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Founded in the UK in 1970, Opticron is a family-owned business with over 50 years of experience in consumer optics. The Oregon 4 PC Oasis 10×42 is a budget-conscious monocular that promises good optics and attention to detail, giving the user an easy, convenient, yet high-performing piece of equipment.
Key specifications
Magnification: 10×42
Objective lens diameter: 42mm
Field of view (m@ 1000m): 105mm
Close focus: 5.9ft (1.8m)
Eye relief: 18mm
Weight: 11.75 oz (334g)
The 334g weight means the Opticron 10×42 is not the lightest in its class, but this wasn’t an issue during our tests. Bird hides often have shelving at chest height where you can rest your elbows to steady the optic, which dramatically reduces image shake and wobble — although this was never too severe an issue for us in the first place.
The PC Oasis 10×42 has a roof prism design with BAK- 4 fully-coated optics. This enables the Opticron 4 to work well in low light conditions, with excellent visual clarity.
Design
- Roof prism design
- BAK-4 fully coated optics
- Nitrogen-filled waterproof construction
The Oregon 4 is a well-constructed, rubber-cased optic with a top-mounted external focus wheel.
It has BAK-4 coatings, a helpful step up from the BAK-7 prisms often included on units at this price point. Phase-corrected prism coatings with Opticron’s high-light transmission coatings make for excellent clear images. These features give the monocular a very capable, quality feel that makes you want to use it.
There is little need to worry about undue shake or wobble at this magnification. Still, it’s worth noting that there are no fixings for a monopod, so to steady the image, observers may find it necessary to use the shelves in hides as described above or lean against posts or other solid structures.
The neck strap is made of tough nylon with padding on the neck area, which makes it handy for traveling. It’s shorter than we would like, as we found hanging the device over a shoulder and the neck much better for climbing over stiles. This stops the unit from hitting your body while it swings about. There is an included belt hoop on the carry case, though, which may be an option.
Performance
- Excellent light-gathering ability
- Sharp optics thanks to superior glass quality
- Close focusing down to 5.9 ft (1.8 m)
In use, the Oregon 4 is a very capable and convenient monocular. The external, top-mounted focusing wheel and the comfortable weight made it very pleasant to use at our local bird hide. We found ourselves popping it in our pocket while visiting churches and other areas of interest to investigate gargoyles and other features on buildings when outside. Its low light capability makes using it inside a breeze, too.
The Oregon 4’s rubber casing is well applied and feels pleasingly secure in the hand, giving an impression of solidity and quality. It could withstand a few knocks and drops and still be in one piece at the end of the day, making it suitable for use as a family monocular or to hand over to children, who might need to be more careful!
As mentioned, we found the shoulder strap relatively short when traveling with it, and a too-short cord attaches the larger of the two lens covers and can ride up and obscure the vision. It’s easy to push back out of the way, but it kept happening, which had become quite annoying by the end of our time with the device.
Functionality
- Nonslip rubber armor
- Objective lens cap attachment cord is too short
- Heavier than some other monoculars in its class
The Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis 10×42 is perfect for putting in your pocket and going for a hike and some serious hide-based birdwatching. It is helpful for many pursuits where a monocular may be a handy addition to a rucksack or pocket, such as watching sports or sitting in a back garden watching a busy bird table.
The close focus of 5.9 ft (1.8m) was helpful when we set ourselves up in the garden. We used it to focus on a bird table only a few feet from us, enabling us to get great results from the visitors to the table as they were feeding.
The lens and prism coatings also helped extend our viewing into twilight when other monoculars may have struggled.
The Opticron Oregon 4 comes with an adequate-quality strap-mounted chest bag/pouch. The unit is built so well that this bag is purely for carrying — it offers no natural protection from being dropped or the weather.
Should you buy the Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis 10×42?
It performed very well in all the situations in which we used the Oregon 4. If you are looking for a reasonably priced monocular yet still delivers, this could be the one for you. It has sharp optics, is good at low light, and has rugged construction, enabling it to cope with most situations. It’s straightforward to use, and the external focus wheel quickly captures those elusive subjects, even with sturdy gloves on. It’s worth trying out.
If the Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis isn’t for you
If the Oregon 4 is too heavy or the objective lens covers and neck strap is likely to be an issue, consider one of its rivals.
The Opticron Explorer WA ED-R 10×42 is lighter than the Oregon 4 PC Oasis 10×42 at 320g but is a little more expensive.
The Bushnell Legend Ultra 10×42 is almost twice the price of the Oregon 4 but has a tripod attachment and hydrophobic coatings.
How we tested the Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis 10X42
When starting our test of the Opticron 4, we visited our local bird reserve, where we found it to be an excellent performer. The top-mounted focusing wheel was an absolute pleasure, with a smooth, one-handed operation, enabling you to quickly focus on birds in flight.
We also tested the Opticron 4 in a cathedral, where its low-light capabilities came to the fore. While in the cathedral, we also noted the convenience of the monocular design, which lends itself to discreet use.
We also took the Opticron to our vegetable plot, where we felt OK hanging the unit from a post while we worked on the beds. Having it to hand like this made it possible to grab it quickly when spotting things of interest, but we could only do this because the Opticron 4 felt like it could handle a little rain and wind without cause for concern. It’s built to very high standards and could easily withstand a few knocks without too much of an issue.
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