Athlon Optics Midas 8×42 UHD - Review 2023

Overview

The Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD might just have everything that a casual hunter or wildlife observer needs in a pair of binoculars at a reasonable price. It features rugged construction and delivers surprising image quality.

One of the many good qualities that people love about these binoculars is the wide field of view of 426’ at 1,000 yds. It is not every day that you will find this wide field of view in mid-range binoculars. Moreover, they are built with extra-low dispersion (ED) glass, advanced fully multi-coated (FMC) lenses, enhanced spectral prism (ESP) dielectric coating, and phase-correction prism coating.

All these features work together to deliver crisp images with excellent brightness, contrast, and resolution.

The construction of the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD is also commendable. It has a magnesium chassis with a rubber armor coating, which means it is lightweight and durable. More importantly, it has shockproof capabilities, withstanding impact in the harshest conditions. These binoculars are purged with argon, too. They can be used in any weather without the image quality being affected.

Further, these binoculars have generous eye relief (17.2mm) that make them perfect even for those wearing eyeglasses. The twist-up eyecups further help ensure your comfort, which comes in really handy during long hours of use. With a close focus range of 6.5’, they are engineered for optimal precision that wildlife observers will definitely appreciate.

Let’s dive in deeper to know more about these specs and features, and discover if the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD really possesses the qualities of high-range binoculars without the expensive price tag.

Image Quality

The Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD delivers compellingly clear and sharp images, thanks to the ED glass that comes into its lenses. These binoculars also have advanced FMC lenses, which provide superb light transmission with as little light loss as possible.

To ensure true color fidelity no matter how challenging outdoor conditions get, these binoculars also come with an ESP dielectric coating. This multi-layer prism coating provides maximum brightness as it keeps light loss during transmission to a minimum. They also come with phase-correction prism coating, producing improved contrast and resolution. This coating also contributes to accurate color reproduction. Essentially, with these prism treatments, you will be able to see exactly as the naked eye sees through your binoculars.

The exterior lenses are protected, too. The Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD has an XPL coating that keeps the exterior lenses safe from dirt and oil. More importantly, this coating helps prevent the lenses from getting scratched, ensuring the long-lasting durability and rugged performance of these binoculars.

Additionally, these binoculars have a wide field of view of 426’ at 1,000 yds. The angular field of view is 8.1 degrees. This wide field of view makes them perfect for all wildlife observers and hunters, allowing them to locate and follow subjects better and quicker. With these specs, these optics are undoubtedly part of the wide-angle category of binoculars.

Construction Quality

With a magnesium chassis, the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD is unsurprisingly lightweight. The magnesium alloy construction gives it the heavy-duty characteristics it needs for reliable performance in any terrain, without being too bulky to carry.

Engineered to meet your needs in the wild outdoors, these binoculars come with a shockproof design. They can withstand impact, contributing to their longevity and rugged performance. Moreover, these binoculars are rubber-armored. They would not slip easily off your hands, but if they do, you can remain worry-free because they are less likely to break or become damaged because of minor or occasional slip-ups.

It is possible to use the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD in any weather, thanks to its fogproof and waterproof construction. It has an airtight argon purging that prevents moisture from penetrating the optics, allowing you to use it even when the weather is bad or it is too wet outside. Further, it can withstand being submerged under the water.

Ergonomics and Comfort

These binoculars are known for their exceptional close focus. With a close focus distance of 6.5’, they are perfect for bird watchers and nature observers. You can comfortably and conveniently observe even the tiniest insects and see the details as clear as day.

The Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD also has excellent eye relief that lets you see the entire field of view without difficulties. It is suitable for those wearing eyeglasses because not only does it have a long eye relief of 17.2 mm, but it also features twist-up eyecups. These eyecups can be adjusted to achieve the right eye relief with which you are most comfortable.

Handling these binoculars is pretty easy, too. Aside from being lightweight, they have a rubber-armored body with a firm grip. You can keep your hands on your binoculars even when the environments prove challenging.

