I love these binoculars ! The optics are very sharp from edge to edge , and really nice coatings on all the the glass surfaces ! These are built like a tank , very durable . They have a nice quality feel when in use , I will be using these for nature , wildlife and sweeping vistas through the Milky Way . I am very happy to have these in my arsenal .

Thank You ; David S

I bought these binoculars for an upcoming trip to Alaska. I was a little nervous about getting binoculars from a company I had never heard of, but, as another reviewer mentioned, the Wirecutter review caught my attention. All the other binoculars in this price range would have involved some kind of compromise, either a narrow field of view or a of lack of ED glass or a long minimum focusing distance. These binoculars ticked all the boxes for me, and I stayed within my budget (although it was the high end of my budget).

Even though I am no expert, I am impressed. These binoculars are very comfortable in my small hands. They are solid without being unwieldy. The focusing is smooth and easy. Also, I am impressed with how bright they are in low light. The binoculars arrived late in the day, and I gave them their first test drive in the dark. To give you an example, I was able to focus easily and pick out tiny details in an area that my camera metered as f/2.8 and 1.3 seconds at ISO 200. That's EV2, which is really dark.

One more small detail. These binocular do have a tripod mount, which was not mentioned in the reviews or the product specs on the company's website.

No regrets here. I would highly recommend these binoculars.

I have spent a considerable amount of time looking for superior optics in the sub-insane price range. I am a keen birder, and have relied on traditional recommendations such as the Nikon Monarchs and several Vortex and Bushnell offerings on the market. I came to this product from a wirecutter review. Putting my stock in their verdict, I chose the Athlon Midas 8x42, and I could not be more pleased with this purchase. The ergonomics on this product are fantastic, and that is its least impressive virtue. The clarity and brightness of image is unbelievable, birds literally pop into view with ease.

The ED glass really helps with minimizing glare and ghost images (I believe these are among the least pricey bins with ED glass on the market). The close focus and low light performance is just brilliant, and are the icing on the cake. In my opinion, this blows the similarly-priced competitors out of the field.

Bright and clear. Not too heavy. A great fairly compact pair of binoculars.

Very bright and clear. Easy to adjust.

Great image clarity and field of vision. I bought these based on the review on thewirecutter. I'm not a bird watcher but just wanted a quality pair of binoculars for a variety of purposes. Very satisfied with the product.

Amazing. I'll keep this short since I don't usually write reviews, actually never have, but its rare that I'm this happy with a purchase. I researched a ton of different binoculars and made a decision between these and the Carson ED 8x42's. I actually purchased the Carson's before I knew about these but I didn't like narrow FOV of the Carson's at 341 ft. Then I researcher more and found these. I purchased the Athlon's while I still had the Carson's and was able to do a side by side comparison and while the Carson's did have a nice view I didn't like the way they felt looking though them. It was easy to get that black spot and block everything out if you weren't holding them just right. Very happy with these and you can't beat the warranty!

Outstanding little binos, they hold up against the sightron and blow the leupold away. Worth every penny.

I wanted a pair of binoculars to keep handy in my vehicle that could get bounced around a bit. You never know when that "life bird" will appear. I own Pentax, Kowa, and my spouse owns a pair of Leicas. The Midas 8x42 are EASILY on par, and in some ways superior to my other binocs. The field of view is fantastic, and they are not near as heavy or bulky as the Leicas. They just feel good. Now I leave the Kowas at home and grab these for birding adventures, if my wife doesn't grab them first. The best binocs that nobody knows about, until I let fellow birders look thru them.

For the price, these are great binoculars! I bought these binos for deer hunting in North Dakota; I only have a doe tag this year, so I need to be sure that the deer I'm shooting at doesn't have any antlers at all... not even tiny little spikes.

Optically, I have no complaints whatsoever. Brights are brighter, and whites are whiter. No fringing at the edges and easy on the eyes when glassing for deer for long periods of time. When I have a deer in view, I can see antler nubs on small bucks long before they're within comfortable shooting range. The diopter adjustment is solid and won't move unless you want it to. The interpupillary adjustment is the same way, easy to set but stays in place.

My only complaint about the Midas 8x42 binos is the main focus wheel - specifically in cold temperatures. The focus wheel can be very difficult to operate when out hunting in <15F temperatures and wearing heavy winter gloves. The grease inside the moving parts gets noticeably more viscous as the temperature drops, and the knurling on the wheel can be inadequate for operation with thick gloves. In addition, the focus assembly is geared such that it's necessary to turn the wheel a large amount to achieve a small focus distance change. This isn't necessarily a problem, as it's nice to have a finer focus adjustment, but it does get annoying when combined with the stiffness of the movement and slickness of the wheel. It's almost impossible to rapidly change focus distances when holding my rifle in one hand and trying to glass with the other.

If I could suggest any improvements, it would be to enlarge/exaggerate the knurling on the focus wheel and implement a new grease that performs better in a larger range of temperatures.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Athlon Midas binoculars to anybody, but I would definitely tell them about my experience with them at colder temperatures.