good:
optically very good
light weight
inexpensive
bad:
poor eyepiece cover
not water proof (is water resistant)
What I did to evaluate:
I compared the Oberwerk 15x60s to Celestron 15x70 Skymaster and Zeiss 10x40 Classics t/p coated. I used a mono-pod with a flat platform on top for support. I started about 40 minutes before the sun went below the horizon and continued about 30 minutes afterward. I observed a nearby park, open space land with some prairie dogs, and an apartment complex. I switched between the various binoculars every couple minutes or so. This is my opinion based on these observations.
The Oberwerk perceived FOV is just slightly less than the Celestron which is just slightly less than the Zeiss. Which makes the Oberwerk FOV better than average.
Color/contrast for the Oberwerk is good - close to the Zeiss and obviously better than the Celestron.
Flatness is very good for all - I can not distinguish any barreling/pin cushioning.
Sharpness for the Oberwerk is nearly as good as the Zeiss, slightly better than the Celestron.
Distinguishing details on people, vehicles, prairie dogs, etc., the Oberwerks are the best. Particularly looking into shadows. The superior color/contrast/sharpness over the Celestrons really shows here. The Oberwerks did better than the Zeiss, but not as much as I expected. I dont know how to quantify the difference, but there is a noticeable difference in the details I can distinguish with the Oberwerks. Not really a fair comparison between 10x Zeiss and 15x Oberwerks. But thats what I have.
I am able to wiggle to top portion of the eyepieces with pressure (not the part that is attached to the body, but the part that moves when focusing). Both eyepieces wiggle as a single unit and move back to center when pressure is released (more pressure than you could possibly put against your face). Probably not a problem. But it feels like it should be more rigid to me. The Celestrons are similar in this regard.
The Oberwerk eyepiece cover is a piece of hard plastic that does not attach to the strap. Better than nothing... Just... I have an old cover from my parts bin that fits pretty well.
The Oberwerks are water resistant not waterproof. I emailed the company to see what this means, this is their response:
> The Oberwerk 15x60 is water-resistant, but not water-proof. In other words,
> some light rain would not be a problem, but dropping it in water would be a
> bad thing. If you need water-proof, choose one of the Sport RP Series or
> Mariner Series.
> Regards,
> Kevin Busarow
> Oberwerk Corp.
The bottom line:
I am impressed. The Oberwerk 15x60 are lightweight and very good optically. The $120ish price tag put them in a category different than anything I am aware of. I will be packing these up the mountain. And not afraid to use them.
I am not an expert. This is just another opinion.
Last edited by Grady8541; 12/22/10.
