Meade RainForest Pro (8x56) Binocular
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- Binoculars Type: Binocular
- Max Magnification: 8x
- Lens Coating: Multi-Coated
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Let me see
Pros
Bright, high contrast image
Cons
Price and weight
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
There are no doubt better binoculars out there, but these are the best I've ever used. If you want a serious pair of binoculars these are worth checking out.
I was inspired to buy good binoculars on account of a recent trip to the Costa Rican rain forest and because my wife wanted to star-gaze. By the way, if you go to Costa Rica be sure to visit "Bosque Eterno de los Ni?os" near Monteverde.
I already had fairly cheap, nasty Nikon binoculars. Now I was looking for good, water-proof binoculars. I ended up buying the 8x56 Meade Rainforest Pro a couple of years ago.
Meade is better known for its amateur telescopes than for its binoculars, but don't let this put you off. These are excellent binoculars.
It's a bit of a commitment to carry these around because they weigh so much, a couple of pounds. I tuck the strap around my shirt otherwise I find it cuts into my neck. It's worth carrying them though, if you can carry them comfortably. These are powerful binoculars featuring 8 times magnification with huge 56mm objective lenses. This translates to a lot of light-gathering capacity, but this only tells you part of the story. These binoculars present a very bright image with high contrast over a reasonable field of view. The lenses are multi-coated, which is responsible for the high contrast. The rubber-coated body makes them easy to hold. They're also stated to be fog-proof and water-proof. I've used them in the rain and they didn't come to any harm so this may well be true. I try to avoid soaking them, however, as they were rather expensive. I sent them back to Meade not long after I bought them because the central hinge was too loose. On hot days the hinge would slowly fold down under the weight of the binoculars. Meade either fixed this, or sent me a new pair, and I've had no trouble since.
My only complaint is that they lack a tripod attachment.
My wife and I use these binoculars quite frequently, at least once a week, and we've been very happy with them. Alas, Meade seem to have stopped making them. It would be worth looking for a used pair. In fact maybe I should buy another; my wife and I always have to take turns. "Let *me* see, let *me* see."
I already had fairly cheap, nasty Nikon binoculars. Now I was looking for good, water-proof binoculars. I ended up buying the 8x56 Meade Rainforest Pro a couple of years ago.
Meade is better known for its amateur telescopes than for its binoculars, but don't let this put you off. These are excellent binoculars.
It's a bit of a commitment to carry these around because they weigh so much, a couple of pounds. I tuck the strap around my shirt otherwise I find it cuts into my neck. It's worth carrying them though, if you can carry them comfortably. These are powerful binoculars featuring 8 times magnification with huge 56mm objective lenses. This translates to a lot of light-gathering capacity, but this only tells you part of the story. These binoculars present a very bright image with high contrast over a reasonable field of view. The lenses are multi-coated, which is responsible for the high contrast. The rubber-coated body makes them easy to hold. They're also stated to be fog-proof and water-proof. I've used them in the rain and they didn't come to any harm so this may well be true. I try to avoid soaking them, however, as they were rather expensive. I sent them back to Meade not long after I bought them because the central hinge was too loose. On hot days the hinge would slowly fold down under the weight of the binoculars. Meade either fixed this, or sent me a new pair, and I've had no trouble since.
My only complaint is that they lack a tripod attachment.
My wife and I use these binoculars quite frequently, at least once a week, and we've been very happy with them. Alas, Meade seem to have stopped making them. It would be worth looking for a used pair. In fact maybe I should buy another; my wife and I always have to take turns. "Let *me* see, let *me* see."
