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Minox X-Range 10×42 Review | Optics Trade Reviews

Are you looking for a pair of binoculars that will help you get the most out of your outdoor adventures, particularly hunting on longer ranges? Then look no further than the Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars.

These binoculars offer high-quality optics, an ergonomic design, and useful features like rangefinding capabilities. In this review, we’ll take an in-depth look at what makes these binoculars so great and why they’re worth investing in.

Looking for 10×42 LRF Binos?

Minox Optics

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

Minox Sport Optics is a German manufacturer that has been at the forefront of innovation for optical devices since 1921. Specializing in binoculars, spotting scopes, rangefinders, and other precision optics, Minox is known for producing some of the highest-quality products available. The company’s history is full of milestones – from its first camera lens to the cutting-edge technology used today.

Minox began as a small business in Berlin manufacturing lenses and cameras. In 1923 they launched their first camera lens which was quickly adopted by photographers around the world due to its superior quality and accuracy. Since then, they have gone on to develop some of the most advanced optical equipment in existence including binoculars with an integrated laser rangefinder and digital night vision goggles with image intensification technology.

In recent years Minox has joined the Blaser group. Minox continues to push boundaries with its research and development program resulting in innovative products such as long-range hunting riflescopes that offer superior clarity even when viewing distant targets or high magnification optics for bird-watching enthusiasts who demand maximum clarity at great distances. They also offer a wide selection of accessories such as tripods, stabilizers, cleaning kits, carrying cases, and more designed specifically for use with their optics systems ensuring users get exactly.

Minox X-Range Binoculars

Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars were launched in 2021 as the company’s most advanced range of binoculars. At a price point of 1500 Euros, these binoculars are part of an increasingly competitive market that includes laser rangefinding devices from Bushnell, Vortex, Carl Zeiss, and Sig Sauer. As of 2023, there is only one model in the X-Range series.

Physical Properties

The Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars feature a sleek and modern design, with grey and metallic inserts on the binocular chassis giving them a contemporary look. This mesh of grey and metal is distinctly Minox.

The rubberized coating ensures that the binoculars are easy to grip even when your palms are wet. The wide central post gives you extra stability when using the device with a single hand.

The binoculars also come with an adjustable diopter for each eyepiece so the user can compensate for poor eyesight.

Minox X-range 10x42 Rangefinder
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder – Sturdy Build
Minox X-range 10x42 Rangefinder
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder – Sturdy Build

Size and Weight

These Minox X-Range binoculars are of average weight for 10×42 but compact, making them ideal for carrying on your outdoor adventures. They weigh 990 grams (34.9 ounces), so they’re easy enough to transport without any added strain.

The binoculars have a total length of 152mm (5.91 inches), which is not a lot for a laser rangefinding binocular. Almost all other rivals are longer than Minox, from the cheaper Steiner Ranger LRF 10×42 to the pricier Leica Geovid 10×42 R. In fact, the only shorter model in the price class of approximately €1500 is Vortex Fury HD 5000 10×42 Gen II at 146 millimeters.

The binos are approximately 14 centimeters in width and 8 centimeters in depth.

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

Eyepieces

Let’s move to the eyepieces. You can set the diopter on both sides. One for the display, one for the diopter compensation.

Although we’ve experienced better multi-position eyepieces from other manufacturers, they are usually not available at this price point. The 2022 Leica Geovid R has the best design currently on the market, yet Minox proves to be a practical choice as well. It offers 3 eyepiece positions for viewing and the support is adequate enough that they won’t cause any problems – although of course, the build doesn’t quite measure up to those of higher-end models like the Geovids due to differences in cost.

Minox X-range 10x42 Rangefinder - Large Focus Knob
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder – Large Focus Knob

Hunting-Style Focus

Minox X-Range 10×42 LRF binos have a single hinge design with a big focusing knob. Ergonomically, the position of the focus is not the best. This is a common problem with almost all of the binoculars in the 1500-euro class.

Birdwatching binoculars are designed to be able to quickly focus on a bird, no matter how far away it moves. This is achieved with only 1 or 1 ½ rotations of the focusing mechanism, making it easier and faster for the observer to keep up with the animal. Whether your target flies from 50 or 80 meters away in a few seconds, you can ensure that you won’t miss any details.

