The good thing is whilst smaller, they still retain all the positive features found on the larger versions and which are important in this area: We got interested in the Hawke Frontier ED X 8x42 because their official description sounds really impressive. When it comes to binoculars with classic 8x42 parameters you often deal with a narrow field of view (even on a level of 6.2-6.5 degrees) which makes you think you are looking through a keyhole. The Hawke doesn't have such a problem, with a declared field of 8.1 degrees and a very comfortable eye relief, that of 18 mm. So I got in touch with a whole host of manufacturers and asked what they had and if they would like me to test them.

Once again I was not let down and to my eyes, the Hawke Frontier 8x32 ED X binoculars not only produce a bright image, but the colors are vibrant and not at all washed out. Of course there may be some variation but I didn't find them as optically good as you did. I thought they were sharp in the centre but the sweet spot was small on the sample I had - I'd guess 50%. Chromatic aberration was high, even in the centre, on my model. I thought there was a "washed out" look to the image and I thought there was a hint of a yellow cast. I did notice the same field curvature as you, but I quite liked that. I thought there was a hint of pincushion too. Did you notice this?

Vantage

However, I would still recommend that you make the small investment in a lens cleaning kit to ensure that you don't mark the lenses when thoroughly cleaning them. Experience the outdoors like never before by taking advantage of Hawke’s advanced H7 optics, providing you with crystal-clear views and incredible detail. The Hawke Frontier ED X model has been ergonomically designed, as well as being waterproof and fog proof, so you can spend hours comfortably observing. Side by side comparison of the Hawke Frontier HDX 8×32 (left — this review) and the Hawke Frontier EDX (right) Added to this is the fact that the housings, eyecups and indeed the ocular lenses are much easier to clean when you can separate the parts and so is something that once again deserves your consideration.

Looking to upgrade your equipment? Get competitive prices on major brands with our part-exchange service.Hawke sent me the 8×42 Frontier EDX and it’s smaller, non-ED sibling the 8×32 Frontier HDX to review. I’ll look at the smaller/lighter/cheaper binocular in a separate article — for now, let’s see how I got on with Hawke’s new flagship binocular, the Frontier EDX 8×42. Balance, handling and build quality Following on from a hugely successful Frontier ED family, the new Frontier ED X had a lot to live up to and it thrived in almost every area. The optical and build quality is a grade above the Endurance ED binoculars, but so On the Vortex forum, i voiced this issue and got some help from "typo" with the results and now think i know what the issue was. Measured by us amounted to 7.81 +\- 0.04 degrees and was by 0.29 of a degree narrower than stated in the specifications. A quite wide field for this class of equipment. So try them. Hawke have already made an excellent name for themselves. Now they’re ready to take it to the next level.