Introduction
Few ancillary hunting tools are as valuable as a good pair of binoculars. Whether you are a sport shooter looking for targets, or a dedicated hunter trying to pick out antlers in the trees, you will want a good pair of binos. I’ve used quite a few pairs of binoculars over the years, but today I am bringing you something new to me. The Athlon Midas G2 UHD Pro 12×50 binoculars are ideal for heavy glassing and downrange inspections. Today we’ll take a look at these binoculars, mainly from the perspective of a hunter as that seems to be my focus these days.
The Athlon Midas G2 Pro Binoculars
There are several models of binocular in the Midas G2 line, there are 8×42, 10×42 models. As well as the 10×50 and 12×50 Pro model that we are looking at today. I tend to prefer 10×50 for general glassing, but I love a good 12×50 pair for what I call heavy glassing. Looking over a whole mountain perhaps before even leaving a vehicle, covering large swaths of country.
The Midas G2 is ideal for that, its bright 50mm objectives pack a very bright image for your observation. Like most binos the Midas uses a center focus knob, coupled with a separate focus for the left barrel. But wait, theres more! In addition, the Midas G2 also features a reticle in the right barrel for use while spotting. The right barrel has two adjustment rings at the rear; one to rotate the reticle inside to match your target, and the other is to focus the reticle.
Additionally, the Midas G2 comes with a typical soft case, neck-strap, and rubber lens covers for both front and back. The eye-cups can be rotated out or in to accommodate your preference.
Midas G2 UHD Pro Specifications
The Midas binoculars are a perfect size in my opinion, they are only slightly larger than my other pairs of binoculars, but fit in my binocular cases and harnesses. Extra power from the Midas is very welcome in a pair of binos only slightly larger than most.
Field Use of Athlon Midas G2 Binoculars
I used the Athlon Midas G2 Pro binos on several hunts this fall. First up was a trip into the thick alpine forests of the Uinta Mountains in Eastern Utah. Looking into the wide open canyons and deep dark woods would be a great way to test the Midas binoculars.
For a week we scoured the mountains, looking at elk, deer, and ever other animal we could get our eyes on. I am very used to using my Sig Sauer Kilo binoculars, they have been my go to for years now. But switching over to the Midas I was quite impressed with how much brighter they were. And having used the Midas 10x binos I don’t think it is just because of the magnification.
The reticle in the Midas Binos is particularly useful when sport shooting. While it can be used for other purposes during a hunt, I don’t think it I would use it much while hunting. Mounting the Midas binoculars on a good tripod however during practice, was very convenient for spotting. 12x is plenty for much of the spotting we do while shooting, and having the reticle in view is great for giving corrections. I also found that the reticle was simple enough to be unobtrusive while glassing. The ability to level the reticle in any position was a paramount feature.
We also used the Midas binoculars during the Mule deer hunt a few weeks later, a different climate and landscape. Once again I found the bright image of the Midas binos to be extremely helpful. We did quite a bit of glassing from great distances, looking from thousands of yards away instead of hundreds. I really appreciated the wide focus control of the Midas, it seems there is a long focal length allowing you to get very precise in your focus. I was downright surprised at how clear and clean an image I could get on deer from several miles away.
Pros and Cons
I’ll be candid here, I used to be very suspicious of inexpensive optics manufactured overseas. But based on my experience with Athlon Optics alone, I am much less so. I’ve had incredible performance from these optics (as I have with others), and with their priced just right motto I simply cannot afford to overlook these. Some folks might have an issue with the product source, preferring something built in America, or Europe. I can totally understand that perspective, but for those who can’t afford such products these are an excellent buy.
I really couldn’t find much else to dislike about the Midas binoculars. Perhaps some subjective things such as the rubber lens covers that some may love or hate. While I did find them a touch stiff to remove, I like that as they are less likely to come off unintentionally.
The optical clarity of the Midas G2 Pro binoculars was fantastic, the controls are easy and smooth, and adjusting them to fit individual eyes was great. Allowing all who used them the ability to customize them for their specific eyeballs. I was pretty impressed with what you get for the MSRP of $562.49.
Last Thoughts
I am extremely satisfied with these binoculars, more so than I expected I would be. There is only one way they could be better in my opinion, and that would be putting a laser rangefinder into them. But for those of you out there who don’t require such features, these binos are a slam-dunk. Whether you are looking for the best binos you can afford, or if you are looking for something a little less expensive to beat around on your ATV or tree-stand, I can confidently recommend the Athlon Midas G2 UHD Pro.