Best Alpen Binoculars: Reviews of Alpen Apex, Sport & Teton Binoculars
Alpen binoculars aren’t as old as Nikon or Bushnell, but after reading these Alpen Apex, Sport Compact & Teton binocular reviews, you’ll wanna buy one today!
Alpen has only been making binoculars since1997. But while they may lack in the ancient history department, they sure do know how to put out a great product.
Founded by former Bausch & Lamb sports optics big wigs Tim Gardner and Tony Proper, Alpen has used the observed experience of other companies’ past victories and defeats to pave the way for a new brand in the neighborhood.
Alpen binoculars may be hard to find in the store (they are sold almost exclusively online), but if you can get your hands on a pair, you’ll surely be happy with its price and performance.
Best Alpen Binoculars: Reviews of Popular Models
The offerings from Alpen are fairly expansive, with models for just about every purpose and strength. Here’s a brief rundown of their most popular series.
Lightweight designs and comfortable grips make Alpen Apex binoculars ideal for long outings. Whether you’re hiking, hunting, or trying to catch the football game from the stadium’s nosebleed section, rest assured that the many varieties of Alpen Apex binoculars won’t wear you down.
Alpen MagnaView Binoculars
These are the goliaths of the Alpen collection–and that isn’t in reference to their weight. With large objective lens diameters, fully coated lenses, ergonomically constructed grips, and maximum power, the MagnaView binoculars are giants in strength, magnification and extra features.
Alpen Rainier Binoculars
These are the tough guys of the lineup of Alpen binoculars. Waterproof, shock-resistant, and ruggedly constructed, the Rainier models are as durable as they come. Take them over choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean, through the dense forests of backwoods New England, or even to the top of (you guessed it) Mt. Rainier.
Alpen Sport Compact Binoculars
The name truly says it all when it comes to Alpen Sport Compact binoculars. Alpen: high quality, affordable prices, and durable body. Sport: great for hunting, fishing, and spectator events. Compact: lightweight, small design, and easy storage. Binoculars: well, that’s pretty self-explanatory.
Taking the standard level of Alpen binoculars to brand new heights, the Teton series combines the talents of various other models into a superior device that will give you all the power, durability, protection, and clear visibility you’d need.
Focus on Alpen Rainier Binoculars
Rugged and precise, the Alpen Rainier binoculars are true achievements in the world of sports optics. They are made with magnesium bodies for extreme durability and all the advanced technologies available for premium sightseeing performance.
Some of this line’s best features include:
- UBX multi-layer coating
- Extra big BAK-4 prisms
- Large objective lens dimensions
- A-Lock diopter system for locking
The range of magnification and objective lens specs isn’t incredibly varied within the Rainier line, but they are great for medium- to long-distance viewing.
When looking at a pair of binoculars online or in the store, you’ll notice a set of numbers in the name–something like: 10×42. The first number (before the X) refers to the fixed or zoom magnification. For this example model, you will be able to see images 10 times bigger than their natural size.
The number after the X is representative of the objective lens diameter. Basically, binoculars with bigger objective lens diameters let in more light and will bring you clearer, more vivid images. On the flip side, they’re larger and less compact. So, back to our example, the objective lens diameter is 42 millimeters.
For the Rainier series, the fixed magnifications are 8x and 10x and the objective lens diameters are either 32mm or 42mm. Not a lot of variety, but perfect binocular specs for hiking, backpacking, and being a tourist.
Alpen Binoculars: Specifications & Ranges
By looking closer at the magnification, field of view, and objective lens diameter specifications for Alpen binoculars, we’ll get a better idea of the power and variety inherent in their model selection.
Magnification
Alpen binoculars make products that feature 7x, 16x, and just about everything in between. The PRO 7×35 Wide Angle model sits at the low end, while the MagnaView 16×52 tops the range.
As far as zoom models go, Alpen binoculars feature a great 7-21x model in the PRO series.
Field of View
The Field of View (or F.O.V.) is the size of the area you can see through the lens of your binoculars while standing 1,000 yards away. So if you have a pair of binoculars that have an F.O.V. of 200 feet, then that means you can see that big of an area from ten football fields away.
The F.O.V. range for the Alpen binoculars range is fairly narrow, but still contains some pretty nice numbers. At the low end of the spectrum, the MagnaView 16×52 model features a 221-foot F.O.V. At the other end, the PRO 7×35 Wide Angle binoculars have a 448-foot F.O.V.
Objective Lens
Alpen binoculars offer a fairly conservative, though not uncommon, range of objective lens diameters. They range from 21mm to 52mm. The average diameter for the series is right around 40mm, but at the two extremes are such models as the Sport Compact 8×21 and the MagnaView 16×52.
Alpen Binoculars Review: Consumer Info
If all this talk about Alpen binoculars has piqued your buying interest, read below to get some more facts that are suited directly to you, the potential consumer.
Price Range
Even though their catalog isn’t widely advertised, and it’s almost impossible to buy them anywhere but on the Internet, their selection is quite large. This means that you have a variety of models to choose from at a variety of different prices.
And that means that there will certainly be a pair for you, given your needs and budget.
The lowest priced Alpen optics come in just above $20 and they span all the way up the price range to the most expensive, the Rainier 10×42, at over $1,200.
Warranty Info
Unfortunately, Alpen doesn’t offer a world-class warranty plan on their binoculars. Not even close. Alpen products offer a limited lifetime warranty, but this only covers factory defects and errors in manufacturer workmanship. And even then, you have to pay at least $15 to get them repaired.
Any accidents that may happen to damage your pair will not be covered by the warranty. People are also not very fond of this warranty because it only applies to the original purchaser and products bought in the United States. All in all, the warranty leaves a whole lot to be desired.
Alpen Binoculars: Consumer Reviews
To get an idea of what the reality is when it comes to the performance and usability of Alpen’s binoculars, let’s take a look at what real consumers have had to say.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
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March 24, 2013 at 4:44 pm
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I purchased a Alpen J267 about four years ago and the adjustable right eye piece seems to have leaked oil onto the inside of the eye piece causing the view to appear very blurry in the right eye. I have had it for a few years but I would still not expect it to have this problem having seen very minimal use over the years.
I am now looking for a new pair and I will not be looking at Alpen.
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