The Bushnell Falcon 10x50 is an economical, standard-size binocular that is a great general-purpose option for the whole family. The 10X magnification is about as high a magnification ratio as you can go and still comfortably handhold the binoculars.

The 50mm objective lens is good for viewing animal life as well as distant stars. The lens gathers enough light to provide bright views, especially at dawn or dusk, usually the best times to view wildlife. The light gathering capability is also a big plus for individuals who want to point the Falcon towards the night sky.

The Falcon 10x50 features a fast focusing system called InstaFocus. Most binoculars have a center focusing system that uses a small wheel set between the binoculars' barrels to adjust focus. Most center focusing systems require the wheel to pass through multiple turns to run through the full focusing range. The Falcon 10x50 replaces the wheel with a lever that is comfortable to grip, and can run through the full focus range using a fraction of the movement required by center focus wheels. This rapid focus system is especially handy for birders, who need to quickly adjust focus before their target moves on.

Because of its rapid focus capability, we expected the InstaFocus system to have a sloppy feel, and easily go out of focus, but this wasn' t the case. Once you focus the binoculars, they stay in focus. The InstaFocus level does require more than casual pressure from your fingertips to move, but not enough that it is difficult to use.

We did find a few faults with the Falcon 10x50, starting with the lens caps. Bushnell provides four lens caps that use a friction fit system to keep them on the lenses. We were never able to keep them in place; whenever we handled the binoculars, the lens caps fell off. We also found the diopter adjustment to be stiff and difficult to turn. Individuals who wear strong corrective lenses may find the diopter range isn' t broad enough to accommodate their vision.