Strange to think hardly eight months back as I write this I’d never heard of Konus Optics. Now I regularly use one of their scopes and a red dot and often see the brand in certain gunshops. Thanks to importer distributor Evergreen Optics I’m now getting the chance to try a trio of their own-brand binoculars. Though all in the same specification band, they’re vastly different in size and performance.
Open Minded
As a build overview the binos featured are open hinge design (the Supreme being the most obvious), they’re waterproof, fog-proof, Nitrogen-purged and boast BAK-4 prisms, multi-coated lenses, twist up eye-cups and dioptre adjustment ring – the latter found on right eye-piece – and all have a centrally positioned main focus dial. They come in their own carry case with shoulder strap, neck strap for binocular and removable rubber lens covers. The models featured are the Konus 8 X 25WA Supreme, 8 X 42WA Emperor and the sleek looking and highly impressive sounding 8 X 42 Titanium EVO.
The 8 X 25 Supreme are the most basic of the bunch. Measuring 4 ¼ X 3 X 2” closed they’re compact and rubber armoured with a unique ‘open bridge’ open hinge design. Like all models here they were tested on a dull day, so the first major feature to impress was the superb light gathering capabilities, even with these small objectives, and a well defined sight picture.
They sit nicely in the hold and are compact enough to be slipped into a jacket pocket. The Supremes have relatively hard rubber armour outer and the front lenses have a green tinted coating to help prevent glare.
Beefy Binos
In comparison, the 8 X 42WA Emperors are more ‘beefy’ measuring 5 X 4 ¼ X 2 5/8” closed. Still very manageable and due to being heavier feel more solid in the hold. The focus dial has a long travel, allowing them to go down to a mere 2 ½-yds focus and then smoothly revolve to infinity. A roof prism design, the large objectives suck in the light and quite frankly the sight picture was incredible. Then again they also feature phase correction, an advanced coating that forces/directs light back into ‘phase’ which in turn improves the sight image. The black casing is rubber armoured with long lateral raised ridges allowing for a sure hold in the rain. After looking through these, the Supremes were very much overshadowed.
Titanium Treat
Last but not least – the impressive sounding 8 X 42 Titanium EVO. Measuring 6 1/8 X 4 1/8 X 2 5/8” closed. The material used in the build affords them to be lightweight yet very strong. The sleek Titanium body shell is rubber-covered and the main focus dial glides from a minimum focus distance of approximately 25-yds to infinity. A few deerstalking and foxing lads I know simply loved this roof prism design and have bought them on the strength of cadging a quick look through my test set when I’d taken them out for evaluation.
PRICE: (Supreme)£49.99, (Emperor)£119.99, (Titanium Evo)£69.99
OPTIONAL EXTRA: Konus Tripod Adaptor £5.99
