Lightweight, low-priced binoculars with an acceptable image, best suited to viewing at close ranges. We rate these in the Middle Ground.
July 23, 2024
At A Glance
PROS:
- Acceptable image for viewing at close and medium ranges
- Large focus wheel, light weight, with single-hinge design for ease of use
- Affordable price point
CONS:
- Image is less bright and less sharp than other binoculars in this review
- Small fold-down eyecups provide little benefit
STATS:
- Price: $129 MSRP at press time. Prices often fluctuate, so check with retailers
- Close focus: Listed at 8.2 feet (250 cm). In tests, we could focus these binoculars down to about 7.0 feet (213 cm)
- Field of view: 6.5° (341 feet at 1,000 yards). More about field of view
- Weight: 8.1 oz (230 g)—that’s about 2.5 oz (72 g) lighter than the average for pocket binoculars in our review
- Eye relief: 12.5 mm
Viewing Experience: The Vanguard Vesta delivers a decent image while making some concessions to its low price point. They perform well for close to medium-range viewing in good lighting conditions, such as feeder watching. The color is true and the image is fine in strong lighting, although they’re less sharp and less bright than other binoculars in this review. Watching Northern Cardinals and crisply plumaged White-throated Sparrows at a feeder is enjoyable. But in less good light or at distances it’s hard to see details. With a male House Sparrow perched in the shade of building eaves and holding a beakful of nesting material, it was hard to distinguish the dry grass from the sparrow’s facial markings. Scanning the far side of a lake it was easy to skip over a Wood Duck in the shallows or miss a Great Blue Heron quietly fishing from a log. Though the Vestas provide a usable image, at distance they can leave you straining to see field marks rather than being able to appreciate them.
Feel and Build: Vanguard has clearly chosen to economize on some aspects of the Vesta in order to provide birders with an entry-level option. These are the only binoculars we’ve tested that have old-fashioned fold-down eyecups, which are shorter, less able to block out light, and less sturdy than standard dial-out eyecups. Nevertheless, the binoculars stand out as remarkably lightweight even among pocket binoculars. The single-hinge design is good for birdwatchers, requiring less readjustment than the double-hinge design of many pocket binoculars. And the large focus wheel is easy to control with a finger and spins very freely. The neck strap is a single narrow webbing cord.
This article is one in a series of mini-reviews. To see how these binoculars compare to others we’ve tested, see our full review of pocket binoculars.
