Now and then I get a customer who does not see the difference between two
binoculars as far as the optics, even though they may be priced quite differently. From experience in retail, I understand this. Over the years, I've had many a customer take a quick look at binoculars at the counter and claim that the cheap binocular was every bit as "clear" as the expensive binocular.
To their eyes, this may be true. I don't expect everyone to see things as I do - everyone's eyes are a bit different and not everyone is as critical or deliberate as I am when testing optics.
For the record, when I test binoculars for optics, I always mount binoculars on a good
tripod (
Bogen 3180N or similar), so that I am not also testing my ability to hold a binocular steady. Believe me, differences between models that are not apparent when handholding quickly become evident when the binoculars are steadied on a tripod. The tripod is definitely a tool of truth.
I also use optical test targets, rather than just casually scanning on some available or convenient object. I then score binoculars for resolution and contrast and, as often as possible, I test them in direct comparisons. I then focus the bino on a bright light and test for color correction. Lastly, I use an object with a grid of straight lines and test for edge sharpness and barrel distortion.
On a very rare occasion, a cheap binocular does indeed perform as well as an expensive model, but after many years of testing, the old saying that "you get what you pay for" has proven true time and again in my optical tests and is still a very useful guideline for buying optics. Furthermore, there is more to a binocular price than just optics and those features are not as easily tested.