Hawke Endurance 8×42 ED Review

Price as reviewed –  Our price £269 (RRP –  £289) 

Pros

• Value for money
• ED Glass
• Wide field of view
• Bright, Clear image
• Solid build quality

Cons
Optics not a huge leap up from previous Endurance unless viewed in poor light

Background

Hawke Optics has emerged as one of the leading manufacturers of budget binoculars, from the Vantage to the Nature-Trek.

This model, the Hawke Endurance ED, sits in the middle of the Hawke range as the next step up from the Nature-Trek and below the Frontier ED-X range. The £250 area for binoculars contains a lot of models, but there are a lot of binoculars that are simply not worth the money. Here we will see if the Hawke Endurance ED 8×42 fits into the mid-range category.

Design

The closed hinge design keeps the Hawke Endurance ED 8×42 compact, even when compared to binoculars with smaller objective lenses. It is also lightweight at 652 grams but certainly not one of the lightest 8×42 binoculars available. 

It is important to remember that this is a binocular costing £269 and therefore materials and build quality aren’t up to the standard of models costing 3 or 4 times as much. However the quality is good for the price bracket this binocular is in. The rubber armouring isn’t as thick as on more expensive models but overall the materials used are of a good quality and are assembled well. 

The build quality is far better than you would expect. This binocular feels solid and well built, it is a rugged thing that is built for the purpose of resisting the effects of time and high usage. Previous models in the Endurance range were not particularly stylish but the newly designed body armouring has produced a pleasant looking binocular which is well designed and sits nicely in the hand.

Optics

So far so good but now we get to optics, and we are pleased to report that Hawke have done a very good job with the Endurance ED. The image is clear, bright and colours are very true to life with little hue away from the natural colours of the image you see.  The only drawback is there isn’t a huge difference between the Endurance and the lower priced Nature-Trek when viewed in bright conditions. The improvement comes when the binocular is used in dull conditions and this is when you see the improved light gathering, due to the ED glass and a more punchy image, as with the 8×32 HD.

The field of view is also good at 129 metres at 1000 metre range, giving the user a flexible binocular for a variety of situations. There are models with a wider field of view but not at this price point.

Overall the optics on this binocular are what you would expect at this price point.

Conclusion

When reviewing a binocular costing £269 it is important to not compare it to models costing more. For the price the Endurance 8×42 ED is an extremely good binocular. It is definitely an update in build quality and use of materials over the Nature-Trek. If the budget allows for it then it’s worth the upgrade from the Nature-Trek range.

It is pleasant to use and at around £250.00 represents value for money. The Hawke Endurance ED 8×42 is a good choice for anyone looking to upgrade to a well built pair of binoculars with clear optics.