Product Description

Don't miss the action! Affordable PermaFocus« Binoculars offer preset focusing-just aim, and your subject comes into view through quality optics. A wide angle of view delivers more of your subject. Rubber armored for durability and a slip-resistant grip.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15158 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Bushnell
• Model: 17-5012
• Dimensions: 3.70" h x 7.50" w x 9.10" l, 19.84 pounds

Features

• Fully coated optics for superior light transmission and brightness
• Unique Focus-Free feature stays in focus at most viewing distances
• Non-slip rubber armor absorbs shock and provides a firm grip

From the Manfuacturer
In a world that's complicated enough, these affordably priced Perma-Focus™ binos are a relief for simple, fixed-focus, long-distance viewing. The wider field-of-view makes them ideal for spectator sports, distant wildlife observation or winter use with gloves. Thanks to quality fully coated optics the action is bright and crisp and the ergonomic rubber housing means you won't drop them - even with those gloves on.

Features

• Fully Coated Lens Coating
• Fold Down Eyecups
• Wide Angle

Customer Reviews

Good only if more than 100 yards
The Bushnell Permafocus 12x50s do not show as much detail as a pair of 7x35 binoculars for objects less than 100 yards away because the 12x50s are not in good focus at 100 yards, and uselss at less than 50 yards. Bushnell deserves a "booo-hisss" for hiding this information from customers. The minimum usable distance probably varies with the ability of the user's eye to focus (this decreases with age) but mine are probably about average. Also, the inside instructions indicate Permafocus binocs are good at less than 100 ft, depending on the model. This is not true for the 12x50s. Most inexpensive 7x35s will give a better view at 300 feet and less.

But if objects are over 200 yards, the 12x50s are in focus and flawless as far as i can tell. I can easily recognize people at 700 yards. I can read license plates at 350 yards (it helps if the binoculars are resting on something to prevent vibration).

Without a support, there's probably too much shaking for 16x50 binocs to do much better than 12x50s.

The eyepiece rubber does not stay rolled back (if you try to use them with glasses) for more than 1 second, so you can't wear glasses while using them, but as with other binoculars, you do not need to wear your glasses. I don't know the science behind it, but whether or not you wear glasses does not seem to make a difference with the Permafocus. The rubber around the eyepieces cannot be removed unless it's cut.

In summary, the normal Bushnell 12x50s are probably much better than the Bushnell Permafocus 12x50s because they can be used at much shorter distances and focusing on objects greater than 200 yards should not be too much of a pain. These 12x50s are no good unless your typical viewing distance is greater than 150 yards and you don't plan to use them on less than about 60 yards. I'm returning them due to "manufacturer's defect".

But concerning the Permafocus idea: I love my old pair of "total focus" 7x35's for bird-watching and carrying in the car. Being free of focus is a different experience almost as big as going from monocular to binocular. But you need a pair that can focus down to 50 yards.

Convenient in focus but large, heavy
If you want to catch something in the binoculars quickly without fooling around trying to focus... this is it. We live on a lake and we always have something in the wild to catch our eye. This has been very beneficial to have the focus there at all times. They are a bit bulky and somewhat heavy but an excellent pair of binoculars. The "shake" with the power is not bad like we thought it would be. I can not say enough about Bushnell as a company. They support and back their products like I have never seen in ANY other company. I will ALWAYS buy this brand from now on because of this.

Perma-Focus is almost perma blur...
I agree with reviewer Steve - anything less than a few hundred feet and these binocs are worthless. The paper works says the "may" focus down to 35'. Maybe some will but not certainly not my pair. I am returning them since they are not good for simple viewing around the yard. And no, the rubber eye caps ABSOLUTELY will not stay back making these binocs almost unusable by people with glasses (like me).

Scott