Bushnell Binoculars. Affordable Binoculars for Over Five Decades.

The seeds of the Bushnell binoculars company were sown in 1947 when a 34 year old David Bushnell was about to leave California to deliver a load of steel to Hong Kong via ocean liner. He didn't know what to call them, but he wanted to have one of those things to hang around his neck like the tourists had.

Binoculars were scarce immediately following World War II and he felt lucky to buy a used 6X30 for $50 at a pawn shop. While en route to Hong Kong, the ship stopped in Manila and someone on the dock offered to buy them for $100. It was Bushnell's first binocular sale.

In Shanghai, he met a man who showed him a 7X50 binocular he had bought as a sample in Japan for $18. Because he had been importing and exporting before the war, Bushnell was able to get a permit from Washington to visit postwar Japan — where he established contacts which enabled him to begin what was to become the Bushnell binoculars empire.

The first of this famous brand were made by Asahi Optical under the brand name Hercules. Through astute research of consumer needs and wants, Bushnell had binoculars made to specifications for both stadium sports fans and outdoors enthusiasts. These binoculars became favorites, quickly earning a place in many homes.

By the mid-1950s, Bushnell's binoculars were selling well and he was beginning to make regular trips to Japan to meet manufacturers and discuss specifications with them. By 1971, Bushnell binoculars were selling at the rate of 10 million per year.

Bushnell continues the legacy by producing optics in various designs and at many price points.

Bushnell guarantees that their instruments, other than the ImageView and StableView which include electronic components, will be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original owner. It's a "limited lifetime warranty" and it's a good one.

Unless otherwise noted, the roof prism Bushnell binoculars noted below have phase coating and all of them are fully multi-coated and use BaK-4 glass for their prisms. All of the waterproof/fog-proof These binoculars are purged with nitrogen to remove potentially moisture-laden air molecules prior to sealing with O-rings. Finally, all the Porro prism design Bushnell binoculars listed below have prisms made of BaK-4 glass and are fully multi-coated unless otherwise noted.

Frustrated because you can't find the interpupillary distance (IPD) for Bushnell binoculars you're thinking about buying? Stick with OpticsReviewer.com because we give the IPD for each of the models we list below — either on this page or on the page devoted to that particular model.

The Bushnell Elite ED provides both Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass in its objective lenses and an aspherical lens in the eyepiece. Bushnell says this gives "superior edge-to-edge resolution." We bought and tested a Bushnell Elite ED to see what kind of views the mating of aspherical and Extra-low Dispersion (ED) lenses might produce. We were somewhat surprised by what we saw overall in this binocular's design and capabilities. (Please see the table of Elite ED configurations in the full review.)

The Bushnell Elite Custom 7X26 has a history of quality and long-standing popularity behind its name. We bought the current generation of this venerable (and highly popular) binocular to see if Bushnell has cut the quality to keep it affordable. We've written a detailed review of what our testing revealed about the Elite Custom and published to help in your selecting a binocular to fill your needs. (Please see the table for the Elite Custom 7X26 configuration in the full review.)

Our review of the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD binoculars was based on curiosity. A number of people we respect had bought them and spoke well of them. You've probably noticed that it's human nature to speak highly of what we've spent money on, even when most others would disagree. We bought a 10X42 Bushnell Legend Ultra HD binocular to put through its paces to either support or disprove what we'd heard about them. (Please see the table of Legend Ultra HD configurations in the full review.)

The Bushnell Excursion EX is a waterproof/fog-proof roof-prism binocular available in both mid-size and full-size configurations. Bushnell literature says the chassis is from composite materials. When we asked a Bushnell binoculars spokesman what that meant, the answer came back that the chassis was the strong, but lightweight, magnesium. The twist-up eyecups will contribute to ease of use in the field, although the Excursion EX diopter adjusting ring does not lock in place.

The Excursion EX Bushnell binoculars have a feature not found on many binoculars — its focus wheel locks. You pull up on the wheel to adjust the focus and push it back down to lock it in place. Why? This makes it easy for someone monitoring a specific area for activity to keep a sharp focus for that area. It's even handier, though, when passing your binocular back and forth in a group or (especially) when sharing a view with kids!

