GPO German Precision Optics Passion HD 8×42

Specifications:

Objective diameter:  42 mm
Magnification:  8 x
Exit pupil: 5.25 mm
Eye relief (acc. to spec): 19 mm
Usable eye relief (measured from rim of eyecup): 15 mm
IPD:  57 – 75 mm
RFOV:  7.1  degrees = 125 m
AFOV (measured, rounded): 55 degrees
Minimum focus distance (measured): 1.95 m
Focus type:  CF (direction of rotation from close to infinity: < anticlockwise)
Degrees of rotation of focus wheel from 3m to infinity (measured): 270 degrees
Range of diopter adjustment (acc. to spec.): +/- 2.5 dpt*
Excess travel of focus wheel beyond infinity position (estimate): 5.5 dpt*
Prism system:  Schmidt-Pechan
Waterproof: yes
Weight (measured, with eyepiece cover and strap): 942 g
Made in: Japan
*range of diopter adjustment not affected by position of focus wheel

Remarks:

What’s in a name …. the brand “German Precision Optics” proves that Germany still has a top reputation when it comes to design, engineering and manufacturing of precision products (although GPO’s binoculars are actually manufactured in Japan). And GPO is not modest about their intentions.

GPO was first started in the USA and was founded “… by optical industry senior executives who have experienced how big brands increase profitability to support their massive production infrastructures. This corporate profitability structure normally results in increased consumer pricing or decreased product feature quality. We at GPO have a unique corporate structure that allows us to build higher-quality products with better features at similar prices or similar-quality products at better prices. Our products are built to our high-quality standards in some of the largest global production facilities in the world. All of our design, engineering, and quality management is done internally in Germany” (quote from GPO wesbite)

As of today, GPO seems now to have a dual structure – quoting again from the GPO website “… GPO, USA is an American based company that creates and sells premium outdoor sporting optics … Based in Midlothian Virginia, it is owned and operated by Michael Jensen, an outdoor industry veteran who has successfully assisted in leading numerous premium brands such as Zeiss, Swarovski, ….. GPO, USA works in tandem with GPO, GbmH, a German based company owned and operated by Richard Schmidt, formerly CEO of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, GmbH. GPO GmbH is the global owner of the GPO brand. ….” (quote from GPO wesbite)

GPO today offers riflescopes and three lines of binoculars: “Passion ED” (10×42, 8×42, 10×32, 8×32), “Passion” (10×56, 8×56), and “Passion HD” (12.5×50, 10×50, 8.5×50, 10×42, 8×42)

The Passion HD represents  the top GPO models and provides excellent upper class performance, although the field of view in this 8×42 model is slightly at the narrow end; some of their second-tier Passion “ED” models also offer excellent performance and an even wider field of view (see eg. the 8×32 Passion ED, separate post https://binocular.ch/gpo-passion-ed-8×32/)

Ratings: