Advice on binoculars

[Mafro]

Hi all

I want to buy myself a pair of binoculars for bird watching. We have some excellent reserves here in Kent that we visit, but my cheep pair of binos from Aldi are really not up to the job.

I know diddly squat about binoculars, so am asking your advise.

I have a budget of £150 to spend, so if you can offer any advice on what to get, and reasons why they are good that would be cracking.

Thanks all
Mafro

 

[Marmite]

I'll stick my neck on the line first. I'm sure you've heard it before but as with most things you'll get what you pay for. Sorry it just had to be said. Having said that the opticron range are really good and you should be able to pick up something of decent quality in your price range. I use the opticron discovery WP PC 8x32 (150ish, cheaper if you look around)and they are superb, small in size, light weight, and clear image to the very edges of the lens, close focus (1.2m) thats great for insects, they're a valued addition to my daysack. Another to look at (even cheaper ) is the opticron Oregon LE WP 8x32's (89ish),I was lucky enough that my wife got them for me as a gift, slightly larger than the previous and a bit more weight but still small in anyone's book, it's the 8.1 field of view that I love on these as you just see more and miss less. Delta, Hawk many others produce reportedly good bin's for your price range but I don't have any experience with them and so won't comment, I'm sure others will be along to share there thoughts. Hope this helps and with the decision.

 

[Nomad]

Just been through the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Thread here...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103587

As you'll see in one of my later posts, the main issue that I had was finding reviews that allow you to make a proper comparative judgement on which to get (I'm a photographer, and good comparison is par for the course with lenses). Given that everybody seemed to really like their particular brand/model of budget binos, and that getting to a shop to check various models out wasn't convenient for me (me also being relatively uninformed), I leaned towards the view that most, if not all, budget binos above the cheapo supermarket type things are likely to be pretty good to the untrained eye.

For what it's worth (and it ain't worth much), I'm very impressed and pleased with the Barr & Stroud Sierra 8x42s that I went for - way more than an order of magnitude better than the ageing Miranda 8x21s I had before (now reclassified as "grot-tubes").

I agree that you get what you pay for, but I suspect there is a serious dimishing returns thing with binoculars. My Sierras were 74 quid (cheaper than usual for them) and I can't imagine that the fancy kit at £700-1400 is 10-20 times better, or even remotely close to that much better. As to whether binos at £150 are twice as good, I really couldn't say. What I can say, though, is that, as a non-serious bino user, but someone that is quite demanding regarding camera lenses, my particular budget binos are easily good enough to keep me happy.

 

[dave53]

hi back in 1995 i bought some opticon origon 8x42s in scotland still got them today great optics regards dave

 

[Bartooon]

It rather depends on what you want to use the binoculars for. If it is just for generally admiring a view from afar, then a reasonably cheap pair (say £80 upwards) will probably do a reasonable job. Don't go for a real "budget" pair as the image is likely to be distorted, especially round the edges of the view and they are far more likely to suffer from internal condensation problems and let in dust etc. Personally I would avoid those with zip / speed focus rocker buttons - stick to a good old focus wheel. Nitrogen-filled bins keep condensation out, but tend to be expensive.

If you want to watch birds, butterflies etc, then spend as much as you can afford to get a good, sharp image with no colour distortion. With butterflies, the ability to focus on close objects is important so check that out. Cheap binoculars often have a very long minimum focus distance and so are useless for butterflies and the like.

For watching wildlife in poor light, such as dusk or dawn, go for a pair with a larger objective lens (the big ones) as they gather more light. The amount of light reaching yours eyes is determined by the size of the objective lens divided by the magnification so binoculars with 10x magnification and 50mm objectives lens (10x50) or 8x mag and 42mm lens (8x42) will give better views in low light than say 10x36 or 8x24. The downside, of course, is that larger lenses mean bigger, heavier binoculars.

Personally, I think a good compromise would be to get some 8x42 or 7x36s

I would also recommend getting rubber armoured binoculars too as they can take a lot more abuse.

like Marmite, I also use Opticrons. Though not top-end, they give excellent performance for a reasonable price. The like of Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski might be amazing but I really can't understand how anyone can justify paying £1000 for a pair of binoculars. I'm sure most people would struggle to see much difference between them and a pair costing a couple of hundred quid.

