Bushnell Compact Binoculars - 5x25, Extra Wide

This will be great for short day hikes,

These binoculars are perfect for close, low-power viewing (an uncommon use, granted) but the focus knob broke within a month, which perhaps explains why they're no longer being manufactured.

This was not the compact binocular I thought I was getting. It is quite heavy and bulky, and certainly not something you want to take along during a hike/climb.

Solid construction, bright sharp images, superwide field of view, great stadium glasses for football, basketball, baseball watching. Good general hiking glasses. You can see from home plate to first/third without moving the glasses. You can watch the pitcher AND batter without moving the glasses. QB to RCVR.... I keep two pair in my office for sneaking out to Nationals games (two blocks away) and two pair at home in a travel bag. [No friend left behind]

For me this is an ideal product that is small to fit in a day workpack or Camelback.

My husband loves his binoculars - easy to use and lightweight

For the past several years the only binocs I have used on my boat have been 10x Canon image stabilizers. These are good but still handicapped by excessive power and difficulty holding steady on a rocking boat. I bought these 5 power Bushnells to see if they would work on the boat and find that for most circumstances they are easier to use than the image stabilzers. The extremely wide field of view and light wieght makes them very easy to keep on the bridge. We used them for whale watching last week and they were excellent. Of course I will keep the imaage stabilizers and also a set of traditional Nikon 7x50 marine binocs on board, but I have a feeling that these will be the "go-to" binocs for most viewing. I wish I could find a good 5x50!

I got these some time ago with the intent of sight seeing fish from a distance without spooking them before moving in to fish. They are a bit heavy, but the weight provided stability. With all the other gadgets I carry, the extra ounce or two weren't noticeable. The wide view allow me to see more of the stream or pool to catch the rises. The exit pupil of 5 gives good light, and the 12mm eye relief is great for the eyeglass wearer.

I wanted binoculars good for overall use. Something to keep in the car to spot wildlife or birds or take along to an outdoor concert. These glasses however are really very specific in their use, the wider range makes them handy for viewing a sporting field. As for narrowing in on a single animal or person in the distance; these are not ideal for those types of uses.

The small size makes these Binoculars very travel friendly and they have just enough power to make you feel closer to the action.