Kowa BD III 8x42 XD specs and field of view
A 429 ft field of view at 1,000 yd and 17.2 mm of eye relief define the BD III 8x42 XD. It weighs 21.3 oz, against a 24.2 oz median for 75 models.
- Field of view
- 429 ftat 1,000 yd
- Eye relief
- 17.2 mm
- Close focus
- 5.9 ft
- Weight
- 21.3 oz
- Exit pupil
- 5.3 mmcalculated
Why pick it
- 429 ft view, wider than the typical 393 ft
- 21.3 oz, lighter than the typical 24.2 oz
- 17.2 mm eye relief, enough for glasses
Who the BD III 8x42 XD suits
A calculated 5.3 mm exit pupil suits dusk and dawn, and the 17.2 mm eye relief suits eyeglass wearers. A 5.9 ft close focus also works for nearby subjects.
Eye relief of 17.2 mm sits just under the 18 mm median for its size, and its field of view places 6th of 75.
BD III 8x42 XD can be set against the most popular models of every size in the best binoculars list. BD III 8x42 XD is one of 75 models in the 8x42 binoculars comparison. Kowa lists it in the $200 to $500 price band, alongside the models in best binoculars under $500.
BD III 8x42 XD specifications
BD III 8x42 XD figures as Kowa prints them; rows marked * are calculated from the 8x42 size.
| Magnification | 8x |
|---|---|
| Objective lens | 42 mm |
| Field of view | 429 ft at 1,000 yd (143 m at 1,000 m) |
| Angular field of view | 8.1° |
| Apparent field of view | 65° * |
| Eye relief | 17.2 mm |
| Close focus | 5.9 ft (1.8 m) |
| Weight | 21.3 oz (604 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 | 5.3 mm * |
| Twilight factor | 18.3 * |
| Relative brightness | 27.6 * |
* Calculated from the size, not printed by the maker.
BD III 8x42 XD against other 8x42 binoculars
BD III 8x42 XD shows 429 ft at 1,000 yd, at or above the 393 ft median of the 75 8x42 models in the chart. At 21.3 oz it is at or under the 24.2 oz median weight for the size.
BD III 8x42 XD and its nearest rivals
BD III 8x42 XD next to the 8x42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kowa BD III 8x42 XD | 429 ft | 17.2 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.3 oz | 5.3 mm | $200 to $500 |
| Opticron Natura WA ED 8x42 | 426 ft | 18.5 mm | 6.2 ft | 26.2 oz | 5.3 mm | $200 to $500 |
| Maven C.1 8x42 | 341 ft | 19.5 mm | 5.9 ft | 24 oz | 5.3 mm | $200 to $500 |
| Hawke Frontier HD X 8x42 | 426 ft | 18 mm | 6.6 ft | 25.6 oz | 5.3 mm | $200 to $500 |
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 8x42 XD | 8x42 | 429 ft | 17.2 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.3 oz | 5.3 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 10x42 XD | 10x42 | 378 ft | 16.5 mm | 5.9 ft | 21.5 oz | 4.2 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 8x42 XD questions
BD III 8x42 XD: does it work with glasses?
BD III 8x42 XD has 17.2 mm of eye relief, which meets the 16 mm the RSPB advises for people who wear glasses.
BD III 8x42 XD: what does 8x42 mean?
BD III 8x42 XD magnifies 8 times through 42 mm front lenses, which works out to an exit pupil of 5.3 mm, the width of the beam of light that reaches each eye.
BD III 8x42 XD: how wide is the view?
BD III 8x42 XD shows a view 429 ft wide at 1,000 yd, at or above the 393 ft median of the 75 8x42 models in the chart.