Binoculars

Nikon_Nick

Nikon_Nick

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Evening. I’ve been looking to get a pair of compact binoculars, but know absolutely nothing about what appears to be hundreds of different brands. So, I’m looking for suggestions from you fine people. From the research I’ve done so far, I am looking for something either 10x42 or 12x42, compact enough to keep in a jacket pocket, and ideally up to about £60. They won’t get much use, just for a bit of spotting at local nature reserves etc. Any recommendations appreciated. Cheers.
 
My usual advice is to choose 8x42 with ED glass. This currently sets the budget at around £200 (was £300). I recently bought some Opticron Explorer WA ED-R 8x42 as a relatively inexpensive pair to keep in the car and they are really very good, even compared to my main binoculars.


I think you need to up your to around £100 to avoid disappointment, though this will not include ED glass.

12x42 will have an exit pupil of about 3.5mm, which for me is too small and dark and, not easy to get a comfortable view. They are also less easy to hold steady. Similar for 10x42, but they have a 4mm exit pupil and will be a bit brighter and easier viewing.

As a minimum, look for waterproof, nitrogen filled, phase coatings and field of view around 120m or more @ 1000m. If you or potential users wear glasses, then eye relief of 17mm will be useful.

These would probably be reasonable:
www.wexphotovideo.com

Opticron Adventurer II WP 8x42 Binoculars | Wex Photo Video

The Adventurer II WP 8x42 Binoculars from Opticron combine the benefits of good quality optics with a budget-friendly price tag.
www.wexphotovideo.com
 
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You really do get what you pay for with binns. We have 3 pairs, 8 x 42 in the car, both the Mrs & I have 10 x 42, different makes but both were over £150. It's important to look into dark areas to see how well they perform. If you're near one of the "In Focus" stores, they usually have plenty of different models that you can try.
 
GeeJay57 said:
My usual advice is to choose 8x42 with ED glass. This currently sets the budget at around £200 (was £300). I recently bought some Opticron Explorer WA ED-R 8x42 as a relatively inexpensive pair to keep in the car and they are really very good, even compared to my main binoculars.


I think you need to up your to around £100 to avoid disappointment, though this will not include ED glass.

12x42 will have an exit pupil of about 3.5mm, which for me is too small and dark and, not easy to get a comfortable view. They are also less easy to hold steady. Similar for 10x42, but they have a 4mm exit pupil and will be a bit brighter and easier viewing.

As a minimum, look for waterproof, nitrogen filled, phase coatings and field of view around 120m or more @ 1000m. If you or potential users wear glasses, then eye relief of 17mm will be useful.

These would probably be reasonable:
www.wexphotovideo.com

Opticron Adventurer II WP 8x42 Binoculars | Wex Photo Video

The Adventurer II WP 8x42 Binoculars from Opticron combine the benefits of good quality optics with a budget-friendly price tag.
www.wexphotovideo.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, very helpful. It does seem I’ll need to increase my budget, but those Opticron ones you’ve linked to do look like the sort of thing I’m after.
 
Jelster said:
You really do get what you pay for with binns. We have 3 pairs, 8 x 42 in the car, both the Mrs & I have 10 x 42, different makes but both were over £150. It's important to look into dark areas to see how well they perform. If you're near one of the "In Focus" stores, they usually have plenty of different models that you can try.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. Definitely does look like I’ll need to increase my budget. I didn’t want to spend too much on something that wouldn’t get much use, but I also don’t want to buy crap, so I’ll be digging a bit deeper it seems.
 
I'd echo what's been said about getting what you pay for.

Nearly any pair of bins will seem to perform well in good light.

The better ones will perform well in poor light, handle well, be durable and have good after-sales support.

I would also comment that 8-10x42 binoculars are full-size, not particularly compact. There's a whole debate to be had over objective size, field of view and light gathering vs size and weight, but suffice to say that x32 and smaller are generally regarded as compact.

I went to the Birdfair in July with the aim of buying a pair of compact (8-10x32 or thereabouts) binoculars to supplement my 10x42 Leicas, which are a bit heavy to carry along with a camera and birding lens - I was able to compare side-by-side between the different manufacturers and across their ranges. I'll say that the Swarovski NL Pures are the best available optically in this size but at £2250 they should be. I ended up with Hawke ED 8x32 at £420 which is above your price range but seemed the best compromise for my use.

TL;DR - visit a good retailer and try side-by-side comparisons in the field but be prepared to spend over your budget if you accidentally look through more expensive glass!
 
