Kite Lynx HD 8×30 binocular

The Kite Lynx HD 8×30 is an incredible little performer and the best small binocular I’ve ever tested. In fact, it’s my travel binocular of choice, and I carry it with me whenever I can’t bring my full-size binoculars along. Robust, compact and delivering performance in spades, the Kite Lynx HD is a superb choice if you’re looking for an all-around birding and wildlife binocular that’s also lightweight and easy to carry. It easily earns our Highly Recommended rating.

Price Range: Mid-high (€500-€1000)

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Pros: Super compact and convenient, with great build quality. Exceptionally wide field of view and large central “sweet spot” give that elusive sense of immersion that marks a great binocular. Very bright, pin sharp image with excellent colour fidelity and contrast, surprisingly good low light performance considering the small objective lenses. Superb close focus makes them suitable for viewing insects and plants at close range.

Cons: Very few. The folks at Kite have obviously worked hard to get this binocular right. Some reflection in the upper portion of the image when viewing against the light in difficult conditions (NB. this is only occasional, and disappears if I move the binocular a millimetre or so further from my eyes… so maybe an eye relief issue that won’t affect everybody). Lack of click-stops on the twist-up eyecups, no tethered objective lens covers could be an issue for some.

Price: c. €520 RRP (but shop around — you may find a better deal online).
Available in 8×30 and 10×30 configurations

Value: Outstanding

Rating: Highly Recommended

Check out the Lynx HD on the Kite Optics website.

The Lynx HD exceeded my expectations in pretty much every department from the moment I lifted it out of the box. Great optics in a compact, ergonomic package that works beautifully. It’s super convenient to carry — not a lot bulkier than many compacts — yet delivers an image that would put most full-size binoculars to shame.

This would be a fantastic binocular for safari or travel… and would make a superb second pair — but the Lynx HD is easily good enough to be far more than that.  While I’m not about to replace my current binocular, I will safely say that the Lynx HD is the smallest binocular I’ve ever reviewed that I’d be happy to carry and use as my primary birding and wildlife binocular. That’s quite an accolade. If you’re looking for a small, lightweight all-round binocular put the Kite Lynx HD on your shortlist now!

Don’t forget to check out our full review of the Kite Lynx HD 8×30 here.

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