Bushnell PowerView 13-1225 / 13-1226 Binocular
- Binoculars Type: Binocular
- Max Magnification: 12x
- Zoom Ability: Without Zoom
- Lens Coating: Fully Coated
- Night Vision: Without Night Vision
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Bushnell Powerview 13-1225 Binoculars ? Now The Ants on the Field Actually Look Like Players
Pros
Good field of view, light weight, compact, inexpensive.
Cons
12x magnification makes for image instability, nylon strap uncomfortable.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for an inexpensive compact pair of binoculars that still perform as well as many more expensive pairs, the Bushnell Powerview 13-1225 is a great option.
Last year some of my friends were finally called by the Buccaneers ticket office to let them know their spot on the wait list was up and they could buy season tickets. They asked if I wanted in, which of course I did, but I had to opt out in lieu of playing Mr. Mom to my then four year old. In the end it kind of worked out as I still got to go to several games during the season when one of the group members couldn't make it. (And finding a sitter or enlisting grandma is easier two or three times than 10, including preseason.)
As with most folks who finally make it to the front of the season ticket list my friends were initially offered seats in the third level, or what is commonly known as the nose bleeds. The downside of sitting in the top tier is that the players are pretty much specs in the distance and 1PM games in the first three months tend to be slightly cooler than sitting on the surface of the sun. The upside is that during flyovers by the Air Force you can actually look the pilots in the eye. OK, well maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but only slight.
After my first trip to see a preseason game last year I realized two things. The first thing I learned was to TIVO the game so that I could actually see the plays later. The second thing I realized is that a pair of binoculars might be helpful.
The Binoculars
The Bushnell Powerview 13-1225 are compact, fold down binoculars that measure about 5" x 3" x 2" inside the included nylon case. The 13-1225 weigh only 11.3 oz. The nylon case has a belt loop and Velcro fastener which given the binoculars' light weight makes them very comfortable to wear on the waist. Also included with the binoculars is a thin nylon cord to suspend them from the neck. The 13-1225 are encased in non-slip rubber armor to help protect them from damage and to provide a better grip. The binoculars have fold down eye cups to accommodate users who wear glasses. The 13-1225 are not waterproof nor are they fog proof. The focus mechanism is a center type roller adjustment.
Optics
The 13-1225 has a 240ft x 1,000yds field of view and 12 x 25 magnification x objective lens. The lenses are fully coated to reduce glare and provide higher contrast images. The close focus range is 25ft. The 13-1225 uses a BK-7 prism in a roof prism configuration.
My Experience
It took me some time to get used to the 13-1225 binoculars. In the past I had primarily used more expensive standard sized binoculars with either 8x or 10 x magnification. The 12x magnification of the 13-1225s made images at a distance very shaky. Often larger standard sized binoculars with 12x or greater magnification will have a socket in which to screw a tripod for stability. Looking through the 13-1225s made me feel like I'd had way too much caffeine.
The 25mm objective lens wasn't an issue at the stadium due the high degree of ambient light but in low light situations might make images appear dark. Standard sized binoculars typically have objective lenses of 35mm or larger. The larger the objective lens the more light enters the binoculars and the brighter the image.
The 240ft x 1,000yds field of view is pretty generous for such a compact pair of binoculars. Binocular fields of view are conical which means that if the field of view is 240ft at 1,000yds then at 100yds it will be far smaller. I've been out of school too long to calculate the exact field of view but for the sake of argument let's say that the measurements are linear and at 100yds the field of view is 24ft. It is actually larger than that but don't ask me by how much. From our seats in the nose bleeds I'm able to see the entire offensive and defensive lines and any receivers who are close in. Bushnell's 10 X 50 Elite, a standard sized super high end unit with a price tag in excess of $1,000.00, has a field of view of only 288ft x 1,000yds.
Aside from the stability of the image there is a lot to like in the 13-1225. It is very inexpensive and as I mentioned before offers a decent field of view. What I give up in stability I make up in the ability to bring the players on the field into recognizable proportions. I also like the included soft case with its belt loop. I normally put the binoculars in the cargo pocket of my shorts here in the Florida sunshine, but in colder weather the belt loop would be very handy. Which brings me to my favorite thing about these binoculars, their size. The combination of large binocular performance in a very small package is worth the aggravation at a little instability with the image. With these binoculars in my pocket I don't have the feeling of weight that I might have with heavier compact binoculars. They also don't add too much bulk either. The 13-1225 seems to be a very good compromise of performance and size.