 

[realearner]

Don't know that much but I got a monocular 15 x 50 seems clear views to me and need to be steady, it did come with a small tripod, well I'm happy with it.

 

[Perrari]

If there is an RSPB reserve with a shop near you go & try them out before you buy. Staff are generally very helpful.
I have a pair of Pentax 8 x 24 compacts that I have owned for about 20 years, and they are perfect being lightweight and have enough magnification. Avoid zoom binoculars.

 

[Bardster]

I have had a look through a set of £800 binos, and a £1200 set. The difference was amazing.... the cheaper set had a very short depth of view, so constant adjustment of focus when looking at different distances, and for bird watching this can be a pain... somone says "hey look at that x!" and you swing your head and adjust focus and whoops missed it its gone. The expensive pair had a huge depth of view, basically set the focus for your eyes and that was it, whether you are looking at something 20m, or 200m away it was in focus, absolutly amazing.

So they may be waay out of your budget but when testing lower budget binos, do watch out for depth of view as well as field of view!

 

[Steve13]

It rather depends on what you want to use the binoculars for. If it is just for generally admiring a view from afar, then a reasonably cheap pair (say £80 upwards) will probably do a reasonable job. Don't go for a real "budget" pair as the image is likely to be distorted, especially round the edges of the view and they are far more likely to suffer from internal condensation problems and let in dust etc. Personally I would avoid those with zip / speed focus rocker buttons - stick to a good old focus wheel. Nitrogen-filled bins keep condensation out, but tend to be expensive.

If you want to watch birds, butterflies etc, then spend as much as you can afford to get a good, sharp image with no colour distortion. With butterflies, the ability to focus on close objects is important so check that out. Cheap binoculars often have a very long minimum focus distance and so are useless for butterflies and the like.

For watching wildlife in poor light, such as dusk or dawn, go for a pair with a larger objective lens (the big ones) as they gather more light. The amount of light reaching yours eyes is determined by the size of the objective lens divided by the magnification so binoculars with 10x magnification and 50mm objectives lens (10x50) or 8x mag and 42mm lens (8x42) will give better views in low light than say 10x36 or 8x24. The downside, of course, is that larger lenses mean bigger, heavier binoculars.

Personally, I think a good compromise would be to get some 8x42 or 7x36s

I would also recommend getting rubber armoured binoculars too as they can take a lot more abuse.

like Marmite, I also use Opticrons. Though not top-end, they give excellent performance for a reasonable price. The like of Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski might be amazing but I really can't understand how anyone can justify paying £1000 for a pair of binoculars. I'm sure most people would struggle to see much difference between them and a pair costing a couple of hundred quid.

Do have a look around for some better quality ones second hand , try gun shops and camera shops
I managed to pick up a almost new pair of Zeiss , still boxed and with all the papers for less than a third of the new Victory ones and when I tried both out I could not see the difference even in poor light

 

[Shewie]

Some good info in this thread too

 

[bearbait]

I've had good service from Monk Optics in the past. They're also geared up to do repairs and carry spares for their stuff. May be worth talking to them too?

 

[Mike Bowler]

Go for something like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Komz-8x30-5-USSR-CCCP-Russian-Made-Military-Binoculars-Excellent-Condition-/181089606735?pt=UK_Photography_Binoculars_Monoculars&hash=item2a29c81c4f&_uhb=1them

 

[marcelxl]

A bit more than you want to spend but.......

I have some Bushnell H2O's and after going out with a mate in low light watching Badgers I found out more about binocular quality in a minute than ever before..... He had Swarovskis and the badgers could be seen better through them than with the naked eye, I was amazed and started looking for something better but I don't have £2000 to spend!

So I did my research and had a good look around, tried some nice non-German ones like Opticron which were outstanding but still out of my price range, one kept coming up which were the Hawke Frontier ED, they get fantastic reviews everywhere and around £250 at the time so I got pair of 8 x 43 (I think!) and I was and still am amazed! For the money they are just superb and I have not regretted them one bit.

