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Hawke Frontier ED This model sits in the middle segment of the market and promises sharp, color-accurate vision and solid build quality at a very reasonable price. With ED glass, an 8×42 format that suits long sessions in a nature reserve or bird hide, and a magnesium body designed to take a few bumps, they look like a fantastic recipe for birding and general wildlife viewing.
We tested them in typical field conditions: bird watching, landscape scanning, and low-light performance testing. They’re consistently voted as one of the best birdwatching binoculars under $500/£500, so let’s break down their performance to see if we agree.
Hawke Frontier ED
- Premium build on all components and accessories
- Comfortable neck strap and smart carrying bag
- Firm in the hand and pleasant for a long time
The Hawke Frontier ED magnesium alloy chassis offers robust and durable controls that, while we wouldn’t want to drop them, make us feel like they could definitely take a knock or two. The textured rubber grip gives us a secure hold and the stylish design accents and silver accents on the body are a nice touch.
Key specifications
Enlargement: 8 times
Lens diameter: 42 mm
Field of vision: 8.1 degrees / 426 ft. @ 1,000 yd
Eye relief: 18 mm
Graduating students: 5.3 mm
Close focus: 6.6ft / 2m
Weight: 25.6oz / 725g
Interchangeable rotating eyecups offer three viewing positions and an interpupillary distance of 56-74mm to suit a range of face sizes and eye positions. The focus wheel and diopter are reassuringly sticky, although our reviewer preferred the slightly looser focus wheel on the pair of Olympus 10×42 Pros we tested alongside them. They also feature a tripod filter thread for more robust viewing, such as night astronomy, or if you’re focusing on a bird’s nest or feeding station for long periods of time.
Weighing in at 25.6 ounces (725 grams), it’s light but feels solid in the hand, and we found it comfortable for long birding sessions. The included neck strap is wide and padded and probably one of the most comfortable we’ve ever used. It also includes a cleverly designed case that looks and feels somewhere between a bag and a box, or a hard case with a zipper and magnetic closure. There are mesh panels on the inside to keep the binoculars from falling out, meaning you don’t need to zip up the bag; you can simply unclip the magnetic closure and access the scope quickly and easily when you’re out in the field. There’s a pocket on the back, but it’s so tight that you can’t really fit anything in it – it would be a perfect place to slip your smartphone.
Hawke Frontier ED
- Almost no chromatic aberration thanks to ED glass
- Excellent for birdwatching with a wide field of view
- Sharp, colorful views — slight softness around the edges
View through the Hawke Frontier ED The immersive view is crystal clear, with incredibly sharp mid-views, and we were impressed with the color reproduction and contrast. The ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass eliminates almost all chromatic aberration, although we were still able to notice a small sliver around high-contrast subjects – but it won’t be noticeable unless you’re specifically looking for it (like us).
We did notice some veiling at the bottom of the image circle due to sky reflections, but this disappeared when we moved the scope up or down and the scene was evenly lit. The image is a little soft at the edges of the frame, but since we tend to center our subjects when watching wildlife, this was never too much of a problem.
While 42mm isn’t the largest lens diameter for stargazing, we were still able to see plenty of stars. We could identify the Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula, but we couldn’t see any of Jupiter’s Galilean moons—you’d need higher magnification for that. Although the Hawke Endurance ED 10×50 we tested alongside the pair was noticeably better for low-light viewing, the Frontier ED X 8×42 would still be good for sweeping the skies in your backyard or on a camping trip.
Hawke Frontier ED
- Dielectric prismatic coatings for better light transmission
- Close focus distance 6.6 feet (2 meters).
- IPX7 waterproof and anti-fog
8x magnification is often referred to as the ideal spot for bird watching as it is powerful enough to provide a good view without too much shake. A wide field of view of 426 feet (130 m) gave us plenty of room to track birds across the sky, which was much easier than with the 10x pair we also tested. We saw a ton of birds from our doorstep, including goldfinches, red terns, various species of tit, and even a plover.
Outdoor scopes must handle the elements and Frontier ED
The BaK-4 prisms have a dielectric coating for better light transmission, which works in tandem with the 42mm objective lens to produce bright and clear views. The 18mm eye relief is generous and we had no problems getting a perfect view when using them with or without glasses.
With a short focusing distance of 6.6 feet (2m), they’re also great for getting a closer look at large insects and flowers. That’s nowhere near enough to make the ED X 8×42 suitable for true macro or bug tracking – but then it doesn’t claim to be.
If you buy the Hawke Frontier ED
Based on their build quality, comfortable handling, excellent optical quality and tailoring for outdoor use, it’s hard not to recommend these binoculars – especially for the price. They’re the ideal birdwatching companion that’s built to last, and their specs are versatile enough to suit other activities such as casual stargazing.
It’s a very nice fit if you’re looking for a quality pair of binoculars for birding, but if you’re looking for a small, pocket-sized compact pair of binoculars or a large astronomical telescope, it’s going to miss the mark.
If Hawke Frontier ED
If you want the best image quality money can buy, the NL Pure series is for nature lovers (as the “NL” stands for) and is one of the best binoculars we’ve ever used. If you can afford them, you won’t regret it.
Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20×80
If you’d rather observe the night sky than what’s here on Earth, you’ll want a large astronomical telescope. These massive telescopes need to be mounted on a tripod, but you’ll be rewarded with views of Jupiter’s moons, the Andromeda Galaxy, and more.
Read ours full review of the Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20×80
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