Review: Bushnell R5 10x42 binoculars

Bushnell’s new R5 10×42 binoculars compete in a tough price bracket at about $400-$500 but they’re exactly the sort of optic you want on your chest when you’re committed to the hunt.

Their size, magnification and optical specs are right for a stalking or backpacking hunter whose budget doesn’t reach high yet isn’t limited to the cheap stuff.

Bushnell R5 10x42 binoculars — Bushnell R5 binoculars come with a range of useful features that are not all that common to optics in this price bracket

They weigh 680 grams, definitely towards the lighter side of 10×42 binos without being in the truly lightweight category, and they’re pretty compact at 15.5cm long and, when folded in, 11cm wide.

Bushnell revised its optical ranges for 2025, and the R3 and R5 series are targeted at the hunting market, with the R3 offering lower prices and the R5 better performance.

R5 binos come in 8×42, 10×42 and 12×50 sizes, all with a roof prism design. Roof prisms are the basis for the R5’s slim size.

Well-made roof-type binos are very robust with little that can go wrong inside or with their waterproofing and dust sealing. You can count on the R5s being up there for quality as here in Australia they are backed by Bushnell’s Ironclad lifetime warranty. This basically means 20 years for reasonable issues, and it is still valid if you sell them, which should, in theory, help with resale value.

The lenses are fully multicoated, and the Bushnells contain a combination of phase-corrected coatings (essential with roof prisms) and dielectric coatings that are superior to most other internal reflective treatments. It results in very accurate colour rendition — the saturation and brightness are very close to what your eyes see without the optic. Additionally, the contrast is good so details stand out pretty well.

The image is crisp until you start to look towards the edges of the circle, when it begins to blur, but the sharp central view is wide enough that you don’t notice the change unless you’re used to high-end glass. In a practical sense, it doesn’t impinge badly on the fairly generous 330m wide field of view at 1000m

Overall, each of these factors compared well against another set of 10x42s I had on hand that cost 10 percent more and are larger; and the colour and contrast where marked superior to a $300 set. You do get what you pay for and in this comparison the slightly better value in the Bushnells was there to see.

Bushnell’s EXO Barrier outer lens coating sheds water to keep the view as clear as possible during wet weather, and I never had trouble with fogging inside or out while using these binoculars in misty conditions (unless I actually breathed on the lenses, of course).

The 42mm objective lens results in a 4.2mm exit pupil, a specification that’s justifiably popular for its all-round practicality in hunting. It’s only in the first or last few minutes of light at dawn or dusk that it will be small enough to make any difference compared with the light-gathering characteristics of a larger lens — an acceptable compromise for most of us who also have weight and bulk in mind when choosing an optic.

The twist-out eye cups extend in two steps of 6mm each, allowing comfortable viewing with or without glasses unless your specs sit well away from your eyes. A ring on the right diopter balances focus between the barrels and is stiff enough to resist accidental movement much of the time.

The central focus wheel between the barrels is large and sharply treaded. It’s easy to rest one fingertip on it and smoothly turn to vary focal distance, and in less than 90 degrees you can shift focus from a few metres away to the distant hills.

The rubber-armoured body is lightly stippled for grip and has a couple of small flats underneath to position your thumbs on. The sculpted bridge is shaped for your fingers to sit on, too. The short length of the barrels allows you to quickly flick the lens caps off with your little fingers if you raise the R5s to your eyes and see black.

Those caps are held on with rubber bands around the barrels that fit a bit more firmly than most and so are less likely to fall off and get lost. They also make a tight interference fit inside the objective housing that requires a bit of pushing to put properly in place but, again, they’re not going to fall out easily.

There’s a capped thread on the front of the bridge for attaching the Bushnells to a tripod. I’d suggest few buyers of lightweight 10x42s would use it often, but it’s a nice little extra feature anyway.

I’m more impressed by the fact the R5s come with a proper chest harness, the Vault Lite. It’s well made, has web loops for hanging things from and a couple of very small pockets for, say, a wind puffer and fox whistle. Mysteriously, there’s a zippered pocket on the rear without a zipper to actually open it for access.

One thoughtful touch in the harness is that the quick-release buckles on the straps that secure the binos to the harness are male on one side and female on the other. When you remove the Bushnells, you can clip the loose ends together so they don’t dangle annoyingly.

Another is that the top flap can be held both closed or open with elastic loops that quickly pull over fixed hooks. You can fold the flap right down and hook it there, wide open and out of the way so your binoculars are ready for instant retrieval.

When you’d rather just use the neck strap, the quick-release clips allow rapid change-over. The strap is super-comfortable — slightly elastic, well padded, wide and soft. Another little positive for the R5s.

Bushnell puts the R5 into a very competitive part of the market — heaps of 10x42s vie for your attention at around $400-500. Like virtually all of them, the R5s are made in Asia, though Bushnell is a bit coy about specifying whether they come from one of its South Korean or Chinese plants (the top-shelf optics still come from Japan). Either way, the manufacturing quality looks fine.

Optically, the R5s have what they need to deserve attention, and to sweeten the deal they add their fairly compact size, modest weight, comfortable design and the extra value of the good harness.