Binoculars Advice Please

Ben6

Ben6

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Hey guys,

Ive been saying for a while now that i need to get a set of binoculars.

They'll mainly be used for wildlife but I'd like them be be fairly versatile for walks and things too.

I don't really know anything about binoculars so any advice at all would be appreciated.

Not really sure about what sort of budget i need to be dedicating for these but id guess around the £100 mark as my first set then maybe something better and give these to the Mrs at a later date.

Ive seen these Olympus ones on amazon, do they seem reasonable to anyone in the know or could i spend my money wiser?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-DPS-Binoculars-8-16-40/dp/B0000YVEG0/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

Thanks in advance Ben.
 
First bit of advice is to avoid zoom binoculars as they are invariably poor quality and will suffer misalignment at the slightest knock. I'd recommend looking for an 8x32 roof prism binocular from either Opticron or Nikon. These ones on Amazon for £90 are an excellent buy - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opticron-32...ectronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1343160803&sr=1-3-spell I used to work in a shop selling binoculars and we sold huge numbers of these, they really are very good value.
 
Opticron and Hawke seem to be above average for their price.

http://www.birdforum.net/ might be worth a browse.

You should be able to get some good advice from Sherwoods, one of the In Focus shops or RSPB reserves. Acceptable weight, field of view, eye relief, etc. are quite personal so you really need to have a pair in hand before you buy. ...I really like 10x but many people seem to hate anything above 8x.

Above your budget but I can recommend the Hawke Frontier EDs (old or new model) though they're not the smallest/ lightest. As with most things, if you're likely to upgrade you'd probably be best paying a little more now.
 
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buy a decent pair of 10x42 if your wanting to use them for wildlife i would think that 8x32 are a bit short but hayo each to there own
 
In focus do open days at local reserves, check there site to find the nearest to you. Go down and try as many as you can as bins are more personal than a scope, some my not suit you.

Nothing bigger than 10x42, i prefer 8x42 myself. you may find a good second hand pair at an IF event, often old pairs are trade ins.
 
Canon image stabiliser 10x30? try them if you get a chance......
 
kev_blizard said:
buy a decent pair of 10x42 if your wanting to use them for wildlife i would think that 8x32 are a bit short but hayo each to there own
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I also prefer 10x but 10x bins will tend to have a narrower field of view than the corresponding 8x model - this can be a problem on some of the cheaper models if you’re not used to finding and tracking objects. A 10x will also tend to emphasise any hand shake more.

Then again, if you find a 10x that works…
 
kev_blizard said:
buy a decent pair of 10x42 if your wanting to use them for wildlife i would think that 8x32 are a bit short but hayo each to there own
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While 10x bins will suit some people (as shown by a few on this thread) far more people get on better with 8x. An 8x will have a wider field of view than an equivalent 10x and the lower magnification means that shake is less of an issue so viewing can be easier. You also get a larger exit pupil which makes eye placement less critical which in turn makes them easier to use. Having done side by side tests I personally found that I could see more detail with an 8x than a 10x. If you got the chance then Cley Spy in Norfolk is a great place to go and try them, they the widest range of binoculars in stock of anywhere in the country.
 
I got some Bushnell Natureview bins for my birthday in Jan. While not the most expensive they seem to have good colour and contrast with little abberation. I went for the roof prism versions which are a bit more bit more weatherproof apparently. They do some porro prism versions which are bigger and heavier but cheaper.

I also went for 10x but holding them still can sometimes be an issue if I'm tired. It's the usual thing, people say get 8x, you go "but 10x is better" and ignore the advice. That said they are no worse than the heavy old 8x ones I was using so also pay attention to the weight.

Got them from WEX and was very happy all accounted for. Other than the front caps, they are crap.
 
George said:
Canon image stabiliser 10x30? try them if you get a chance......
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Yes... Once you have used IS binos, you don't want to go back to non-IS binos. I own a pair of Canon IS 10x30 and 12x36. Whilst they don't have the ultimate exit pupil (both being 3mm) so they are more restrictive for low light (although I find them fine for casual stargazing) the IS really does work. Handholding 12x is easy - even with shaky hands.... I can't get on with a pair of 8x42 the father in law has now...
 
