GPO Passion HD Binoculars
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Review Highlights
- Bright, sharp German optics
- Close focus to 6.25 feet
- Very smooth focusing
- Excellent ergonomics
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We have a new binocular to tell you about, and we’re kind of excited about it! Yes - new optics come out all the time. There are 25-30 major
or well-known optics manufacturers, and they release new models and unique configurations of old models regularly. From that perspective, a
new optic isn’t particularly exciting. So what makes this at all different? Well, for starters, this optic is coming out in a higher quality
category than usual. The Passion HD isn’t some $300 entry-level product; it’s a $1000 binocular that comes with all the refinements that one
expects at that price level. Moreover, it comes from a brand-new optics manufacturer. The company is called German Precision Optics
(hereafter GPO) and its roots go back to one of the most respected optics European manufacturers. The founders of GPO left another renowned
manufacturer to start their own company. Okay, so now we have a fairly high-end product from a brand-new company with roots in optics royalty.
So that is different!
Before we get into the details, it’s worth noting that currently Optics4Birding offers two binocular models from GPO, and somewhat confusingly,
both products are called Passion; it’s just that one is the Passion ED, and one is the Passion HD. This review concerns only the Passion HD
binocular. Of those, there are 5 configurations available: 8x42, 10x42, 8.5x50, 10x50 and 12.5x50. All models are standard roof prism type designs.
We received only the 10x42 model for review, so the numbers are only what we verified for that model.
Optical Properties
One of the joys of reviewing relatively high-end products like the GPO Passion HDs is that the quality of view is fantastic overall. The image is
tack sharp and color neutral. Generally, the Passion HD binoculars were a joy to use and test. Passion HD 10x42 binoculars have a 336-foot field of
view at 1000 yards, which is about average for a 10x binocular. We measured the close focus at 6.25 feet with only minimal collapse at the edges of
the field; this is good performance for this trait. The focus knob is large with raised ridges on the rubber coating to improve the grip. We were
impressed by how smoothly and easily this knob turned, even brand new out of the box. This was well done! Getting from close focus to infinity
requires about 1.6 turns of the knob, which is a little slow, but not obnoxiously so. This property affects how fast you can react to something
unexpectedly close or far relative to where you were set before, so it can have an impact. That being said, 1.6 turns is perfectly adequate under most
field conditions. Depth of field is another of those properties that’s really hard to assess given that it varies with how far away the object being
viewed actually is. In use, you really only notice extremes of this property: if it’s really deep, or really shallow. The 10x42 Passion HD binocular
had an average one.
Mouse over to see eyecup function
One thing that didn’t impress us as much about the Passion HD binocular was its field curvature. The view through the center of the field is great but the
edges were a bit soft. This occurs when the edges of the field aren’t in the same focal plane as the center, and the net effect is a blur at the edge of
the visual field when you are sharp in the middle. Again, this isn’t a drastic issue - people naturally tend to look through the center of an optic and
usually disregard the edges anyway. But we’ve handled binoculars that are sharp right to the edge, and it is something we look at. If that’s a negative,
it’s a fairly minor one. A not-so-minor characteristic is chromatic aberration, and this is one that the GPO Passions do really well. We noticed virtually
no chromatic aberration even on brightly lit objects viewed at the field edge, where normally this aberration is the greatest. Again, it’s not that people
tend to look at the edges. But in this case, it’s important. Chromatic aberration is insidious in that, while more readily detectable at the field edge, it
impacts the entire view, resulting in a subtly blurred image. So this heavily impacts the overall view quality through the GPO Passion binoculars, and since,
as noted, they do really well at minimizing chromatic aberration, this is a significant plus.
The diopter adjustment mechanism is concealed beneath the focus knob: you pull it out to reveal the mechanism, which is then twisted in either direction to
adjust. This isn’t our favorite mechanism. The fact that you cannot focus while adjusting it makes adjusting the setting for unequal eyes is a trial-and-error
prospect. Compensating for that though, GPO has put click stops or detents on the individual micro-position of the knob when adjusting the diopter, and they’ve
provided a scale so you can tell exactly where you are. So that was very well done. Most people have “equal” eyes in terms of the diopter, so they just need only
set it at the center point. But if you have unequal eyes, make the adjustment and note what that setting is, so that if you lose it somehow, you don’t have to go
through the whole process to figure it out again de novo.
Physical Properties
Mouse over to see diopter function
In terms of the glass, the Passion HDs feature high density, good quality glass, with BaK-4 prisms. The lenses are fully multi-coated. The chassis is sealed,
completely waterproof and nitrogen purged. When you pick the 10x42 Passion HDs up, they have a very solid feel that speaks of high build quality. The GPO
Passion HD 10x42s are a bit over 6.5 inches long with the eyecups fully extended and 6 inches wide with the hinge completely open. They have an interpupilary
distance range of 57-75 mm, which is broad enough to work with most people’s faces. They weigh 29.7 ounces and the rainguard, if used, adds another 0.9 ounces.
These binoculars are coated in thick rubber armoring, which contributes to their weight, but protects them if someone knocks them over or drops them. The barrels
are broad, and the armoring is pebbled on the outer sides for better grip. There are shallow divots in the armoring where the thumbs naturally fall, for just an
extra bit of comfort. The eyecups extend with a helical twist mechanism, and there is one position between fully in or out. Each position is marked with a very
stable detent; you won’t have a problem with the eyecups collapsing in the field. Generally, the ergonomics of these Passion HDs are quite good.
Peripherals
Other minor features of the Passion HD 10x42s are in the lens caps and rainguard, the strap, and the case. The objective lens caps are soft rubber covers mounted
on stretching rubber rings that fit into the barrel ends. The system works pretty well though it is often a bit of a challenge to get them fitted in properly. The
objective lens caps seldom blow up to obscure the view, and being attached, are hard to lose. The rainguard is a pliable piece of rubber with cups that fit deeply
over the eyecups. They stick firmly in place unless deliberately removed. The rainguard has two strap mounting brackets, one notched and one closed. This allows the
user to detach the one side and fold it out of the way in the field. The strap is a cordura/neoprene hybrid that is really broad, which makes it quite comfortable to
use. The waterproof case is a semi-rigid cordura pouch that zips shut with two zippers and has its own strap. One side is equipped with a net pouch for storing a
binocular cloth, lens paper or other cleaning devices. It’s a nice little touch.
Conclusions
Overall, the German Precision Optics Passion HD 10x42 is an excellent binocular. The list price for this optic is $1,111.10, but they sell here at Optics4Birding for
$1,049.99. This puts them right at a common price category, but the performance is a distinct cut above common. We very much enjoyed reviewing this binocular, and we
hope that birders will take to them as much as we did.
Buy
GPO Passion HD 10x42 Binoculars
Buy
GPO Passion HD Binoculars