These days Jason Doyle uses a European brand of binoculars with a built-in rangefinder, so it felt like going back to basics when he tested these separate Leupold binoculars and rangefinder – but he was pleasantly surprised.
“The BX-5 Santiam HD binoculars have superb optical quality,” he says. “They’d compare with European binos costing twice the price. They’re quite small and lightweight, and I had no issue with them even in half light. I didn’t feel like I was missing my more expensive binoculars at all. I normally prefer 8x power rather than 10x, but these were fine.”
Jason paired the binoculars with Leupold’s RX-1600i laser rangefinder. “It’s simple and works perfectly every time,” he says.
All in all he reckons the binos and rangefinder make a great combination. “If you’re on the hill the binoculars tuck into your jacket and you can pop the rangefinder in your pocket for when you need it. It’s been nice to go back to basics today and I haven’t felt disadvantaged at all.”
With the Leupold RX-1600i laser rangefinder, you are at no disadvantage by having a separate pair of binoculars and rangefinder, even at a lower price.
RRP for the Leupold RX-1600i rangefinder is £648; the BX-5 Santiam HD binoculars are priced at £1,250.