Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 vs Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42
Quick take: The Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 costs $138 less; the Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 reaches farther (10x vs 8x); the Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 has a wider field of view (426 vs 319 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
$138 separates them, and that money buys more than a glass upgrade: it buys a different magnification for a different job. The Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 is the birder's tool, with ED glass, a magnesium body and a 426 ft field of view that owners single out as one of the widest of any 8x42. Its 6.5 ft close focus handles butterflies and feeder birds; the Argos needs 13 ft. The Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 is the hunter's budget reach option, and its 319 ft field and 4.2mm exit pupil are the price of that 10x.
Owners of the Argos like it for what it is: a bright, true-color image with good fringing control for the money, a smooth focus wheel that works with gloves, and Athlon's lifetime warranty as the reason to try a cheaper brand. Their complaints are about the furniture: a plasticky housing, objective covers that slip, a short strap, and fringing on dark subjects in low light that shows more at 10x. They also note the image dims faster at dawn and dusk.
The Midas is not flawless. Most owners call it bright, but one test lab found low-light detail fading into silhouettes, and its focus ring and diopter are plastic, with a non-locking diopter that gets bumped out of adjustment. Even so, its 17.2mm of eye relief against the Argos's 16.1mm makes it the easier choice in glasses. For birding it is the better buy by a wide margin. The Argos earns its place only for open-country hunting, where reading antlers at distance matters more than a wide view and the budget stops at about $240.
Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42
Worth it for an open-country hunter on a tight budget who wants 10x reach for glassing hillsides more than a wide field for tracking moving birds.
Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42
For birders, and for anyone who wears glasses, the extra $138 buys ED glass, a much wider view and close focus near enough for butterflies.
| Spec | Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 | Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$237 | ~$375 |
| Use case | Hunting | Birding |
| Magnification | 10x | 8x |
| Objective | 42mm | 42mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.2mm | 5.25mm |
| Field of view | 319 ft @ 1000 yds | 426 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 16.1mm | 17.2mm |
| Close focus | 13 ft | 6.5 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | HD | UHD |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 25.5 oz | 23.3 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.6 x 5.0 in | 5.7 x 5.2 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42
- ✗ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
What birders say
Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42
- ✓Same optical formula the All About Birds testers rated a 'Solid Choice' in 8x42 form — bright, true-color image with minimal edge distortion
- ✓10x magnification pulls in the extra reach hunters want for reading antlers and picking apart distant hillsides
- ✓Twist-up eyecups with multiple stops work for both eyeglass and non-eyeglass users
- ✓Under 23 oz — light for a 10x42, which matters when it hangs on your chest all day during a hunt
- ✓Smooth, consistent focus wheel that's easy to run with cold fingers or light gloves
- ✓Phase-corrected BaK-4 prisms with dielectric coatings punch above the roughly $240 price
- ✓Owners cross-shopping Vortex and Nikon repeatedly note the chromatic aberration control rivals more expensive pairs
- ✓Athlon's unconditional lifetime warranty — frequently mentioned by hunters as the reason to gamble on the cheaper brand
- ✗319-foot field of view is noticeably tighter than the 8x42's 371 feet, making birds in flight and moving game harder to track
- ✗Eye relief drops to 16.1mm — workable but snug for eyeglass wearers who got the full field from the 8x version
- ✗4.2mm exit pupil dims faster at dawn and dusk, exactly when hunters need it most
- ✗10x hand-shake is real; without bracing or a tripod adapter, fine detail at distance shimmers
- ✗Same plasticky housing feel that made expert reviewers question long-term durability
- ✗Forum users describe the optics as a step below Vortex Diamondback level — fine at the price, but not a giant-killer
- ✗Objective covers and short neck strap draw the same complaints as the rest of the Argos line
- ✗Subtle green/red fringing on dark subjects in low light, slightly more visible at 10x than 8x
Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42
- ✓Cornell's All About Birds testers found a very bright image with great contrast that stays sharp all the way from edge to edge
- ✓Massive 426-foot field of view — one of the widest of any 8x42 at any price, and a genuine advantage for tracking warblers and birds in flight
- ✓Resolves fine plumage detail: testers picked out yellow bellies, white undertails, and wing spangles on waxwings without strain
- ✓Well-balanced in hand with a solid-but-not-heavy feel, and rubber armor that's grippy without being sticky
- ✓Focus wheel rolls easily with even resistance through its whole travel — a step up in feel from the Argos line
- ✓Magnesium chassis with argon purging, ED glass, and dielectric phase-corrected prisms — a spec sheet that matches $600+ binoculars
- ✓Forum consensus calls it 'top of the heap' in most sub-$400 comparison tests and excellent value for the money
- ✓Athlon's unconditional lifetime warranty, transferable and no-receipt, backs it up
- ✗One major test lab found low-light performance underwhelming — detail fades into dark silhouettes at dawn, dusk, and on heavily overcast days
- ✗The same testers felt the image gets a bit flatter toward the extreme edges despite the wide field
- ✗No thumb indents or sculpted grip aids that several similarly priced competitors include
- ✗Focus ring and diopter adjuster are plastic where some rivals at this price use metal
- ✗Heavier than spec suggests — one lab measured nearly 26 ounces with accessories
- ✗Diopter is non-locking on the 8x42, easy to bump out of adjustment
- ✗Reviewer opinions genuinely split: one prominent test recommended the Vortex Diamondback HD over it at similar money
- ✗Street price swings a lot around the $330-375 MSRP, so it's easy to overpay if you don't wait for a sale
Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 vs Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42: common questions
Is the Athlon Midas G2 UHD 8x42 worth $138 more than the Argos G2 HD 10x42 for birding?▾
For most birders, yes. The Midas adds ED glass, a magnesium body, a 426 ft field against 319 ft, and 6.5 ft close focus against 13 ft. Those are the specs that make finding and following small birds easier, and owners rank it near the top of its price range.
Which is better at dawn and dusk, the Argos G2 HD 10x42 or the Midas G2 UHD 8x42?▾
The Midas has the larger exit pupil, 5.25mm against 4.2mm, which favors it in fading light, and Argos owners say their 10x dims faster at first and last light. One test lab still found the Midas underwhelming at dusk, so neither is a low-light specialist.
Does the 10x of the Athlon Argos G2 HD 10x42 help for hunting compared with the Midas 8x42?▾
It does if you glass at long range. Argos owners like the extra reach for reading antlers and picking apart distant hillsides, but they also say hand-shake is real at 10x without bracing or a tripod adapter. In close cover or a treestand, the 8x Midas is easier to use.