I think they have been one of the best purchases I have made, since I have moved out here they get used all the time for shooting, animal watching and scouting for hunting season........ invaluable especially in low light, a time when often you want them the most

 

[Doc]

I've owned and tried a lot of binoculars, finally settling on Zeiss Victory FL 8x42. They are utterly fantastic but if bought new the price tag has four digits.

I'd suggest you go to a decent shop and try as many as you can. It would also be worth trying a high end pair of Zeiss/Leica/swarovskis just for comparison purposes.

Most stalkers and naturalists use 8x42 roof prisms. You could use 8x32: they will be lighter and just as good in daylight. But the best opportunities for wildlife watching are dawn and dusk, so I would suggest 8x42 as the image will be noticeably brighter. If you have a lot of hand shake 7x42 will feel steadier.

I would advise anyone who is even slightly serious about things to spend at least £100 if buying new. At this price point you can get Japanese or Chinese 8x42 roof prisms with good multilayer coating on every optical surface (not just the ones you can see), waterproofing, rubber armour, nitrogen filling, and phase correction coating on the prisms. Phase correction makes a big difference to roof prism binoculars (Porro prism binos don't need it).

I hesitate to recommend particular models. I have a pair of Helios AM6 which is only slightly above your budget and go a best buy in one of the magazines. Japanese and very compact.
Or you could consider the Hawke Frontiers, reviews are generally good, with Swarovski styling but the periphery of the image is a little soft:
http://www.birdwatching.co.uk/Birding-gear/Birdwatching-Binoculars/Hawke-Frontier-PC-8x42

When testing, see what the field of view is like (ie how wide angle are they). The image should be razor sharp in the center, at this price point it will be a little less sharp at the periphery.
If you can, try and look at the edge of a building or mountain against a bright sky. You'll see a slight purple fringe due to chromatic aberration, and it affects the viewing if looking at a bird against a bright sky. You can reduce this with fluorite/ED glass, but that costs more.

Another option is the porro prism type. Bulkier, unfashionable (and therefore cheaper) and not easily made waterproof.

Used binos can be good value.

Good mid range brands include Steiner Minox Kahles Optolyth and Meopta. The higher end of Nikon Hawke and Opticron are also good. Strathspey seem to have a good reputation too.

I like Russian optics, the Komz above are very good. Most Russian glass has a slight yellow cast to improve contrast. i like this, some people don't.

Est German Zeiss is also good for porro binos but you need te later multilayer coating, watch out for Japanese fakes (you can tell by the serial number) and avoid pre 1990 roof prisms, even from West German Zeiss, as phase coating wasn't invented then.

One last possibilty is the image stabilised Canon binos; the cheapest one being over £200. Tried these against my Zeiss FLs on a sunny day. Hand held, I got better resolution with the Canons because of the image stabilisation, which was a shock. Then I leant against a tree for support, and without handshake the Zeiss optics won again. But I was quite impressed with image stabilisation!

 

[Shewie]

One last possibilty is the image stabilised Canon binos; the cheapest one being over £200. Tried these against my Zeiss FLs on a sunny day. Hand held, I got better resolution with the Canons because of the image stabilisation, which was a shock. Then I leant against a tree for support, and without handshake the Zeiss optics won again. But I was quite impressed with image stabilisation!

My dad gave me a pair of the Canon 18x50 IS when they moved house, great binos but I'm paranoid about wrecking them so they don't venture out too often. Great for spotting wolves and black bears on a Canada road trip though

 

[Barn Owl]

Have a look on www.birdforum.net for opinions on all makes.

 

[ged]

This kind of question seems to come up a lot.

Is it worth having a sticky on one of the gear sections with a bunch of links to threads like this?

 

[Will Bowden]

I have a pair of these - http://www.opticron.co.uk/Pages/im_tga_wp.htm sickeningly I bought them for £2.50 at a jumble sale, they were absolutely filthy but they have cleaned up well and friends who have looked through them have been genuinely staggered how good they are.

Will

 

[Manacles]

At around £150 look at Opticron, particularly their "Oregon" range. They do a very good 8 x 32 for about a ton. Well worth a look.