Hunting is different. With hunting, you need slow focus because you usually observe animals that don’t move that quickly. When you look at deer, they’re usually stationary. It’s nice that the focus is slow and you’re able to see all the details. This is what Minox X-Range 10×42 can do for you. The central focusing knob is slow and secure. It has 2 full turns.

The focusing knob also houses a CR2 Lithium (3V) battery that powers the LRF module. This brings us to the next feature.

Minox X-range 10x42 Rangefinder - LRF Module
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder – LRF

LRF Properties

We like the outward design of the LRF module inside Minox X-Range 10×42. It’s clean with no protrusions on the back of the unit. The LRF works nicely and it’s quite fast as well.

What’s innovative is the operation of the 2 control buttons. This LRF bino is suitable for right- and left-handed users as it has customizable buttons. You can select which button does what.

Minox 10×42 X-Range enables continuous distance readings with the Scan Mode option. Even more importantly, the LRF shows Equivalent Horizontal Range (EHR), which is a must when hunting on sloped terrain.

2800-Meter Range

The maximal rangefinding range is 2800 meters. This is quite an achievement. It’s far more than the majority of competitors can offer. The only match for Minox X-Range is GPO Rangeguide 10×50. For a market comparison, Leica Geovid 10×42 R and Steiner Ranger LRF 10×42 cap off at 1800 meters. Vortex is even weaker as the LRF module on Fury HD 5000 10×42 Gen II can only go to 1500 meters.

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

LRF Target Modes

What’s also different from everybody else is that Minox offers you the possibility to change rangefinding modes of measurement – First, Best, and Last. This is something that is not often seen in the LRF binoculars of this class.

Let’s remind ourselves how these 3 modes work. Let’s say there’s grass, a deer, and then a forest behind the deer.

  1. The First Target Mode will give you the distance to the first object that the laser hits. In this example, the grass that’s spatially in front of the deer.
  2. The Best Target Mode will show the distance to the strongest object in focus – the deer. The forest is the backdrop, the object furthest away from the laser.
  3. You can get the right distance reading when selecting the Last Target Mode.

Optical Properties

The Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars are an advanced binocular system that combines the traditional visual capabilities of binocular optics with a laser rangefinder. The X-range offers a crystal clear and bright viewing experience, thanks to its large objective lenses and High Density (HD) glass elements. This LRF bino is built around Schmidt–Pechan prism, as it’s the norm.

Minox X-range 10x42 with caps
Minox X-range 10×42 with caps

42mm Lens

The 10x magnification makes this LRF bino suitable for hunters and bird aficionados alike. The 42mm objective lens gathers enough light for detail observation but keeps the device light enough for long treks in the great outdoors.

Minox X-Range Field of View

Let’s focus on the field of view. The binos have a fixed magnification of 10x, so the field of view is always 106m/1000m. This is pretty average. Leica and GPO have a slightly wider FOV of 110 meters. But Minox X-Range still shows more than Vortex and Steiner’s 10×42 models.

Color Fidelity

The thing that stands out from the competitors is how neutral the colors are. There is no color tint, which can be seen using Steiner Ranger LRF 10×42 and Sig Sauer Kilo3000 BDX 10×42.

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

Pros

What are the main advantages of choosing these binoculars?

The most obvious plus is the compact size. The Minox X-Range 10×42 binoculars are ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in the user’s hands. They have a non-slip rubberized coating and a wide, stable center post for a secure grip. They’re short compared to rival optics.

The focusing knob is slow and big. That will please the hunting-oriented users. We also like the fact that you’re able to change the LRF Target Modes in addition to Scan and EHR features. This is something that most rivals don’t offer. Not for this price at least.

Pros Summary

  • compact and short
  • slow and big focus knob
  • accurate colors
  • 2800m of maximal rangefinding range
  • 3 LRF target modes

Cons

What could Minox do to improve the ranking of these 10×42 LRF binos?

First is the Minox X-Range 10×42 weight. Almost one kilogram is still a lot for a 10×42 configuration with the LRF module. Ergonomically, Minox could still do some tweaks because there are better-designed LRF binos on the market.

The field of view could be improved to 110 or 115 meters. That would be great.

As for the price – €1499 is a standard fare. To really undercut the competition, Minox would have to go lower.

