Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x42 and 10x42 HD

Introduction

At Shot Show 2019, I visited Sightron’s booth where I learned that they are coming out with a few fascinating upgrades for their already existing series. SII Blue Sky is a popular series of Sightron’s binoculars, not only because they offer very decent optics for the price, but also because they are probably among the most affordable binoculars on the market that come with open bridge construction, a feature mostly limited to binoculars from the premium class. For some time now, the 8x32 and 10x32 model have been available for purchase. The 8x42 and 10x42 used to be on the market but were discontinued by Sightron at some point. Now, Sightron has decided to reintroduce these two models, only that they now feature Sightron’s contemporary design (an open bridge construction) and improved optics. Additionally, there is an ‘HD’ mark next to the name.

Sightron's booth at Shot Show 2019

Sightron Blue Sky 8x42 HD

Sightron Blue Sky 10x42 HD

New features

To be honest, I have been wondering at what point Sightron was going reintroduce the 42mm objective lens models – the competition here is rough as there are many manufacturers of this popular configuration (8x42 and 10x42), but since Sightron is becoming a trusted name in the world of optics, I believe that their unique combination of open bridge construction and decent optics for the price will be well-accepted.

Sightron Blue Sky 8x42 HD

Sightron Blue Sky 10x42 HD

The 32mm objective lenses are a perfect choice for hiking and traveling because of how light they are, but Sightron was missing out on birdwatchers and hunters for some time. The newly introduced models are Fully Multicoated, feature High Definition ED glass, are enhanced by dielectric coatings and boast Phase coated prisms. With dielectric coatings, Sightron managed to increase the light transmission rate. Like the 8x32 and 10x32 models, the new ones also feature the popular open bridge construction. Not only can they be held comfortably with a single hand; at 660 grams (23.3 oz), they are also lighter than most of the competition. All the binoculars from this series are equipped with roof prisms and come in dark green color.

Sightron Blue Sky 8x42 HD

Sightron Blue Sky 10x42 HD

The eyecups can be fixed in a few positions, making these comfortable to use for glasses wearers also. The field of view is not their strongest point and could be better compared to other binoculars from the same price class –  The 8x42 model provides 111.5 m of the field of view on 1000 meters while the 10x42 model provides 106 m.

Sightron Blue Sky 8x42 HD

Sightron Blue Sky 10x42 HD

Conclusion

I have always been a fan of Sightron’s open bridge construction on SII Blue Sky and was glad to hear that they chose to reintroduce the 8x42 and 10x42 versions. The 8x42 is going to retail for around 340 EUR while the 10x42 will be around 10 EUR more expensive.

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