The Athlon binoculars we carry come in six lines, from $149.99 for the Neos G2 to $937.49 for the Cronus G2 15x56, and the names read like a ladder. The glass grade stops climbing at $337.49. Every pair from the Argos G2 UHD up carries the glass Athlon calls UHD, its extra-low-dispersion grade, so the money above that point buys other things: a wider field and closer focus in the Midas, then sharper edges and more eye relief in the Cronus. Prices are MSRP; check the product page for the current price.
This guide covers the 15 Athlon binoculars we carry: what each line adds over the one below it, the specifications side by side, and which one fits which job.
TL;DR: Quick Summary
The Midas G2 UHD is the Athlon most hunters and birders should buy.
Best for most buyers: Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 ($412.49) or 10x42 ($424.99). UHD glass, the widest field of any 8x42 here (426 ft at 1,000 yards), close focus to 6.5 ft and 23.3 oz.
Best edges, best with eyeglasses: Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 10x42 ($687.49). A field flattener, 19.3 mm of eye relief and a locking diopter.
Lowest price with UHD glass: Athlon Argos G2 UHD 8x42 ($337.49) or 10x42 ($349.99).
Lightest and lowest price: Athlon Neos G2 HD 8x42 ($149.99) at 21 oz.
For ranging and calling shots: Athlon Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50 ($624.99), with an etched ATBR MIL reticle.
For long sessions on a tripod: Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 15x56 ($937.49).
Table of Contents
Our Picks: The Best Athlon Binoculars by Use
| Use | Pick | MSRP | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most hunters and birders | Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 | $412.49 | UHD glass, 426 ft field, 6.5 ft close focus, 23.3 oz |
| Open country at 10x | Athlon Midas G2 UHD 10x42 | $424.99 | The same body at 10x: 341 ft field, 8.2 ft close focus |
| Edge sharpness and eyeglasses | Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 10x42 | $687.49 | E2ES field flattener, 19.3 mm eye relief, locking diopter |
| UHD glass for the least money | Athlon Argos G2 UHD 8x42 | $337.49 | The Argos G2 with Athlon's extra-low-dispersion glass |
| A 50 mm pair for dawn and dusk | Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x50 | $312.49 | 5 mm exit pupil, 304 ft field |
| First pair, lightest pair | Athlon Neos G2 HD 8x42 | $149.99 | 21 oz, 367 ft field |
| Ranging and spotting | Athlon Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50 | $624.99 | Etched ATBR MIL reticle with its own focus and level |
| Glassing from a tripod | Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 15x56 | $937.49 | 15x, E2ES field flattener, 18.5 mm eye relief |
The Midas G2 UHD takes the default slot because it is the least expensive Athlon that puts the UHD glass together with a wide field and close focus, and its 42 mm models are the lightest magnesium-body Athlons we carry at 23.3 oz. Cornell Lab's All About Birds reviewed the 8x42 and wrote that "an excellent image and easy-action focus wheel made these binoculars one of our Top Picks" (All About Birds, May 2023). Our guide to the best hunting binoculars reaches the same line from the hunter's side, with the Midas 10x42 as its best value and the 8x42 as its pick for timber and treestands.
The Cronus G2 10x42 costs $262.50 more than the Midas 10x42 and shows a field 3 ft narrower (338 ft against 341 ft at 1,000 yards). What the extra money buys is a flatter, sharper edge to that field and 4.1 mm more eye relief. In Backwoods Pursuit's side-by-side test of 26 hunting binoculars, the Cronus 10x42 had the most eye relief of any binocular tested and was named the test's Overall Value pick.
How to Choose an Athlon Binocular
Four things change as you move up these lines: the glass, the field and close focus, the edge of the image with the eye relief behind it, and the body. Only the first of those is the glass.
Glass: HD Through the Argos G2 HD, UHD From the Argos G2 UHD Up
The Neos G2 and the Argos G2 HD use the glass Athlon calls HD. The Argos G2 UHD, Midas G2, Midas G2 Pro and Cronus G2 use UHD, which Athlon describes as "extra low dispersion glass" giving "an image that has little or no chromatic fringe." Ordinary optical glass bends blue light more than red, so the colors come to focus at slightly different points and a high-contrast edge picks up a purple or green outline. Extra-low-dispersion glass narrows that spread. You see the difference on the hardest edges: bare branches against a bright sky, a duck against glare on the water, antlers silhouetted at first light.
