Carson RD-034 10x34mm RD Series Compact Open-Bridge Waterproof High Definition Binoculars

Product Information

All you need to do is remove the dust cap on the front hinge by unscrewing it. Then you can simply screw in a standard binocular tripod adapter. The 17mm of eye-relief is good and whilst not quite enough (18mm) to make it onto my list of binoculars with long eye-relief, it should still be more than enough for almost all users who wear glasses to get the full view.

Carson Optical sent me a couple of the models within the RD-Series to take a look at and so to start with, I decided to review the most popular 8x42 configuration. As you can see in the comparison table below this field of view this is a fraction less than the average 8x42 binocular: The Carson binoculars also fit perfectly inside and can be stored with the eye-cups extended which is all too often not the case and so whilst a very small thing, is one thing that really annoys me. As with the vast majority bins made these days, the Carson RD's have a rubber amount covering almost all of the chassis underneath. Under the rubber the Carson RD 8x42 binoculars have a Polycarbonate plastic frame that forms the body shape and protects the optics and mechanisms within.Remember, this is not only good for those people who not afraid of the rain, as being hermetically sealed means that they are also protected from dust in dry conditions as well. Thus if you have the at a mid point and push them reasonably firmly against your face they do give and you find that your eyes get closer and closer to the oculars. For more on this and to compare the ocular lens size on these Carson RD Series 8x42 binoculars with others: Ocular Lens Size in Binoculars. Objective Lenses

The main reason for this is that not only was the Carson RD-8x42 comfortable to hold and well balanced when I held them up to my eyes, but the gap in between the barrels and the two hinges made for a secure place to hold onto them whilst walking about. This is because at any position other than fully extended or retracted, if you apply a reasonable (but not excessive) amount of force, they begin to twist down. The twisting mechanism on both cups on my sample was extremely smooth, in fact I would probably have preferred there to be a little more friction. However unless you are really planning on exposing yourself and your optics to the extremes, this should not be much of an issue for you. I just added it as many people ask what the difference is between cheap and more expensive binoculars and this is one of them! All of these are typical, perfectly functional and well within what I would expect to find at this price range.

Other features and highlights of the JK-042 and the JK-842 8x42mm binoculars are that they have been fully sealed to make them waterproof. On top of this, the inside air has been replaced with nitrogen, which will help stop any internal fogging of the lenses. The models within the series include a compact 8x26 (RD-826), a mid sized 10x34 (RD-034), a 10x and 8x42 (RD-042 and RD-842) and then a large 10x50 (RD-050). So as you see the Carson RD-Series is fairly comprehensive and thus will cater for a wide range of uses and interests. Carson RD 8x42 Binoculars Review Whereas Fully Multi-Coated tells us that every lens element throughout the system has been multi layer treated which does make a big difference in both quality and brightness.