Alpen Apex Binoculars

The Apex binoculars are Alpen's premier line of roof prism binoculars. The Apex line comes in a variety of configurations including 8x32, 8x42, 10x42, 8.5x50, 10x50 and 12x50. The first three models are also available in "super close focus" versions. All Apex binoculars are fully sealed and nitrogen-filled to be completely fog- and waterproof, with a slim, lightweight chassis and comfortable grips on the rubber armor. In the 8x42 and 10x42, they also come in "Mossy Oak" camouflage exterior. Apex binoculars are Alpen's entry in the high-end optics market, but at a mid-range price. They come with Alpen's lifetime warranty. We received the super close focus models 8x32 (Model 492) and 8x42 (Model 493) for review, and this article will focus primarily on those two, but characteristics general to the entire line will be discussed in those terms.

The prisms are made of BaK4 glass for the highest and brightest resolution - this glass is the industry standard for all high-end optics. Apex binoculars are fully multi-coated and phase-coated with Alpen's proprietary PXA™ coating for better resolution and color fidelity. Alpen adds their HR™ (for "high resolution") metallic coating to the prisms for superior light transmission and greater brightness. How well does it work? The Apex models are fairly bright in the field. Both models tested showed a moderate pincushion edge effect. Edge effect is found in nearly all binoculars to a greater or lesser degree. That being said, the image quality from center to the edge is still notably sharp and of excellent quality. Interestingly, in our hands the two models were of nearly equivalent brightness except under very low light conditions at dawn and dusk when the 42-mm model was just a tad brighter.

In other optical issues, the two Apex models should are notable for field of view (fov), minimum close focus and long eye relief. In terms of field of view, the 8x42 model yields a solid 341 feet at 1000 yards (few competitors have such a wide fov). The 8x32 model has an equally impressive 393-ft field at the same distance. The minimum close focus of the 8x32 super close focus model is listed at 4 feet, while the 8x42 model is listed at 5 feet. In our tests, the 8x32 model actually produced a sharp image at an impressive 42 inches while the 8x42 model did test to almost exactly 5 feet. For some people, when focusing to very close distance, the field of view may converge to a pair of partially overlapping circular fields rather than the single large circular field. The Apex show a slight tendency towards this. Many high-end binoculars with extremely short minimum focal distances exhibit this trait and most show it worse than the Apex. Overall, we were very impressed with the 8x32 close focus performance, and the 8x42 are quite good as well. For long eye relief, our test values did not differ from those listed by Alpen. The 8x32 model eye relief at 16mm, and the 8x42 at 20mm mean they are eyeglass wearer-friendly binoculars.

The focal knob on both models is broad, well positioned to fall naturally under the fingers, and coated in widely spaced ridges of black rubber armor. We really liked the ease with which the knobs turned even when brand new. Both models went from minimum close focus to infinity in about 1 and 1/3 turns of the knob, which is fairly typical for binoculars of this type. Overall, sharp focus is smoothly and easily achieved in the field. Diopter adjustment on both models is the standard type: a twisting ring on the right barrel with a ridge on the movable eyepiece that lines up with a raised dot on the barrel to denote the both eyes equal position. The ring has a series of vertical grooves on it to help mark the selected position. The diopter adjustment ring rotates with resistance rather than locks in place. It stays firmly in place so the adjustment is not lost, while at the same time, adjusting for different users is easy.

The eyecups are of slightly harder black rubber, and twist in a counter-clockwise direction to adjust position. There are very shallow detents at the fully extended position, with no intermediate positions available. While these are not exactly "locking" eyecup, they do not readily collapse in the field, so they are adequate in that respect.

The rain guard is a pair of loose-fitting plastic cups joined by a flexible bridge region that is virtually identical to the mechanism used on many binoculars we've tested. The strap threads through a bracket on the left side; the right bracket is gapped so the guard can be slipped onto or off the strap at will. The rain guard fits quite snugly on the oculars, and does not dislodge easily, while at the same time, it is easy to put in place. This is basically as good a rain guard system as we've seen on any binoculars. The lens caps are soft rubber caps that fit snugly into the armored ends of the barrels. Each cap is attached to a rubber tether that allows it to swing down out of the field of view. The tethers attach to a screw-in plate on the hinge between the barrels. We would have preferred that the tethers on the 8x32 were somewhat longer - the short ones leave the caps to close to the oculars where they interfere with the user's thumbs, and sometimes occlude the view partially. Where the rain guard is easy to put in place, the lens caps are often more difficult to deploy, particularly on the 8x42 model. In part, this difficulty is caused by the fact that the green rubber armoring on this model does not attach firmly to the alloy chassis beneath - instead, it was loose, which made it difficult to obtain a good seal between the flange of the eyecup and the armoring on the barrel. This trait was not observed on the 8x32 model, where the rubber armoring fit tightly right to the end of the barrel.

Ergonomically, the Apex binoculars are fairly strong performers. At just 20 oz. for the 8x32 model and 24 oz. for the 8x42, these are comparatively light optics. Both models have excellent balance in the hand, and flanges at the lugs where the strap attaches that serve a dual function of easing the weight in the hand, and preventing chafing with the strap attachment itself. The no-slip surface of the rubber armoring is comfortable in addition to protecting the optic against shocks and bumps. The strap itself is a hybrid of nylon cord, attached by leather pieces to a neoprene-like foam that is somewhat elastic and subtly curved to fit around the neck more comfortably. Overall, these binoculars are quite comfortable to wear and use. All Apex binoculars come with an attractive green nylon, soft case that easily accommodates both the binocular and its strap.

We are favorably impressed with the Alpen Apex line. Their optical performance is better than many competitors in this price range. The 8x32 Apex is listed at $400 and discounted to about $340, and the 8x42 retails for about $500 and can be found for as low as $350. The performance features and light weight of the 8x32 model render it ideal for use in butterflying or for younger birders, while the slightly brighter optics of the 8x42 model might be a better choice for those early morning or late evening bird walks.

The eight members of the Alpen Apex series can be seen here.