After moving from Mid West to the California desert I am missing a lot of nature. Want to jump into bird watching. There is a regional park near by and my college campus has a small lake that attracts a lot of wildlife. My thought is to get a good pair of binoculars for 120-$200 or so. Later if I have been investing enough time to warrant an upgrade will try a Nikon Monarch 8x42 or similar model. For now my uses will primarily be:
1) Every day casual use (almost always carry a bag they can be kept in)
2) Birding
3) Use around lakes and rivers to try and spot good fishing locations
Feature wise I desire:
A) Long eye relief (wear glasses)
B) Semi compact and <24oz
C) Durable
D) Weatherproof
Please give my some strong candidates. Any and all ideas warmly welcomed.
Thanks,
-Red
OK Red Horn,
this is my recommendation: A Vortex Fury 6,5x32.
It has a wide FOV, deep DOF, really great eye relief, large exit pupil, fast focus.
Some people don't think of a 6x or 7x as an allround bin, but if I had to pick only one of my bins, this would be the one. Oh, and I have bought a spare too.
At the current $170 it's a steal.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread...071#post1890071
And if you can't accept the lesser magnification, the 8x32 is well regarded too, if you find one.
//L