Anyone used the Kowa YF 6x30 or 8x30 porro prism binoculars?

[westernsloper]

My wife is a small woman with a narrow interpupillary distance. My rough measurements put it under 54mm, which is out of the range of most roof prism binoculars in the 32-42mm objective lens range.

I’ve heard great things about the Kowa YF binoculars. They have a narrow IPD that will definitely accommodate my wife. They can mount on a tripod. I have never seen one in person however.

Some people say these are good “for the price.” Others say they “punch above their weight class” and are an example of the value you get with a porro prism vs roofs. I’m curious what the actual optical performance of these binos are versus other binos, not just in the sub $150 class but in the sub $500 class.

 

[KU_Geo]

These are good binos and I’d hunt with them if those are what I had, and likely not feel disadvantage. The only comparison I have to them is >$1000 binos, which really aren’t relavent to the conservation.

I’ll say they are adequate for general purpose hunting. If your wife is getting serious about hunting and spending weeks each year hunting, my opinion is it’s probably worth getting something a bit better. But if she is spending a few weekends hunting with you, I’d think she be pretty happy with them. And if she does get super serious, you can always keep them for future use by kids or sell them.