The Argos G2 HD and Argos G2 UHD are the cleanest way to price the glass by itself. Athlon prints identical specifications for the two 8x42s and for the two 10x42s: the same field, eye relief, close focus and 25.5 oz weight. The UHD version costs $62.50 more at either size, and the glass is the whole difference. Above the Argos G2 UHD the glass name stops changing, so the Midas and the Cronus spend their higher prices elsewhere.
Field of View and Close Focus: What the Midas Adds
At 8x42 the Midas G2 UHD shows 426 ft at 1,000 yards, against 371 ft for the Argos G2 and 367 ft for the Neos G2. That is about 15% more width than the Argos, more room to follow a moving bird or deer through brush without losing it at the edge, and All About Birds placed it at the top end of the 8x42 fields it measured. The Midas 8x42 also focuses down to 6.5 ft, half the Argos G2's 13 ft, close enough for butterflies or a songbird in the next branch. It weighs 23.3 oz, 2.2 oz less than the Argos.
At 10x42 the margins narrow: 341 ft against 319 ft for the Argos, and 8.2 ft close focus against 13 ft.
Edge Sharpness, Eye Relief and a Locking Diopter: What the Cronus Adds
The Cronus G2 adds Athlon's E2ES edge-to-edge field flattening system, which Athlon says "removes distortion on the outermost edge of the field of view." Without one, the center of a binocular's view is its sharpest part and the outer zone tends to soften, because the image comes to focus on a curved surface rather than a flat one. A flattener keeps more of the field sharp, so you can scan with your eyes across the view instead of swinging the binocular to center every detail.
The Cronus 10x42 also has 19.3 mm of eye relief, the most of the 15 binoculars here (the Midas 10x42 has 15.2 mm). Eye relief is the distance behind the eyepiece at which your eye takes in the full field. Eyeglasses hold your eye farther back, so with the eyecups twisted down, extra eye relief is what lets an eyeglass wearer see to the edge of the view.
Its diopter locks, so the setting stays put when the binocular comes out of a harness or a pack. Backwoods Pursuit noted it as one of the few models in its 26-binocular test with a locking diopter. The 10x42 focuses to 6.6 ft and weighs 27.8 oz, 4.5 oz more than the Midas 10x42.
Body, Coatings and Weight
All 15 binoculars here are waterproof and gas purged against internal fogging. The Neos G2 is the only line here with a composite chassis, which Athlon describes as "O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged." Every line from the Argos G2 up has a magnesium chassis and argon purging. Athlon's reasoning for argon is that it "has a low thermal conductivity compared to nitrogen gas, resulting in better fog proof capabilities."
The coatings step up at the same point. From the Argos G2 up, Athlon lists advanced fully multi-coated lenses, phase-corrected prisms (BaK-4 roof prisms, or Abbe prisms in the Cronus G2 15x56), an ESP dielectric prism coating that Athlon says reflects over 99% of the light to your eyes, and an XPL coating on the outer lenses against dirt, oil and scratches. The Neos G2 has fully multi-coated lenses and BaK-4 prisms. Weights run from 21 oz for the Neos G2 to 45.2 oz for the Cronus G2 15x56.
8x, 10x, 12x or 15x?
An 8x42 gives the widest, steadiest view and a 5.25 mm exit pupil for dim light, which suits timber, treestands and birding. A 10x42 shows more detail through a 4.2 mm exit pupil and is the usual choice for open country. The 50 mm Athlons (the Argos G2 HD and Midas G2 at 10x and 12x) gather more light for about 5 to 6 oz more weight, and at 12x a rest helps hold the view steady. At 15x the Cronus G2 15x56 is a tripod binocular. We compare these formats in detail in 8x42 vs 10x42 binoculars, 10x42 vs 10x50 binoculars and are 12x50 binoculars worth it?
