Cameras and Lenses
I need new Binoculars
Hi Everyone, 
I joined on Sunday and this is my first post. I had an old and heavy, cheap pair of Tento 12x40 binoculars and dropped them Sunday morning, having read some of the posts on this site it seems it was a blessing. I started birdwatching this last spring and have become almost addicted. i took my binoculars with me even when taking the dog into the back yard. I have also been watching the sky so, cheap as my old binoculars were I enjoyed them.
I have been on the net everyday since Sunday looking for new binoculars and am confused as to which pair. I am disabled, I have Rheumatiod Arthritus quite severely, wear glasses and my budget is tight and so I need I light pair. I have looked in the USA in an attempt to take advantage of the exchange rate and have seen Bushnall Natureview Plus 10x42 plus delivery for $167 and the Natureview roof prisms 10x42 for only a few dollars more, which is £94-£96 which seems to be cheap for these binoculars. I have also seen on the same site, http://www.adorama.com, a whole host of Nikon's which seem to carry favour on this site.
Any help and advice please as I am going insane trying to pick a good pair at the right price and I miss having a pair.
By the way in early spring I saw a bird I had not seen before which is what got me started, it was as big as a thrush, pale brown with a dark flash across the top of his eye, streaks not spots on the upper half of his chest and grey going down to his rump. He sat for a good 10-15 minutes at the top of my neighbours tree almost as if he was lost. Someone is going to tell me it is a common bird I know but I can't find him exactly in my books. The closest was a red wing but without the red flashes.
One more thing, do bird sites have access for a mobility scooter?
Thanks in advance everyone. I will have to leave my PC soon and therefore will drift in and out of posting.
Hi and welcome to BF.
You'll find a key bit of advice when buying binoculars is to make sure that you try before you buy, what's right for one person is wrong for the next. Within the prices you are talking about it will be worth looking at Opticron bins, they have a couple of very good compact models that are very light, try the Taiga's. If you budget can stretch to ~£200 I'd recommend the Opticron Travellers (8x32 or 10x32), they weight just 450g and are fully waterproof. I am sure you'll get lots of other recommendations.
Your mystery bird sounds like a fieldfare to me - it's a big thrush with an obvious grey rump.
Access to birding sites is very variable... If you were to go to some of the big reserves (Titchwell, Cley, Minsmere), you should have no problem getting around with your mobility scooter. Smaller, less 'official' sites are likely to be more difficult, locally we have a lot of sites that you would nto be able to get to with a mobility scooter. Many of these sites have either very rough paths, or stiles which can makes access very akward. I know the problem this can cause as I am usually birding with my little one in a pushchair.
Bongaleader,
I would recommend you look at the Pentax reverse porro models, an 8x25 would most likely be the most suitable. Their model numbers change pretty frequently, though, so I'm not sure what the most current version is.
They are pretty inexpensive, light, and have decent optical quality (much better than your old Tento).
The reason why I'm recommending the Pentax series instead of other equally good options is the following: they have an integrated 1/4 inch tripod thread under the binocular body. This allows you to thread in an ultralight monopod which lets you view with your hands down in you lap (or just about any height you desire). I am quessing that with your arthritis, this may make viewing significantly more comfortable and stable.
Kimmo