Review: Swarovski My Junior 7x28

My previous review looked at the Vortex Bantam 6.5x32. At under £100, this small, lightweight, user (and budget) friendly binocular attracts a wide range of users, although it was marketed towards the younger audience.

Priced at £400, the Swarovski My Junior 7x28 aims to offer an even better experience, but can this colourful instrument justify it's heavier price tag?

Available in 'glacier blue' or 'jungle green', these binoculars are dividing opinions due to their colourful design, but for now let's gloss over the appearance and take a look through the lenses.

It's a sunny December afternoon in Sussex, but the light is fading as the sun heads down to the west. The very respectable 4mm exit pupil (28mm objective lens divided by 7x magnification) means these binoculars offer a pleasantly bright image throughout the day. In fact, with 89% light transmission, there's not much to tell between these and the far more expensive Swarovski CL Companion models (90% light transmission). Clarity is also exceptional, as we have of course come to expect from Swarovski instruments. I am able to see detail in the shadows of the redwood tree, even with the harsh light behind. There is hardly a hint of colour fringing either. Swarovski don't reveal whether these binoculars feature ED glass, but I'd hazard a guess they benefit from extra-low dispersion elements as chromatic aberration is reduced to almost nothing. Perhaps a slight disappointment is the relatively modest field of view at 7.2° (126m/1000m). From a 7x magnification binocular, I feel like this could have been wider, as the narrow apparent field of view appears a bit tunnel-like when looking through the binoculars. However, it does mean the clarity of the image is retained almost right up to the edge, and perhaps this was something Swarovski were not willing to compromise on which often comes from a wider field of view without field-flattening lenses (and a heftier price). The aforementioned Vortex Bantam 6.5x32 has an almost identical apparent field of view (50°), yet suffers from noticeable softening outside the centre of the image, although this is expected and can be forgiven due to it's budget price. The 4 metre close focussing is also a little lacklustre; it would have been nice to have seen a figure closer to 2m for watching butterflies and insects, as is commonplace in most binoculars around this price.

Now we must address the elephant in the room, and no, it's not the colour. These Swarovski binoculars are made in China. This is the first instrument from Swarovski which has been outsourced to the far east, and it came as a surprise to many. Would Swarovski have been able to produce an instrument their renowned image and build quality for just £400 if it was made in Austria with the rest of their models? The fact they are made in China suggests not, but should, or rather, will this put people off from buying them?

I can't pick at anything with regards to build quality, so it seems whichever partnering company this has been outsourced to, combined with the fact each 'My Junior' is put through Swarovski's notorious quality control, justifies the Swarovski badge adorned on the front of the binoculars. The twist-up eyecups feel quality, yet unlike almost every other Swarovski binocular, are not threaded/removable. This means, akin to most 'non-Swarovski' binoculars, a broken eyecup means having to send these away for repair, rather than requesting a spare part to be sent direct to your door and replacing it yourself in seconds. Also, there is no dioptre adjustment, so if you have different sight in one eye to the other, it's bad luck I'm afraid. Are both of these decisions oversights? Not in my opinion. Due to their target market (junior users as the name suggests), limiting the amount of moving or removable parts simplifies the use of these binoculars and reduces the chances of missing eyecups or misaligned barrels. The fast travelling focus wheel takes less than one full turn from close focus (pictured as a flower on top of the focus wheel) to infinity (represented by a mountain). I normally favour a slower focus wheel, but thanks to the large depth of field achieved by a lesser magnification, and of course the modest 4m close focus, I found myself rarely needing to adjust the focus much at all. Again, this concept of keeping things simple just hints at who this binocular is marketed towards.

 At 480g, they certainly fit into the lightweight bracket, but they are not a compact pair. That's not a negative thing - these binoculars are designed to be used and enjoyed. My daughter certainly found them comfortable and easy to use, and in fact, I have absolutely no complaints myself. They're a nice size for children and adults alike to use, and keeping them steady is no problem due to their 7x magnification.

In the box you'll find a trendy soft carry case with it's own strap, plus a colour-matched fabric strap. It's not neoprene or padded, but should provide enough comfort considering the fact the binoculars themselves are under 500g so won't cause too much strain. There's a rainguard to protect the ocular lenses (attached by a cord to the strap lugs so it won't go missing) but no objective lens covers. The glass elements at the objective end are quite deeply recessed so are unlikely to get scratched, but I would like to have seen some covers included. Perhaps this again isn't an oversight, but a conclusion they'd ultimately get in the way, and eventually get removed or lost. There's also a cleaning cloth and a 'Nature Notes' mini notepad in the box. The 'My Junior' binoculars are covered by a 5 year warranty, although it's split into a 2 year guarantee plus a 3 year manufacturer's warranty. What this typically means is in the first two years, both parts and labour are covered, whereas labour will be charged for the remaining three years.

Scores:

Optical quality: 9/10
Build quality: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Accessories: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10

Star Rating:

Conclusion:

I must put my personal bias aside here, and conclude these would make a fantastic pair of binoculars for children. The appearance will absolutely appeal to the younger audience, and the thoughtful design makes them incredibly easy to use. The clarity of the image is exceptional, and the lack of a super wide field of view likely won't bother the younger audience, as they'll ultimately be enjoying the wonders that nature has to offer. All of my personal critiques are coming from a perspective of an adult birder, and these just binoculars just aren't targeted towards me. None the less, there's a serious pair of binoculars hidden under the colourful exterior, so maybe they'll appeal to more than just young nature lovers.