Vixen Atera H6-12×25: small but stabilized

This month we continue our analysis of very compact optical instruments capable of offering higher magnifications than those permitted by the most common binoculars.

The subject of this new review is the small stabilized spotting scope “ATERA H6-12 x25” sold by the Japanese company Vixen and distributed in Italy by SkyPoint.

Thanks to the collaboration of Mauro Narduzzi of SkyPoint, I once again had the exclusive opportunity to use this product, which has recently been available for sale. I'm therefore ready to share my personal impressions.

 

Technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer.

• Magnifications: 6 to 12X
• Lens: 25mm
• Prism material: BK7 / BaK4
• Actual field: 5.6 ~ 4.0 °
• Apparent range: 32.7 ~ 45.5 °
• Range at 1000 meters: 98 ~ 70 m
• Exit pupil: 4.2 ~ 2.1 mm
• Brightness: 17.6 to 4.4
• Eye relief: 24 ~ 17 mm
• Minimum focusing distance: approx. 2.5 m
• Battery life: approximately 30 hours
• Weight: 310 g

The product is “Made in China” but the quality is identical to what Vixen has been able to offer enthusiasts over the years: In fact, it features a pleasant, well-finished design with excellent finishes. It comes standard with a cardboard box, an instruction booklet (in Japanese and English), a handy cordura bag, a small strap and a pair of CR2 batteries to power it.

Curiously, the parent company has included it on the official website, under the “Top-Series” binoculars category in the “monoculars” section. https://www.vixen.co.jp/product/bino/monocular/114924.html

The version I tried it is an elegant champagne grey colour, considerably more sober than the “powder pink” color chosen by the designers as the second option.  The body is made of polycarbonate, with no protective rubber coating. The focusing system is integrated near the small objective, while the magnification amplification system is, of course, located in the eyepiece body. The lens hood can be removed with a quick-release system.

Next to the eyepiece, there's also a LED that indicates when the batteries are low. The battery compartment, located under the objective lens, accepts two standard CR2 batteries.

There are various acronyms on the hull: the name of the product, the field of view and the anti-vibration system, called “Vibration Canceller”.

On the opposite side, the serial number, the battery placement diagram, the Chinese origin and the fact that this is a product subject to special disposal are clearly highlighted.

Lenses and objective.
This little spotting scope It has a front lens diameter of only 25 mm, so it is preferable to use it during the day. Even the magnifications are not high, in fact, even at 12X you are able, albeit for a short time, to obtain good readability of the images framed in the optical field which unfortunately is not very wide (between 5.6 and 4°).

It is not equipped with low dispersion optics and honestly given the range of use and the price range there is not much need for them, the optical quality, in any case, is good, the chromatic aberration in the center of the field is evident only during the most critical lighting conditions, while a hint of lateral chromatic aberration exists (on backlit subjects).

Angular distortion is evident while the field is almost completely flat (as expected from a non-wide-angle product.)

 

The anti-vibration system.

The anti-vibration system designed by the designers has several features: first of all, it can work on both axes, compensating for "up-down" and "left-right" movements. Furthermore, it can also compensate for vibrations and jolts induced by simple freehand use.

I must say that its operation has proven to be definitely high-performance, better than, for example, the 12X stabilized Canon binoculars that I have had the opportunity to try in recent years.

Below is an official video, highlighting his performances.

Vixen claims that this small ground-based telescope is capable of stabilizing about three degrees (in each of the situations just described)

Its battery life seems to last around thirty hours. I can confirm, having used it occasionally over the course of a month, that the batteries haven't completely drained yet.

 

Field use.

Vixen He introduced this product for three main purposes:

1. Watch concerts without shaking.
2. Stargazing
3. Observing in museums.

I was unable to verify its performance in the first two scenarios, but I did use it under the starry sky and for naturalistic purposes, where I better appreciated its potential in the latter case.

In astronomical use, in fact, due to the small diameter and the curved field I have not been able to marvel at great performance even if, I must admit that the stable view of the moon or the Pleiades always has its charm. In naturalistic use, however, "the little one" opened up a small world of rapid observations for me, and in time slots that were atypical for me. which I had never been able to tackle even if, obviously, it does not have the brightness, the resolving power and the large field offered, for example, by my Swarovision 12×50 (which however costs six times as much)

In summary.

I liked this new Vixen product even though it is not a universal instrument: in astronomical naturalistic use it obviously has limitations given mostly by the diameter, however theIts extreme compactness and generous stabilization will be able to assist you during various types of observation, especially for the more classic ones mentioned by Vixen such as attending a concert, a theatrical performance or observing artistic-architectural details.

I would like to see a larger diameter spotting scope that provides this performance as soon as possible, or a nice 30-40 mm diameter binocular.

In Italy it is sold for 475.00 euros, VAT included.

Acknowledgements

I thank Mauro Narduzzi of SkyPointt official distributor of Vixen products here in Italy for having supplied a specimen which was the subject of this test.