Bushnell Powerview 10×50 Wide Angle Binoculars

Bushnell was founded by David P. Bushnell over 50 years ago. Today, the company’s headquarters are in Overland Park, Kansas. Bushnell stands for good quality at affordable prices and is today the market leader for optical systems in the USA. The large selection of Bushnell binoculars and sports optics allows nature and sports lovers to chooses from a wide range of binoculars for hunting, birding, marine, travel, etc, as well as models with a particularly wide field of view.

Among the myriad of binoculars available, Bushnell’s PowerView binoculars are a constant favorite for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a powerful yet affordable instrument. We’ll see what makes these binoculars tick.

Bushnell  10×50 Powerview Binoculars

The Bushnell Powerview 10 × 50 Wide Angle Binocular with its 10x magnification combines a wide field of view with high light-gathering power.

That makes the instrument ideally suited for detailed observation and scanning wide open areas in low light conditions for flocks of birds, wild animals, or other moving objects.

Features Bushnell  10×50 Powerview Binoculars

Bushnell Powerview Binoculars

Bushnell’s PowerView line is available in 3 models with different magnifications but the same aperture. It starts off with 10 x 50 mm and the highest magnification comes in a 20 x 50 model. The magnification power of 20x is a lot in handheld binoculars.

A 10-fold magnification enables detailed observation and is a good choice for all-around binoculars. The 10×50 model has a field of view of about 341feet/1000yrd. This is an excellent value and is a fair bit above the average that 10×50 binoculars usually have.

The higher the power the lower the field of view, in the case of the 20×50 model it’s down to about 170 feet/1000yards (50meter/1000m). However, the 20x magnification rewards you with detailed observation of very distant objects. The disadvantage of such a high magnification is the difficulty of keeping the binoculars steady, a tripod is definitely recommended

The PowerView’s lenses are multi-coated which, fully multi-coated would be better, but you have to consider the affordable price. And multi-coating can, if it is applied very precisely and in even layers, deliver better results than fully multi-coated lenses which may not be quite so precisely layered.

In any case, the Bushnell 10 x 50 with its large lens of 50 mm delivers even in twilight sufficiently bright and true to color images

The somewhat cheaper BK7 glass is used for the prisms, but in combination with the large 50mm objective lens and the 10x magnification which provides a 5mm exit pupil, there are no disadvantages to be noticed here either.

The 50 mm lens collects a lot of light and thus contributes to the performance of the instrument in poor lighting conditions at dusk or at dawn. This gives the user what they need. Images that are well defined, clear, bright, with minimal or no unevenness in terms of color.

The eye relief of the 10×50 model is 14 mm, which should serve most users fine. For more viewing comfort if you always have to use your glasses, the unit has foldable eyecups. When they are folded down, the glasses come a little closer to the eyepiece. In the 20×50 model, the eye relief is only 9mm in combination with the small exit (2.5mm) pupil makes this model unsuitable if you depend on wearing strong eyeglasses.

The 10×50 model weighs 29.6 oz. which makes it trouble-free to carry and portable.

The device’s InstaFocus feature is a patented single-touch system that assists in maintaining the viewed object in crisp focus. I personally prefer a central focus wheel, but this InstaFocus feature works easy enough and one will get used to it quickly.

The model’s barrel and housing come with a slip-resistant rubber covering which promises better handling and it acts as a shock absorber in case the device gets dropped by accident.

Tripod adaptability is certainly an advantage in binoculars with high magnification.

Apart from those features, one of the great benefits of buying this particular model is the fact that you are purchasing something from a known, trusted brand in optics. It has a lifetime warranty which shows customers that the company has the utmost trust in its products.

Disadvantages

One of the setbacks of the unit is the way it handles weather conditions. While it is obviously made from quality materials, the Bushnell Powerview 10×50 wide-angle binocular is not O-ring sealed, so it is not really waterproof. Because it lacks that crucial aspect, it will not be able to withstand harsh weather and in extreme temperature fluctuations, the instrument could be prone to internal fogging.

So if you are out a lot in tough conditions, frequent rains, or expose the binoculars to rapid temperature changes you would not want to miss the advantages of water and fog-proof binoculars.

The high magnification makes it difficult to hold the binoculars steadily after a while. A tripod is helpful.

Verdict of Bushnell PowerView Binoculars

This is a popular model from the company and a real bargain. Bushnell is a sound, trusted brand and users will get to see the reason why plenty of customers rely on and trust their products.

The build quality is fine as Bushnell is known for. When it was new it smelled of rubber for quite a while. The image quality that the PowerView provides, is acceptable for standard glass and BK7 prisms.

Viewing with the Bushnell Powerview shows clear and bright images, as one can expect from binoculars with such large lenses.

Transmission is good enough, even the lenses are only multi-coated. When used in the dark forest the objects observed were sufficiently bright.

There was nothing wrong with the collimation of the binoculars I was using – no double images.

There were slight pincushion distortions near the edge. The central field of view is sharp, edge blur starts at around 60%, but that is to be expected in such low-priced binoculars.

Bushnell’s lifetime warranty and good customer service are there for you should you have any warranty claims in case of manufacturing or material-related defects.

The Bushnell Powerview 10×50 wide-angle binocular is a real bargain, one could complain about the lack of waterproof/fog-proof elements, but shouldn’t, considering the price. Recommended for the hobby or leisure binoculars user.

There are 3 models available in this model line, they all share the same large aperture but vary in magnification.

Bushnell PowerView 10x50 Wide Angle Binocular

• Beautiful design and durability built to last
• Wide-angle, Perma Focus binoculars with 10x magnification and 50-millimeter objective lenses
• Fixed-focus operation dials in focus at any distance automatically
• Fully coated optics for improved clarity and light transmission
• Ergonomic rubber housing for a secure grip and shock resistance

$68.27

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