Binocular recommendations please

StuartH

StuartH

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Stuart
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Looking to get a half decent set of binos..probably 8x42 or 10x50 s. So far been looking at the olympus 10x50 dspi and the nikon aculon range,anyone own or owned either or maybe offer an alternative?I am all ears
Budget of about £100
 
Thanks Gary for the reply..tbh the ones you mentioned by celestron were my first choice lol..but looking a bit deeper into it saw few reviews that said the olympus were leaps and bounds better,clarity etc?..TBH I wont be using them a great deal just the odd bit of bird watching and wildlife whilst sat on the bank when away fishing.
 
If you are used to top quality camera glass then cheapo binos might be a disappointment. I tried the £100 a pair route and soon got p***ed off with c/a and fuzzy images. I thought I wouldn't notice the drop in quality but I did. Finished up with a pair of Leicas and they cost quite a bit more but they are superb.
 
Have been using a mates cheapo tasco ones and they were surprisingly good nice and sharp and fit for purpose although very old lol
 
My old set was Nikon prostaff very nice for money and clear optics, I recently purchased Vanguard Endevours which are superb but 2.5-3x price both are 8x42
 
I have some Nikon spot type ones. Sorry i don't have them to hand for the model, but the glass is clear and they've always impressed me when I used them. They cost around 100ish. Binos aren't my forte really. I always feel a bit odd using them unless i'm out in the sticks!
 
You don't say what you'll be using them for, or how critical your requirements are. In truth, one of the biggest problems with inexpensive binoculars is CA (Chromatic Aberration). Try sitting in a hide watching (particularly) white birds for any length of time. The purple / cyan fringing around the bird(s) will drive you nuts. Leitz or Swarovski binoculars are much more expensive for a reason.
If your budget is fixed, fair play but you get what you pay for.
 
Maybe look out for a used Hawke frontier/ Sapphire ED 8 X42 . Another good one is the Opticron HRWP 8x42 or perhaps an Opticron Countryman HD for a bit more cash.
Nikon action EX 7 x 35 or Leupold Yosemite 6 x30 are both well regarded porro prisms for under £100 new.
Personally I very much prefer a sharp 7x 8x or even 6x to a less sharp and not as bright 10 x for birdwatching.
 
zeugma said:
You don't say what you'll be using them for, or how critical your requirements are. In truth, one of the biggest problems with inexpensive binoculars is CA (Chromatic Aberration). Try sitting in a hide watching (particularly) white birds for any length of time. The purple / cyan fringing around the bird(s) will drive you nuts. Leitz or Swarovski binoculars are much more expensive for a reason.
If your budget is fixed, fair play but you get what you pay for.
Click to expand...
"
TBH I wont be using them a great deal just the odd bit of bird watching and wildlife whilst sat on the bank when away fishing."
 
Stuart,

like all optics you generally get what you pay for. The top end ones are only clearly worth the extra under crap weather condition, if all you plan to do is use them on bright sunny days then cheaps the way to go ( £100-£200) Should get you a reasonably good pair.
Never buy a pair of bins with out trying them out as the eye relief and eyecups vary a lot and you might find some uncomfortable, never buy a pair on a bright sunny day as this misleads you into thinking they are good and the first crap day you use them they will be worse than useless. The other thing is how long are you going to be holding them for as 10x50s are going to be heavy and like holding a telephoto lens will "wobble" as your arms get tired.

For most uses a set of 8x42s should see you though, light enough to hold to the eye for a good time and good light transmission in darker condition's.

Link to help you

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverande...darticles/watchingbirds/equipment/binoculars/

HTH

Ian
 
Thanks Ian much appreciated.I dont think the weight will be an issues as will only be used for short periods.Good advice about trying them out though,will pop into a store and look at a few and see which works best for me.
 
Where I used to work sells bino's and I tried everything we had (apart from the Swarovski). Some of our customers did the same and we came to the same conclusion: Steiner Ranger Pro were better than Nikon Monarch. I bought Ranger Pro 8x42 but suspect I should have bought the 10x42. The newer Ranger Ultimate are even better.

At the budget end, the Bushnell H2O are worth a look.
 
Did look at those funny enough Phil but bit of a nikon fan boy at heart! lol:nikon:
 
What you can be sure of Stuart is that the pairs recommended so far are excellent .... for their owners. They might be good for you too, but you cannot be sure. The only way to get the pairs that is good for you is to try some.

If you are near any of the InFocus shops - http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/shops.html I suggest you try them. If all their shops are as helpful as their shop at London Colney you won't go far wrong.

Also have a look for events at any local reserves. The RSPB, for example, often have equipment days at their reserves where you can have a try with a few pairs.

Dave
 
I'd say go for x 7's - I have x 8 and x 10's - I use the x 7's far more than the others
 
One thing i have done is go for the smallest size that you can, i've got a pair of 8x30 that i always use and carrying them even with my camera is no hassle.
My 10x42's were always just a bit too clumsy and hardly got used.
 
Maybe the 8x40s will be a better bet for me..have a feeling the 10x50s will be to big etc.Trying to find somewhere local with reasonable selection to try out before I buy again.
 
Mmm may have been a tad hasty just adjusted them slightly and altered a few things and much better! Teach me for jumping in feet first lol Not too bad at all although take a while to get used to the small size.Image is certainly very crisp and clear and focus wheel nice and smooth..Just topped the bird feeders up and sat waiting :rolleyes::beer:
 
I would strongly recommend 8x40 (or 8.5x42) as a good compromise between magnification, weight and brightness. Getting bins with higher magnification will mean they will be heavier (10x50) or dimmer (10x40). Getting smaller, lighter bins (8x25 or - ugh - 10x25) will make the image dimmer. I'd also recommend going for roof prisms instead of porro prisms - just because they're much more compact.

Unfortunately I can't really recommend any particular model as mine are either discontinued (Swift Audubon) or outside your stated price range (Swarovski).
 
I have two pairs of Lieca, one 10x 42 I think without going to my landrover and one 8x25 both are excellent but I think Swarvorskis are better.imho.
 
I have an old (1970's) pair of Miranda 8X42's that are OK ish, but just got myself a new pair of Steiner Skyhawk pro 3 8X42 bin's. The difference in quality is marked!
Been looking at them for a while & prices are around £340, but saw Selfridges have an offer on @ £299......sorted! :cool:
 
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I have always bought either Zeiss or Swarovski (Habicht) - but when I lost my Swarovski 8.5x42 ELs to a burgler I replaced them with a pair of Nikon Monarch 8x36 - available on the 'bay, whihc is where I got them from - damaged stock. It was the box was a bit dog eared, that was all. The contents were perfect and still in the opaque polybag they come wrapped in, instruction booklet was also unmarked. £136.00 last time I looked - they are absolutely fantastic and every bit as good as my Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 that I still have and use regularly - the Zeiss have more resolving power after twilight, but during the day, I use the smaller, lighter, more compact pair all the time.
 
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