When folks ask for a recommendation on a
binocular I have tested, I can give them the usual rundown on optics, including resolution, contrast, brightness, color correction, edge sharpness and distortion. I can also make comments about binocular focusing smoothness and speed and also make a few comments on handling, though this ventures into the realm of subjectivity. These things I can test, right out of the box on a
binocular.
On the other hand, there are some
binocular features that can't be easily measured. I can't give a customer much more than a guess as to a binocular's durability and down the road expected lifespan. No reviewer can and I don't hesitate to remind customers of this fact when they read
binocular tests and reviews. After all,
binocular construction is a big part of the price tag on a binocular.
I can tell a customer one thing, however, as regards construction. You get what you pay for when it comes to durability. I've learned this over decades of using binoculars, out in the field under an enormous range of conditions. Cheap in a binocular means disposable. Expensive in a binocular means a lifetime of hard use.