IBIS 18×80 WIDE Binoculars Review – Observe the Sky and Nature for €219

PREMISE

There are many binoculars on the market today suitable for astronomical observation, but few stand out for their price and unique format. For this reason, I decided to subject them to a very thorough test. I consider the IBIS 18×80 WIDE binoculars to be an interesting instrument. First of all, they are made in Japan and cost only €219., it features a wide apparent field, furthermore, spherical eyepieces have been used, which should improve the performance at the edge of the field. 

I remind readers that on the Tecnosky online store it is it is possible to purchase the binoculars directly and also opt for payment in three installments via the Scalapay system.

 

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ACCESSORIES SUPPLIED

The binoculars arrive in a black box, which also includes an excellent hard case made of synthetic leather, featuring internal pads with Velcro fastenings, an elastic strap, and another zippered compartment on the side. I think such an accessory could easily sell for €30-40. In addition to the binoculars, the package includes lens caps, an eyepiece cap, a shoulder strap, and a central "half-bar" for optimal attachment to the camera heads. A small instruction manual is also included, including English.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES 

These binoculars do not come with optional accessories. Of course, you can purchase a tripod capable of supporting their weight on the Tecnosky website.

 

MECHANICS AND FOCUSING SYSTEM

 

For a mere €200, they seem well-finished. The binoculars are classic Porro prisms, with no central bar; as mentioned, they only feature a semi-bar that extends halfway up the length of the optical tubes to allow for optimal balance on the camera heads. The body of the binoculars is completely protected by a green rubber armor, the texture and composition of which provides an excellent grip. I described this because, as you will read, I often observed freehand, even if it would seem strange with an 18x.

 The only unprotected areas are the lids that seal the prism area; on them you can see the screws and also the small rubber caps under which the mechanics are protected to allow the binoculars to be collimated. Please note that this operation will void the warranty, so in the rare event that the binoculars are out of focus, I recommend contacting Tecnosky directly.

Two large eyelets for the shoulder strap have been inserted at the bottom, although, honestly, given the size of the binoculars, I don't think it's very feasible to support them in this way.  My electronic scale, in fact, estimated a weight without caps and without semi-bars of 2078 g, distributed over approximately 33 cm of length.

Despite the lack of a central bar, which is usually essential with 25x100s, I didn't notice any noticeable play or flex. The thread for attaching the bar is located under a metal cap. This accessory also seemed to be of good quality, and I can't really complain about the standard features given the purchase price. The bar is made up of two pieces: the first component is screwed into the thread and fixed with three screws placed 120 degrees apart from each other; then the second component can be inserted, which slides along the bar to improve the balance.

Once assembled, the binoculars weigh 2225 g. Even examining the inside of the optical tube, I must confirm that these binoculars are expertly designed and have excellent finishes for their price range. The interior is dotted with diaphragms and matte paint; there are no paint chips, smudges, traces of lint, or dust inside. I've seen worse assembly care on binoculars costing more.

 As for the focusing system, a central knob was not used. To better contain the waterproofing, The binoculars, which are also nitrogen-filled, feature single focus on each eyepiece. The closest focusing distance I measured was 22m. I estimated this distance outdoors with a Vortex Razor HD 4000 7×25 rangefinder. These are certainly not binoculars intended for birdwatching from inside a cabin. From this minimum distance, a clockwise rotation of less than half a turn is sufficient to reach infinity. The eyepieces are optimized with numbered reference marks for diopter adjustment, which ranges from ±5. The rim of the barrel, however, features a knurled area that allows for a better grip even with sweaty hands or winter gloves.

 

OPTICS

Goals

Given the very favorable purchase price, these binoculars  It does not use ED lenses but simple achromatic glasses. I'll explain the reduction of chromatic aberrations in the specific paragraph. I can, however, confirm that the images in the center of the field are reasonably sharp and contrasty, certainly comparable, although not in terms of format, to 20x80 binoculars in the same price range and even slightly higher. The color tone is skewed toward yellow. The lenses are recessed approximately 12 mm inside the optical tube.

Eyepieces

One of the advantages of this binocular is undoubtedly its wide field of view, equal to 68 meters at 1000 meters, which corresponds to 3.9 degrees of field, thus generating an apparent field of 70.1 degrees.The eyepieces are very comfortable; with my interpupillary distance of about 66 mm, the distance between the eyepieces is 23 mm. The eyecups are very similar to those supplied with some astronomical Plössl and Super Plössl eyepieces; they can be lowered to allow use by eyeglass wearers and are made of soft rubber. The field lens has a diameter of 23 mm. I then measured the distance between the field lens and the edge of the extended eyecup, estimating about 10 mm. While I understand that in some cases it is possible to frame the entire field even by standing slightly away from the edge of the eyecup, I recommend that eyeglass wearers try the binoculars before purchasing them to see if they can comfortably frame the entire field of view.

