The Viking Badger Binoculars have become one of most popular lines within the Viking Optical range and after getting our hands on a pair to try out it's easy to see why. These binoculars offer a cost-effective approach to achieving fantastic visual quality and perfectly suitable for beginners and more serious hobbyist birders alike.
These binoculars offer a fantastic combination of powerful magnification and high-quality optics. These binoculars are available in a number of focal ranges (8x25, 10x25, 8x32, 8x42, 10x42) to suit different needs. This ensures that the Viking Badger range is suitable for a wide range of activities. The best magnification and objective size will vary depending on the person. For more information on this, you can read our guide on which magnification is best.
This guide aims to take an in-depth look at the Viking Badger range to understand how well they perform. Reviewing each part of the build design is essential to providing you with the information that you need. That is why our team of experts have spent some time putting these binoculars for the test.
Related: Top 10 Best Binoculars for Birdwatching
Design and Build
The Viking Badger binoculars provide a build design which is lightweight and compact. This makes them a fantastic choice for carrying around - especially during long-term trips. This helps ensure that these binoculars are the perfect travel companion.
The binoculars have a great weight distribution to them and feel great to hold. For example, the Viking Badger 8x42 only weighs in at 606 grams. This makes them an optimal choice if you are constantly on the move. Some of the smaller models can even fit perfectly into your pocket.
However, despite the lightweight design, these binoculars are still incredibly durable. These binoculars incorporate a rubber-armour coating into the design to offer protection during use. The rubber-armour design provides a high level of protection whilst making the binoculars easy to grip. Furthermore, this rubber coating ensures that the binoculars are safe from water damage.
In addition to this, the Viking Badger contains nitrogen in the lenses. The nitrogen helps to reduce any potential fogging. This ensures that you are able to achieve the highest possible results regardless of the weather. The nitrogen also helps to eliminate any dust or dirt from building up within the lenses. This helps to maintain the overall condition of the lenses.
There are many design features which help the binoculars feel more accessible. The inclusion of twist-down eyecups is a great example of this. This allows the user to find the optimal positioning for their eyes. These adjustments are quick and easy to make. This feature is particularly helpful for those that wear glasses. The twist-down eyecups provide extra eye-relief and allow for a complete view of the FOV.
The overall design and build of these binoculars is fantastic. The features available with binoculars perform smooth and efficiently. Features such as the focusing wheel are easy to use and quick to adjust. Whether you are a beginner or intermediate user, you will find these binoculars to be an excellent addition.
Quality of Optics
The level of quality available through the optics is perhaps the most important point to consider. Viking have a history of providing the highest possible visual quality through their binoculars. The Viking Badger range is certainly no different. These binoculars provide a fantastic standard of image quality at all times.
The inclusion of multi-coated optics plays a key role in delivering images which are bright and well defined. The use of multi-coated optics helps to increase the transmission of light through the binoculars. The images appear brighter as more light is able to pass through the binoculars. This feature allows for the binoculars to perform even in low-light conditions. This ensures that the binoculars are suitable for use at any time of the day.
The overall results are impressive and the Viking Badger performs exceptionally well. The images consistently appear well defined thanks to the binocular's ability to provide bright images. There were some instances of colour fringing at the edges of the image. However, this does not detract from the overall quality of the image here. The only way to avoid this would be to opt for binoculars which offer Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass.
The next point to consider with these binoculars is the field of view (FOV). This will vary depending on the size of binoculars that you opt for. For example, the FOV will be much wider with binoculars that offer an 8x magnification power. The Viking Badger 8x32 offers the widest FOV at 7.16°. This offers a nice wide view through the lenses. This wide FOV allows for easier tracking of subjects when viewing this through the binoculars.
Finally, the last point worth mentioning is how efficient the twist-down eyecups are. As previously mentioned, adjusting these eyecups provides more comfort during long-term use. They also allow for those that wear glasses to take the full view of the binoculars in. The level of eye-relief that each model offers is the important value here. The Viking Badger 8x42 binoculars offer the most eye-relief to the user at 18.2mm. This provides fantastic comfort to the user when using these binoculars. This helps make the binoculars the perfect choice for all outdoor activities. The eye-cups are easy to use and the overall operation is smooth.
Performance
It is clear that the Viking Badger range provides fantastic image results with a sturdy build design. However, it is important to consider how well this performs when out in the field. Can these binoculars deliver high-quality results on a consistent basis? The answer is yes.
The high-quality available with the optic lenses makes these binoculars suitable for all occasions. The image quality is bright and defined thanks to the inclusion of the multi-coated lenses. These binoculars just feel great to use and consistently deliver high quality results. Furthermore, these are suitable for use in all weather conditions and environments. The addition of features such as the nitrogen in the lenses prevents any fogging.
The design features that the Viking Badger offers allows for a fantastic user experience. The focusing wheel is quickly adjustable and provides excellent quality at all ranges. The twist-down eyecups also provide convenience and comfort to the user throughout use. The quality in Viking's manufacturing really shines through with this particular model.
Finally, the compact build design feels great to hold. The size of the binoculars makes them extremely portable which is perfect for long days out. The additional accessories that arrive with the binoculars only add to this further. Despite the compact size, the Viking Badger binoculars are incredibly durable and this holds up throughout testing. The rubber-armour finish protects these binoculars from any potential damage and ensures that they are waterproof.
The Viking Badger binoculars perform exceptional in every aspect. Considering the price that these binoculars are available for, you will certainly find excellent value here. These are a suitable option for both beginners and intermediate users thanks to how accessible these binoculars feel. They are able to achieve this without compromising on any of the quality.
Verdict
The level of quality available with the Viking Badger binoculars is incredible. From the superb image quality to the compact build design, it offers you everything that you need. These binoculars are perfect for all occasions and certainly provide excellent value for money. These are a truly impressive pair of binoculars.
The Viking Badger makes for a fantastic addition to any avid bird watcher's collection. These binoculars deliver consistently high-quality results at an affordable price. Finding binoculars which offer similar standard of quality at this price would be difficult.