Athlon Binoculars Line by Line, Cheapest First
Neos G2 HD: $149.99 to $162.49
The Neos G2 comes in 8x42 ($149.99) and 10x42 ($162.49), both at 21 oz, the lightest Athlons we carry. It uses HD glass, fully multi-coated lenses and BaK-4 prisms in a composite body that Athlon O-ring seals and nitrogen purges against water and fog. The 8x42 shows 367 ft at 1,000 yards and the 10x42 309 ft, and both focus down to 13.1 ft.
It is the binocular for a first pair, a pair that lives in the truck or at the cabin, or a spare for a hunting partner, where low weight and price count for more than edge sharpness. Moving up to the Argos G2 HD 8x42 costs $125 more and adds the magnesium chassis, argon purge, phase-corrected prisms and Athlon's ESP dielectric and XPL coatings.
Argos G2 HD: $274.99 to $324.99
The Argos G2 HD is the first line with Athlon's full build: magnesium chassis, argon purge, advanced fully multi-coated lenses, phase-corrected BaK-4 prisms, the ESP dielectric prism coating and the XPL outer-lens coating. It comes in four sizes: 8x42 ($274.99), 10x42 ($287.49), 10x50 ($312.49) and 12x50 ($324.99). The 42 mm models weigh 25.5 oz and the 50 mm models 31.5 oz, and all four focus to 13 ft.
The 10x50 and 12x50 are the lowest-priced 50 mm Athlons we carry. The 10x50 pairs a 5 mm exit pupil with a 304 ft field, a format for dawn and dusk. All About Birds rated the 8x42 a Solid Choice, writing that "these inexpensive binoculars provide a crisp, bright image with smooth focusing" (All About Birds, May 2023).
Argos G2 UHD: $337.49 to $349.99
The Argos G2 UHD is the Argos G2 with Athlon's UHD glass, in 8x42 ($337.49) and 10x42 ($349.99). Athlon prints the same field, eye relief, close focus and weight for it as for the HD version, so the $62.50 buys the glass and nothing else. Of the binoculars we carry, it is the least expensive way into Athlon's extra-low-dispersion glass.
AllOutdoor's reviewer carried the 8x42 on several whitetail hunts and reported no fogging, no focus problems and no binding. He calls Alabama "the great equalizer" for antifog coatings and writes that the Argos G2 "did exceptionally well" there (AllOutdoor, February 2024). The UHD glass earns its $62.50 when you glass into a bright sky or across sunlit water, where color fringing shows most.
Midas G2 UHD: $412.49 to $574.99
The Midas G2 UHD keeps Athlon's UHD glass and full coating set and adds field, close focus and a lighter body. It comes in four sizes:
- 8x42 ($412.49): 426 ft field, 17.2 mm eye relief, 6.5 ft close focus, 23.3 oz
- 10x42 ($424.99): 341 ft field, 15.2 mm eye relief, 8.2 ft close focus, 23.3 oz
- 10x50 ($562.49): 341 ft field, 16.9 mm eye relief, 9.8 ft close focus, 28.5 oz
- 12x50 ($574.99): 281 ft field, 15.0 mm eye relief, 11.5 ft close focus, 28.5 oz
The 8x42 is the birder's Athlon and the timber hunter's, with the widest field and closest focus of any 8x42 here. The 10x42 is the open-country version. The 10x50 keeps the 10x42's 341 ft field and adds a 5 mm exit pupil for $137.50 and 5.2 oz more. In our hunting binoculars guide, the Midas 10x42 is the best value pick and the 12x50 the pick for open country.
Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50: $624.99
The Midas G2 Pro is the Midas G2 UHD 12x50 with an etched reticle, for $50 more and 3.5 oz more weight (32 oz). Athlon's ATBR MIL reticle has a 0.2-mil open-center crosshair with hash marks every 0.2 mil out to 5 mils, and Athlon's manual describes it as designed to help "shooters and spotters" call corrections and range targets in milliradians. Because a binocular's magnification is fixed, the reticle's values hold at all times, and the manual puts one mil at 3.6 inches at 100 yards.
That makes ranging simple arithmetic. An 18-inch target that spans 1 mil is 500 yards away, and the same target spanning 2 mils is 250 yards away. A spotter can also read a miss in mils and call the correction directly.