Prisms

As I mentioned, these binoculars are equipped with Porro prisms. The exit pupil in both optical tubes is circular; only a slight falloff of light at the edges is noticeable when observing the midday sky. The field stop, when focused to infinity, shows a sharp edge and a slight blue ring. As for stray light control, there is some internal reflection. Obviously, it cannot match the performance of much more expensive binoculars.

 

Optical coatings

The IBIS 18×80 WIDE is optimized with a multilayer treatment on every optical surface which reveals itself to our eyes with a pleasant green-purple color. In my usual test, which involves looking in the mirror to check the actual light transmission, I have to confirm that it certainly isn't capable of reaching the potential of top-of-the-line binoculars; however, it seemed comparable to that found on instruments up to 500-600 euros. 

CHROMATIC AND GEOMETRIC ABERRATIONS

 

Chromatic aberration at the center of the field

The binoculars exhibit some chromatic aberration, which is most noticeable when observing high-contrast subjects, such as backlit airplanes or birds of prey.. Obviously, it also shows up in the selective test of the white gazebo. These are indeed binoculars equipped with achromatic optics. The perception of this aberration, besides being purely subjective, also varies based on the context in which it is analyzed. For example, you will notice less chromatic aberration when looking at the landscape under normal lighting conditions than when admiring the lunar edge or a backlit buzzard.  

Lateral chromatism

Lateral chromatic aberration increases as the view moves away from the center of the field towards the edges, appearing as a slight green, yellow-blue halo.

 

Field curvature

Tecnosky confirms that these binoculars benefit from aspherical elements inside the eyepieces. I have no difficulty believing this, because, although it does not have a completely flat field all the way to the edge, I must tell you that the Tests carried out in terrestrial observation actually highlight the maintenance of a reasonable resolution even at the extreme edges of the field without being able to be compared to the best products on the market. Furthermore, when trying to focus on center details toward the edge, it becomes apparent that most of the problems are solely due to field curvature, since, when focusing, the image appears sharp and reasonably contrasted. A person with good daytime visual accommodation, seeking a compromise between center and edge focus, will be able to enjoy a fairly satisfactory image across the entire field of view.

Angular distortion

This binocular suffers from some pincushion distortion; I'd go as far as writing a 6-7% from about the 75-80% from the center of the field. I'm not very sensitive to rolling ball distortion; I recommend reading this. the Binomania glossary and a specific article of Holger Merlitz In this regard, however, they seemed to me to be a fairly easy binocular to use for panning.

 

Other aberrations

 

In simple astronomical observation, stars of the second and third magnitudes show good pinpoint sharpness in the center of the field, but coma and astigmatism impair vision starting from about 85% from the center of the field.

Binoculars	Field of maximum sharpness (CN)	Field still usable (CU)	Unusable field (CI)	Stellar pointformity affected by
IBIS 18×80 WIDE	85%	10%	5%	Coma and astigmatism

 

USAF CHART TEST AT 35 METERS

As always, I performed the test with the USAF CHART at 35 meters, analyzing images in the morning, midday, and at dusk, and then averaging the results. I repeat, this result is highly subjective, as it depends on my psychophysical condition; however, it is useful to me to verify the performance of an instrument under my normal observing conditions, comparing it to other products. I also concluded the test with the ZEISS 3×12 T* multiplier, therefore observing at 54x. At 18x, the presence of residual yellow-blue color could be seen around the edges of the black shapes printed on a white background.  The whites were heavily weighted toward yellow. I could perceive line 1 both vertically and horizontally.

We often tend to check the sharpness and contrast of medium- to high-power binoculars by observing the landscape at long distances; however, this judgment is often affected by the presence of atmospheric turbulence. The fact remains that, in medium- to short-range observations, analyzing the USAF CHART, the binoculars still offer a sharp and contrasting image, albeit with some residual coloration.

