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REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars

$199.95

(20)

Item # 759473

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An excellent value, the REI XR 10 x 50 binoculars are compact and lightweight enough to go just about anywhere and deliver outstanding imaging.

Fully multicoated lenses using anti-reflective coatings provide superb light transmission, even in low light
BaK4 prisms match the optical system to enhance image quality, brightness and resolution to discern fine detail at long distances
Roof-prism style is less bulky and more compact than traditional or porro prism styles, making it much easier to hold and carry
Long eye relief enhances viewing comfort by reducing eye strain regardless of whether user is wearing eyeglasses or not
Twist up/down eyecups make it easy for eyeglass wearers to enjoy a full field of view
Shockproof, rubberized aluminum body construction for rugged use in the field; water- and fog-proof thanks to sealed O-rings and nitrogen filling
Excellent close focus ability allows user to enjoy a sharp view of images at a short distance
Includes carry case, neck strap, lens cleaning cloth and instructions for usage
Great for bird watching, travel, sports spectating and nearly any outdoor adventure

Imported.

Item 759473

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REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars

4.1

(based on 20 reviews)

75%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Strong construction (16)
Close focus (14)
Quality lenses (11)
Compact (8)
Waterproof (8)

Cons

Heavy (3)

Best Uses

Bird watching (13)
Wildlife viewing (12)
Sporting events/concerts (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (14), Avid adventurer (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (9)

Reviewed by 20 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Feb

2013

5.0

REI Binocs

By Capn Sal

from Chicago, IL

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Quality Lenses
Strong Construction
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Bulky
Heavy

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

Took these on an African safari. i knew i needed something for distance, but also for fairly close up, as the situation warranted. these were awesome. there aren't many binoculars that provide both the distance and close up viewing these do.
They are a little heavy, but worth the weight.
My friend is jealous that she too didn't get them!

Comment on this review

Jan

2013

4.0

Good in the woods

By Dan488

from Massachusetts

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustable eye cups
Close Focus
Comfortable Strap
Quality Lenses
Strong Construction

Cons

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Ocean Shoreline
Sporting Events/Concerts

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

Quality of magnification is excellent

Service and delivery comments:

Sales clerk in store was excellent is providing product specs and alternative choices

Comment on this review

Dec

2012

3.0

Great but.......I got a refund

By xsailr8

from Oklahoma

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Lightweight
Strong Construction
Waterproof

Cons

Poor Construction

Best Uses

Hunting
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

Used the binoculars for hunting, scouting and wildlife viewing, optics were OK but the rubber eyepiece was fastened on by glue. The glue failed and guess what? I lost the eyepiece. Hats off to REI for full refund as they do not have replacement eyepieces for sale.

Comment on this review

May

2012

(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Could not hold it steady enough

By luv2trek

from Menlo Park, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Strong Construction

Cons

Difficult To Focus
Heavy
Unstable

Best Uses

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

I was looking for binoculars to take on safari. In trying these binoculars at the store, I could not get the 10X50 to focus. It was also heavy for me to hold and it was hard to keep it steady. I ended up getting the 8X42 instead.

Comment on this review

May

2012

4.0

Good for the sale price

By TinaS

from North Carolina

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Good sturdy strap
Strong Construction
Substantial
Waterproof

Cons

Lense cap falls off
Unstable

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

Two REI retail staff told me that the caps fall off all of the REI binoculars. Once you remove it one just won't stay on. If you look at the construction the cap lip is too short for one of the lenses. I looked to switch with other binoculars and they really did fall off. For the price you should be able to keep a cap on for protection. I would still recommend them, though, because they are pretty good for the sale price that we got them for.

Comment on this review

May

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Chromatic aberration :(

By QB in San Diego

from San Diego CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Waterproof
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

The pair I got had quite bad chromatic aberration (color fringes at high-contrast edges), especially off axis. I returned them and will get another model.

I suspect this problem may be due to a manufacturing defect in this particular pair, because I don't see any complaints about it in other reviews, and it was quite noticeable.

