bit the equal of others in this segment that cost four times its price. They're quite the specimen to cherish from dawn to dusk.
The included padded cordura case will cause abrasions upon your clothing if left at your side while continually walking. The case listed here as an accessory, entirely waterproof and causing no restrictions upon your interpupillary distance adjustment, will not abrade your clothing.
Key Features
• Fully multicoated optics
• Aspherical lens elements
• Sculpted, finger-friendly bridge
• Silky-smooth helicoid eyecups
• 54-75mm Interpupillary adjustment range
This item includes:
• Padded Cordura Case with Strap & Belt Loop
• Woven Strap
• Eyepiece Rainguard
• 25-Year Limited Warranty
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