Beside the usual center focus and diopter, the Pro has two adjustments the plain Midas lacks: a reticle focus, so the reticle and the image are sharp together, and a reticle level. The level matters because setting the hinge to fit your eyes can tilt the reticle; Athlon's manual says to square it against a level target or the horizon. Optics Trade's review of the Pro points out that a reticle leveling adjustment is not common on reticle binoculars (Optics Trade, February 2024).
Cronus G2 UHD: $687.49 to $937.49
The Cronus G2 is Athlon's top binocular line and the only line here with the E2ES field flattener. The 10x42 ($687.49) has 19.3 mm of eye relief, a locking diopter, 6.6 ft close focus and a 338 ft field at 27.8 oz. It is the Athlon we would put in the hands of anyone who wears eyeglasses or spends hours behind the glass, and our hunting binoculars guide names it the best overall pick. Backwoods Pursuit's 26-binocular test named it the Overall Value pick.
The 15x56 ($937.49) is a tripod binocular: 15x magnifies hand shake along with the view, and at 45.2 oz it is the heaviest Athlon we carry. Its 4.5° field (235 ft at 1,000 yards), 3.7 mm exit pupil and 18.5 mm of eye relief suit long sessions glassing open country from one spot. Athlon's 2025 spec sheet lists phase-corrected Abbe prisms for it, and it ships with a hard case.
Athlon Binoculars Compared: The 10x42 in Every Line
Every Athlon line we carry except the Midas G2 Pro comes in a 10x42, which makes it the cleanest way to see what each step buys. The figures are Athlon's published specifications.
| Specification | Neos G2 HD 10x42 | Argos G2 HD 10x42 | Argos G2 UHD 10x42 | Midas G2 UHD 10x42 | Cronus G2 UHD 10x42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $162.49 | $287.49 | $349.99 | $424.99 | $687.49 |
| Glass | HD | HD | UHD (ED) | UHD (ED) | UHD (ED) |
| Lens coatings | Fully multi-coated | Advanced fully multi-coated | Advanced fully multi-coated | Advanced fully multi-coated | Advanced fully multi-coated |
| ESP dielectric and XPL coatings | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Field flattener | No | No | No | No | Yes (E2ES) |
| Chassis | Composite | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium |
| Purge gas | Nitrogen | Argon | Argon | Argon | Argon |
| Field of view | 309 ft (5.9°) | 319 ft (6.1°) | 319 ft (6.1°) | 341 ft (6.5°) | 338 ft (6.5°) |
| Eye relief | 14.1 mm | 16.1 mm | 16.1 mm | 15.2 mm | 19.3 mm |
| Close focus | 13.1 ft | 13 ft | 13 ft | 8.2 ft | 6.6 ft |
| Weight | 21 oz | 25.5 oz | 25.5 oz | 23.3 oz | 27.8 oz |
| Interpupillary distance | 56 to 72 mm | 56 to 76 mm | 56 to 76 mm | 57 to 74 mm | 56 to 73 mm |
| Diopter | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Locking |
The 50 mm and 56 mm Athlons
| Specification | Argos G2 HD 10x50 | Argos G2 HD 12x50 | Midas G2 UHD 10x50 | Midas G2 UHD 12x50 | Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50 | Cronus G2 UHD 15x56 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $312.49 | $324.99 | $562.49 | $574.99 | $624.99 | $937.49 |
| Glass | HD | HD | UHD (ED) | UHD (ED) | UHD (ED) | UHD (ED) |
| Exit pupil | 5.0 mm | 4.2 mm | 5.0 mm | 4.2 mm | 4.2 mm | 3.7 mm |
| Field of view | 304 ft (5.8°) | 257 ft (4.9°) | 341 ft (6.5°) | 281 ft (5.4°) | 281 ft (5.4°) | 235 ft (4.5°) |
| Eye relief | 17.0 mm | 16.0 mm | 16.9 mm | 15.0 mm | 15.0 mm | 18.5 mm |
| Close focus | 13 ft | 13 ft | 9.8 ft | 11.5 ft | 11.5 ft | 13.1 ft |
| Weight | 31.5 oz | 31.5 oz | 28.5 oz | 28.5 oz | 32 oz | 45.2 oz |
| Reticle | None | None | None | None | ATBR MIL | None |
What Does Athlon's Lifetime Warranty Cover?