Cons Summary:

  • weight
  • 106m/100m field of view
  • average price
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

Similar Products

The competition between LRF binoculars in the price range of €1500 is intense. There are a variety of manufacturers offering different features and capabilities to give consumers the best value for their money. First, let’s take a look at other LRF binos manufactured in China.

Vortex, SigSauer and Kahles

Minox has a better design and is more compact than Vortex 10×42 Fury HD 5000, Kahles Helia RF 10×42, and Sig Sauer Kilo3000 BDX 10×42. The bigger focusing knob has an edge compared to Vortex and Kahles. Those competitors all look the same. They’re also produced in the same factory and almost cost the same. It’s likely that Bushnell is manufactured at the same location as well.

Steiner Ranger LRF 10×42 vs Minox X-Range LRF 10×42

What about competitors that are closer to Minox? Steiner Ranger LRF 10×42 is the obvious choice as it is also made by a German manufacturer and is primarily marketed toward hunters. These LRF 10×42 LRF binos are ergonomically even better than Minox. Steiner also has a nice focusing knob with better placement. Steiner also provides a superior depth of field.

But that’s not to say that Minox is lacking. The colors on X-Range are clearly better and so is the maximal LRF range – 2800 meters vs. 1800 meters. Perhaps the biggest concern is that Steiner Ranger is longer at 210mm compared to Minox’s 152mm. Apart from that, it’s a hard choice to say which one is a better pick. These two devices are neck to neck. It depends on personal preference.

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

GPO Rangeguide 10×50 vs Minox

This Minox is a little bit smaller than GPO Rangeguide. We liked the focus on X-Range a little bit more than on GPO. But GPO has a little bit of an edge in terms of optical performance. Even though the colors are nice on Minox, they’re also nice on GPO. If you’re price-sensitive, €999 for GPO Rangeguide 10×32 is a good deal.

Leica Geovid 10×42 R vs Minox X-Range 10×42

Now, a big problem for everybody in this class Leica Geovid 10×42 R. When Leica Geovid 10×42 R still cost €1900 in 2018, other competitors had it easier. The 500-euro difference in price had many customers look the other way. Then Leica came out with a reworked 2022 model with upgraded features, which is far more affordable than the older version. For the 200 euros extra, Leica is the winner of this class. 

The one drawback of Geovid R models is that they only measure to 1800 meters while the Minox goes to 2800 meters. But apart from that aspect, Leica Geovid R 10×42 R remains an LRF model in a class of its own. Geovids are made in Europe, in Portugal. The customer care and brand prestige of Leica Optics cannot be matched by any other manufacturers on this list.

Scope of Delivery

Let’s go through what you get in the package. In addition to Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars, the user also receives the rubber objective lens covers, eyepiece lens covers, a carrying strap, a soft carrying case, a cleaning cloth, and a user manual.

Minox X-range 10x42 Rangefinder - Scope of Delivery
Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder – Scope of Delivery

Price

Minox X-Range 10×42 Rangefinder Binoculars cost €1499. This is slightly on the inexpensive side of the competition. But nothing to write home about.

Where is Minox X-Range 10×42 Made?

It’s made in China. This is true for all LRF binoculars in this price class, with the bright exception of the Leica Geovid R.

The servicing is done in Germany. Minox is a part of a Blaser group and won’t disappoint if something happens down the road. We also recommend that you register your Minox product on the manufacturer’s website, so you appear on their records.

Minox X-range 10×42 Rangefinder

Warranty

This brings us right to the product guarantee. Minox Optics provides 2 years of warranty. This is comparable to most LRF binos at this price point, except for the aforementioned Leica. The Geovid models have a base warranty of 5 years after purchase. If you register your Minox online, you get additional 8 years. So that’s 10 years of manufacturer’s guarantee in total.

Looking for 10×42 LRF Binos?

Final Thoughts on Minox X-Range 10×42 LRF

If you’re into compact binoculars with a slow focusing mechanism for hunting and prioritize the maximal LRF range of 2800 meters, Minox is the right choice.

Minox X-Range 10×42 LRF Photos

Summary
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Minox X-Range 10x42
Author Rating
41star1star1star1stargray
Product Name
Minox X-Range 10x42
Price
EUR 1499
Product Availability
Available in Stock

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