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Binoculars
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Am looking to purchase a small pair of binoculars. I only want to use them for birdwatching so don't want to pay hundreds of pounds. Any suggestions or recommendations appreciated.
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The temptation with binoculars is to go for high magnification and that makes them difficult to hold steady. You can buy image-stabilised models but then you looking at a few hundred pounds, which is what you are trying to avoid. I suggest you go to a shop and try some and see how steadily you can hold them.
I don't know how much you know about the numbers quoted with binoculars; apologies if I'm talking down to you. The first number is the magnification and the second number is the diameter of the front lens. The exit pupil is defined as the second number/first number eg for 10x50 binoculars the exit pupil is 5. This tells you how good the binoculars will be in bad light and 5 is the biggest useful number and good for star-gazing. For normal daylight use almost any value will do, so 8x25 would be perfectly good for daylight bird watching. At magnifications greater than 8 they become more difficult to hold steady, hence the advice to try some in a shop.
BHG is right Maggie re size but you did say small so small it is and 8x25 is a good place to start. I seriously suggest that you go to somewhere like Jessops and buy a secondhand pair. From my experience they will be as good as new and so much cheaper you will be able to afford a better pair than if you buy new. I did that myself as a keen bird watcher in about 1999 and paid £600 for a secondhand pair of Leica 8x42 BA which would have cost far and above that at the time. I still have and use them today and they are as good as ever. The same maths will apply to a cheaper pair. Take them outside the shop (with permission) and have a look at the birds on the rooftops and see if they are good enough for you. Ask first or you might arrested;-))
I have small hands prefer 8x30 better light gather for woodland watching. I wouldn't use a chain, I would always buy from a specialist who might have a good range of second hand ones. Means you can upgrade to a range you couldn't normally consider. Some bigger RSPB sites have optics fairs, might be worth looking out for one because you will get real experts and a chance to try in a birding setting
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