Mimmo Schmitter is Sales Manager Western Europe for CZ (Česká zbrojovka a.s.). Mimmo and I have something in common: we both took our hunting license at the Lüdersburg Nature and Hunting School.
For me it is already four years ago and Mimmo made the "green graduation" 17 years ago in the Lüdersburg hunting school. Once a year we meet to go hunting in the teaching area of the school.
This year we wanted to hunt roe deer and wild boar again. And as always, if you have not seen each other for a whole year, the first thing you do is talk shop.
Experiences are exchanged and a look at the new equipment is logically always part of it. The new Mimmo's binoculars first caught all my attention.
Due to my job as a cameraman and photographer for all4hunters/all4shooters.com, optics are always a particularly exciting topic for me.
GPO 10x42 Passion ED – 114-m field of view at 1,000 m: binoculars for well under 500 euro for everyone?
Binoculars for everyone is certainly a bit thick, but the glass from GPO is really a little all-rounder that handles the majority of hunting situations safely and reliably. Right into twilight, the binoculars deliver a high-contrast image. For Mimmo Schmitter, however, two points were decisive in choosing to carry them. First, you have to talk about the price – and it is more than interesting at under 500 euros, Mimmo Schmitter says about it:
"When I held the binoculars in my hand for the first time, I assumed that they would cost 1,000 euros. The price of less than 500 euro surprised me yet a little, especially since the binoculars are made of magnesium and visually really a blast."
GPO 10x42 Passion ED: technical data of the all-round binoculars – Many good reasons for buying them
As mentioned earlier, the GPO 10x42 Passion-ED binoculars offer a field of view of 114 meters at 1,000 meters. There are 4 colors to choose from: Brown, Black, Green and Sand. The weight is 725 grams. The light transmission is 90%, diopter compensation is adjustable from -2.5/+2.5. The body is made of magnesium and the high quality processed prism system is a Schmidt-Pechan prism. The 10x42 Passion ED is ideally equipped for the raised hide and especially for stalking.
GPO Passion series – All 6 models at a glance
GPO offers a total of six models in the Passion series. Starting with the small slim ED 8x32 at 379,99 euro, over the Passion ED 10x32 at 399,99 euro up to the Passion 10x56 at 749,99 euro with Abbe-König prisms, hunters and ornithologists in particular and outdoor fans in general will find powerful binoculars, which are always worth a look when deciding to buy. Take a look. You will not be disappointed.
Technical specs and prices of all GPO Passion binoculars
| Model: | PASSION ED 8x32 | PASSION ED 10x32 | PASSION ED 8x42 | PASSION ED 10x42 | PASSION 8x56 | PASSION 10x56 |
| MSRP (In
Germany): | 379,99
euro | 399,99
euro | 429,99 Euro | 449,99
euro | 699,99
euro | 749,99
euro |
| Prism
System: | Schmidt-Pechan | Schmidt-Pechan | Schmidt-Pechan | Schmidt-Pechan | Abbe-König | Abbe-König |
| Magnification: | 8x | 10x | 8x | 10x | 8x | 10x |
| Field of
view (m) at 1,000 m: | 139 | 104 | 143 | 114 | 129 | 114 |
| Objective
Lens Diameter (mm): | 32 | 32 | 42 | 42 | 56 | 56 |
| Ocular
Diameter (mm): | 18 | 18 | 23.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 | 23.7 |
| Exit
Pupil (mm): | 4 | 3.28 | 5.25 | 4.2 | 7 | 5.6 |
| Eye
Relief (mm): | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 20 |
| Housing: | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium | Magnesium |
| Close
focus (m): | 2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Interpupilary
distance (IPD): | 56 - 73 | 56 – 73 | 56 - 75 | 56 - 75 | 57 -75 | 57 - 75 |
| Diopter
Compensation: | -2.5/+2.5 | -2.5/+2.5 | -2.5/+2.5 | -2.5/+2.5 | -2.5/+2.5 | -2.5/+2.5 |
| Nitrogen
Filling: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transmission
Daylight: | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 92% | 91% |
| Height
(mm): | 44 | 44 | 55 | 55 | 67 | 67 |
| Weight
(grams): | 520 | 500 | 740 | 725 | ||
| Length
(mm): | 118 | 118 | 138 | 138 | 192 | 192 |
| Width
(mm): | 118 | 118 | 127 | 127 | 158 | 158 |
| Accessories
Included: | Instruction manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case
strap, lens covers, ocular covers | Instruction
manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, lens
covers, ocular covers | Instruction
manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, lens
covers, ocular covers | Instruction manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, lens covers, ocular covers | Instruction manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, lens covers, ocular covers | Instruction manual, cleaning cloth, hard case, neoprene neck strap, hard case strap, lens covers, ocular covers |
GPO Passion ED 10x42 and ZF Spectra 1-6x24 on one rifle
Mimmo, as an experienced hunter, says of the GPO Passion ED's hunting use:
"I have been using the binoculars for about 8 weeks now and I am more than thrilled with them. In most hunting situations, one gets along very well with the glass. Especially when stalking, I liked the binoculars very much, because they does not tire very much, you hardly feel the weight. In the twilight, of course, at some point the clear view is over. Even with the world's best binoculars clean response is impossible at some point, but this is in the nature of things and any binoculars eventually will throw in the towel. However, I would go so far as to say that you can cover 90% of all hunting situations with binoculars."
A detailed national and international dealer locator can be found on the very clear GPO website. The website also has more info on GPO's product offerings.
Please continue to follow all4hunters/all4shooters.com: coming soon, our next article on hunting use of GPO's Spectra 6x 1-6x24i and Spectra 6x 2-12x50i riflescopes, as well as the CZ models 600 Alpha and 600 Lux on the buck hunt.
