The good reviews of the Olympus 8-16x40 caused me to order it. Zoom sounds also always good.
Conclusion: Sent back - after some familiarization with the matter, I can say that not the image quality (in this case provides a total beginner hardly huge differences), but the very very small screen (smaller image circle, everything else black) and the difficulty of a uniform round picture (small exit pupil) should get very bothered. The zoom is to use only up to about half -> after you wobble with a steady hand so much that it is no fun - you can see at full magnification not more than in calm and low magnification image (8-10). The workmanship is good and it sums up well to. I never found the image very sharp - even without comparison.
Meanwhile, I have also tested the whole Olympus series (10x50 DPS I 8x40 DPS I 7x35 DPS-I and also the more expensive 10x42 EXPSI) -> I've come for me to conclude that I myself occasionally as a layman for look out the window already longer wants to invest to a roof prism binocular that is then also waterproof, multi-coated and much more handy for more power. One can see the difference right away. The gain is likely to be greater, as the next step toward professional binoculars, because you are at least first no longer annoyed by watching the ... binoculars not You buy so every year - it keeps even decades, or even even decades, if not a lifetime warranty.
