Hi, I want to buy a new pair of binoculars and have a fairly good idea of the sort of thing I want, but have no idea of what the best models currently are.
I am not a hard-core birder but really enjoy bird watching alongside other nature interests that also require binos such as dragonflies, botany, etc. I also might occasionally use binos for casual astronomy. Birding would definitely be a major use, though.
I'm looking for high or very high quality optics but not really high end, perhaps around 500 UK pounds (about 1000 USD?). I do a fair bit of walking/hiking in rainy climates, so they must be waterproof and robust. I would want roof-prism optics and I often, although not always, wear spectacles. Close focus and wide field of view are also very important, especially for the dragonflies! I think for compactness and weight reasons I would go for 40 or 42 objectives rather than 50, but I'm in two minds about whether to go for 8x or 10x. Probably 8x actually.
Can anyone recommend 2 or 3 really good binos that fit the bill? If I need to go up or down slightly in my price range to get the best quality/price ratio, I might do that.
One thing that always used to annoy me about my old binos was that the diopter adjustment was pretty loose and was always moving around.... Also I eventually ruined them by accidentally bouncing them off rocks on a few occasions and throwing them into rucksacks without the lens caps on... I think I would be more careful with a new pair, but it would be useful if they were easy to protect and not too sensitive to the odd knock.
Well, for most of us, the fun is reading all the topics. You may get a few tips. I would say buy a 8x40 roof prism of some sort. Read the topics and sections.
Pentax does not have a section, but they have two neat Papilio bins. Good for really close up and far.
quote:
Leica (5 Viewing)
In Praise Of Large Exit Pupils
by angelo225544 Yesterday, 14:42 183 2,345
Nikon (7 Viewing)
Nikon ProStaff
by Tero Yesterday, 08:48 281 3,153
Swarovski (4 Viewing)
Servicing
by barry robson Today, 11:03 149 1,805
Zeiss (8 Viewing)
Zeiss Triple XXX Monocular...
by kabsetz Today, 12:42 173 2,890
Bushnell - Baush & Lomb (4 Viewing)
Bushnell small end 8x and 10x...
by Tero Today, 07:35 82 604
Canon (2 Viewing)
10x30 IS for eyeglass wearers
by hinnark Tuesday 21st November 2006, 03:55 13 223
Leupold
New Leupold Yosemite 6x30
by MacGee Tuesday 28th November 2006, 09:09 24 291
Minox (2 Viewing)
Minox binoculars
by barry robson Saturday 2nd December 2006, 10:09 27 295
Opticron (1 Viewing)
Opticron Verano BGA PC
by dazzauk Yesterday, 15:10 37 237
My favorite binos for combo butterfly/dragonfly watching and birding are the Zeiss 8x32 FL (but, as much as I find myself using them, I do love to complain about this model's astigmatism--see other threads). They have awesomely bright, color neutral, and sharp (in the center) optics, they focus quickly yet precisely (a major issue for combo use), they close-focus down to 5 feet, they have an 8 degree FOV, and they have good eye-relief. I've used these heavily for birding and butterflying and they perform flawlessly (they are only bettered for butterflying by the Pentax 6.5x21 Papilio with its 18 inch close focus, but the Pentax are not so good for birding). They are my standard against which I judge any other prospective birding/butterflying bino, so I recommend you take a look at them.
I have less experience using the Swarovski 8x32 EL for both birding and butterflying. They (compared to the Zeiss) have better ergonomics, less off-axis astigmatism, and the same FOV, but don't focus quite as closely (6 feet), don't have quite as much eye-relief, are a bit bulkier, have more chromatic aberration, and focus somewhat slower. Still, I like them better for birding than the Zeiss, so if that is your prime use, they might be a better choice depending on your tastes. The Leica 8x32 Ultravid are more compact than the Swarovski, but have less eye-relief and a slightly narrower FOV.
All of these models are smaller and more expensive than what you've suggested that you're looking for, but I haven't found anything larger or cheaper that I like as much for this combination use, despite the fact that I prefer full-sized (42mm) binos for birding. Some full-sized binos combine excellent close-focus and a wide FOV, most notably the (also expensive) Zeiss 8x42 FL. You aren't going to get good close-focus (at least by my standards) or a wide FOV in a 50mm objective bino, and it is hard to get a wide FOV in cheaper optics that is also sharp enough off-axis to allow comfortable truly binocular use at close distances. If I couldn't get the Zeiss 8x32 FL, I'd probably jump down to the Nikon 8x36 Monarch.
--AP