The Good

For a pair of mid-range binoculars, the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD offers crisp images with remarkable clarity and true color fidelity. This outstanding viewing experience can be attributed to the ED glass. While there is minimal blurring around the edges, the clarity is good enough for meticulous activities like bird watching. The brightness is also commendable on a good day, thanks to the ESP dielectric coating applied to the prism.

When exploring any terrain, there are many external factors you need to be careful about. Even the tiniest debris can damage your optics in a second. The good thing about these binoculars is that they come with an XPL coating, a scratch-resistant, exterior lens protective coating. You can be confident going out knowing that your binoculars have superior protection from dirt, oil, and other debris.

For nature observation and hunting, a wide field of view is important. That is why the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD is highly recommended for nature observers and hunters looking for a budget-friendly companion out in the wild. It has a field of view of 426’ at 1,000 yds., allowing you to spot and lock your targets quicker than you could with most mid-range binoculars.

Durability is another vital factor to consider when purchasing binoculars since you are not merely spending your money, but investing it. These binoculars guarantee long-lasting performance with their magnesium chassis and shockproof construction. The magnesium chassis makes them lightweight yet durable, allowing you to handle them easily without worrying about them breaking easily.

Moreover, the shockproof design adds to the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD’s heavy-duty profile. While the rubber armor coating provides a firm grip, there is still a possibility of you accidentally dropping your binoculars. With its ability to withstand shock, accidental slips would not be troublesome.

When talking about the things we like about these binoculars, the close focus distance is worth mentioning as well. With a close focus range of 6.5’, you can observe even the tiniest insects you can find. It is not a unique feature, but an important one, especially for wildlife observers.

The Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD has an eye relief of 17.2 mm, which means you can be comfortable using it even when you are wearing eyeglasses. This generous eye relief gives you the comfort you need to prevent straining your eyes even after hours of glassing.

What We Didn’t Like

Despite the many good qualities of these binoculars, they are far from perfect. One of the things that need to receive major improvements is the central focus knob. It is stiff and requires a lot of effort to move. As such, it is not that easy to adjust the focus properly. It takes some getting used to, especially for beginners. If you have little to no experience when it comes to adjusting the focus on different binoculars, you might not like these Athlon optics.

While the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD delivers unparalleled brightness, contrast, and resolution, it is not intended for use in low-light conditions. It is unlikely to serve you well at dawn or dusk. So if you frequently go out so early in the morning or stay out until the sun sets, these binoculars are not the best choice.

About the Company

When you think about binoculars, Athlon is unlikely the first name that comes to your mind. It is not as big as major industry leaders in sports optics, but it has built a substantial reputation over the years designing reliable outdoor accessories at competitive prices. It is able to provide affordable yet quality products because of its streamlined, fully integrated supply chain.

The company boasts the ability to deliver next-generation, cutting-edge technologies as it remains true to its commitment to offer quality sports optics products that every customer deserves. Athlon guarantees that every gear has gone through rigorous testing before it hits the markets, meeting and even exceeding industry standards.

Since it is confident in its design and manufacturing processes, Athlon provides a Lifetime Warranty in every purchase of binoculars, laser rangefinders, magnifiers, prism scopes, red dots, riflescopes, and spotting scopes. It will repair or replace your gear if it gets broken or damaged through normal use, free of charge, even if you do not have the receipt.

With all the advanced prism technologies and rugged lens construction of these binoculars, they are undoubtedly perfect for casual bird watchers, hunters, and wildlife observers who need a high-performing pair but don’t want to spend that much money. They have a reliable, all-terrain performance that you can count on even if you don’t go out often. These binoculars can last for years, thanks to their heavy-duty magnesium chassis and shockproof design. Extra protection comes to the exterior lenses, too, which is really essential in harsh environments. While Athlon may not be as famous as many big names in the global sports optics industry, the Athlon Midas 8×42 UHD will make you think twice about your initial impressions. More importantly, it will give you your money’s worth.