Hawke Binoculars Review
Hawke binoculars have become the brand of choice for many: birdwatchers, hikers, airgunners, sightseers and more, but it can be hard to know which pair are the best to choose. So in this Hawke binoculars review, we’re going to break down the 3 different collections Hawke have to offer and explain the pros and cons of each.
By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll know everything you need to know about buying Hawke binoculars – so make sure you read all the way till the end.
Hawke Nature Trek Binoculars Review
The Nature Trek collection is the most affordable binoculars offered by Hawke, making them perfect if you’re looking for that Hawke quality without spending over £200 on a pair.
But don’t let their low price deceive you into thinking they are low quality, as they certainly are not! Every pair of Nature Trek binoculars are waterproof and fog proof, making them great for a variety of outdoor uses (especially in the United Kingdom).
They are also fully multi-coated giving you a remarkably sharp image, plus they feature BAK-4 roof prisms which is considered to be the best prism material currently available.
They also come with a soft nylon case that’ll keep them protected when not in use, and because it’s Hawke, you get that lifetime no fault guarantee too.
Nature Trek Models
There are a variety of different models available in the Nature Trek range for you to choose from. Our advice is to pick the pair that best meets your requirements.
If you’re looking to get into bird watching, many of the 8 to 10x magnification models will do an amazing job, whereas if you’re looking for a pair to take with you when hiking, you’ll likely do better with one of the more compact options.
Here is a full list of sizes available in the Hawke Nature Trek collection: 8×25, 10×25, 8×32, 10×32, 8×42, 10×42, 10×50, 12×50
Hawke Nature Trek Price
The price of the Nature Trek collection ranges from around £90 for a small compact pair, up to around £180 for a high magnification and broad lens diameter pair.
Hawke Endurance Binoculars Review
The Hawke Endurance range is the next step up, with the main benefit being the use of ED glass (Extra low Dispersion glass). This prevents chromatic aberration (also known as CA or colour fringing), which causes a bright colour ring to show around high contrast objects.
The ED glass that is utilised throughout almost all of this collection is going to give you a much sharper image and is well worth the extra cost in our opinion.
This collection is available in two colors – green or black. We personally think the green is better visually, but it’s down to personal preference.
Endurance Models
When buying a pair of Hawke Endurance binoculars, it’s important to first identify what you intend on using them for most commonly.
As we previously stated, 8-10x is great for birdwatching, but if you’re looking for a pair to use for stargazing, the 12x pairs (in Green or Black) would be better as you’d get a more close up view. Just make sure you have a binocular tripod with them to avoid the image shaking, which is common with magnifications over 10x.
Here’s the full list of sizes available in the Endurance collection: 8×25, 10×25, 8×32, 10×32, 8×42, 10×42, 8×56, 10×50, 12×50
Hawke Endurance Price
The Hawke Endurance collection ranges from around £130 for a compact pair with enhanced light transmission, to around £300 for a full sized pair with a large objective lens diameter.
Hawke Frontier Binoculars Review
There are three different types of binoculars inside Hawke’s Frontier collection, these are: HD X, ED X and APO. All of which are far more capable of handling changes in temperature than the previous collections – making them great to use across various areas of the world.
Frontier HD X binoculars are one of the most popular models from Hawke, regardless of the fact that they don’t use ED glass. “Why would anyone pay more for these when they don’t have ED glass?” you might ask. Well that’s because they feature dielectric coated prisms which gives you a brighter, sharper image than the Endurance range. The downside to these is that you will get a bit of colour fringing, but if that’s a concern, you could always consider the next model up which is the Frontier ED X.
Frontier ED X binoculars give you the brighter image from the previous model, with ED glass to significantly reduce the colour fringing. Anyone who knows anything about binoculars knows that these are something truly special, and given the fact that they have won multiple awards throughout the years, it really is difficult to find anything bad to say about them.
Finally we have the Frontier APO binoculars. And although it’s hard to imagine anything better than the Frontier ED X, Hawke managed to do it with their APO models.
The Frontier APO binoculars have almost no colour fringing at all, and there’s far less pincushion distortion, which means the image doesn’t curve toward the axis.
This gives you one of the clearest views you can get through a pair of binoculars and it’s actually quite remarkable how little distortion you get with these. The only downside is the price, which usually starts at around £600.
Frontier Models
There are a wide range of models in the frontier range, meaning you can find a pair for any use. Whether that’s whale watching, safari use, bird watching, hiking, hunting, star gazing or anything else. You also get to choose whether you want them in green or gray, which is a nice touch as most people do have their preference, and you’ll certainly be using them a lot!
The full list of sizes Hawke offer in the Frontier collection are: 8×32, 10×32, 8×42, 10×42
Hawke Frontier Price
Hawke Frontier binoculars range from around £260 for a pair of HD X with a 32mm objective lens diameter, up to around £620 for a pair with apochromatic lenses (APO).
The Best Hawke Binoculars
When you pick up a pair of Hawke binoculars, you feel like you’re holding a piece of well-engineered equipment that will never let you down when you need them. The same can’t be said for most of the cheap binocular brands you find online that you’ve never heard of before.
And because we’ve all come to expect a much higher quality with Hawke, you always know you’re going to get an outstanding piece of equipment, no matter which pair you buy.
Which is why it’s difficult to give a direct piece of advice if you’re looking for the best pair of binoculars Hawke makes.
The obvious answer is the Hawke Frontier APO, as that’s their top-of-the-range pair that features just about everything you could ever want from a pair of binoculars. However, they are priced outside of most people’s price range, and it’s worth pointing out that the Frontier ED X is a very close second that has won many awards and are a lot more affordable.
So if your budget permits it, the Hawke Frontier APO are the best Hawke binoculars. However, if you’re looking for something more affordable, you will not regret buying a pair of Hawke Frontier ED X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hawke binoculars are most commonly waterproof, but it’s always best to check the product specifications on the individual model before buying to be sure. If you’re buying Hawke products from us, you can always give us a call for clarification.
We really like Hawke binoculars as they’re always top quality and customers love them. Over recent years, we’ve seen them quickly become the binocular of choice for many hikers, birdwatchers, airgunners and more. They also come with Hawke’s no-fault lifetime warranty, making them far from the typical cheap pair you can pick up at the supermarket.
The price of Hawke binoculars will vary based on the model and collection you choose from, but as a rough guideline, you can pick up a pair of compact Nature Trek binoculars for around £90 and you can also buy a pair of full size Hawke binoculars with apochromatic lenses for around £620.
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Leave Your Review
Have you used or purchased a pair of Hawke binoculars from the Nature Trek, Endurance or Frontier range? If so, be sure to let others know your experiences with them in the comments below!
