Product Review: The Svbony SV 202 10 x 50 ED.

The Svbony SV 202 10 x 50 ED package, courtesy of Slim Loghmari.

A Work Commenced October 20 2021

Product Name: Svbony SV202 10 x 50 ED

Place of Manufacturer: HongKong

Field of View: 106m@1000m(6.1 angular degrees)

Exit Pupil: 5mm

Eye Relief: 17mm

Dioptre Compensation: +/- 3

Close Focus: 2m advertised, 2.09m measured

Chassis: Textured rubber armoured Magnesium alloy

Coatings: Fully broadband multi-coated, dielectric and phase correction coatings applied to BAK-4 Schmidt Pechan roof prisms

ED Glass: Yes

Nitrogen Purged: Yes

Waterproof: Yes IPX7(1 metre for 30 minutes)

Weight: 951g (advertised), 914g measured

Dimensions: 16.5 x 14.8 cm

Tripod Mountable: Yes

Accessories: Tethered rubber rain guard & objective covers, lens cleaning cloth, quality logoed padded neck strap, soft padded carry case,  comprehensive instruction sheet.

Retail Price: £157-166(UK)

In ancient Hebrew lore, the number 3 is associated with harmony or completeness. How apt this is for the subject of this next review. In previous blogs I showcased two remarkable, low-cost roof prism binoculars marketed by Svbony; the SV202 8 x 32 ED and 10 x 42 ED. Despite desperate attempts to discredit these excellent performing instruments by hateful snobs and trolls, they’re now selling like hot cakes lol. But there is yet one more model in the same SV 202 series which I did not test out: enter the 10 x 50 ED

The SV 202 10 x 50 ED was kindly lent to me by Mr. Slim Loghmari, a keen binocular enthusiast and amateur astronomer hailing from North London. He purchased it directly from Svbony, Hong Kong, taking just over a week to reach him. After reading my review of the 8 x 32 ED, he went ahead and bought in all three models including the 10 x 50 ED and posted some useful video clips of its optical performance. This review will therefore complete my work on all three models from this phenomenal family of low-cost, high-performance binoculars. As you will see, the 10 x 50 ED is every bit as good as the two smaller models and really excels in some areas.

Ergonomics

Slim despatched all of the original packaging to me so you can see that the contents are the same across the series. The package includes the binoculars in a nice padded soft case, nicely fitting, tethered ocular and objective covers, a quality neck strap, lens cleaning cloth and a comprehensive instruction manual in the major languages.

When I first prized the binocular from its case, I was immediately impressed by its excellent build quality; the same quality, in fact, as the two smaller models. The eye cups twist up and rigidly lock in place, with three intermediate positions, the focus wheel was even smoother and easier to turn than the 10 x 42 ED and the instrument felt really solid in my medium-sized hands. Like the smaller 10 x 42 ED, the focuser on the 10 x 50 ED takes about one and three quarters of a turn to go from one extreme of its focus travel to the other.

The Svbony SV 202 10 x 50 ED with eye cups fully deployed.

The dioptre ring moves very smoothly, just like its smaller siblings and stays in place once adjusted to my optimal setting. I immediately noticed the greater weight of the 10 x 50. I measured it at just 914g without the strap and lens covers. That’s actually lower than the quoted weight of 951g and rather good news if you like to handhold binoculars for prolonged periods of time.

The coatings looked identical to those on the smaller models; a deep and beautiful magenta hue as seen in daylight. These anti-reflection coatings  were applied very carefully and evenly, with no sleeks or pits.

The large oculars on the 10x 50 ED with their lovely magenta coatings.

And the objective coatings.

Unlike the two smaller models, which have just enough eye relief to use with eye glasses, the larger 10 x 50 ED has considerably more. Testing these with my own eye glasses confirmed that the entire field can be seen with ease.

The 10 x 50 ED has very comfortable eye relief for eye glass wearers.

The textured rubber armouring affords excellent protection against the elements and makes the binocular very easy to grip and hold steady. And yet it is not overly thick, like some binoculars I’ve tested over the past few years. Again, its texture and finish reminded me very much of the Zeiss Terra ED binos.

In summary, the ergonomics of the 10 x 50 ED are every bit as good as the smaller models, and has a wonderful feel about it from the second you get your hands around the barrels.

Optical Testing:

To be honest, I was expecting great things from this 10 x 50 ED based on what I experienced with the smaller models.