Asking €200 achromatic binoculars with 18x magnification to be used with the ZEISS 3x12 T* tripler seems a bit demanding. However, I performed the test anyway and can say that the image obviously lost sharpness and contrast. I wanted to confirm only the details useful to a professional operator, who needs, for example, to read a license plate from a long distance. In this situation, the perception of the details visible at number 4 with the vertical and horizontal lines seemed sufficient to me.. I repeat that it was not a sharp image, like the one visible for example in the Zeiss Diascope 85 FL, kindly given to me by CANIP by Binocular Today, but the images, however, were still readable.

STAR TEST

I'm always a bit reluctant to star test inexpensive binoculars, but for the record, it's fair to do so. The binoculars showed some coma in the right optical tube and overall spherical aberration. I used both a reference star and the 50-micron artificial star sold by Geoptik, analyzing at natural magnification and at 3x12.

 

PRACTICAL IMPRESSIONS IN THE FIELD

BIRDWATCHING

These are certainly not binoculars suitable for birdwatching, in the sense that they do not have a central focus and the minimum focusing distance is more than 20 meters. Furthermore, they do not have ED (low dispersion) lenses. However, thanks to their medium magnification, It is not excluded that birds of prey may be observed at distances greater than 200-300 metres. In this case, I can confirm that the silhouettes against the light will not appear black, but dark purple. However, with magnification, it will still be possible to distinguish, for example, from afar the difference between a black kite and a buzzard.

It is very useful, in my opinion, even for long-term censuses, as observing with both eyes is ultimately more pleasant and less tiring than using a classic terrestrial telescope, especially during a hypothetical counting of two, three or four hours.

LANDSCAPE

Very demanding landscape observation enthusiasts spend even €2000-2500 on the purchase of medium-high magnification binoculars. For this reason it is useful to approach landscape observation with these binoculars, remembering that we are always talking about a €200 instrument equipped with achromatic optics.. I can confirm that, however, under normal landscape observation conditions, observing mountain peaks, distant buildings, shelters, tree details, etc., the 18x image at the center of the field shows very little residual color that is more evident at the edges of the field. What I appreciate about these binoculars when observing landscapes is the discrete perception of detail even at the edge and their wide apparent field. Furthermore, 18x magnification is still easily manageable even in summer daytime use. So much so that, after doing some tests with a 25x, also an achromatic, I decidedly preferred the image provided by the 18x80 Wide not only in terms of turbulence reduction but also in terms of the flatness of the field of view. A very unfair comparison with two top-of-the-line Zeiss spotting scopes, the Diascope 85 FL and Harpia 95, showed that sharpness, contrast and chromatic aberration aside, this 18x is capable of delivering the details visible in spotting scopes at around 25x magnification.

TWILIGHT OBSERVATION

 

The exit pupil provided by these binoculars is approximately 4.5 mm, so it is bright enough and usable even by people in their late fifties like myself. The light transmission, discreet, With its 80 mm diameter, it's capable of providing a better perception of some morphological details of roe deer and deer at twilight than I was able to achieve with a well-made 16x70 achromatic. It's certainly not a pair of binoculars suitable for mobile twilight use, especially since sometimes, when observing from a Jeep or a hide, it's possible to observe at distances of less than 23 meters.

 

ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION

Where I think it is very satisfying is astronomical observation. For various reasons: it costs as much as an average 10×50, it is not heavy, although it is not as comfortable as angled binoculars, it is light and can be used with photographic tripods and heads that are not very bulky and expensive. The Moon, when placed in the center of the field, shows a faint yellow-blue halo around the edges and in the brightest part of the terminator. At eighteen times magnification, the details are interesting: you can see structures such as the crater Plato, details within the Sinus Iridum, mainly albedo spots, and the ray system of Copernicus is very clearly visible, as are the details within the crater Gassendi. I also performed a test with the Zeiss 3×12 T* tripler and, although it highlighted more details within the craters than at native magnification, I perceived a marked decrease in contrast and sharpness.

As regards the observation of star fields, given the low cost of the optical design and the components used inIt was not possible to completely correct the aberrations at the edge of the field, especially because the field of view is decidedly wide.     In practice, as expected, the Ibis 18x80 doesn't provide pinpoint stars all the way to the edge. Some star degradation begins to be noticeable starting from about 85% from the center of the field. This degradation is inversely proportional to the brightness of the stars: it's less noticeable with very faint stars and more noticeable with first- and second-magnitude stars, where the presence of coma and some astigmatism are clearly visible.

At the center of the field the star images are quite point-like and chromatic aberration is only perceived when admiring the brightest stars.. Personally, when "sweeping" the sky at 18X, I don't feel the need to use binoculars with low-dispersion optics. The only advantage of the more expensive binoculars is the ability to take advantage of high magnifications to benefit from more correct lunar images.

