Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB compact binoculars review

The best pair of binoculars is the one you have with you — and the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB (called the Nikon Sportstar EX 8×25 in the U.K.) waterproof binoculars are so easy to take anywhere and everywhere. However, they lack the aperture to be used at night for much more than the moon. 

With so many pairs of binoculars available across all shapes, sizes and prices, it’s obvious that different designs are created to serve other uses. What the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars are best at can partly be decoded from the product’s name. ‘Trailblazer’ hints that these are meant for use while hiking and traveling. Further evidence comes from the use of ‘ATB,’ which stands for ‘all-terrain binoculars.’ So does the promise of waterproofing. However, when buying binoculars, you must always consider the numbers used. For the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars, that’s eight and 25. The eight is for magnification power while the 25 relates to the size of the binoculars’ objective lens. For this product, objects in the field of view will be magnified 8x while the diameter of the lenses is 25mm. 

That makes the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars a product designed for general use, with enough magnification power and light-gathering to be used outdoors in daylight to bring distant objects closer, but without either impressive close-ups or use at night for astronomy. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars, a great option if you’re after a pair of binoculars for the outdoors, for wildlife and for all-round use. 

Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB: Design

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• ★★★★★
•  Compact size for easy portability
•  Smooth focusing wheel for minor adjustments
•  Lack of eye relief and little resistance in eyecups 

The main attraction of the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars is the pairing of 8x magnification within a pocket-sized foldable design. The latter is thanks to a dual-hinged bridge, which allows the two barrels to turn by 45 degrees to nestle underneath in a space-saving position. They’re not as small as old-fashioned opera glasses, which tend to offer about 5x or less magnification power, but they’re almost as small when folded up.

They’re only 9.9 oz (280 g) in weight so these are ideal compact binoculars for anyone and even make great binoculars for kids as they are small and light enough for younger persons to hold.

We also liked the focusing wheel, which turns smoothly but with plenty of resistance, meaning targets can be brought into focus and minor adjustments can be made. Sadly, there’s a lack of resistance to the twist-up eyecups, which makes it impossible to leave them in a specific position. They are also impossible to lay flat, so there’s not much eye relief for those who wear spectacles, meaning a narrow field of view. In fact, the eyecups are of flimsy build quality compared to rival products. That gets in the way of basic design and operation, too; turning the diopter ring on the right eyepiece — an essential adjustment to compensate for differences between your eyes — also means moving the eyecup. It’s impossible not to do unless you have tiny fingers. 

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There are a few other minor design drawbacks. The most serious is the lens caps. There are no lens caps for the objective lenses, and the center bridge extends to the end of the barrel, so there’s no way of attaching any. That makes the included carry case essential. Meanwhile, the flimsy lens caps supplied for the oculars fit reasonably well, but like the eyecups, there’s not enough tension; they come away too freely, so can be easily lost. Larger binoculars tend to have a figure of eight-style eyecup that can be tied onto the body, thus making them impossible to lose. The Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars could do with something similar. No product designed for the outdoors should have fiddly components like this. 

The custom-made pouch that ships with the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars is better quality than most. Its shape perfectly fits the folded product and seals using Velcro, though providing a belt loop is rather basic. These days, a carabiner attachment would be better. Ditto the neck strap, which is fine but could use a bit of padding on the neck section. 

Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB: Performance

• ★★★★
• Easy to hold still for stable images 
• Clear, bright images with good depth of field and impressive close focus range
• Good moon views, but little else at night

If you’re after a compact pair of binoculars that excel during the day, stop looking. The Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars offer clear and bright images with a decent level of magnification and good depth of field, making them suitable for bird watching and viewing distant objects across landscapes. They’re also notably impressive with reasonably close objects; animals and objects just over six feet away can be brought into focus, which is rare for such a small pair of binoculars. They also have a larger field of view than most 8×25 binoculars (unless you wear spectacles).

If, however, you’re after a pair of binoculars that can be used to spot animals at dusk or identify star clusters at night, the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars are not for you. Instead, go for full-sized binoculars, such as 10×42 or 10×50, giving you far better light transmission.

Not that these binoculars are utterly useless at night. We used them to track the moon through half of its monthly journey around Earth, focusing first on a slender crescent moon in the west after sunset and finally on an orangey full moon rising in the east. The views were always bright and colorful, though the moon was obviously small in the field of view. However, dragging the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars across the star fields of the Milky Way after dark didn’t reveal much in the way of star clusters — there’s not enough light being let in.

Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB: Functionality

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• ★★★★
• Perfectly weighted for holding still for stable views 
• Waterproof and fog-proof for use outdoors
• Non-slip silicon tube covering is easy to grip and doesn’t gather fingerprints

The Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars boast 8x magnification for a reason. Binoculars boasting lots of magnification are heavy and hard to hold still, with every tiny movement of your body amplified. It means a shaky, unpleasant view. Not so the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars, whose 8x magnification keeps them just small enough to be easily held still. It means a consistently stable view. That’s boosted slightly by the use of a non-slip silicon covering for the tubes, which happily don’t easily mark with greasy fingerprints. 

The Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars are primed for the outdoors, whether hiking, general traveling, or wildlife spotting. They’re fully sealed, meaning no moisture can get inside. That means they won’t fog up, so you can return to a warm hotel room after a cold day without worrying about your binoculars fogging up inside.

User reviews

Online reviews for the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars are very positive. One reviewer mentions that considering its low magnification, the product offers an impressive depth of field, which means not having to focus all the time. There’s also praise for the clear and bright views, easy and smooth focus and compact folding design. 

How we tested the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars

Considering the market they’re aimed at, we took the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars out to the Brecon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales, hiking up Fan Frynych amid drizzle and low clouds. Visibility was at times poor, though it was clear at the top, allowing us to look across to other summits. On the way, we used the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars to get a closer look at red kites, buzzards and wild ponies, survey the landscapes below, and identify trig points ahead, sometimes in thick fog.  

Should I buy the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB binoculars?

The Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars will be well suited to anyone after a pair of compact and good-quality binoculars for trekking, hiking and adventuring. They’re not perfect for wearers of spectacles, and their lens caps are easy to lose, but overall, their bright, colorful and sharp images within a foldable, waterproof and fog-proof casing win the day.

If the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars aren’t for you?

If you’re after a pair of the best compact binoculars but want something more affordable and with a little more magnification than the Nikon Trailblazer 8×25 ATB waterproof binoculars, consider the Celestron UpClose G2 10×25, which weigh in at just 11oz/312g (the larger Celestron UpClose G2 10×50 are reviewed here). For something a little more serious that will give you much better results in low light – particularly around sunrise and sunset — try the Celestron TrailSeeker 8×42, whose 42mm or more objective lenses let enough light in to do so some astronomy after dark. They weigh 23.1oz/654g.