One last feature found on the Bushnell Excursion EX is also found on the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD and that's the gel pads under the rubber armoring. Since we don't all put our thumbs in the same places when holding a binocular in a way that's balanced for our grip and size of hands, Bushnell put gel pads under the armor that cover a fairly large area. These are to make the grip more comfortable when viewing over extended periods. Since they cover a larger area than thumb indents would, they won't "force" you to hold these Bushnell binoculars in a certain way. (We couldn't find published information about these gel pads anywhere! We were curious about them, though, and asked someone at Bushnell for the information since we figured we wouldn't be the only ones wondering about them.)

The interpupillary distance measurements in the table below are courtesy of a Bushnell representative who, when we asked about them, very kindly and graciously looked them up and provided them. We hadn't been able to find them anywhere and we know how important such information can be!

Bushnell binoculars' Excursion EX model is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Bushnell Marine binoculars are available in the configuration that's proven sea-worthy for years. This 7X50 Porro prism binocular provides an exit pupil diameter that's better than others at helping to keep your eye on a buoy or another vessel when you're on other than calm water. As one might expect, these Bushnell binoculars are both waterproof and fog-proof and utilize the individual focus approach where the eyepieces focus independently of each other. The individual focus approach is preferred for nautical use because it provides for greater durability and better waterproofing. The Bushnell binoculars' Marine model is available in three variants: 1) a basic model with BaK-4 prisms and fully coated optics, 2) the basic model enhanced with an illuminated compass and rangefinder reticle, and 3) the basic model enhanced with a digital compass which works in both the northern and southern hemispheres and a range-finding scale. The Bushnell Marine binoculars float thanks, in part, to a tough, lightweight, polycarbonate construction that resists corrosion. (No, we couldn't find any published information about what they were made of either! We wondered — and figured you would, too — so we asked a terrific Bushnell representative what they were made from and polycarbonate was the answer.)

We weren't able to find any published values for the Bushnell Marine binocular's interpupillary distance measurement. Knowing how important that information can be when finding a binocular that "fits," we asked a Bushnell spokesman who provided it very graciously.

Bushnell binoculars' Marine model is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Bushnell StableView binoculars are image stabilized binoculars with a vertical stabilization in "Fine" mode of up to 1° and up to 3° in the "Normal" operating mode. The normal mode would be used, for example, for operating from a moving vehicle/vessel/plane and the fine mode would be good for reducing small, normal body movements which tend to blur details at higher magnifications. The Bushnell binoculars' StableView model has fully multi-coated optics, prisms made of BaK-4 glass, twist-up eyecups, and a center-focus mechanism. The power supply for the StableView requires just two AA cells, which are readily available nearly anywhere in the world. The StableView is waterproof, but we would encourage you not to tempt fate and suggest that you avoid getting it wet if possible. As is the case with most electronic goods, the image-stabilized Bushnell binoculars have a two year limited warranty which provides for them to repair or replace, at their option, a binocular in which a defect in materials or workmanship becomes known — you'll only pay $10 to cover shipping and handling.

As of 2012, a friend with the company advises that the Bushnell binocular lineup will no longer include the StableView. Bushnell is not filling dealer orders for the StableView and availability is limited to the stock a dealer has on hand. Sources tell us that, under the skin, the StableView is remarkably similar to the Fujinon TechnoStabi image stabilized binocular and the StableView is manufactured alongside the TechnoStabi instruments. If you're in the market for an image stabilized binocular, you'll probably want to see if closeout pricing is available on the StableView member of the Bushnell binoculars' lineup.

Our readers sometimes wonder "Where is it possible to buy Bushnell binoculars?" Our response is to send folks to the best online optics dealers we're familiar with. We tell our friends who are shopping for Bushnell binoculars to check Amazon.com in the United States, and Amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Bushnell Warranty and Repairs

The Bushnell products have a limited lifetime warranty and specifies that the binocular is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the instrument. In the United States, all you have to do is send $10 (check/money order) to cover shipping and handling along with the instrument and provide your name and address, a description of the problem, and proof of purchase to:

Bushnell Outdoor Products
Attn: Repairs
8500 Marshall Dr
Lenexa, KS 66214

For Canada, include $10 (check/money order) for shipping and handling along with the instrument and provide your name and address, a description of the problem, and proof of purchase to:

Bushnell Outdoor Products
Attn: Repairs
25A East Pierce Street, Unit 1
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 2M9

For Bushnell Legend Ultra HD binoculars purchased outside of the United States and Canada, you'll want to contact the dealer where you purchased the instrument.