Praktica Petite 7 x 20 Binocular with 20 mm Lens - White

Ok these bins are really good. That's the review for the tourists and you can click on if that's enough. If you want the binocular obsessive rambling then there is some more below:So why do I like it? Well it's small (ish) (about medium apple sized) but gives a view pretty much good enough to actually replace a large binocular for normal light use and this cannot be said about very many compact binoculars and believe me I have bought loads of them over the years to try and solve this dilemma. It's easy to get a large bin that does what a large bin should but then you have to lug a large bin around but with this 7x20 things have changed I feel. Ok you can go pay £600 for a big name compact but you really aren't going to gain much (except waterproofing) over this amazing little binocular.They should be selling by the boat load and since I had already bought two of the Carson Falconer 7x20 (essentially the same binocular I now realise) I'm doing my bit, happily.I bought this Praktica as it was priced very well on offer and I was just curious to see how it compared with the Falconer 7x20 that I had two of already. I had hoped it would perhaps be smaller and more plasticy and therfore lighter than the Falconer i.e. more like my Carson 7x18 Scout (that I broke recently) and I expected the optics to be somewhat inferior to the Carson but it turns out that the Praktica is really identical to the Falconer except that it only has one strap lug on one side (the Falconer has one on each side as per a normal bin) and the Falconer has a semi hard case and came with a strap ( not a very good one). With this Praktica you get a very basic soft case and eyecup protector but my box contained no strap or lanyard but I don't need it and I could actually use the Falconer strap with it if I wished as I put a better strap onto the Falconer. The Falconer strap has two of those little quick release things with some kind of strong thread like loop and I could fit both ends around the one lug and hang it sideways if I ever need to.The main thing that I want to point out is that the fantastic optics of the Falconer are identical in this Praktica which means full multi-coating and bak 4 Prisms. The sparse (and incorrect) Praktica info doesn't say much about this and seems to state a 5m close focus and slightly less field of view of the generally more expensive Falconer. Well this is nonsense as the Praktica has exactly the same close approx 1m focus and exactly the same great wide (approx 8 deg) field of view as the Falconer, nothing less.Compared to my Papillio II 6.5x21 ( I think my most similar other compact) the Praktica is easier to use with it's larger view especially out in the field and over distance. I think I would like the Papillio more at an event for use during closer in viewing but there isn't much in it. The Pentax is slight more contrasty but the Praktica and/or Carson Falconer has a beautiful brightness and colour to the view and is sharp thanks to no edge fringing at all but it's the larger view that ultimately beats the Papillio for me but you do need to get your eyes close in to get the full large view so it's not for use while wearing glasses but then what compact is?I'm amazed there aren't loads of reviews for this 7x20 Petite or the Falconer. I seem to be the first for both and seem to be buying them all, well that's three so far. I have to mention the Carson Manta Ray also. It's a favorite of mine now also but a bit larger than this Praktica. If I want really compact then I go for the Praktica Petite or Carson Falconer but if I want just amazing superb clarity and excellent detail then I go for the Carson Manta Ray to take with me though it's not as good for close in viewing as the Petite/Falconer. I bought two of the Manta Ray also and thankfully I feel now as though I never need buy another binocular. Well I do have 10+bins so that ought to do it but these 7x20's or the 8x24 Manta Ray are certainly going to be my most used bins which accounts for me purchasing several of each although this Praktica purchase was more of an unknown of what I would actually get though having the Falconer and trying them side by side it was easy to tell that they are in fact identical and the Praktica seems to be the less costly of the two though you do give up some of the less important add ons of the Falconer such as the slightly more upmarket case, two strap lugs and an actual strap to attach to them. Me I'd be happy with either as the optics are by far the most important element to me and these are identical and it's an easy bin to carry in a pocket or back pack without a strap anyhow. I do like the Falconer grey/black colour more than this white/grey of the Petite I got but there is a nice green Petite also but again it's the optics that matter and obviously I am now triple pleased with those.I will always consider and try more models when possible but after a great lot of more expensive and yet inferior bins that I have owned over the years I have to feel that these 7x20 (& the 8x24) are real progress finally arriving at an affordable price for high quality compact binocular (but not so compact a view) viewing. I must highly recommend all three. I have larger bins but if a small bin is actually good and effective then I'm going to bring that rather than even lug a slightly heavier 8x32 for example. It would need to be a serious day out for me to break out my scope and large bins but I still want satisfaction from a small bin for the vast majority of my usage and thankfully these bins genuinely do provide that so if all this sounds like what you are after then you need look no further or look further for a long time and pay many times more and carry something larger. It's your choice. This was mine.