I'm sure people will chip in with their views, but I have a pair of Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 bins. Great little bins imo, with the added advantage of focussing down to 50cm for plants, slow insects, etc. Can be bought for around £100. Used like new on Amazon currently. I also have the 8.5 x21 model. Worth a look at either.

Also, take a look at Hawke. They do nice little compact bins for around your budget.in their Nature-Trek range.

Points made about low light usage, ED glass etc are sound. With bins you definitely get what you pay for.
 
The Duke of Bork said:
I'd echo what's been said about getting what you pay for.

Nearly any pair of bins will seem to perform well in good light.

The better ones will perform well in poor light, handle well, be durable and have good after-sales support.

I would also comment that 8-10x42 binoculars are full-size, not particularly compact. There's a whole debate to be had over objective size, field of view and light gathering vs size and weight, but suffice to say that x32 and smaller are generally regarded as compact.

I went to the Birdfair in July with the aim of buying a pair of compact (8-10x32 or thereabouts) binoculars to supplement my 10x42 Leicas, which are a bit heavy to carry along with a camera and birding lens - I was able to compare side-by-side between the different manufacturers and across their ranges. I'll say that the Swarovski NL Pures are the best available optically in this size but at £2250 they should be. I ended up with Hawke ED 8x32 at £420 which is above your price range but seemed the best compromise for my use.

TL;DR - visit a good retailer and try side-by-side comparisons in the field but be prepared to spend over your budget if you accidentally look through more expensive glass!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info; more for me to think about. I have to be careful, as I’ve already ‘accidentally’ purchased 3 new lenses over the last few weeks :)
 
JohnX said:
I'm sure people will chip in with their views, but I have a pair of Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 bins. Great little bins imo, with the added advantage of focussing down to 50cm for plants, slow insects, etc. Can be bought for around £100. Used like new on Amazon currently. I also have the 8.5 x21 model. Worth a look at either.

Also, take a look at Hawke. They do nice little compact bins for around your budget.in their Nature-Trek range.

Points made about low light usage, ED glass etc are sound. With bins you definitely get what you pay for.
Click to expand...
Thanks, John. Appreciate that.
 
Can you get to an RSPB reserve with a shop, The Lodge appears to be the nearest to Harlow? If so check out their puffin range, slightly over £60 but good value for money.
shopping.rspb.org.uk

RSPB Puffin® 8 x 32 binoculars - Dynamic Promo exclusion assignment

RSPB Puffin® 8 x 32 binoculars
shopping.rspb.org.uk shopping.rspb.org.uk
They even have a buying guide

Choosing the Best Binoculars for Birdwatching - RSPB Shop

Finding the best binoculars for birdwatching can feel daunting. Our guide covers what to keep in mind, & what features to look out for based on your needs
shopping.rspb.org.uk shopping.rspb.org.uk
For 10x magnification you need to be steady and that is harder with smaller binoculars.
 
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JohnX said:
I'm sure people will chip in with their views, but I have a pair of Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 bins. Great little bins imo, with the added advantage of focussing down to 50cm for plants, slow insects, etc. Can be bought for around £100.
Click to expand...

I have those too. It was a great purchase
 
In addition to what I said above, I'll issue a personal recommendation for Nikon Travelite EX 8x25, which fit into your price bracket. We usually pack a pair of these as "backup" in case we have an issue with main bins when travelling abroad. We never have, but have loaned them to others in the party when thev've had accidents...

ETA - Good luck getting any joy from Nikon if you need service on binoculars.
 
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£60 is very low for a decent pair , These are great optice clear and bright , but well above your £60. If you had a decent pair you would use them more.
www.ebay.co.uk

Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
Suvv said:
Can you get to an RSPB reserve with a shop, The Lodge appears to be the nearest to Harlow? If so check out their puffin range, slightly over £60 but good value for money.
shopping.rspb.org.uk

RSPB Puffin® 8 x 32 binoculars - Dynamic Promo exclusion assignment

RSPB Puffin® 8 x 32 binoculars
shopping.rspb.org.uk shopping.rspb.org.uk
They even have a buying guide

Choosing the Best Binoculars for Birdwatching - RSPB Shop

Finding the best binoculars for birdwatching can feel daunting. Our guide covers what to keep in mind, & what features to look out for based on your needs
shopping.rspb.org.uk shopping.rspb.org.uk
For 10x magnification you need to be steady and that is harder with smaller binoculars.
Click to expand...
Great, thanks for that. I’ll take a look.
 
The Duke of Bork said:
In addition to what I said above, I'll issue a personal recommendation for Nikon Travelite EX 8x25, which fit into your price bracket. We usually pack a pair of these as "backup" in case we have an issue with main bins when travelling abroad. We never have, but have loaned them to others in the party when thev've had accidents...