The advantage of the central semi-bar is that you can quickly unscrew the knob to extract the binoculars and observe freehand.

Among the various tests carried out,  I achieved greater ease of use and a better ability to contain vibrations by sitting on the deckchairs and sun loungers permanently installed in my garden and placing the eyepiece hoods just below the eyebrow arch. In this way, I personally manage to contain the vibrations quite well, similar to what I can achieve freehand, standing, observing with a classic 12x50. The sensation is quite typical: sYou can feel some vibrations and you can't benefit from very stable images, however when panning you appreciate the wide field of view and the greater brightness compared to a classic 12x50, allowing you to comfortably see hundreds of stars lying down and quickly perceive the presence of faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters.

I believe that a homemade support that allows the weight to be completely distributed across the forehead would be even more effective for my observation style. Furthermore, comfort will also depend on the shape of the chair used for observation. If desired, the binoculars can be reattached to the second component of the bar in just a few seconds for use with a photographic tripod.

As for the perception of faint details such as galaxies and some nebulae, I must confirm that the period in which I used these binoculars coincided with the lunar phase. For this reason, I had to face several early night wake-ups to verify not only the absence of the Moon but also the presence of a sky free of summer haze. In this context, I can say that I found the IBIS 18x80 to be a perfect bridge between the classic 16x70 and the 25x100, in the sense that it offers a medium magnification that is usable even under moderately polluted skies and shows most of the bright galaxies accessible to the classic 20x80 within a wider field of view.

My practical experience has led me to believe that, although it's not possible to benefit from a completely corrected field, the 70-degree field of view creates an additional pleasure, especially during panning. It doesn't feel like you're observing through binoculars, but rather like you're navigating the sky without constraints, thanks to the apparent field of view effect, which is superior to that of classic 20x80 binoculars, which often, in this price range, don't exceed 60°.

As for handheld use, I repeat that it's not possible to perceive faint details as perfectly as when mounted on a tripod. Therefore, if you're looking for faint galaxies, my advice is to use it exclusively on a photographic tripod.  

Ultimately, if I had to balance the hours of use on the tripod and on the deckchair, I would prefer to use these binoculars comfortably lying down, Since I don't expect to see faint galaxies, the dark sky and the decidedly wide apparent field allowed me to enjoy some beautiful views of the Milky Way and the area between Perseus and Cassiopeia, with very satisfactory quality considering the investment. In this context, these are certainly interesting binoculars.  

PROS AND CONS

Merits

• Excellent price/performance ratio
• Complete standard equipment
• Wide field of view
• Good performance in simple astronomical observation and of stellar and faint subjects
• Precise focus
• Magnification/diameter ratio that allows easy use even under medium-polluted skies
• With the right technique, you can observe the sky even freehand.

Defects

• Obvious presence of chromatic aberration
• Although aspherical elements are present, the quality at the edges of star images is not comparable to that of high-end products.
• Glasses wearers will definitely want to check their comfort.

 

IN SUMMARY

Personally, I think the IBIS 18x80 WIDE binoculars are an excellent instrument for astronomical observations. I remember that, as a kid, a classic 10x50 achromatic binocular, which showed significantly less detail, cost a similar amount. They are bright enough and have excellent magnification for observations even from the backyard and under moderately polluted skies. Their 70° field of view is much superior to many 20x80 binoculars in the same price range, which often only provide 55-60°.

Obviously, it's not excellent for birdwatching and has limitations in terms of chromatic aberration control. However, I challenge you to find a similar instrument with such a wide range of standard features (mounting bar, synthetic leather case) in this price range. It's definitely recommended for young amateur astronomers.

 

PRICE AND WARRANTY

 The Ibis 18×80 Wide binoculars are available on the website of Tecnosky  For 219 euros, you can also pay it conveniently in three installments using the Scalapay service.

 THANKS

I thank, as always, Giuliano Monti of Tecnosky for providing the unit for this review and for allowing me to express my impartial impressions, as is the duty of any journalist. Tecnosky has likely also signed the journalistic impartiality contract that allows me to cite my personal impressions, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

DISCLAIMER

This review was published in July 2024. Please note that these impressions are entirely personal and obtained freely, without any obligation or commercial relationship. For any information, updates, and/or changes to prices, instrument features, authorized sales outlets, or other information in general, please contact us directly.  Tecnosky