Note: I ordered online so I couldn't try them out beforehand. If you can check them out in the store first, do so; it might save you some trouble.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

(5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Decent binoculars

By WolfSoul

from Tucson, AZ

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Waterproof
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Difficult To Focus
Heavy

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

I just picked a pair of these up at the my local REI "Garage Sale" for less than two Jacksons. One of the eye pieces was lose and the rubber cap would come off. It looked like I could fix them without much effort so I took a chance. Glad I did. While these are not spectacular binos, they are fine for what I bought them for: a back-up pair for my wife and I or to loan to someone if I'm going birding with someone who doesn't have decent binos.

As someone else noted, the advertised weight is well below what these binos actually weigh. Mine tipped the scale at almost 33 oz., without a strap. That's almost 1/4 pound heavier than advertised, which can be pretty significant if you're using them for long periods of time.

After fixing them, I compared them to my Pentax DCF WP 10X42 binos. The REI 10X50s are noticeably heavier, as I would expect for binos with a larger objective lens, what I didn't expect was how much less comfortable they are to hold. I'm definitely no weakling, so the weight wasn't the issue, it was the ergonomics. My (more expensive) Pentax's have indentations on the bottom of each barrel where the users thumbs natural would be. The REIs just have a round barrel. It's amazing how much of a difference this tiny design feature affects viewing pleasure. For that reason alone, the REI binos will never become my "go to" binos. It should be noted that you don't have to buy expensive binos for better ergonomics though. Even my wife's $160 pair of Audubon 10X42 binos are lighter and have better ergonomics.

This is kind of a personal preference thing, but my wife and I both found the focus ring on these binos to be too quick. Only a small rotation of the dial changes the focus pretty significantly. This is a great feature if you're switching from a close viewing target to a distant viewing target, but it makes fine focusing on a particular object difficult. Some will like the speedy focus dial. I do not.

Assuming the ergonomics work for you, how are the optics? For low-end optics, I'd say they're pretty good. In good light, the REI binos compared favorably to my Pentax binos, even though the original retail price of my binos was around $900. But the REI binos have a larger objective lens, so if they had the same quality optics, the REI binos should have noticeably superior, which they certainly were not.

The true test of binos is in low light. I compared them side-by-side again after sundown, and my Pentax binos were clearly superior to the REI binos despite having a smaller objective lens.

One reviewer said that these binos are as good as binos costing $1000. I have to strongly disagree. But that doesn't mean they are bad. I am certainly glad to have found them as a return item at the Garage Sale so cheaply, even with the time it took me to repair them. Would I have paid the current retail price of over 2 Benjamins for them? Absolutely not. For the roughly the same price as these binos there are other options that have equal or better optical quality but are much lighter and have better ergonomics and thus would be much more enjoyable to use.

I wish I could recommend them at full price, but alas, I cannot. If you find a pair cheap though, they're worth considering.

Comment on this review

Jan

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Bombproof and clear

By Indie the dog

from Clinton, NY

About Me Professional Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Strong Construction
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Bird Watching

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

I've had these binos side by side with a pair of Nikons, same specs. I chose these to take on safari to Kenya because they are tougher, more compact and a bit clearer. The Nikons seemed lighter but were longer so ended up with more shake. These felt heavier but were shorter, so ended up more stable. They have an odd halo, or ring, around the view when you look through them but this disappears (mentally) after a few uses. They seem bombproof, which my gear needs to be.

Comment on this review

Jan

2012

5.0

Great for birds!

By RoNa

from New Berlin, WI

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Quality Lenses
Strong Construction
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 10 x 50 Waterproof Binoculars:

We bought these primaruly for viewing birds in and around our back yard. They work great!

Service and delivery comments:

The associate at our local REI spent quite a bit of time finding a store that had them in stock even though it was a busy day. They were shipped from the other store promptly and arrived in a few days. Thank You!

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(1 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

great

By fearlessfrog

from portland,OR

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros