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GoView Review The Best Budget Binoculars Under £200
The world of optics is notoriously hard to break into, with so many staple brands that have been around for decades you need something special to make a new brand stand above the crowd.
Who is GoView?
Founded in 2021, GoView optics have shown their hands clear as day as to what they believe will make them stand out, and, on initial investigation, they certainly do just that.
Bucking the trend of the stereotypical and widespread ‘birders’ optics, they’ve ditched the green and black for a very modern and stand-out cosmetic design structure. Dark and dull colours are replaced with bright, fresh, and modern aesthetics, with lots of shimmering silver highlights.
Bright and crisp in appearance, it’ll be interesting to see if the optical quality matches the bold new look and whether these truly are the best budget binoculars on the market.
Magnify the Everyday
The team at Go-Views’ motto is exactly that, the boundary to getting out and about and magnifying your day-to-day life, not just for nature, but for sports, during a trip away, or even in urban life, the idea to ‘go-view’ all you would normally, magnifying your experiences.
The Range
With 4 sets of binoculars, and a singular monocular currently available within the concise range of ZOOMR Go-View optics, there is an answer to the majority of use cases.
Compare the technical specs of the range below;
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Binoculars |
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Compact |
Mid Compact |
Full Size |
Full Size |
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8x26 |
10x34 |
8x42 |
10x42 |
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Optical Parameters / Specifications
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Optical Parameters / Specifications
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Optical Parameters / Specifications
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Optical Parameters / Specifications
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The Open Box Experience
The unboxing of all products these days is a great indication of how seriously brands take the whole ownership experience, and it’s fantastic to see that even at this end of the market, this has been far from neglected.
All optics include a premium-inspired strap and a phone adapter for mobile digiscoping. This idea has grown exponentially in popularity across all optics users, so it’s great to see this included from the off. A premium feeling case for the binoculars is also included, and a compact padded case for the monocular will help protect your optics when travelling.
Optical Performance
The traditional undoing of most budget binoculars, optical quality, is inherently vital at all levels. All Go-View optics feature Fully Multi-Coating glass which vastly reduces Chromatic Aberration and Colour Fringing.
On testing I found that some aberration and fringing were noticeable, however, it wasn't a major distraction from the viewing experience. The traditional pitfalls of budget optics are present, namely, the image is sharp in the centre but looking around the edges there is a noticeable drop off in performance. Nevertheless, for the target market, this wouldn’t pose a problem.
Pick of the bunch
Having tried the 8x26 and 10x34 binoculars, the standout here was the 8x26. The use of the 10x34’s left this user wanting more from them and would probably require an upgrade to the bigger 42mm objectives, found at the slightly higher price point.
Not quite as compact as the 26mm and not quite as bright as the 42mm, they do offer a great halfway house between two very different sets of specific requirements, personal preference meant that these were slightly lost in the range.
The 8x26’s however, are a different story entirely. These binoculars could easily be envisaged on a windowsill overlooking a harbour, garden space, or airfield. Owing purely to their looks they don’t act as a bulky dark object that looks ungainly in the surrounds of a home and can add a splash of colour to any interior décor.
Over the weekend they did exactly that, left in the windowsill of the home office, every break from work for a cup of tea, or a thought before composing an email, led to the window where the horizon would be scanned, not only for birds and wildlife, but anything that was passing by.
The size was perfect for this space and led to more usage out of a set of binoculars than the main set of birders bins had achieved in the week prior. These really impressed as a quick grab-and-go set of optics, initiating the Go-View message.
The Monocular
The monocular was the most interesting to try from the range, having had very minor experiences with this type of product in the past, it was the first out-of-the-box to get used.
Technical Specs below;
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Monocular |
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8x25 |
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Optical Parameters / Specifications - Magnification: 8x - Rotating eyecup: Yes - Temperature: -10° +65° |
The main draw with the monocular was to use this as the go-to for attaching the phone to. However, the eyepiece design deemed this quite ungainly and although it did attach as intended, the binoculars proved themselves better in this aspect.
The design of the eyepiece with its thin and jagged metal design is likely a love-it-or-hate-it design feature. Optical performance was again on par with what you’d expect, and ergonomically it was comfortable, lightweight, and easy to handle.
As previously stated, a great grab-and-go viewing tool that would be more discreet at sporting events or when viewing in an urban landscape.
Overall Lasting Impressions
It’s no surprise to learn that these optics aren’t for serious birders or wildlife watchers, and they were never intended to be. Go-View is certainly a consideration for those looking for an optic in a home, ready at a moment’s notice to grab and go.
You can picture these in the crowd at a cricket, or football match, or at an air show, allowing the user a magnified viewing experience of the action. The urban environment of using an optic is still somewhat untested personally, unsure of how conspicuous it would be to walk around a city with binoculars, or more likely, monoculars around your neck. For cities such as Liverpool or London with the rivers running centrally, it makes sense, however for the bustling central streets of other major cities, it doesn’t immediately jump out as a go-to accessory.
Go-View no doubt has a place within the vast optics competition, and it is refreshing to see some colour added to a somewhat aesthetically stagnant market. The pricing is spot on for the quality of the product, and for the sheer boldness of trying something different, hope is large that the motto of magnifying your life, reaches its intended purpose within the target audience.
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- By Aled Phillips
- 14 Jun 2023
