Recommend me some binoculars...

[graybear1]

Hey all,
Am looking at purchasing...or having someone else purchase me for christmas )) some binoculars. Can anyone recommend me a good set?

Im looking at spending around 30-70 quid, preferably a smaller pair, Im not an enthusiast, I just would like a decent set...

Thanks in advance!

 

[marcelxl]

I have some of these,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=02X0HY174912Y8GE0ZQJ
You can get them cheaper if you search, they are superb for my needs (for twitching/general use and for archery) they are compact and "waterproof"

 

[ged]

It isn't easy to recommend a pair of binoculars without knowing how you'll want to use them and in what conditions. Good optics cost lots of money, hundreds of pounds not tens of pounds. I'd recommend getting to a few shops and trying a few pairs out before settling on anything. My take on it is that magnification is less important than the light gathering power. If size and weight are an issue consider a monocular.

 

[para106]

I bagged a very good set of Steiner Wildlife binos off the bay for about £100. Pocket sized & completely waterproof - just the job for me.

 

[Shewie]

Like Ged says, it depends on what you want to use them for really

A couple of things to think about ...

Magnification is not the be all and end all of choosing a good set, it's not necessarily just a case of buying the ones with the biggest number. A high mag. gives you a narrower field of view plus making it harder to keep the image still at the same time. Anything with a mag higher than 10x will be near impossible to hold and will require a tripod.
Go for the biggest lens you think you can carry, the bigger diameter lens the more light and bigger field of view you'll get. So if you're planning to stalk deer or other critters that come out at dawn and dusk, a set with 42 or 50mm lenses should be perfect. If you divide the lens size by the magnification that gives you the exit pupil size in mm which is the key, the higher the exit pupil the more light that reaches your eye.

I've learned this since going out and buying a set blind earlier this year I went for a set of Lugers which had some really nice glass in but the specs were all wrong for what I need really. I went for some middle range £70 10x25 from Tamarack, to be fair they have a lovely quality image but they're quite jittery to hand hold. Doing the maths isn't too good, divide the 25mm lens by the 10x magnification and I'm only getting an exit pupil of 2.5mm. If I'd gone for the lower priced 8x I would have got a better performing set for my needs.

If I was buying again I'd be look at something around 8x42

 

[W0lf]

A tip that may be worth looking at is low visibility binoculars. I recently used a pair for the weekend that a friend brought along and I found them to be by far the best I've used. They are designed to be used at dusk and the visibility at all times of the day is just much more crisper than any other binoculars I've used (IMO).

Maybe worth googling and seeing what's what. He said he bought his from his local RSPB shop but I imagine they are pricey.

 

[_mark_]

Nikon oıo

 

[ged]

If I was buying again I'd be look at something around 8x42

I bought a pair of 8x40 from Oxfam for eight quid. They get as much use as anything else, and I have binoculars that would make your eyes water. The 8x40 sit on the kitchen table for watching the birds on the feeders in the garden. The only thing I'd change about them is their closest focus. There's no reason to settle for anything that won't focus as close as a couple of metres -- unless you're buying from a charity shop of course!

Another thing to think about is the age of your eyes. A large exit pupil is a lot more use to someone twenty years old than it is to me, because my pupils don't open so wide any more.

 

[bushcraftbob]

I bought these after reading a few reviews and are very pleased with them. Semi-compact aswell.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_8&products_id=107160

 

[Barn Owl]

Nikon travelite may do.

 

[graybear1]

Wow! Thanks so much guys. And my apologies for delay in reply... time zones here in Australia are a bit off to say the least!! You're absolutely right about the context in which they are being used...and to be honest, I'm not 100% sure myself! On thinking about it I think they'd obviously be used for twitching/general wildlife use, but also for absorbing views etc and utilised on bush walks etc... I will do some further research with the info you've all so kindly put forward... I'll let you know how it all goes...!!

 

[JDO330]

So whats the "Mora Clipper" of the Bino / Monocular world then, there must be something?

Im a total novice but would like something for general wildlife watching with the kids, small size & low light performance being key I think?

ATB, Jon.

 

[spoony]

a review of the ones i just got

Over the years I have bought numerous pairs of ?budget? binoculars and accepted the limitations ? numerous as they are.

I had for some time been perusing the market looking for affordable quality. I was lucky enough on a recent stalk to try a very expensive pair of well known high end binoculars. The difference in quality was not comparable to the binoculars I had owned in the past. Unfortunately, the ?900+ price tag was just a step too far for me. The hunt continued, but I was certain of the type of quality I was aiming for now.

Then I came across Strathspey and the information on their website was very helpful as well as promising. I opted for the 8X32 pair and the added bonus was that they were waterproof.

Within a couple of days they arrived and I was not disappointed. They felt extremely solid and well built with a rubber armour finish and weighing in at 0.6kg, they are comfortable to hold for long periods. You get:

Full instructions
Objective lenses 32mm
Prisms BAK-4 roof prisms
Coatings level IV
Field of view 7.4 degrees
Exit pupil diameter 4mm
Tripod adaptor fitting

The exit pupil is defined as the lens size / magnification, so for 8x32 its 32/8=4mm
In sunlight your eye's pupil will contract to a size of 2-4mm. But at night they'll open to 7mm (depending on age). If the light beam is wider than your pupil if can't all get through, so binoculars with 4mm exit pupil size seem as bright as those with 6mm in daylight. However they may seem dimmer than those with 6mm as it gets darker.
This is a trade off for size and weight I was prepared to make.

