Kowa BD III 10x42 XD specs and field of view
Among 87 models of 10x42, the BD III 10x42 XD places 5th for field of view at 378 ft, against a median of 336 ft. It weighs 21.5 oz, below the 24.9 oz median.
- Field of view
- 378 ftat 1,000 yd
- Eye relief
- 16.5 mm
- Close focus
- 5.9 ft
- Weight
- 21.5 oz
- Exit pupil
- 4.2 mmcalculated
Why pick it
- 378 ft view, wider than the typical 336 ft
- 21.5 oz, lighter than the typical 24.9 oz
- 16.5 mm eye relief, enough for glasses
Who the BD III 10x42 XD suits
The 16.5 mm eye relief suits eyeglass wearers, and the weight under the median helps on long carries. A calculated 4.2 mm exit pupil covers most daylight and some dusk use.
Close focus is 5.9 ft, which is shorter than the 6.6 ft median, so the main tradeoff is the 10x shake rather than any printed figure.
BD III 10x42 XD or another model: the best binoculars by maker figures shows how the popular ones differ. BD III 10x42 XD is one of 87 models in the 10x42 binoculars comparison. Kowa lists it in the $200 to $500 price band, alongside the models in best binoculars under $500.
BD III 10x42 XD specifications
BD III 10x42 XD figures as Kowa prints them; rows marked * are calculated from the 10x42 size.
| Magnification | 10x |
|---|---|
| Objective lens | 42 mm |
| Field of view | 378 ft at 1,000 yd (126 m at 1,000 m) |
| Angular field of view | 7.2° |
| Apparent field of view | 72° * |
| Eye relief | 16.5 mm |
| Close focus | 5.9 ft (1.8 m) |
| Weight | 21.5 oz (610 g) |
| Length | 2 in (51 mm) |
| Width | 5 in (127 mm) |
| Extra-low dispersion glass | Yes |
| Waterproofing | Waterproof, nitrogen filled |
| Fog-proofing gas | Nitrogen |
| Maker list price | $200 to $500 |
| Exit pupil | 4.2 mm * |
| Twilight factor | 20.5 * |
| Relative brightness | 17.6 * |
* Calculated from the size, not printed by the maker.
BD III 10x42 XD against other 10x42 binoculars
BD III 10x42 XD shows 378 ft at 1,000 yd, at or above the 336 ft median of the 87 10x42 models in the chart. At 21.5 oz it is at or under the 24.9 oz median weight for the size.
BD III 10x42 XD and its nearest rivals
BD III 10x42 XD next to the 10x42 models closest to it in maker list price, with the best figure in each column in bold.
| Model | Field of view | Eye relief | Close focus | Weight | Exit pupil | Maker list price | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kowa BD III 10x42 XD | 378 ft | 16.5 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.5 oz | 4.2 mm | $200 to $500 | |
| Opticron Natura WA ED 10x42 | 345 ft | 17 mm | 6.2 ft | 25.4 oz | 4.2 mm | $200 to $500 | |
| Steiner Safari UltraSharp 10x42 | 317 ft | 16 mm | 6.6 ft | 25.4 oz | 4.2 mm | $200 to $500 | Check price on Amazon |
| Maven C.1 10x42 | 314 ft | 16 mm | 5.9 ft | 24.5 oz | 4.2 mm | $200 to $500 |
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Other sizes of the BD III-XD
Kowa makes the BD III-XD in 7 sizes; a larger front lens adds brightness and weight, and more magnification narrows the view.
| Model | Size | Field of view | Eye relief | Close focus | Weight | Exit pupil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kowa BD III 10x42 XD | 10x42 | 378 ft | 16.5 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.5 oz | 4.2 mm |
| Kowa BD III 6.5x32 XD | 6.5x32 | 525 ft | 17 mm | 4.3 ft | 18.3 oz | 4.9 mm |
| Kowa BD III 8x32 XD | 8x32 | 461 ft | 16.5 mm | 4.3 ft | 18.5 oz | 4 mm |
| Kowa BD III 10x32 XD | 10x32 | 351 ft | 15 mm | 5.9 ft | 17.8 oz | 3.2 mm |
| Kowa BD III 8x42 XD | 8x42 | 429 ft | 17.2 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.3 oz | 5.3 mm |
| Kowa BD III 10x50 XD | 10x50 | 346 ft | 17 mm | 9.8 ft | 25.5 oz | 5 mm |
| Kowa BD III 12x50 XD | 12x50 | 303 ft | 17.5 mm | 9.8 ft | 25.8 oz | 4.2 mm |
Kowa binoculars
BD III 10x42 XD questions
BD III 10x42 XD: does it work with glasses?
BD III 10x42 XD has 16.5 mm of eye relief, which meets the 16 mm the RSPB advises for people who wear glasses.
BD III 10x42 XD: what does 10x42 mean?
BD III 10x42 XD magnifies 10 times through 42 mm front lenses, which works out to an exit pupil of 4.2 mm, the width of the beam of light that reaches each eye.
BD III 10x42 XD: how wide is the view?
BD III 10x42 XD shows a view 378 ft wide at 1,000 yd, at or above the 336 ft median of the 87 10x42 models in the chart.