ETA - Good luck getting any joy from Nikon if you need service on binoculars.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have a look at those also.
 
F1.2 said:
£60 is very low for a decent pair , These are great optice clear and bright , but well above your £60. If you had a decent pair you would use them more.
www.ebay.co.uk

Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...
They look fantastic, but I wouldn’t be able to afford to go anywhere to use them if I spent that much :D
 
Another vote for Opticron here - I use these for Otters, birds etc

www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk

Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis 8 x 42 Binoculars

Oregon 4 PC Oasis 8 x 42 Binoculars
www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk

Might find them cheaper elsewhere. I've compared these with Zeiss, Leicas and Swarovskis that cost over £2000 more, and I'd still rather have my Opticrons and spend the £2k on something else.
 
I'm not sure how much they cost but use work Carl Zeiss Victory SF 10x32. They are really good, also Carl Zeiss Terra ED but I find these less comfortable. I suspect they are not cheap but as others have said you get what you pay for.

If you can, go try them and you'll be shocked with the difference between cheap and good.
 
crieffy said:
Another vote for Opticron here - I use these for Otters, birds etc

www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk

Opticron Oregon 4 PC Oasis 8 x 42 Binoculars

Oregon 4 PC Oasis 8 x 42 Binoculars
www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk

Might find them cheaper elsewhere. I've compared these with Zeiss, Leicas and Swarovskis that cost over £2000 more, and I'd still rather have my Opticrons and spend the £2k on something else.
Click to expand...
Opticron are good value for money and in general give decent views. Some of their higher priced pairs are very highly rated. Oregon are a good first pair, I would compare them with the Adventurer and see what benefit the extra £50 gave.

I’ve had Oregon before and as mentioned above recently bought a pair of Explorer WA ED-R, which frankly give a better view. But to be honest, neither perform at the same level as my main binoculars (Swarovski 8.5x42 EL SV) and even these, which were arguably the very best 10-years ago, are now bested by the Swarovski NL Pure albeit only just.

The differences between the very top level binoculars and those at the more affordable end of the scale, become most apparent when conditions are tough and, of course this comes at a (considerable) price. Standing in a gloomy rainforest halfway around the world or on an evening safari in Africa, I’ve been very grateful for the additional optical quality from the Swaro’s.
 
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GeeJay57 said:
Opticron are good value for money and in general give decent views. Some of their higher priced pairs are very highly rated. Oregon are a good first pair, I would compare them with the Adventurer and see what benefit the extra £50 gave.

I’ve had Oregon before and as mentioned above recently bought a pair of Explorer WA ED-R, which frankly give a better view. But to be honest, neither perform at the same level as my main binoculars (Swarovski 8.5x42 EL SV) and even these, which were arguably the very best 10-years ago, are now bested by the Swarovski NL Pure albeit only just.

The differences between the very top level binoculars and those at the more affordable end of the scale, become most apparent when conditions are tough and, of course this comes at a (considerable) price. Standing in a gloomy rainforest halfway around the world or on an evening safari in Africa, I’ve been very grateful for the additional optical quality from the Swaro’s.
Click to expand...
Thanks again. This appears to be a much deeper rabbit hole than I’d imagined :oops: :$
 
Nikon_Nick said:
Thanks again. This appears to be a much deeper rabbit hole than I’d imagined :oops: :$
Click to expand...
It’s a classic law of diminishing returns thing with features, handling, construction, materials, optical performance, durability, etc changing/growing incrementally with price from say under £50 up to about £3000.

With each tangible set of benefits, the price kind of doubles, so 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3000. In my experience, the differences in optical quality become hard to detect once you get to £800 and above especially under good conditions. The main thing is to find a pair that you like handling and looking through, at a price you can afford.

Good luck.
 
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Nikon_Nick said:
They look fantastic, but I wouldn’t be able to afford to go anywhere to use them if I spent that much :D
Click to expand...
I just found a pair of Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars on line at Clifton Cameras for £199 now ordered and on the way to me. :) :cool:
 
F1.2 said:
I just found a pair of Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars on line at Clifton Cameras for £199 now ordered and on the way to me. :) :cool:
Click to expand...
I hope you like and enjoy them for many years.
 

​

Celestron Granite 12x50 ED Glass Binoculars arrived today , They are very clear and bright , Well happy.​

​

 
In my world they are small compaired to my other pair, Just having dinner , I will do a photo.
 
Still very happy with my Hawkes. Can't remember the exact model but they're 8x something. the slightly more expensive ones were optically (seemingly) identical but marginally more compact. Mine were well under £100 a couple of years ago.
 
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