Minox BD 10x25BR folding roof prism binoculars

I decided to purchase a pair of the Minox BD 10x25 BR weatherproof (but not waterproof) compact binoculars, over the Zeiss and Leitz in part because they were 1/3 the price, but also because they promised a bit more eye relief (I wear fairly thick glasses), and had a closer focus.

The eye relief seems almost too much! Clearly at a marked 17 mm, it's functionally more than that on the Eagle Optics Ranger 8 x 32 I have, which are marked for 16 mm. The feel of the rubber coating is very good, not only on my fingers, but where the eyecups contact my glasses.

The specifications marked on the data sheet indicated a close focus not of 3 meters or so, but 1.6 meters! I have just tried them, and can report that the close focus is right around 5.25 feet, MUCH less than what any website source indicated, including that of the manufacturer!

On the downside, the rather small diameter focusing wheel seems very stiff. Hopefully, this will loosen usefully with usage. Also, the 3/32" neckcord I find just barely adequate, creating a "toe out" carry position, so the thin cord may be useful mainly for safety purposes, but not for any extended carrying around the neck.

The thin strap attached to the tubes on my older Minolta 8 x 24's seems much more comfortable, though I suspect the Minox are optically better. By the way, one can make the Minox ride "toe in," by putting them over one's neck "backwards," then bringing them up to the eyes in a "crossdraw" fashion.

The supplied padded nylon belt case is excellent, and includes an outside slit pocket (into which I have put my business card), though I suspect it was meant as a secure storage area for the eyepiece caps.

These will not be my primary birding binoculars, but for their intended purpose, every day briefcase carrying, I think they should work well. Locally much of the casual birding would be of birds that gather, usually of course on the FAR side, of various ponding basins used locally for groundwater recharge, and flood control. That makes 10X more useful than 8X. For walking around my neighborhood, on the other hand, I think I'd prefer my 8 x 32's, due to the better strap, wider field, and likely much more close range peering upwards.

Alan Birnbaum
Fresno, CA

Good review, Alan.
A couple, or a few years ago, I wanted to replace a stolen Nikon Travelite 10x25 pocket bino. I did, what has to be, my most exhaustive hands-on bino shopping spree ever to find just exactly the right pocket bino. After visiting something like a dozen birding, camera, and hunting stores to try every possible mini-bino that I could wrap my hands around, and after trying almost 30 models of different mini-bins, the search yielded (4) binoculars that I thought were outstanding enough to merit serious consideration. They were the Nikon Special Edition 7x15 micro bino, the Leica BC 8x20 micro-bino, and the Minox BR 8x24 and the Minox BD 8x24 P mini-binos.

Cost WAS an issue, (as always) and I really wasn't interested in spending over $100-$150US. That ruled out the most excellent Nikon Special Editions and the stunning little Leica BC 8x20s. So, that left the Minox roofies vs. the Minox inverted porros. I decided on the Minox porros, but it wasn't an easy decision. Each had merits. The inverted porros struck me as brighter, but they almost failed the primary mission requirement, in that they are just bulky enough to almost fail "shirt-pocketability", and that was the whole reason I was shopping for micro-bins in the first place.

I used them a lot when I first got them, but tired of their extremely small diameter neck cord and the eye strain that they induced compared to more normal 8x30 bins. It's been awhile since I really made use of the little Minox, but I do believe that Minox makes some very remarkable binoculars that are too often overlooked. Their 8x32 and 8.5x42 BD series are some of the best values in roofies in the whole market. Sometimes I wonder if I would've stuck with the littlest Minox if I'd gone for the shirt-pocketable roofie versions instead of the inverted porros. The problem with any of the inverted porro prism micro bins is that they are almost as bulky and weighty as larger, more competent roofies. The exception would be the simply amazing Nikon Special Edition standard porros in true micro size, which literally put world class optics into a vest pocket. But as good as they are, they aren't really condusive to birding or any intensive study of a subject just sheerly due to their diminutive size. When one factors in cost and size the Minox mini-roofies in the BR series are really pretty amazing. Actually, from all the models I've so far seen in the BR series, it's a very amazing lineup.

Like you mentioned, I discovered that the little Minox would actually focus a bit closer than anticipated. These dinky inverted porros will more or less focus to 4 ft. These are quite good, quite overlooked mini-binos that more folks should try and consider. They are subject to all of the limitations of mini-binoculars, but are of a quality a good bit above the mainstream and they represent a very solid value.

Mike Swaim

I have discovered that placing a rubber "finger," as used by my staff for sorting papers, onto my left third finger usefully improves my ability to focus the Minox BD/BR, which have a rather small, and initially, stiff focus ring.

After some field use of the Minox BD 10x25 BR, I would allow that I would not recommend them for use as a primary field glass. Walking along the Ala Wai Canal today in Honolulu (sorry to all you guys shoveling snow somewhere), I found that in deep shade, trying to locate some Japanese White Eye, that these 2.5 mm exit pupil glasses are much slower than my Eagle Optics 8x32 Platinum Class Rangers, both in getting aligned to my own pupils, and then, locating small birds in the 5 degree field.

Clearly, the extra exit pupil of standard sized binoculars has a significant advantage, when a flitting bird allows just a few seconds to raise the glass, find the bird, then identify it. So, my recommendation for this instrument, and presumably any other folding glass, would be as a secondary unit.

NO, I never found the Japanese White Eye, though I did find a Yellow-faced Canary. A passing "major bird lady" did allow she HEARD the JWE, which apparently have been partly displaced by the larger Red-vented Bulbul.

Alan Birnbaum
temporarily in Honolulu, Hawaii