I think I have spent enough time looking, I now just want to get something. Can I have your thoughts on buying one the following? Please
Vortex Diamondback 09'
7x36, WT = 664g, CF = 1.8m, FOV = 8 deg, ER = 21mm, PC, £139
8x42, 714g. 1.37m, 8 deg, 18mm, PC, £155
9x36, 640g, 2m, 7 deg, 15.7mm, PC, £149
10x42 690g, 1.52m, 6.6 deg, 16mm, PC, £149
Opticron Countryman
8x42, 630, 2.9m, 6.2 deg, 19mm, PC & OASIS, £170
Opticron Discovery
8x42 Mg, 628g, 2m, 7 deg, 20mm, PC, £120
RSPB WPG
8.5x42, 731g, 1.8m, 7.6 deg, 17.1mm, PC, £170
Viking Vistron
8x42, 650g, 2m, 7 deg, 20mm, Ag coated prisms, £125
Weight wise I would go for an Opticron.
Close focus wise I would go for the 8x42 DB
I am not so sure about the field of view (or more correctly the angle of view) so advice is welcome........all of the above are a lot wider than what I currently use (which are nothing more than cheapies, which I will still use because of their higher magnification)
At some point in the future I may need to start wearing my glasses a lot more than I do now, so eye relief has to be given some thought..
Prism coatings wise I am leaning towards the Countryman as they have a reflective coating as well as being PC.
Price wise it would be a toss up between the 3 cheapest. One question though.......how would a reflective prism coating (Vistron) measure up to PC prisms (Discovery and DB 7x)
I've only been able to try the Vistron and the RSPB, both of which I felt were OK for me. At the time I tried them the RSPB had a slight advantage on price and a slight advantage on image (they were very similar for brightness) but the Vistrons had a slight advantage on handling (I prfered the click stop dioptre adjustment over the plasticy feeling locking system on the RSPB).
Thanks
Andrew
Examples of my cheapies
I have two 12x32 from Aldi (yes I can hear the laughing from here) cosmetically similar....one has aFOV of 84m the other is 76m!!!
Some zoom bins also from Aldi (yes I can still hear you)
and a pair of 16x50s.....which actually aren't too bad....angle of view isn't good at 3.5 deg....but hey they are ok for looking at the moon
so anything has got to be better
But what about these, £129.49 delivered for Olympus 10x42 EXWP I roof prisms from digitalrev.com?
See my post in Binocular bargains thread post #426
Or you could wait a bit longer and try out most things at the birdfair if you can get there.
Nev