First time poster but I've been monitoring this board for several weeks and have mined most of the historical posts for reality-based info on bino recommmendations and their uses bird and wildlife viewing. I currently own and use Pentax DCF SP 8X32s (newly purchased to replace Steiner Safari 8X30s that hurt my head to look through) and Swift Aududon porros 8.5X44s. I've tested the Pentax and Swift in the field, stacked, daylight, twilight, dark night, open areas, wood, near and far, etc. The Swift are better optically and brighter (39 year old eyes talking) in my opinion but the Pentaxs win on usability (FOV, size, weight) and are still very good optically and fairly bright. Here is my dilemna and I hope the experienced bino owner can help move me off of center. I've done multiple before sunrise to after dark testing sessions to evaluate the Pentax under field conditions and they seem adequate. But, the Swift are brighter by a good margin. However, the Swifts are larger, have been returned already for a leaking eye-piece after dragging them through dew-covered brush, and are just "clumpy" as noted in another post. So, do I live with my Pentax limitations knowing they're "good enough" in the twilight? And what is good enough exactly? Do I go with some Pentax 8X42s (are they that much better to justify the pain of buying then selling the 8X32s?), do I go with some SP 10X50s known as great twilight binos and carry them exclusively or in combination with the 8X32s are appropriate? Do I just shut-up and carry the Audubons when I know I'm heading for twilight conditions and be extra careful? Or, at the suggestion of my wife, do I just chuck everything and go with a single, do-all pair of Leica's 8X43s or other flavor high-end bin? Are they REALLY that good overall? Sorry for the dense post but I afflicted with a bad case of the bino-flu and I'm wasting a lot of mental energy overthinking this issue and I figured this would be a good topic and food for thought for the expertise on this forum. Thanks in advance.
I would recommend two routes:
If you regularly bring a pack then carry something like the 10x50s, but even better a compact scope with a fixed 20x or 30x eyepiece. Look for an angled scope so you can pack a smaller tripod.
or
If you don't pack geat along, or have the extra cash, any of the top fullsize makes would be a nice upgrade in exchange for some weight. If you can't comfortably hand hold 10x the EL 8.5x gives a little boost over the 8x models, as wel as a little better twilight factor than the others. All things are subjective, so make your own decision, they are all very nice pieces. You will also get a wider fov compared to the Pentax 8x43.
Hi, OT, a warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!
I'm afraid I can't help you with your bins dilemma. I'm pretty much a one-pair kinda birder (B&L 10 x 42 Elites) that I've had for several years and love 'em. But I use them for more than birdwatching -- almost as much time spent on boats whalewatching (and birds, too, of course), so their being small, waterproof and easy to handle has served me well.