Infinity & Discoverer – mid-price roof prisms

More Information  · Supplied Accessories  · Recommended Accessories  · Images of Some Features Price $379.95 List Price $539.95 Optical Type Roof Prism Field of view 6° Field of view 1000 yards 314' Exit Pupil 5.29mm Relative Brightness 28.03 Twilight Factor 19.56 Eye Relief 19.5mm Interpupillary Distance 58-74mm Close Focus 6.7' Weight 27.5 oz. Height 6" Armored Yes Waterproof Yes Warranty Limited Lifetime

The 8.5x45 Infinity uses much of the advanced XTR technology from the original (and current top-of-the-line) high-end Bushnell Elites. The result is optics with bright and highly resolved images and excellent color fidelity. The field is surprisingly flat, so that images stay sharp and in focus from edge to edge. Barrel distortion is essentially absent, while astigmatism and chromatic aberration are very low. If you want very good optical performance at a very affordable price, this Infinity is well worth considering.

Features of this binocular . . .

Fully multicoated optics: All air/glass optical surfaces are fully coated using multiple vacuum-deposited layers of special high transmission coating materials. The prisms use a new SHR (Super High Reflection) coating derived from the 60-layer XTR technology used on the top-of-the-line Bushnell Elite 8 x 43mm binocular that costs more than twice as much as this Infinity. The maximum light transmission, optimal brightness, and superior color fidelity of the Infinity’s SHR multicoatings makes it easier for you to resolve subtle species differences, even in poor lighting conditions. The bright 5.29mm exit pupils will deliver all the light the binocular gathers to virtually every observer, regardless of age.

Phase coated roof prisms: The image-erecting roof prisms are made of premium high transmission BaK-4 glass with for maximum brightness. Special PC-3 Elite-Series phase-correcting coatings (the best that Bushnell has to offer) are applied to the roof prisms for peak contrast, color fidelity, and resolution. The resulting improvement in color fidelity and detail is easily visible when examining the shadowed areas of a silhouetted or backlit bird.

Water-shedding “Rainguard" lens coatings: All external optical surfaces (eyepieces and objective lenses) are treated with permanent “Rainguard" coatings. These special hydrophobic (water-repelling) coatings are so smooth, even at the molecular level, that water can find virtually no grip on the lens surfaces. This causes the condensation from rain, fog, snow, or your own breath to form in much smaller droplets than on standard optical coatings. Smaller droplets scatter less light, resulting in higher light transmission and a clearer image.

Eye relief: Eye relief is specified at a long and eyeglass-friendly 19.5mm. While this is technically correct, the actual usable eye relief will typically measure a mm or two less. This is due to the recessing of the eyepiece lenses to protect them from getting scratched when the eyecups are in the down position for eyeglass use. A somewhat shorter eye relief than specified is typical of all binoculars. Any vignetting should be minor and not a problem for most eyeglass wearers.

Body construction: H-body roof prism with internal center focus. The lightweight and rugged magnesium alloy body is clad in a durable black armor to take every kind of rough treatment in stride. The armor also insulates the binocular to keep it comfortable to the touch in all temperatures, and is lightly textured to provide a sure grip in wet weather. The open bridge design of the body makes the Infinity easier and more comfortable to hold. It allows stable and shake-resistant one-hand glassing, freeing up your other hand to hold a field guide. The exposed metal parts have a durable scratch-resistant baked powder coat finish that will shrug off normal wear and look good for years. The Infinity’s wide foam-padded neckstrap makes the binocular’s 27.5 ounce weight comfortable to carry on all-day birding excursions.

Weatherproofing: The Infinity is O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purged to be totally waterproof, fogproof, and dustproof in all climate extremes – from the cold and mists of Attu, to the warm and dripping humidity of the Costa Rican rain forests, to the drenching salt spray of a pelagic birding trip.

Focusing: The extra-large ribbed focus knob can be used with either hand, and can be operated when glassing with one hand. The knob is easy to turn, even while wearing gloves or mittens. Close focus is specified at 6.7’, quite good for an 8-power binocular, making this Infinity very suitable for close-in woodland birding and butterfly work. We typically can focus as much as a foot or two closer than the specified 6.7’ figure. That being said, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to focus that close, so we will stick with quoting Bushnell’s 6.7’ specification. At a 6.7’ close focus, however, the Infinity’s 8.5x magnification effectively is the same as getting your bare eye only 9.5" away from your subject. That’s close enough to see just about all the detail there is to see. Approximately one and a half turns moves from the 6.7' close focus out to the horizon . . . and beyond.

Diopter adjustment: There is a centrally-located 15-position click-stop diopter adjustment at the front of the focusing knob. The knob pulls up to reveal the red diopter marking ring. You turn the focus knob to make your diopter correction, then pop the knob back down to lock the desired correction in place. This guarantees that the adjustment you make cannot accidentally be changed in use.

Twist-up eyecups: Twist-up eyecups with soft rubber rims block ambient light for those who don’t wear glasses while observing. The eyecups twist back down into the body to provide extra eye relief for those who must wear glasses while birding.

Supplied accessories: A tripod adapter is concealed under the logo at the front of the binocular hinge for extended no-hands viewing using an optional camera tripod. The 8.5 x 45mm Infinity binocular comes with a wide and very comfortable foam-padded neckstrap, an eyepiece rainguard, snap-in objective lens covers, and a molded semi-rigid case that is shaped to conform to your hip for more comfort when carrying your binocular at your side with the separate adjustable-length wide woven case strap over your shoulder.