PS. I know they are out of the OPs price range, but I was just replying to say how much I love my 12x36s...
 
Thanks for all the replies, I'm well and truly overwhelmed by the choice there is available.
I think i need to go somewhere and try out as many as i can and see what i feel is right in my hands and what I'm comfortable with.
I'm about an hour away from Slimbridge Wildlife Trust and Ive got a few days off work next week so might pop there for a look and try to be a fussy customer and look at as many as i can.
 
Ben6 said:
Thanks for all the replies, I'm well and truly overwhelmed by the choice there is available.
I think i need to go somewhere and try out as many as i can and see what i feel is right in my hands and what I'm comfortable with.
I'm about an hour away from Slimbridge Wildlife Trust and Ive got a few days off work next week so might pop there for a look and try to be a fussy customer and look at as many as i can.
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Make sure you tell them on the desk you are going to the In Focus shop, then they will not charge you the entry fee.

They are really helpful in there, it would be worth asking what they have in the used stuff as you are on a budget.
 
Martyn... said:
Make sure you tell them on the desk you are going to the In Focus shop, then they will not charge you the entry fee.

They are really helpful in there, it would be worth asking what they have in the used stuff as you are on a budget.
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Thanks Martyn, may aswell do that and save myself a few £ on the entry if im just going to the shop.
Do you know the shop very well? Is there quite a large selection for me to view and try out? Or am i more going into a shop with just a few to try?
 
Ben6 said:
Thanks Martyn, may aswell do that and save myself a few £ on the entry if im just going to the shop.
Do you know the shop very well? Is there quite a large selection for me to view and try out? Or am i more going into a shop with just a few to try?
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You may have to buy a ticket, and get it stamped in the shop so you get a refund now, it was a couple of years ago I was there.

They had a fair selection, the guy was really helpful, I was given loads to try out to see which I preferred, no pressure either.
 
Martyn... said:
You may have to buy a ticket, and get it stamped in the shop so you get a refund now, it was a couple of years ago I was there.

They had a fair selection, the guy was really helpful, I was given loads to try out to see which I preferred, no pressure either.
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That sounds perfect for me so i'll try and pop there soon and see what seems to suit me best.
 
I used to own a pair of Canon IS binoculars. The horribly small exit pupil and the very short eye relief made them near-unusable. 30mm is too small an objective for 10x magnification. Images will be very dark. 8x30 is OK, 8x40 is much better.
 
I bought a pair using an approach I would recommend.
Went down my local camera shop and tried them all out.

There was only one pocketable pair I could read the post office opening times from the shop door.
They didn't have the biggest magnification.
They weren't a brand I knew (Pentax and Nikon were in the comparison).
They were mid-priced and mid-sized.
But like I said, they were the only pair I could read the distant sign.

I also tried a big pair of bins I'd be loathed to carry with my camera gear.
The writing was bigger, but wasn't any clearer.

And that is how I purchased my pair of Opticron binoculars. They have now done me many years of good service.
 
I have some Bushnell 8x42 h20 bins which are very good and cost me £100 I will be passing these on to my wife and upgrading at the end of the year! Going to look at opticron!
 
Ben, your comment about needing to go and try some and see how they feel is the most important thing you can do when buying binoculars.

Any views about which particular pairs various people, including myself, like are irrelevant.

They have to be right for you.

If all the In Focus shops are like the one at London Colney then you won't go far wrong.

Dave
 
hollis_f said:
I used to own a pair of Canon IS binoculars. The horribly small exit pupil and the very short eye relief made them near-unusable. 30mm is too small an objective for 10x magnification. Images will be very dark. 8x30 is OK, 8x40 is much better.
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Perhaps I don't use them in the same conditions as you, but in normal daylight 3mm exit pupil is fine as the eye pupil diameter is small anyway. They are no darker than the 8x42's I have that are sat next to them. It is only when your eye pupil is wider than 3mm that they will appear darker than a set with larger exit pupil (exit pupil = objective/mag) will appear brighter. I find the IS more than compensates for this though in all conditions I have used them....