Did Svbony deliver?

Yes, in spades!

Performing my flashlight test on the 10 x 50 ED, showed another excellent, clean result. There was no sign of any significant internal reflections, no annoying diffraction spikes and no sign of inferior optical components causing the light to diffuse around the light source and cut down on contrast. Absolutely brilliant!

Looking at some bright sodium street lights at night showed zero problems with diffraction spikes, glare or internal reflections. ” Will make a great Moon gazing ‘scope.” I remember writing in my notebook. More on that later!

Examining the eye pupils of the 10 x 50 ED showed great results, as you can see from the images presented below. Both pupils looked nice and round, with no annoying light leaks near them. I would rate this result as excellent. Well done Svbony!

Left eye pupil

Right eye pupil

From the moment I brought the instrument to my eyes, I was treated to a wonderful, bright and sharp image, rich in contrast and saturated colours. Like the 10 x 42 ED, the instrument arrived on a rather grotty day, with light rain and leaden clouds presenting the harshest observing conditions for any binocular. I was impressed by the binocular’s control of glare, especially veiling glare – as good as I had seen on the smaller models. Even under these challenging conditions, the vibrant colours of  autumnal leaves were very striking to the eye. The wonderful light gathering power of this 10 x 50 presents a very large sweet spot, making the view especially delightful. Depth of focus was good for a binocular with these specifications and the close focus was astounding – I measured it at only 2.09m – a jolly good result. Indeed, the reader will note that the close focus on the 10 x 50 is significantly shorter than the 10 x 42 model – which came in at 2.8m in comparison. Slim already pointed that out on one of the Cloudynights threads on these binoculars, with even the premium alpha models typically coming in at 3 metres or more! This remarkable value will make the 10 x 50 an excellent choice for those who like using their binos as long distance microscopes to study insects, leaves, rocks and fungi in glorious detail. I’ve personally never heard of anyone using a 10 x 50 to do this kind of work.

Comparing the 10 x 42 ED to the 10 x 50 ED

The venerable Svbony 10 x 42 ED versus the 10x 50 ED(right).

I thought it would be useful to compare and contrast the images through the 10 x 42 and 10 x 50. After going back and forth between the instruments on a dull mid-October  afternoon, I was impressed at how consistent the image quality was. Both have very similar fields of view and both present lovely, big sweet spots. Colours are vibrant, vivid and faithful in both models. I felt the view were a little more immersive in the 10 x 50 though, a consequence I suppose of its more generous eye relief. I also felt that the image appeared slightly larger in the 10 x 50 too. Not by much but enough to notice. I suppose I could accurately determine their magnification by measuring the diameters of the objectives and the exit pupils. Dividing one by the other provides the enlargement.

If I were to be super critical, I would say that the 10 x 42 was a hair sharper than the 10 x 50 but this might easily be attributed to the smaller exit pupil on the 10 x 42, which engages a better corrected part of your eye. I noticed a small but significant increase in brightness moving from the 42mm to the 50mm bino under these dull, ambient conditions, and that larger aperture began to pull ahead as the light faded in the late afternoon. The large ocular lenses on both these models can let in some peripheral light however, but just as I found with my 10 x 42 ED, it helps to press your eyes firmly against the cups to remove it.

What is most apparent though is the weight increase in moving from the 10 x 42 ED to the 10 x 50 ED. An extra 200+ grams doesn’t sound like much of a weight hike on paper, but I felt it was quite significant in prolonged field use, moving about and negotiating fences, bushes and brambles. As a glasser who puts a maximum emphasis on portability, I would choose the 10 x 42 ED for most applications, but your mileage may vary! Indeed, I know Slim prefers the larger model because, as an eye glass wearer, he enjoys more comfortable eye relief which can make all the difference, especially when observing for prolonged periods of time.

