Total noob from India. Looking for buying first decent binoculars. Am on a tight budget.
My needs:
0. Uses: birding (recently started) and carry along on vacations.
1. Easy to carry.
2. Kids (10yr) also would be using them.
3. Require long life / sturdy bins. No plan to upgrade for long time!
4. Budget: $150 for one and <$100 for the other. Max $300 for the two bins. I didn't know that these can cost even $2000!
5. We wear glasses (spectacles).
6. Live in a small place in India - no access to physical checking of the product. Will be relying entirely on the net - both for finalization & purchase.
Originally started with requirement of 1, but most probably will end up buying two.
Looked at this Consumer Research report on binoculars.
1. Redfield Rebel 8x32
2. Nikon ProStaff 10x25 or 8x25.
3. ZenRay Vista 8x42
4. Nikon Travelite V or VI
5. Leupold Yosemite 6x30
Are the ZenRay Vista portable in the sense, that can one carry them for a day? 42mm while giving better brightness may also be bulkier?? Can't afford the 36mm one!
Also actively looked at the Nikon Travelite V & ProStaff 8x25. Read somewhere that the ProStaff (Travelite EX in some countries including India) build quality is definitely better for the reason of being water-/fog-proof.
Thought of the Bushnell - but build quality issues seem to be a problem.
Also read about the Celestron 8x25 NatureView but again build quality issues seem to plague them.
Initially Steiner Safari Pro 7x22 was on the list but surprisingly too many negative reviews of users seem to cancel out the positive reviews of the experts!
Pl. remember that I have no access to any kind of service.
I do understand that getting good sturdy bins at my budget would be quite a challenge - hence this request for guidance.
Thanks for your time!