Having tried them out the first time watching for flight lines over some fields, I have to say I did not notice the trade off I had made, as the light faded, they continued to provide a clear and crisp view. They performed extremely well at various distances.

I have also had the opportunity to use the binoculars during a heavy rain storm whilst pigeon decoying. They did not steam up and performed just as well as they did in clear, dry conditions. From my experience of them so far, I have no doubt they will perform well in any weather.

These binoculars are intended for woodland stalking, shooting and general outdoor use. One feature which I think is a must is the built in lens covers that you flip down, but stay attached to the body of the binoculars so you can?t lose them. If you are anything like me, then you will have lost more than a couple of lens covers in the field, never to be found again.

I have since been able to compare these binoculars directly with the expensive ones that I first tried. I have to say that I found them just as clear and lighter to carry. I was using them up until 10:30pm at the end of May and they continued to perform extremely well and the field of view was excellent.

The guide I was with was very impressed with the quality of these binoculars, having always purchased the well know high end brands. Having tried these, he is now in the market for a pair himself.

If you are in the market for quality binoculars, but find the ?900+ price tags beyond you ? as I did ? then these are the ones for you. In a direct comparison with a more expensive brand, they actually performed just as well for me.

I have no connection to Strathspey this is my personal view.
These can be found at http://www.strathspey.co.uk/

Sorry for the rubbish quality pics.

 

[JDO330]

Hey Spoony,

Great info & great pics, very impressed indeed (with my limited knowledge of bins that is). In fact, your info and pics are better than the web site in my opinion!

Im really tempted with these, admittedly a bit more that I wanted to spend but....

Also, Im struggling to guage how big they are. Knowing what im like, if they are big and chunky I wont carry them (hence I have two barely used camcorders!!).

ATB, Jon.

 

[spoony]

look at second pic thats my thumb (i have small hands) they are sitting in palm of hand,

 

[Martyn]

So whats the "Mora Clipper" of the Bino / Monocular world then, there must be something?

Opticron, no question.

Lots of nice mid-range bins, like Stieners but are usually a few hundred quid unless bought second hand - even then they can be expensive. Old East German Ziess Jenoptem bins are excellent and can be had on ebay for about £80-£150, but are big and heavy and you are taking a risk buying old bins, but if you get a good pair, they are supposed to be awesome. Porro prism are generally a bit cheaper than roof prism because there is less glass in em and they are easier to make, but they are less popular because they are bigger and bulkier to carry. It's worth noting, that all else being equal, £100 porro prism bins should be better than £100 roof prism because of this (doesnt always follow though).

Opticron are probably the best "budget" binoculars, with lots of bird watchers buying them as "beaters" for when they dont want to mess up their £1800 worth of Lieca Ultravids. After a lot of searching, I recently bought my dad a pair of £120 Opticron Imagic 8x42 porros, thinking all those fussy bird watchers cant be wrong ...and much to my dismay, they are every bit as good as my Stiener Merlins. Very, very good bins for the money. They also do a roof prism version of the same binocular which is also supposed to be excellent, but it's over £300 and that puts you in Stiener territory.

You're absolutely right about the context in which they are being used...and to be honest, I'm not 100% sure myself! On thinking about it I think they'd obviously be used for twitching/general wildlife use, but also for absorbing views etc and utilised on bush walks etc...

As others have said, dont be tempted by 10x25's whichever brand you go for, it'll be like looking through a straw and very tiring to use, with poor light gathering and a dim image. For general use, 7x42 or 8x42 are ideal. The magnification is far less important than the image size and for that you need big objectives. There really is a huge difference in the quality and brightness of image. As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the objective and the lower the magnification, will give you the bigger, brighter image - 7x50's are awesome, but they are huge and heavy, 8x42 are a good general purpose size, 7x32 are acceptable if they are good quality bins and the need for a compact size is paramount, but the x20's are toy binoculars and if you go that route (we all have at some point) you may as well get £10 worth of argos tat for how much use they will be - well maybe that's a bit harsh, they do have their uses, but they are not designed for quality surveillance of wildlife etc so are not really worth spending more than a few quid on.

 

[armysurplusstoreuk]

Its good to read product reviews on the internet first before buying your binoculars. Mine is not too expensive but I am very much satisfied with the performance.

 

[graybear1]

Been poking around a bit and have come across a brand called "Tasco". (Not a spelling mistake for the supermarket). They're American and have some reasonable sets. Ebay in Australia is littered with cheap sets from Asia, there's even a brand called "Mystery" which is quite amusing. Tasco seems quite good though. Anyone heard of them?

 

[spoony]

tasco also make cheap rifle scopes up to you but i wouldnt buy them i know what i would buy again without hesitation trust me you will not be disappointed

 

[Martyn]

Tasco seems quite good though. Anyone heard of them?

Yeah, common brand of cheap optics in the UK. Cheap, being the operative word. Avoid IMO.