Under the Starry Heaven

I received the 10 x 50 ED during a spell where a bright Hunter’s Moon graced the sky, drowning out the light from the faintest stars. Thus I was unable to fully test the binocular as well as I had initially intended. But I was able to confirm some excellent results just by looking at the full Moon of October 20 2021, as a rash of blustery showers moved away inland from off the Atlantic. Comparing the 10 x 50 ED to the smaller 10 x 42 ED model, I immediately noticed how much brighter it was compared with the latter. Indeed, it was almost blindingly bright in the clear and dust free sky, swept clean of particulates. Just like the 42mm model, the larger 50mm served up a beautiful, high contrast image of the lunar regolith, and once again, I came away with the distinct impression that the lunar orb was slightly larger in the 10x 50 than  in the 10 x 42. The image was free of glare and internal reflections, as my preliminary tests showed. Later, as more clouds began to move across the face of the Moon, I enjoyed some awesome light shows with the 10 x 50, with beautiful colours as the refraction of light through raindrops played out their magic, approaching and receding from the Moon. The grey maria really stood out cleanly as did several marble-white ray craters.

I detected a trace more chromatic aberration in the 10 x 50 ED compared with the 10x 42 ED model, a natural consequence of the larger glass gathering more light. But what little I did see was quite sensitive to eye placement. By taking an extra few moments to centre my pupils in the eyecups, I was able to make it all but disappear. Moving the Moon from the centre to the outer part of the field did introduce some lateral colour in both instruments but I judged this to be largely inconsequential in both instruments.  Turning next to the Pleiades, off to the east of the bright Moon, I was able to show at a glance that the 10 x 50 ED was pulling in more light as evidenced by brighter stars and more numerous stars compared with the 10 x 42 ED. Turning to the magnificent Alpha Persei Association very high in the midnight sky, I was once again bowled over by how good and sharp the fields of view presented in both binoculars. Though this stellar association is large and sprawling, filling most of the field of view in these 6-degree field instruments, I was impressed by how well they focused the stars even in the outer part of the fields near the field stops. The cluster was that little bit more impressive in the 10 x 50 ED however, a natural consequence of its greater light gathering power.

Bright white stars like Vega easily show up chromatic aberration in less well-corrected 10x binoculars in these larger formats, but on axis, both these binos delivered very clean, sharp and high contrast images with hardly a trace of false colour. Again, only by  moving the star off axis, did I see some secondary spectrum creeping in. That said, it was only slight and quite non-injurious to the aesthetics of the view, and I admit to liking a bit of the sparkly blue. Some modest bloating of the star did occur near the field stops in both instruments but I consider this edge of field distortion to be quite acceptable for general star gazing. All in all, the 10 x 50 ED will make an awesome stargazing bino, which can be enjoyed for decent long spells just hand held, but you’ll go a whole lot deeper by mounting it on a lightweight tripod or monopod.

Conclusions & Recommendations

I’ve gone on quite a journey with these wonder glasses from Svbony! I’m particularly impressed by the two larger glasses though; they have phenomenal optics that will delight even the most discriminating of observers, especially when you factor in their modest cost. To be frank, they are worth many times more than what Slim and I paid for them. But that’s life; sometimes fortune smiles your way. I give these instruments my highest recommendation. Like I said before, my 10 x 42 ED has sated any desires I once cultivated to acquire an alpha model in this size category from the leading European binocular manufacturers. Let’s just say I’d rather spend my spare cash on other things! Their optical performance leaves little to be desired! Go grab yourself a bargain while you can!

Thanks for reading.

Neil.

The author would like to sincerely thank Slim Loghmari for kindly sending the SV202 10 x 50 ED for review. Rest assured, it will be winging its way back to its proud owner in the week ahead.

De Fideli. 

20 thoughts on “Product Review: The Svbony SV 202 10 x 50 ED.

  1. Hi Neil, the increased eyerelief in the 10×50 is of course a consequence of the increased focal length of the 50mm objective lens which in turn allows an eyepiece of longer focal length to provide the same 10x magnification. In eyepiece lenses of the same design eyerelief increases with focal length as you’ll be aware as an astronomer. However, unless that extra 2mm of eyerelief is really important to you I can’t see carrying that much weight and bulk around all day myself. Your photo of the x42 and the x50 side-by-side really shows the bulk of the x50 especially since I’d expect the x42 is reasonably large to begin with.

    I’m a big fan of wide-view bins and prefer the lighter weight and increased FOV of the 8×30 format. In the bright Oz sunlight (even in winter) your pupils don’t dilate much more than 3mm anyway so why carry all that extra weight for no benefit? That’s why I was hanging out for a good deal on the 8x32s but following the price jump on the 10x I’m beginning to regret not buying one for myself while it was on sale. Not that I really need it – IMO the real niche of 10x is in wader or raptor watching where you have to watch at a distance. I can’t tell the difference between one wader and the next and I don’t get much opportunity to watch raptors either.

