Review: Viking Optical Peregrine ED 8x42 Binoculars​

15 October 2021 
By James Hamilton

Viking Optical have been growing and growing as a brand in recent years. We recently stopped by their head office in Ipswich for a closer look at the range. We left with a pair of Peregrine 8x42's and took them for a spin back on home turf, around the Lea Valley.

What's in the box?
  • Peregrine 8x42 Binoculars in Black Colour
  • Case
  • Rubber Rain Guard
  • Comfort Carrying Strap
  • Rubber Objective Lens Covers
  • Microfibre Cloth
  • Viking Optical Pin Badge
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​The view...

The Viking Peregrine are equipped with ED 'Extra-low Dispersion' glass objective lenses. This quality glass really helps with stray light and fringing. As a production material, It is more expensive than the standard glass used in optics and is important when thinking of upgrading your bins as it generally means the light gathering power of these binoculars is really, very good and on another level to bins without. And given the bright images being displayed in low light, just after dawn - this is very noticeable through the Peregrines.

To protect the lenses from dust and dirt, the optics are multicoated and were very clear for much of our test which happened to turn into a really lovely and crisp October morning as time ticked by on top of the new Bittern hide - which should definitely be experienced for anyone passing in the area.

After playing around with the dioptre adjustment, which was very responsive, we found the view to be really sharp and clear, a little fringing here and there but very minimal. The 4 BAK prisms used in these bins could well be some of the best available and looking at several Teal showing well, we were really impressed with the excellent colours on show in the wing and even though this was a fairly good light day in the end, felt that the view would not have been dampened shall we say by the weather on a really bad day.

Finally, the Nitrogen filled optics on the Peregrine 8x42 binoculars ensure that there is no fogging which can be a birding nightmare and a common problem with a lot of cheaper optics. Another tick in the box.

​Focus, images and handling...

The Peregrine ED Binoculars are waterproof and are finished in a smooth rubber armouring which we really like - it feels like a very modern and functional material for binocular finishing and no doubt helps with the weight both in hand and around your neck. The Peregrines are really comfortable to hold gloveless and we would imagine even when wearing gloves there would be a nice feel to them. 

The long barrels on the Peregrine ED's give a secure grip for people with larger hands and the focus wheel does the job very nicely, even if it does feel a little 'tinny' at times. This could well be a personal choice however, as we generally prefer a more robust and 'chunky' focuser.

Viking confidently give these binoculars a 10 year warranty, so you can be assured that the binoculars will give you birdwatching pleasure for years to come.
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Verdict
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Lightweight, bright, sharp and responsive binoculars with a 'modern' feel, courtesy of the smooth rubber armouring. We like these binoculars, we like them a lot.
​
★★★★★★★★★ 8.5/10

Testing scores
  • Design: ★★★★★★★★★ 9/10
  • Performance: ★★★★★★★★ 8/10
  • Durability: ★★★★★★★★ 8/10
  • Weight: ★★★★★★★★★ 9/10
  • Value: ★★★★★★★★★ 9/10

📦 Buy now: vikingoptical.com/product/viking-peregrine-ed-binoculars
🏷 Price: £339.95
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