Many years ago, before I started birding, I bought a pair of Pentax 16x25 bins. Mostly I love them - they're small, light, easy to carry and relatively clear. I don't generally find them too hard to hold steady either. However, now gradually getting more into birding I find the high magnifcation relative to the small objective size makes it pretty difficult to find a bird in a cluttered area. Was trying to find a kingfisher in the bushes on saturday and took me several attempts to find the right bush! The light pickup is pretty poor too, so am thinking about getting a decent pair of birding bins.
A friend of mine had a pair of Swarovski's SLCs which I liked - but having looked at warehouseexpress I'm rather gobsmacked at the prices. So looking to spend not more than £4-500 I'm wondering if I'd be better off going for a pair of quality compacts (eg the Zeis Conquest 10x30, the Swarovski 10x25B or the Leica Ultravid 10x25) or holding out for a larger objective and going for a cheaper brand (eg Pentax 10x42 DCF Hrc or the Nikon Monarch 10x42).
Any advice welcome!
My advice is 'try before you buy'. Go to one or two camera/optics shops in London and have a look through as many binoculars as possible; all shapes/sizes/prices. Soon you'll begin to get a 'feel' for what suits you: compact/midsize/large, 7x/8x/10x, porro or roof (porro's are better optical quality per £), ergonomics (weight/handling/focus/eyecups). Do not assume larger magnification will give a 'better' view. Indeed, most people find 8x to be just about right: wide enough field to find a bird, and sufficient power to identify it. Some birders swear by 10x, which is probably the practical limit for hand-held viewing if you can 'hold it steady'; any higher magnification really does need a tripod, even if you think otherwise; many wiser birdwatchers reckon 7x is better, especially 7x42, for broad field of view, brightness, most comfort, and least shake. Only you can decide which one suits YOU best. You may even be surprised by the outcome. Remember, birders tend to spend a long time viewing a scene, so the paramount consideration is 'comfort', for your eyes, hands, arms, neck (even fingers on the focus wheel; is it too stiff, fast/slow?) so it's not just a matter of sharp optics, but how relaxing and enjoyable the view is, with a binocular you are hardly aware of using because it's become 'second nature' and doesn't intrude upon the primary function you bought it for: to get the 'best' possible view of whatever you're looking at, as if standing closer to it...
I would go for a standard 10x42, since you are coming from 16x. Many brands are avalable, pay at least $400-500 if you insist on 10x. At 8x, cheaper deals work, they are all pretty good these days.
There are some 12x pairs out there, but most are junk. Worst pair I owned was a Bushnell 16x50 porro.
However, if you are looking for a not too big not too small...the 10x25s are quite an art to make, the best deals and most models will be in 8x32. I have this pair, which is marked down most places
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentax-8x32...71794585&sr=8-2
They have a ED glass 8x43 and 10x43 as well
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawke-Front...71794746&sr=1-8
It is not quite the alpha glass, and with a slower focus wheel, I think...correct me if it is not...the 8x43 will be handier.