Binocular advice please

[andyxedos]

Hiya everyone
Been fancying treating myself to a set of binos for when I'm out walking.
They will only be used for general nature & scenery viewing now and again and be preferably fairly lightweight so I can use them as much as possible. I want to say waterproof as well so I'm not scared to take them out.
I've noticed these that seem good value and maybe a useful zoom? and would like some opinions:

Olympus DPS I - Binoclulars 8-16 x 40

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-DPS-Binoculars-8-16-40/dp/B0000YVEG0

Thanks in advance!
Andy

 

[Nomad]

Not compact, not particularly lightweight, and not waterproof. The zoom feature is of questionable value - it will result in optical compromises that are arguably more evident at this sort of price. Another thing about zooms is that, the bigger the magnification, the harder it is to hold the bins steady (like camera shake in photography when using a telephoto lens). 16x mag is likely outside of most people's ability to keep them steady without resting the elbows on something or using a tripod. In other words, zooms can rapidly become difficult to use, meaning that most of the zoom range isn't worth having for handheld walkabout stuff. The image also darkens as you zoom in.

For something light and stashable at that kind of money, with good optical quality, you could consider these...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Barr-Stroud-Sierra-8x32-binoculars/dp/B003JHRN7Y

...or the 8x42 version if viewing at dusk or dawn is likely (more light transmission with the bigger 42mm objective means it's easier to see details in poor light and shadows).

 

[andyxedos]

Thanks for that! The Barr's look really good and closer to what I'm after. To throw a spanner in the works a mate offered me some Olympus binos similar to in my post for £30 my thinking continues....

 

[ocean1975]

I have just brought the Barr and Stroud bino's and l love them,they are not to big and heavy and they are nice and clears and easy to use.have a look on eBay

 

[Nomad]

I read a couple of the less than complementary reviews on the Amazon page and noted some other things. The eyecups are useless (no adjustment and not set to the eye relief distance) the field of view is rather narrow (= feeling of tunnel vision), the optical quality when zoomed in is poor, and it seems that the sturdiness of the mechanics at the oculars is questionable (flexing when pressed to the face).

With that, let me be a tad more forthright - I wouldn't touch those Olympus bins with a bargepole. I wouldn't take them for free. If you offered me money to use them, I'd stay skint. To not put too fine a point on it, they're bordering on being junk.

You might find this thread helpful...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133502

 

[andyxedos]

Lol cheers for that going to save and get the better option I reckon!

 

[Silverback 1]

What's the all important budget?

Have to agree with Nomad, the binos in your link are totally cr@p, the 8-16 magnification says it all.

 

[andyxedos]

Looking around £40-50...which isn't going to get me much by the looks of it! Lol only going to use them now and again but would still like to get something half decent

 

[Nomad]

I'd keep stashing the pennies away. The sweet spot for bins that punch well above their weight is in the £70-85 range, provided you aim for the right type and spec. Cheap zoom bins are almost notorious for being poor and full of compromises - it costs money to design and add the zoom gubbins, which means other bits suffer when they're being built down to a low price. For the same 70 quid or so, a simpler design can add up to better overall quality. The simpler designs are also far more popular, meaning economy of scale comes into it, so you tend to get proportionally more for your money again.

To an extent, the idea is to find bins that don't get in the way - ones where the optics are good enough for the flaws to not be especially noticeable such that you tend to forget you're using them and get lost in what you're looking at. Same for things like ergonomics - if they're heavy, awkward to hold, focus is fiddly, etc, it can become a binocular using session rather than a viewing and observing session.

 

[Silverback 1]

Looking around £40-50...which isn't going to get me much by the looks of it! Lol only going to use them now and again but would still like to get something half decent

I have a pair of these in the glove box of the car, and they really are excellent for the money

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006U3ZI...m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0FG9N9D15KCNZYRE8FB4