Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD monocular review

The Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD monocular is an excellent performer across the board, whether it be for birdwatching or even getting closer to the action at the side of the football pitch. It can be used almost anywhere as it's very well-made and waterproof. Its inherent characteristics of lightness, small form factor, and ease of use mean that it can be put in a pocket and you're out of the door.

With 10x magnification, this monocular has that little extra magnification, which proved helpful during a test at a local wildlife center. However, the extra magnification can cause wobble at the furthest magnification unless you have a very steady hand, although we didn't find this to be a problem while on location. We found the extra magnification to be a plus rather than a minus.  

The Bushnell company was founded in California in 1948, when the founder, David Bushell, returned from a honeymoon in Japan with two crates of binoculars, which he sold by mail order. The company then grew exponentially to be the number-one pick for many birdwatchers and stargazers. Will the Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD live up to expectations and earn a place in our best monoculars guide?

Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD monocular review

Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD: Design

★★★★

• Tough construction
• BaK-4 prisms
• Comfortable twist-up eyecups

The Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD is a monocular with exceptional optics, featuring BaK-4 prisms, fully multi-coated optics, ED Prime Glass, and a PC-3 phase-coated roof-mounted prism. Combined, this results in a very clear and precise view with good low-light performance. 

We used the Bushnell in several locations in wet, cloudy weather and in the evening, and it proved a consistent performer. 

There's a sturdy belt clip on the side of the body, which is made from a strong metal, with a Picatinny rail just to one side —  a surprise addition. During our review, we found this got in the way while birding as its location is right where your hand wants to be. That said, this can easily be removed by undoing the two mounting screws. Recessed into the Picatinny rail is a 1/4-20 adapter for tripod mounting.

The two lens caps are attached to the monocular's body. The objective lens cover is hinged to the body, and the viewing cap is attached with a nylon cord. Having both attached is — we think — essential as it's extremely easy to misplace covers. 

The focus wheel is on the top of the body which lends itself nicely to one-handed use. Initially, this was very stiff and unpleasant to use, but after a few hours, it became plush and easy to turn. It is a slightly too small diameter for our liking, but its location under the index finger is perfect. The wheel's mechanism is exposed toward the bottom of the wheel where it meets the body. We would be concerned that this could be a point of corrosion in the long term. Something to keep an eye on.

The magnesium body has a thin profile and can comfortably be placed in a large coat pocket. The shoulder strap moulding is on the bottom of the body, and in use, the strap can get in the way somewhat. We tend not to bother with straps on monoculars as they can typically easily be tucked away into a pocket, although there are some exceptions.

The side of the body has a nice textured finish to make it grippy even when it, or your hands are wet.

Bushnell Legend 10X42 Ultra HD: Performance

★★★★

• Excellent light-gathering ability
• Very sharp optics
• It can be used in all weathers

The monocular is a very comfortable and convenient optic. It's very solidly made and feels very high-quality in use, not only ergonomically but optically as well. 

The lens has Bushnell's Rain Guard HD water-repellent coating. In use, this worked very well. Most quality monoculars have little problem with rain, but some are still prone to misting or fogging up in wet weather — we didn't experience any problems. The other coatings on the lens mean that there's a good amount of light getting through the unit. We found that even indoors, the view remained very clear with little softening.

While watching recently arrived Canadian geese, we found the sharp view of this monocular very pleasing. The bird's eyes were clear and bright even late into the evening. 10x magnification is the lowest you want to go unless the subjects are very close. This means that the Bushnell can be used in conjunction with more powerful equipment, and it more than holds its own.

Because monoculars are so convenient, we use them to pre-scan the area of interest before bringing out the bigger equipment. The Bushnell actually excels at this, and we quite often found we would use them over the more powerful instruments. We could use the monocular to quickly find birds in flight and on the ground. Also, because you can quickly get focused and settled, you tend not to disturb the birds that you are watching.

Bushnell 10x42 Legend Ultra HD: Functionality

★★★★

• Non-slip outer casing
• Picatinny rail can get in the way
• Fast and smooth top-mounted focus wheel

This Bushnell 10 x 48 monocular has a top-mounted focus wheel. This was very stiff on first use, but it became more usable as time went on. The top-mounted focus wheel is very usable, and during our review, we also had a barrel-mounted focus on another monocular, which highlighted just how much better the placement of the Bushnell's focus wheel was. 

Bushnell's eyepiece has a three-comfortable position design. It has a nice graduated twisting action that feels good quality compared to other monoculars at a similar price. The eyepiece material is solid rubber, further enhancing the quality feel of the unit. 

The lens covers are made from a cheap feeling hard plastic, but the objective lens cover is conveniently hinged onto the magnesium body. This opens and closes with a satisfying click. The viewing cover is held on with a very thin-looking piece of material which is hooked through the belt clip. The cover itself is a very cheap brittle plastic. It's often the case that these peripheral items tend to be where the money is saved. It's nice to see that they are both attached though.

The carry pouch doesn't seem to be the correct fit. With the unit inside, the top of the bag doesn't completely cover it. The unit is waterproof, so this isn't a huge deal, but I feel the bag may be from a generic parts bin from the manufacturer rather than something designed for the unit.

There's the usual lens cloth and shoulder strap included in the box, both of which are of decent quality. There's also a lanyard.

User reviews of the Bushnell 10x42 Legend Ultra HD Monocular ED?

Other users like the quality, portability, clarity, and value of the monocular. It's well-made and easy to carry around. They say it has a crisp image with no detectable aberrations.

Should you buy the Bushnell 10x42 Legend Ultra HD Monocular ED?

The Bushnell is an excellent all-round performer. It is very well made and feels quality in the hand. In use, it gave sharp, clear results throughout our testing period, in a variety of environments with different light levels.

It has a well-built magnesium body with grippy rubber body armor. Although it's not the cheapest monocular on the market, we think the quality and performance justify the price point—we highly recommend it.

If the Bushnell 10x42 Legend Ultra HD Monocular ED isn't for you

If you would like a similarly competent performer but want to spend slightly less then the Hawke Endurance ED 10x42 Monocular is a good choice. Alternatively, the super lightweight Opticron Explorer 8x42 has excellent optics, with a cheaper price tag, but does have barrel-mounted focusing. The Celestron Outland X is another cheaper but consistent performer image-wise. It also boasts a 50mm objective lens which is good for low-light conditions.