The Nikon Travelite is an inexpensive, lightweight, and compact binocular which could have a wide range of uses. Zoom binoculars seem to have had a bit of negative press, especially from the bird watching fraternity. Most of it’s a load of old traditionalist nonsense, because once you become familiar with this new breed of binocular, you will appreciate what they are capable of.

Here’s a quick run-down of the major features:

DESIGN

• solidly constructed – nice “tight feel” on all moving parts
• rubber armor covering most of exterior for excellent grip and shock resistance
• very light to carry
• carbon fiber in body material improves durability

OPTICS

• crystal clear optics for modest price
• simple, smooth zoom mechanism located on right eyepiece, turns like a dial for effortless operation
• multi-layer coated lenses for extra bright and crisp images, at any power setting
• “click-type” diopter adjustment control to correct vision imbalance between left and right eyes (the “click-type” prevents unintentional adjustment)
• 8x to 24x zoom magnification for a variety of viewing needs. I recommend you buy a “monopod”, or something similar, to rest the nocs on, because it’s difficult to hold a steady image at the higher magnification
• enhanced sharpness and “flatness”, from “edge-to-edge” in your visual field, thanks to cutting edge lense technology

ACCESSORIES

• neck strap
• eyepiece caps
• “custom-fit” black nylon mesh case with belt loop on the back
• one drawback – does not include lense cap for both ends, only for the eyepiece

CONCLUSION

If you’re on a tight budget, these would be the ideal pair of zoom nocs. And if you need something light, perhaps for your vacation, then look no further. Excellent value once again from Nikon.