TL;DR: Great binoculars for the price. The phone mount and tripod system are pretty cheap and have limited utility, which is why I give this a 4/5 instead of a 5/5.

Longer version: I bought these to bring with me when I go rock climbing so that I can scope out different routes from the ground, and they work great for this use case. I was worried that these might not work for looking at things that are pretty close, but the minimum focal distance I can measure is 9-10 ft (~3 meters). It is quite easy for me to focus on mountains at distances of 10-40 miles (15-65 km), but I can’t focus well on stars. Of course, binoculars aren’t meant to look up at the sky – that is what telescopes are for. For the price, these are a fantastic piece of equipment. However, the phone mount and tripod are cheaply made, and I could not recommend this set for someone who plans to spend a lot of time taking pictures through the device. The setup just isn’t very stable and causes issues where the phone shakes and then struggles to focus properly. It could be OK for more static applications. For example, if you wanted to set this up as a video motion detection rig with a smartphone, I think that could work fine since things won’t be moving much. As a bonus: you can flip the binoculars around and turn them into a microscope. I am able to easily focus on individual pixels on a computer screen, and a few dozen pixels on a phone screen.

Focal distance/range: 9 ft – 40 miles (3m – 65 km)
Size: about the size of an average adult male hand with fingers outstretched.
Ocular lens separation: 55 mm (2.2 inches) when close together, 76 mm (3 inches) when far apart. This should be fine for basically all adults and most children. “The average pupillary distance of a typical adult ranges from 54 to 74 mm without much difference between the average female and male PD. A child’s distance ranges from 43 to 58 mm.”

Alternatives: If someone wants something smaller, Amazon has binoculars than can fit in pants pockets quite easily. If you want to collect brighter images (ie, view in low-light scenarios), you’ll want something with a larger diameter lens and/or something with lower magnification. These objective lenses (the big lenses on the end) are 42 mm in diameter (hence the “12×42” description). If you need a pair that focuses to shorter distances, get something with a lower magnification (this has 12x magnification). If you have shaky hands, lower magnification is recommended because they will have a wider “field of view”. If you don’t want to take pictures with your phone, you could probably save a few bucks by buying some binoculars without the accessories.

I hope this review helps potential buyers!

I dont know a great deal about binoculars, but decided to buy my mother a “good” set since she moved to Florida and started to casually take up bird watching. Wanting to go with a reputable brand and after a few hours of research and reading, i went with Vortex Diamondbacks and had them delivered to her home. Since i was taking a trip to visit, i found these for $25 and figured I’d buy them just to see what the extra money actually got her since the style, size, and descriptions are almost identical. There is a clear difference when you compare the imagines switching back and forth. THAT SAID – the difference the extra $225 made is not nearly as large as you’d expect. Its the Ultra fine details, the edges, and sharpness/clarity of the objects at distance that are noticeable. I honestly expected to be blown away how much better the Vortex was – but i wasnt. You’d really have to be an optics guy to appreciate the small difference in image quality. I mean the difference is there, but its a very small difference. I’m CERTAIN the Vortex is a “better” binocular, not to mention the support you get from a good brand that will stand behind a product they warranty without question. They simply feel better too as soon as you pick them up – but these two brands are extremely similar in feel, style and features. Meaning, for 90% – 95% of people these would be just as good as the Vortex unless you’re REALLY willing to spend a lot more money for not much difference. So if you are an average person thats looking to buy a set “just to have them”, to bring to a football game, to enjoy yourself outdoors, try your hand at birdwatching, ect – I wouldn’t hesitate buying these. If there is any chance of them getting lost, stolen, broken, or generally beat up – dont spend the extra money. If you decide later that you wanna buy something better, than consider these as your insurance in a backup pair, or a second set to lend to a friend. You really, really cant complain about what you get for the money. The case is garbage compared to a vortex, its just a basic pouch – but it serves its purpose. These even come with lens covers – just like the Vortex – (they dont fit as well) but buying those alone separately would probably cost $10. As far as bang for your buck – from an average guys opinion, i cant see a better option than this. If i were to try to set a scale comparing them against the Vortex Diamondbacks, if the Diamondbacks were a 10 – these would be a 8.5 in an overall comparison (not just clarity). I can only imagine the difference between these and say the Vortex Crossfire’s (one step below the Diamondbacks) would be even smaller. When it comes to things like this, just like rifle scopes, small differences come at a big expense, and I imagine a large chuck of the cost for a pair of binoculars from a place like Vortex is to cover the costs of a large company and their marketing – which these dont have to pay for. At the price, (esp at the $25 i paid) you have absolutely nothing to lose. If you already have a good set, and just want a second pair – buy these. You’ll be amazed at how good these are for the money.

Lastly – for those who dont know what the number mean – (10×40) (12×50) – the first number is the power of the magnification (10 times closer, 12 times closer) and the second is the size larger lens (how big of an area it will allow you to see when you look through). For bird watching, experts claim the ideal sizes are either 10×42 or 12×42.. you dont want something extremely powerful, but you want something with a larger lens so its easier to find what your looking for, and keep looking at it while it’s moving (like a bird, obviously, or even a football game, Anything that can be moving at speed). A size 50 lens is physically a bigger (And would give you a larger picture) but are a larger heavier set of binoculars – so the 42 lens is a great compromise. For a easy way to think of it – to give people a rough idea, say a 12×20 you would be able to see a large bird at distance, but he may take up the entire “screen” (for lack of a better word) as you looked through those binoculars – where with a 12×45 set you would see the same bird just as large – but you’d also be able to see a large area around him. So Its easier to find him, and if he moves you can easily follow him and also see whats around him. There is not a huge difference between a 10x or 12x set of binoculars, so dont go crazy like i did. (I ordered and canceled 3 times before i finally picked what size on the Vortex). But if you were on the fence trying to decide if these were worth your money – Yes, they are. You’ll be surprised and impressed what the money got you.