What I'm not crazy about is the nylon strap. Even though the binoculars weigh less than 12 ounces the thinness of the nylon line combined with the coarse texture has a tendency to become pretty uncomfortable during extended use. Add hot sun and sweating and soon you have the potential for this string to start wearing a groove in your skin. I rarely use the strap and instead prefer to keep the binoculars either in their case or in my pocket when not in use.
Overall for bang for the buck I would recommend the 13-1225 and give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Price
I paid about $20 for my pair.
Warranty
The Powerview 13-1225 binoculars carry a limited lifetime warranty.
As with most folks who finally make it to the front of the season ticket list my friends were initially offered seats in the third level, or what is commonly known as the nose bleeds. The downside of sitting in the top tier is that the players are pretty much specs in the distance and 1PM games in the first three months tend to be slightly cooler than sitting on the surface of the sun. The upside is that during flyovers by the Air Force you can actually look the pilots in the eye. OK, well maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but only slight.
After my first trip to see a preseason game last year I realized two things. The first thing I learned was to TIVO the game so that I could actually see the plays later. The second thing I realized is that a pair of binoculars might be helpful.
The Binoculars
The Bushnell Powerview 13-1225 are compact, fold down binoculars that measure about 5" x 3" x 2" inside the included nylon case. The 13-1225 weigh only 11.3 oz. The nylon case has a belt loop and Velcro fastener which given the binoculars' light weight makes them very comfortable to wear on the waist. Also included with the binoculars is a thin nylon cord to suspend them from the neck. The 13-1225 are encased in non-slip rubber armor to help protect them from damage and to provide a better grip. The binoculars have fold down eye cups to accommodate users who wear glasses. The 13-1225 are not waterproof nor are they fog proof. The focus mechanism is a center type roller adjustment.
Optics
The 13-1225 has a 240ft x 1,000yds field of view and 12 x 25 magnification x objective lens. The lenses are fully coated to reduce glare and provide higher contrast images. The close focus range is 25ft. The 13-1225 uses a BK-7 prism in a roof prism configuration.
My Experience
It took me some time to get used to the 13-1225 binoculars. In the past I had primarily used more expensive standard sized binoculars with either 8x or 10 x magnification. The 12x magnification of the 13-1225s made images at a distance very shaky. Often larger standard sized binoculars with 12x or greater magnification will have a socket in which to screw a tripod for stability. Looking through the 13-1225s made me feel like I'd had way too much caffeine.
The 25mm objective lens wasn't an issue at the stadium due the high degree of ambient light but in low light situations might make images appear dark. Standard sized binoculars typically have objective lenses of 35mm or larger. The larger the objective lens the more light enters the binoculars and the brighter the image.
The 240ft x 1,000yds field of view is pretty generous for such a compact pair of binoculars. Binocular fields of view are conical which means that if the field of view is 240ft at 1,000yds then at 100yds it will be far smaller. I've been out of school too long to calculate the exact field of view but for the sake of argument let's say that the measurements are linear and at 100yds the field of view is 24ft. It is actually larger than that but don't ask me by how much. From our seats in the nose bleeds I'm able to see the entire offensive and defensive lines and any receivers who are close in. Bushnell's 10 X 50 Elite, a standard sized super high end unit with a price tag in excess of $1,000.00, has a field of view of only 288ft x 1,000yds.
Aside from the stability of the image there is a lot to like in the 13-1225. It is very inexpensive and as I mentioned before offers a decent field of view. What I give up in stability I make up in the ability to bring the players on the field into recognizable proportions. I also like the included soft case with its belt loop. I normally put the binoculars in the cargo pocket of my shorts here in the Florida sunshine, but in colder weather the belt loop would be very handy. Which brings me to my favorite thing about these binoculars, their size. The combination of large binocular performance in a very small package is worth the aggravation at a little instability with the image. With these binoculars in my pocket I don't have the feeling of weight that I might have with heavier compact binoculars. They also don't add too much bulk either. The 13-1225 seems to be a very good compromise of performance and size.
What I'm not crazy about is the nylon strap. Even though the binoculars weigh less than 12 ounces the thinness of the nylon line combined with the coarse texture has a tendency to become pretty uncomfortable during extended use. Add hot sun and sweating and soon you have the potential for this string to start wearing a groove in your skin. I rarely use the strap and instead prefer to keep the binoculars either in their case or in my pocket when not in use.
Overall for bang for the buck I would recommend the 13-1225 and give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Price
I paid about $20 for my pair.
Warranty
The Powerview 13-1225 binoculars carry a limited lifetime warranty.