    So Neil I wish you and Slim would stop promoting these Svbony bins, at least until I buy mine!!! If they start selling like hot cakes Svbony might put the price up and then where will I be?

    Regarding whether or not these bins are as good as a so-called “Alpha” all I can say is that ignorance is bliss. If you are happy with your current binoculars then studiously avoid looking through one of the mid- or top-priced bins because afterwards you will no longer be happy. I made that mistake and now I am a “binocular snob”, albeit with champagne tastes and a beer budget! I would dearly love a new Monarch HG but I simply cannot justify the $A1500 price. An EDG would be even better but new is nearly $A2500 what with shipping from Japan and 10% GST on top.

    One way around this dilemma may be to buy secondhand, particularly a model that is a few years old. Eg the previous Nikon HG/HGL was Nikon’s top-of-the-range model back in the 2000s and was rated superior to the competition at the time. It may have since been surpassed by Zeiss and Swarovski’s top models (plus the EDG and the newer Monarch HG) but it’s still a very competent binocular. I’ve seen these offered at $A500 on Gumtree. Incidentally, a 7×42 EDG was offered on BirdForum classifieds at $US585 earlier this month. It sold in 20 minutes!!

  2. Hi Stuart, I’am rather surprised and slightly baffled by your response.

    I appreciate the effort and time you put in to answer and get where you are coming from but, your approach isn’t my cup of tea.

    Let’s break it down; your tone isn’t coming across well at all. I am sensing frustration!

    Seems like you want to stamp your authority in your response.

    Attempting to educate Neil on ER is a pathetic move

    So here is my advise to you. Since you have become a optics snob don’t waist your time on hunting down an 8×32 Svbony bargain.

    We live in the United Kingdom so thanks for rubbing it in.

    The extra weight isn’t a bother at all if a proper bino harness is used and have hands like me ✋

    Btw Neil already reviewed the Leica & Nikon and guess what we know all too well how an Alpha performs. I am fortunate enough to have a top their Alpha HD bino and mid entry ED in 10×42 at my disposal to test against Svbony and let me tell you they are holding their ground firmly.

  3. Hiho Slim,

    You beat me too it lol.

    For Stuart,
    I just wanted to add that it was yours truly who stumbled on the little 8x 32 ED Svbony during the Summer. As a reviewer of gear, I feel it my duty to report on good bargains based on my own hands-on testing.

    I am not responsible for the price of these products and have no ties to any commercial company. I’m not a sales man.

    But I would reiterate that these do offer very similar optics to much more expensive and more established models I have owned and enjoyed. You will find reviews on the Monarch HG 8x 30 and the Trinovid HD 8x 32 in my archives. I stated that the optics in the SV 202 10 x 42ED reminded me very strongly of the views I got with the Trinovid HD. Both of us feel they punch way above their weight in terms of optics and ergonomics.

    And I was speaking personally when I said I had no interest in pursuing higher end 10 x 42s. I have no ineed for one. What you decide to pursue is up to you. More power to you!

    With best wishes,

    Neil.

  4. Hi Neil,

    Thanks for your multiple reviews of the sv202 trio. And I just ordered the 10×50 today, being a beginner in star gazing, I hope this will help me well as my first instrument. Can’t wait to “test drive” this sometime next week when it arrives.

    Again, thanks for the very informative review and sharing!

    Liew

  5. Good morning Liew,

    Thanks for your message and for your kind words of encouragement.

    I hope you will be thrilled with the 10x 50 when it arrives. It sure impressed me!

    With best wishes,

    Neil.

  6. Hi Neil,

    Thanks for your review confirming that all SC202’s are great performers. I have a 10×50 on order as a result.

    Thank you very much.

    Will

  7. Hello Neil
    How much better are the svbony 10×50 ED compared to the Carson vp series 10×42’s? I currently have the Carson 10×42 and am reasonably satisfied with it… however it dosnt produce the lovely rich, high contrast image my beloved opticron adventurer T WP 8×32 ( porro) does…
    Thanks

  8. Hello Paul,

    I would rate the Svbony 10x 50 ED higher than the Carson VP series. Just make sure it is collimated properly.

    Another possibility is to check out the Opticron Imagic TGA WP 10 x 50; really great optics and a 30 year warranty.

    Hope that helps.

    Neil.

