Here to the original post: https://neilenglish.net/product-review-svbony-sa-205-8-x-42/,thanks again to Neil English for sharing, the following is the original blog article:

If you’ve been following my work over the years you’ll no doubt have observed my enthusiasm for Svbony sports optics. Their SV202 series of binoculars have made a loud splash among consumers looking for a great introduction to the world of modern binoculars at very modest retail prices. Their spotting scopes have also garnered a solid reputation among birders and other naturalists. My recent review of the 20x-60x 85 SA405 ED was a thoroughly delightful experience. But Svbony have not rested on their laurels. They continue to innovate and have now launched their new flagship binoculars in 8x and 10x42: enter the SA205, which offer an increased level of performance thanks to their advanced optical design. Just like the popular SV202 series with their magnesium alloy chassis, high-reflectivity dielectric coatings, phase correction coatings and ED glass, the SA205 feature field flattening optics in a completely redesigned platform, with some new ergonomic features that will appeal to a broad church of outdoor enthusiasts. Let’s take a closer look at the 8x42 model, which I’ve been field testing over the last few weeks.

 Ergonomics

The instrument arrived very well packed in a very small and tidy box. My first thought when I held the binocular in my hands was : “wow this is a very small binocular,” at least an inch shorter than the SV202 8x42( see below):

Remarkably, the SA205 8x42 tips the scales at just 704g, less than the SV202. This has got to be the lightest flat field binocular with these specifications on the market.

The matt black rubber armouring is tough and tactile. The sides are ribbed for extra grip.

The antireflection coatings applied to the lenses in the SA205 are completely different to the SV202. Gone are those deep purple blooms seen on the SV202s which are now replaced by more subdued greenish  coatings  as seen in broad daylight. 

The new SA205 binoculars appear to have entirely different antireflection coatings applied to the lenses.

The twist-up eyecups are decent, having a few intermediate positions. I actually preferred those found on the SV202 series though, as they seem to be a bit firmer and click into place more resolutely. Eye relief is excellent however. I was able to easily see the entire field wearing eyeglasses. 

The ocular lenses are large and easy to centre one’s eyes in.

The eyepieces are easy to engage with.

The right eye dioptre on the SA205  8x42 is a real treat. Instead of just rotating smoothly, it has click stops that are very easy to adjust and keep the user’s preferred position firmly. I consider this nothing short of a brilliant piece of mechanical engineering. Kudos Svbony!

The dioptre system of the SA205 is much improved, featuring click stops to hold it firmly in place.

The metal focus wheel is deeply knurled and is easy to engage with. It rotates very smoothly with no free play in either direction. 1.5 revolutions anticlockwise brings you from one end of its focus travel to the other. It’s highly responsive, requiring only a light touch to dial up the best views.

Overall, I’m delighted with the ergonomics of the SA205 8x42. Simple and understated, it’s wonderfully compact and easy to handle, especially when you consider all of the optical goodies packed inside it. 

Optics

As I began my investigation into the SV202 series, I was struck by how clean the images were when pointed at an intensely bright white light source. In particular, they showed very little internal reflections and no annoying diffraction spikes. I’m pleased to report that the same tests carried out on this SA205 unit were, if anything, even better. There was no internal reflections – even very slight ones – of any description – and no diffraction spikes. 

Examining the exit pupils while looking at a bright daylight sky also showed excellent dark hinterlands around them as the photo below shows. These are great results for any binocular. And the good results kept on coming.

The SA205 8x42 shows nice dark regions around the exit pupils.

The view through the SA205 8x42 is excellent: it’s razor sharp across the entire field. Off-axis aberrations such as pincushion distortion are very mild. Field curvature is essentially absent. Contrast is excellent, with a very neutral colour tone. Colour correction is also markedly improved over the SV202 series. The centre of the field is essentially devoid of secondary spectrum. Only when high-contrast targets are moved significantly off axis could I see some slight lateral colour fringing creeping in. Glare  suppression is exemplary: right up there, in fact, with the very best binoculars I’ve tested. Glassing strongly backlit scenes with the SA205 stubbornly refuses to throw up glare. In addition, I could detect no glare when aiming the instrument at a bright sky after sunset. 

Notes from the Field

The SA205 presents one of the most relaxed views I’ve witnessed in a flat field binocular. I encountered no blackouts or rolling ball effect while panning. Close focus was yet another surprise: I measured it at just 1.34m or 4.75 feet! This is another exceptional result: great news for those who like studying insects, flowers and other targets close at hand.

I checked the flatness of the field by monitoring the profile of the bright star Vega high up in twilit Summer skies. It remained very tightly focused all the way to the field stops.

I got the distinct impression the SA205 8x42 was delivering a slightly lower magnification than advertised. I made a rough measurement of the size of the exit pupil; about 5.8mm which would yield a working power of 7.2x rather than 8x, and explaining, to some degree, why the view feels so relaxed.

The focus wheel is much more sensitive than that found on the SV202 series. Slow and careful micro-focusing will reward the viewer with the very best images. This may not be to everyone’s liking though. Personally I would have preferred it to be a bit slower, but like everything else in life, practice makes perfect.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Test driving the SA205 8x42 was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It is small and lightweight, yet is tough and durable. It has many endearing properties, such as excellent edge-to-edge sharpness thanks to the addition of field flattening optics, exceptional close focus, a brilliant click-stop dioptre system and wonderful glare suppression.

Smaller 8x or 10x42mm SA205 models would be a great addition to this exciting new series from Svbony. They would undoubtedly prove very popular among birders in particular.

The arrival of this new high-performance binocular represents still more compelling evidence that Chinese-manufactured optics are now rapidly approaching those produced by European manufacturers. Even seasoned binocular users will be hard pressed to see any shortcomings in the images delivered by this high-tech instrument. That these are being offered at such modest retail prices is very good news for the outdoor enthusiast. The days of splashing out large sums of money for excellent optical performance are now well and truly behind us. And that’s a good thing!