Gear Review: Olympus Outback 10×21 RC 1

Despite being the tiniest, most compact (4×4 inches) binoculars of the bunch we tested, the Outback delivers dazzlingly impressive optics—sometimes superior to models twice as big and pricy. “The sharpness and definition are amazing! They let me pick out individual feathers on a bald eagle perched 250 yards away,” says our tester, who also used them for close-up views of elk and moose in Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness. The crispness comes from the roof prism—it reflects the image you see—which is made with ultrahigh-quality optical glass. But as with any 10x binocular, the Outback magnifies movement as well as the viewed object, so a steady hand is essential. $125; 7 oz.; olympusamerica.com