I have no idea on eye relief, but although I wear glasses, I always push them up and have no problems.
 
MOD EDIT: POST REMOVED DUE TO ATTEMPTED SELLING OUTSIDE CLASSIFIEDS SECTION.

SUSPENSION ISSUED FOR REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO DO SAME.
 
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I have had a pair of centon 7 x 50 bins since 2001 - and have given (and still do) brilliant service both day and night and poor weather . Always bright big clear image - exit pupil of 7 . The wide angle of 7.1 degrees is superb . Not sure if they are still available but i bought them from a well know camera store in 2001 for £40 . Great all purpose bins .
 
As already mentioned go and try them it's the only way, and go on a dull day as bright sunlight makes crap bins look better than they are. :)
 
arad85 said:
Perhaps I don't use them in the same conditions as you, but in normal daylight 3mm exit pupil is fine as the eye pupil diameter is small anyway.
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It's not only image brightness in dark conditions that is adversely affected by a small exit pupil - it's general ease of use. With a small exit pupil you need to have the inter-pupillary distance exactly correct, and you need the optical axis to be directly in line with that of your eyeballs.

This is virtually impossible when a small exit pupil is combined with short eye relief and spectacles. The combination of those three is probably why I really hated my IS binoculars.


For people who aren't sure what I'm talking about - try this, especially if you wear specs. Go to an optics store, or show, and get a pair of 10x25 bins - or similar. Adjust them so you've got a good view of the far distance, with the images from both eyes overlapping nicely. Now, while keeping your head still, rotate the bins slightly - left and right. What you'll find is that the image from one eye or another soon disappears - you no longer have that overlapping 3D image.

Now try the same with some 8x40 bins. Notice the extremely wide range of angles where the bins still produce a decent image. Marvel at how much easier they are to get that overlapping image, without lots of tweaking to get it just right. The whole kit just feels smoother to use and less annoying.
 
hollis_f said:
It's not only image brightness in dark conditions that is adversely affected by a small exit pupil - it's general ease of use. With a small exit pupil you need to have the inter-pupillary distance exactly correct, and you need the optical axis to be directly in line with that of your eyeballs.

This is virtually impossible when a small exit pupil is combined with short eye relief and spectacles. The combination of those three is probably why I really hated my IS binoculars.
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I did say:

arad85 said:
I have no idea on eye relief, but although I wear glasses, I always push them up and have no problems.
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I'm fortunate that I only need specs to correct for focus issues, not any astigmatism, so I can setup the binos to use them without glasses. I'm also generally the only person to use them (Ms arad85 has a set of her own) so once setup, they are setup for me and I have no problems using them. Also, the inter-pupilliary distance is fairly easy to set, but by virtue of the design of the binos, is very difficult to knock out, so again, if set is easy to leave set.

Whilst I can understand why these are issues which some would find too much to overcome, I'd still say that the IS system compensates for far more than you gain by going to a bigger exit pupil for more ease of use. I don't care how much you pay on optics - you can't easily compensate for a shaky view.

I could agree with a statement that says the Canons are less than ideal for people who need/want to view through specs, but to say they are near unusable as a sweeping statement is wide of the mark as far as I'm concerned....
 
I use Opticron Verano 8x40 roof prism which I find excellent, I know at around £250 they are well out of your price range, but I managed to get mine direct from Opticron as "Ex-Demo" and therefore saved a fair bit,so if you do decide on Opticron it may be worthwhile giving them a call.
 
madmardle said:
I use Opticron Verano 8x40 roof prism which I find excellent, I know at around £250 they are well out of your price range, but I managed to get mine direct from Opticron as "Ex-Demo" and therefore saved a fair bit,so if you do decide on Opticron it may be worthwhile giving them a call.
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Sorry, I have misled you, I've just had my copy of the RSPB magazine delivered and seen the Opticron advert. The Verano's are £439 so they have either had a massive price rise since I bought mine or they have bought out a new model. If it's the latter it might still be worth giving them a call to see if they have any of the old type left in stock.
 
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