Every binocular in this guide carries Athlon's Gold Medal Lifetime Warranty, and the terms are the same on the $149.99 Neos as on the $937.49 Cronus, so the warranty does not separate the lines. In the words of Athlon's binocular manual, each product is "warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product," and Athlon "will also repair or replace, at no charge to you, your product if you should damage it through normal use. No receipt is needed, no registration is required." Athlon describes the warranty as transferable, so it passes to the next owner (Athlon Optics lifetime warranty).
The manual also lists what the warranty does not cover: "deliberate damage, misuse, theft or maintenance provided by someone other than the Athlon Authorized Service Department." In practice, a damaged Athlon goes back to Athlon's own service department rather than to a local repair shop.
Which Athlon Binocular Should You Buy?
Start from where you glass, and the line follows:
- If you hunt timber or bird in spring: the Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42, for the widest 8x field and 6.5 ft close focus.
- If you glass open country: the Athlon Midas G2 UHD 10x42 on the move, or the Midas G2 UHD 12x50 when you can brace it.
- If you wear eyeglasses or glass for hours: the Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 10x42.
- If you want Athlon's UHD glass for the least money: the Athlon Argos G2 UHD 10x42 or its 8x42.
- If you want the lightest pair, or a spare: the Athlon Neos G2 HD 8x42.
- If you range or spot for a shooter: the Athlon Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50.
- If you glass from a tripod: the Athlon Cronus G2 UHD 15x56.
Every model is in our Athlon binoculars collection, and our Binoculars Buyer's Guide covers the other brands we carry. If you are weighing Athlon's riflescopes too, our Athlon riflescopes guide walks through those lines the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Athlon binoculars good?
Independent reviewers rate the Athlons they have tested well. Cornell Lab's All About Birds named the Midas G2 UHD 8x42 one of its Top Picks and rated the Argos G2 HD 8x42 a Solid Choice, AllOutdoor called the Argos G2 UHD 8x42 a "very high recommend" after a season of whitetail hunts, and Backwoods Pursuit named the Cronus 10x42 the Overall Value pick of its 26-binocular hunting test. Every model also carries Athlon's Gold Medal Lifetime Warranty, which covers damage through normal use with no receipt or registration.
What is the difference between Athlon HD and UHD binoculars?
UHD is Athlon's extra-low-dispersion glass, which reduces color fringing on high-contrast edges; HD is the grade below it. The Argos G2 comes both ways with identical printed specifications, and the UHD version costs $62.50 more at 8x42 and 10x42. Every line above the Argos G2 UHD (the Midas G2, Midas G2 Pro and Cronus G2) uses UHD glass.
Should I buy the Athlon Midas or the Cronus?
Buy the Midas G2 UHD unless you wear eyeglasses, glass for long hours or want the sharpest edge to the field. At 10x42 the Cronus adds 4.1 mm of eye relief (19.3 mm against 15.2 mm), Athlon's E2ES field flattener and a locking diopter, and it focuses closer (6.6 ft against 8.2 ft). It costs $262.50 more, weighs 4.5 oz more and shows a field 3 ft narrower.
Which Athlon binoculars have a reticle?
Of the Athlon binoculars we carry, only the Midas G2 Pro UHD 12x50 has one: Athlon's etched ATBR MIL reticle, with 0.2-mil hash marks out to 5 mils, its own focus and a leveling adjustment. Because the magnification is fixed, the mil values hold at all times, and one mil covers 3.6 inches at 100 yards.
Which Athlon binocular is best for birding?
The Midas G2 UHD 8x42: a 426 ft field at 1,000 yards, close focus to 6.5 ft and 23.3 oz, with the UHD glass that cuts color fringing against a bright sky. All About Birds named it one of its Top Picks. Birders who wear eyeglasses should look at the Cronus G2 UHD 10x42, which focuses to 6.6 ft and has 19.3 mm of eye relief. For the 8x or 10x question, see our 8x42 vs 10x42 comparison.
What does Athlon's binocular warranty cover?
Athlon's Gold Medal Lifetime Warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the binocular, and Athlon repairs or replaces it at no charge if it is damaged through normal use. No receipt or registration is needed, and Athlon describes the warranty as transferable. It excludes deliberate damage, misuse, theft and service by anyone other than Athlon's authorized service department.