Owen Beardsmore of Cervus UK spends most of his time out in the woods, either hunting professionally or guiding stalkers. “I give my kit a lot of stick,”  he says, “and I really rate these Leupold BX5 Santiam binoculars.”

“Whether it’s out in the British woodlands, pouring rain out on the hill in Scotland or up in the Alps, they have performed absolutely perfectly. I was expecting them to fail but they didn’t.”

Owen chose the 10×42 specification, and finds them ideal in difficult conditions. “They’re really good at last light or first thing in the morning when you really need to identify things before the bright colours come through. Leupold have put a special coating on the lenses which gives great clarity and brightness edge to edge, and it doesn’t fog up.”

“Good binoculars aren’t cheap, and these are going to cost you between a grand and £1500 depending on what magnification you go for – but I think it’s well worth the investment when it’s back with the guarantee that Leupold are either going to replace them or repair them if they fail, although from my experience I can’t see them actually failing.”

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