Minox BL 8x56 BR
These are roof binoculars with Schmidt-Pechan system prisms, made of BaK-4 glass with phase correction coatings. The binoculars’ body is aluminum with a high class rubber armouring.
The buyer gets a case, a strap and caps for lenses and oculars included in box. The binoculars come with a very good, 30-year-long guarantee.
| Magnification | Lens diameter | Angular field of view | Prisms | Eye relief | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 56 | 109/1000(6.2o) | BaK-4/roof | 20.8 mm | 1040 g | 1859 PLN |
| Real front lens diameter |
Left: 56+/-
0.05 mm Right: 56+/- 0.05 mm |
8 / 8.0 pkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real magnification | 7.91+/- 0.15x | 3/3.0 | ||||
| Transmission | 87.1+/- 1% | 15/25.0 | ||||
| Chromatic aberration | Medium in the centre and at the edge. | 6.3/10.0 | ||||
| Astigmatism | Low. | 7.2/10.0 | ||||
| Distortion | The distance of the first curved line from the field centre compared to the field of vision radius: 58.5% +- 4% | 6.5/10.0 | ||||
| Coma | Starts to appear in the distance of 70% from the field of vision centre and it is medium at the edge. | 7.5/10.0 | ||||
| Blurring at the edge of the FOV | The blur appears in the distance of 65% +- 3% from the field of vision centre. | 2/10.0 | ||||
| Darkening at the edge the FOV | Medium. | 3.4/5.0 | ||||
| Whiteness of the image | Very good. | 4.4/5.0 | ||||
| Collimation | Exemplary. | 5/5.0 | ||||
| Internal reflections |
|
2.3/5.0 | ||||
| Housing | Quite solid. Convenient to hold in hand and by the eye. Rubber eyecups with four- degree click stops. The rubber by the front lenses sticks out a bit. | 7.3/8.0 | ||||
| Focusing | Comfortable central screw is well-damped and works smoothly. Full turn takes 680 degrees. Individual click-stop focusing on the right ocular moves the outer lens. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Tripod | Average-comfortable tripod exit. | 2.5/3.0 | ||||
| Interpupilary distance | from 60.5 to 75.8mm | 4/6.0 | ||||
| Closest focusing distance | 3.8 m. | 1.5/2.0 | ||||
| Eyepieces FOV | Apparent field of view of 49.8 deg (according to simple formula) and 47.0 deg (according to tangent formula). | 3.5/20.0 | ||||
| Field of view | Measured by us amounted to 6.30 +- 0.03 degrees and was a bit bigger than stated in the technical specifications. The field typical for the equipment of this class. | 5/8.0 | ||||
| Quality of the interior of the barrels | Inner tubes are black and matt inside, the bottom is black; there are slightly shiny fragments near the prisms. Some small specks of dusts and a small scratch on a prism. | 3.8/5.0 | ||||
| Vignetting |
|
7/8.0 | ||||
| Prisms quality | Very high quality BaK-4. | 8/8.0 | ||||
| Antireflection coatings | Greenish on front lenses, blue-green on prisms, yellow-green on eyepieces. Medium intensity. | 4.5/5.0 | ||||
| Warranty [years] | 30 years | 5/6.0 | ||||
| Final result | 66.9% | 127.2 / 190 pkt | ||||
| Econo result | 0pkt. |
Summary
Pros:
- good transmission,
- low astigmatism,
- slight coma,
- high class coatings and prisms,
- very good white reproduction,
- ideal collimation,
- solid barrel with a good grip,
- good blackening inside the tubes,
- good guarantee conditions.
Cons:
- low image sharpness at the edge of the field of vision,
- a bit too intensive inner flares.
 |
In the absolute scale the Minox fared very well. In fact the only thing the tested binoculars can be accused of is a quick loss of sharpness at the edge of the field of view. Regrettably it is a serious flaw but fortunately just the only one. The binoculars compensate for it performing well in other significant categories: we have here good transmission, good colours rendition, a solid barrel, good coma and astigmatism correction and a decently corrected chromatic aberration. The constructors didn’t save on prisms too much so the exit pupils are tolerably nice and circular and the brightness loss at the edges – acceptable.
 |
The price of the Minox is a problem though. We deal here with a 500 Euro level so a sum that can buy you several serious rivals of the tested lens too – like e.g. a Steiner Ranger 8x56 or a Nikon Monarch 8.5x56. Both these binoculars fared a bit better in our tests and they aren’t significantly more expensive. It’s not the end of it. There are other well-made models on the market, like a Vixen Ultima 8x56 or a Delta Optical Titanium 8x56 – both cheaper than the Minox and reaching, by and large, identical results.
These pieces of news are perhaps not very good for Minox, as the binocular is a very good device after all. The situation is very comfortable indeed for the Readers, though. A wide selection of well-made, solid binoculars on the market, which fared well in the tests and cost from less than 250 Euro to a bit above 500 Euro, put them in the catbird seat. If the performance is very much alike and the price differences – small we can be guided only by our taste and personal preferences. How conveniently a pair of binoculars is hold in your hand and by your eye is often more important than a dry test result or a bargain price.
