About a year and a half ago, a radically new series of high-performance binoculars hit the market: the Sky Rover Banner Clouds(SRBCs), packed full of state-of-the-art optical features delivering stunning levels of field performance. After reading some credible early reports, I pulled the trigger on the 8 x 42 model and reported my findings on the main binocular forums. For the first time, the SRBCs delivered premium performance at prices that were hitherto unheard of. Prior to the introduction of the SRBCs, you’d have to part with upwards of £2,000 to get anything approaching the optical performance of these new binoculars. 

My review of the 8 x 42 went viral and despite vicious attacks by online trolls like Canip/Pinac, dries 1,  Astronoob 76/ Binocollector and Vertigo/Conndomat, who hang around like a bad smell on either Cloudynights or the bino porn site, Birdforum, and desperately wanted them to fail mechanically, my 8 x 42 has worked flawlessly in all that time. Their psychology disturbs me:

We want you to buy an optically inferior instrument for more money.

Indeed, suffice it to say that I’ve used it more than anyone else. Indeed I can count on one hand the number of days out of the last 15 months where I’ve not used it for at least an hour every day. The Banner Clouds are robust instruments, built to study the Creation, designed for the great outdoors. 

Let’s briefly revisit their features:

Double ED APO optics

Ultra-flat Field

Class-leading true fields(9.1degrees for the 8 x 42, for example)

High light transmission -92 per cent

Water repellant coatings on all outer lenses

A large, smooth and highly responsive focus wheel with no free play

Professionally edge-polished and phase corrected roof prisms showing minimal diffraction spiking  on bright night lighting targets

Snugly-fitting objective covers and rain guards 

A new choice of 2 types of removable eye cups to suit a wide range of facial profiles. 

There is simply nothing to compete with these new alpha class binoculars except the best that Swarovski and Zeiss can currently manufacture, but all of this for a fifth of the price offered by the latter.

Seen in this light, the old ‘establishment’ alpha binoculars are highway robbery and terrible value for money. I’m simply not interested in using or promoting them to my readership. They need to reduce their prices, or look elsewhere for coin.

That’s just business.

I’ll be reporting back again in another 15 months or so, to give you another update. In the meantime, I pray that as many people as possible can get a chance to look through these revolutionary instruments.

So, there it is.

My original goal of finding the best binocular bargains for my readers has been successfully accomplished.

Job done!

Signing Off,

Sincerely,

Neil English, Author of Choosing and Using Binoculars.