  9. Hello Neil,

    Have you ever compared the Svbony 10×50 ED to other 10×50 roofs? Regarding the 10×42 model you said it reminded you of the Leica Trinovid HD. Would you rate the 10×50 equally good? Or which contenders are in the same league?

    Many thanks,
    Markus

  10. Dear Markus,

    Thanks for your message. No, I didn’t get a chance to test the 10x 50 ED alongside other similar sized roofs. That said, the SV 202 10 x 50 ED will be noticeably better than say a Vortex Diamondback HD 10x 50. That was my impression having tested the latter a few months back.

    If you do get a chance to test the SV 202 8 x 42 ED you’ll be astonished. It’s absolutely amazing! The hegemony of alpha-class Zeiss, Leica, Nikon or Swaro is over in my opinion. A fool and his money are soon parted.

    Best Regards,

    Neil.

    • Hi Neil,

      Thanks for your reply! I didn’t have the chance to look through the 8×42 model, but what you told us sounds very tempting. So once they are available to me I might give them a try, though I generally prefer 10x.
      Have you heard of the brand Omegon? Their Hunter 2.0 ED series comprises a great range with nice specs. Maybe I will check some of these models as well. Really exciting times with all these emerging companies.

      Warm regards,
      Markus

  11. Hello Markus,

    Yes indeed, we do live in very exciting times. But it’s all good for binocular enthusiasts with more and more excellent bargains now available. Isn’t technology a wonderful thing?

    Best wishes,

    Neil.

  12. I found myself looking for replacement binoculars and in the past anything would go and after carrying a £25 pair of bins around for a few years.. I can definitely say they needed dropped in a bin.. but after the long learning curve and expensive astrophotography hobby I learnt about glass grading and light correction triplets along with many ££ spent on triplet glass refractors, I sharp realised I had to find binoculars with Ed optics I searched every corner of the Internet and eventually found svbony, sacking the orginal choice of the more expensive vortex diamondback.
    I very much questioned Chinese optics at the given price and even more so with the ED stamp on the svbony product, I seen your name mentioned in the product review and finding your brilliant review write up was exactly what I needed covering all the specs and information to help me purchase the product, looking forward to getting these 10x50s thank you kindly for your review and sharing your experiences to help others Neil

  13. Dear Owen,

    Thanks for your message and for the heads up!

    The Svbony SV202s are great. I hope you enjoy it when it arrives!

    With best wishes,
    Neil.

  14. Hello Neil,
    I have the 10×50 on the way from Santa which will replace an optically good but mechanically not so good binocular that I’ve given away. Experience has given me complete confidence in your review.
    On a general note have you ever investigated sample variation in binoculars? I don’t doubt that quality control in high end manufacturers and retailers like Oberwerk who check each pair they sell will largely eliminate it. In the more budget end though it might be worth knowing how consistent they are.

    Best regards,
    Martyn.

    • Hello Martyn,

      Hope all is well with you and yours.

      The 10 x 50 SV 202 is an amazing bargain. I think you’ll also like its build quality. I hope you get a good sample.Indeed, I’m considering this bino for a particular project I’m thinking of embarking on.
      Re quality control in Chinese made binoculars. I can only guess that bigger, more established companies like Nikon, Celestron and Opticron can invest in better QC measures. Smaller companies not so much: it’s more a case of buyers doing the QC. That said, some smaller companies like Hawke and Oberwerk have invested in buying up specialised equipment to do their own in house inspections. The extra cost is passed onto the customer in return for greater peace of mind.

      Best wishes,
      Neil

  15. Cheers Neil,
    I’ll look forward to reading about your project. Mine have had to take a back seat but I’m still working on better stabiliser devices, etc. Details will be in CN sometime in the new year.
    Best regards,
    Martyn.

  16. Hi Neil,

    Happy 2024 to you! How would you rate the sv202 8×42 vs 10×50 for stargazing and general viewing? Terrestrial quality is important as I will use them to spot broken insulators on power lines and also watch my friends surfing; but, also, having a clear view of the night sky is important to me too. I am easily annoyed my CA and blurry images (I own some nice glass for my cameras), which is why I sold my Nikon aculon 12×50

    • Hello Dan,

      A very happy new year to you and yours!
      I would say the 10 x 50 is the better model for astronomy. The 8x 42 is a better tool for daylight excursion, especially if you’re on the move.

      Best wishes,
      Neil

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