Binoculars for bird watching

[shivvy]

I would like to buy a new pair of binoculars but have no idea where to start or what to look for.

What I would use them for mainly is to look at birds around my garden - from distances ranging from quite close up ie from only a few ft away up to a distance of approx 40 ft.
However I would also like them to be accurate at longer distances when I am out on walks etc.

One last consideration is that I would like them to be as small as possible without their accuracy being impacted.
(I have a tiny pair at the minute which are pretty cr@ppy!)

Any advice on which size, brand, specification, price etc I should go for would be really useful.

Thanks.

[Gormless]

I bought a small pair of Swarovski binoculars:

http://www.swarovskioptik.at/index.php?c=produ kte&l=en&nID=x434b769e932b90.44843491&css=&det ail=en1129113001__ID434ce5a97aa643.13641630&pr oduktname=Pocket#

Quite pricey (about �300) but superb quality and fit in your shirt pocket.

[jules77]

You need 8 x 40 I think. The RSPB site may be the best place to look.

http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/c/Binoculars.htm

[paddywak]

I've a pair of Zeiss 10 X 50's I bought years ago when I used to go racing quiet a bit, fantastic optics but perhaps a bit big for what you want,

[Jules001]

I have had so many pairs of binoculars which have failed to live up to expectations, the best I have had so far which do all that you want, although they are not small are from Lidl believe it or not. I paid �9.99 for them although the price is now �12.99 and you have to wait for them to come around on special offer as they are not in stock all the time. I would love to get a smaller pair that I can carry around with me, but I think to get the quality and accuracy, I would have to spend quite a lot of money, but will watch this thread and maybe someone can tell me otherwise.

[heathfield]

My personal favourite for compact binoculars has been my buy last summer of a pair of Steiner 8x22 Safari. They are the best optics in any I've had, and though the front lenses are small, the optics make up for it. They have the added advantage of being of a double-fold construction, so they take up minimal space when folded. Dixons have them for �88, but check out Google - e.g. I see they are being sold at a better price of �55 here.

[shivvy]

Thanks everyone - lots of useful info. Now at least I have somewhere to start my search!