Quizzes & Puzzles1 min ago
What Binoculars?
20 Answers
I have been on my first 'proper' bird watching trip this morning - with U3A.
I was loaned a pair of Praktica Sport 10x25 which I got on very well with. Just looked on Amazon and managed to fry my brain!
Please can anyone recommend a good starter pair of bins at a reasonable price. I know NOTHING!
Thank you
I was loaned a pair of Praktica Sport 10x25 which I got on very well with. Just looked on Amazon and managed to fry my brain!
Please can anyone recommend a good starter pair of bins at a reasonable price. I know NOTHING!
Thank you
Answers
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Try before you buy - it's (very) easy to make an expensive mistake.
If you have a local specialist then go and talk to them - my favourites are
http://
< declares interest - I live round the corner from them and have been known to have a pint with the owner >
I recently bought a pair of Hawke Sapphire Compact ED 8x25 (approx £180-£200 from various suppliers) and at least one of my bird watching friends borrowed mine for a few minutes & had her own pair by the next weekend.
They are small, light and (very) bright - 8x magnification is a good "walk and look" compromise - and they now come with me on every walk (I even realised they were on my belt last time I was shopping in Aldi, they are so light & inconspicuous).
I also have a pair of Canon 18x50 stabilised bins - stupidly heavy and big, but ideal for sitting quietly in a hide & getting a good look at stuff.
So think about what you want to use your bins for, set yourself a budget & then go and have a play with some different models - nothing beats actually getting your hands/eyes on the hardware. Don't turn your nose up at 'used' either - many people trade in perfectly good 'starter' bins as they develop there interest.
dave
If you have a local specialist then go and talk to them - my favourites are
http://
< declares interest - I live round the corner from them and have been known to have a pint with the owner >
I recently bought a pair of Hawke Sapphire Compact ED 8x25 (approx £180-£200 from various suppliers) and at least one of my bird watching friends borrowed mine for a few minutes & had her own pair by the next weekend.
They are small, light and (very) bright - 8x magnification is a good "walk and look" compromise - and they now come with me on every walk (I even realised they were on my belt last time I was shopping in Aldi, they are so light & inconspicuous).
I also have a pair of Canon 18x50 stabilised bins - stupidly heavy and big, but ideal for sitting quietly in a hide & getting a good look at stuff.
So think about what you want to use your bins for, set yourself a budget & then go and have a play with some different models - nothing beats actually getting your hands/eyes on the hardware. Don't turn your nose up at 'used' either - many people trade in perfectly good 'starter' bins as they develop there interest.
dave
The magnification is the same (8x) but the lens diameter is bigger (42mm instead of 25).
This means that you'll get a wider field of view and also a brighter image. The downside is that they will be bigger (and probably more expensive for similar quality).
"ED" glass has a high transmission rate for light - a 25mm ED lens will often give pretty much the same brightness as a 42mm standard glass lens - but you do still lose the 'wideness' of the view through the 42 gives you.
This means that you'll get a wider field of view and also a brighter image. The downside is that they will be bigger (and probably more expensive for similar quality).
"ED" glass has a high transmission rate for light - a 25mm ED lens will often give pretty much the same brightness as a 42mm standard glass lens - but you do still lose the 'wideness' of the view through the 42 gives you.
Jake...if your budget is quite limited really consider second hand. My first scope was a better second hand than I could have afforded new. I have many serious birding friends who often trade in fantastic bins for something new on the market....and try before you buy is the best advice on here....enjoy the best hobby in the world! :-)
Blackcaps are very pretty jake aren't they.
Glad you're going for secondhand, you will get a much better deal. Mine had belonged to a guy that had to have the latest thing out and would then exchange it again as soon as the next thing came along. His stuff was always immaculate.
Happy Birdwatching:-)
Glad you're going for secondhand, you will get a much better deal. Mine had belonged to a guy that had to have the latest thing out and would then exchange it again as soon as the next thing came along. His stuff was always immaculate.
Happy Birdwatching:-)
5yrs ago when my Ziess gave up the ghost I went down to my local camera shop & tried many pairs (leica, zeiss opticron etc). I chose a pair of Nikon monarch for about £300-00. They were just as good as pairs costing over 3 times that amount. If you go to an RSPB reserve ask fellow bird watchers to have a look through their bins, they usually will be more than happy to help you.
It can also depend on age jake, as we get older our eyes cannot accept light so well and higher magnifications - 8 plus are not so good in unsteady hands.
Remember also the golden rule "the best binoculars are the ones you are carrying". Big heavy jobs stay at home and without the lightweight Leica 8 by 25 I always carry, I would have missed a merlin yesterday when out with the dog.
Remember also the golden rule "the best binoculars are the ones you are carrying". Big heavy jobs stay at home and without the lightweight Leica 8 by 25 I always carry, I would have missed a merlin yesterday when out with the dog.
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