Binoculars !

upperoilcan

Hi guys,can any of you recommend me some binoculars as I've got to get a set for my old chaps birthday,the price range is anything up to £200:00

Cheers Graham.

bikes`n`guns

At that price I`d be looking at Hawke HD. Maybe lower spec Opticron.

upperoilcan

Many thanks mate,That gives me a starting point !

pblakeney

I went for the Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 which I am very happy with.
At your price range you could upgrade to the 7s.
http://www.photospecialist.co.uk/nikon-8x42-monarch-7-binoculars?dfw_tracker=2487-6119&gclid=CNCeuoeSs8YCFSbItAodKggDvQ

Edit:- Oops! Between reading and Googling I upgraded your £200 to £300. The Monarch 5s?

sungod

surely a telescope would be more appropriate

/soz, etc.

Captain Fagor

I can recommend the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 8 x 42 which you can sometimes pick up for about £210. For instance...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Binoculars-8x42-Bushnell-Legend-Ultra-Wide-ED-Rainguard-HD-198042-/121624820199?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c516779e7

or the 10 x 42 from the USA...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bushnell-Legend-Ultra-HD-10x42mm-Magnifying-Roof-Prism-Black-Binoculars-191042-/351265907209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51c9146209

upperoilcan

Thanks again guys,plenty to go on now !

And Sungod,a telescope is out of the question as he wants to take them with him when he's walking in the countryside.

apreading

I got some Pentax 8x42 - fantastic and you can get them a fair bit cheaper if you shop around or buy from germany for example. Good price for them here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pentax-DCF-CS-8x42-Water-Fogproof-Binoculars-/201205780865

They have won many awards for best bird watching glasses and also great for looking at close up things. They do a 10x42 as well if you want more magnification.

Review here: http://binoculars.toptenreviews.com/binoculars-review/pentax-dcf-cs-8x42-review.html

pblakeney

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19636420#p19636420]upperoilcan[/url] wrote:

Thanks again guys,plenty to go on now !

And Sungod,a telescope is out of the question as he wants to take them with him when he's walking in the countryside.

Wooooooosssshhhh!

sungod

ayjaycee

I've got a pair of Leica Trinovid 10x42 which cost almost £1000 (I am a birder as well as a cyclist!) and also a pair of Bushnell Natureview 10 x 42 which cost about £160 (I bought them to leave in the car):
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-bushnell-natureview-10x42-binoculars/p1551010?cm_mmc=googlebase-extension-_-binoculars-_-binoculars-_-bushnell-natureview-10x42-binoculars_1551010&utm_source=googlebase-extension&mkwid=sdnyl31mc_dc&pcrid=72342100209&kword=&match=&plid=&gclid=cnke-8kytcycfqb4wgodqnihjw (mine are grey rather than khaki).
The Bushnells are fantastic value for money and stand up well against the Leicas. No, they are not as good - colour fidelity and general sharpness of the Leicas is very, very good as you should expect for the money but the Bushnells make excellent everyday bins.

It's a bit like bikes. Nowadays, £1000 will buy you are very good one but £6000 will buy an even better one although it would be a matter of opinion whether the dear one is £5K better - law of diminishing returns and all that. That said, I would suggest that there is a world of difference between most £50 bins and some at £150 - £200. If you can get to a store that sells a range of different qualities, it's well worth a visit - the differences are obvious immediately BUT, you must try them outside rather than in the shop.

cornerblock

A thousand pounds for a pair of binoculars! They must have seen you coming.

ayjaycee

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637133#p19637133]Cornerblock[/url] wrote:

A thousand pounds for a pair of binoculars! They must have seen you coming.

Written by someone who knows nothing about optics and has probably never looked through real quality binoculars. £1K is nowhere near the upper limit for such things and for an awful lot of birders is an average outlay for binos or a scope. Mine have been used in combat situations and for birding in some of the harshest conditions all over the world and have never, ever, let me down in the 10 years that I have owned them. Apart from the inevitable cosmetic damage are as good now as they were the day I bought them.

Anyway, that's the end of my contribution- at least I had the good grace to try making my initial post on the subject constructive rather than just using it to criticise somebody else.

ballysmate

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637300#p19637300]ayjaycee[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637133#p19637133]Cornerblock[/url] wrote:

A thousand pounds for a pair of binoculars! They must have seen you coming.

Written by someone who knows nothing about optics and has probably never looked through real quality binoculars. £1K is nowhere near the upper limit for such things and for an awful lot of birders is an average outlay for binos or a scope. Mine have been used in combat situations and for birding in some of the harshest conditions all over the world and have never, ever, let me down in the 10 years that I have owned them. Apart from the inevitable cosmetic damage are as good now as they were the day I bought them.

Anyway, that's the end of my contribution- at least I had the good grace to try making my initial post on the subject constructive rather than just using it to criticise somebody else.

They may give you extraordinary vision, but even with your bins you can't see that you are making a t1t of yourself.
Lighten up.

pblakeney

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637133#p19637133]Cornerblock[/url] wrote:

A thousand pounds for a pair of binoculars! They must have seen you coming.

That's because they spent £1000 on a pair of binoculars.

cornerblock

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637316#p19637316]Ballysmate[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637300#p19637300]ayjaycee[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19637133#p19637133]Cornerblock[/url] wrote:

A thousand pounds for a pair of binoculars! They must have seen you coming.

Written by someone who knows nothing about optics and has probably never looked through real quality binoculars. £1K is nowhere near the upper limit for such things and for an awful lot of birders is an average outlay for binos or a scope. Mine have been used in combat situations and for birding in some of the harshest conditions all over the world and have never, ever, let me down in the 10 years that I have owned them. Apart from the inevitable cosmetic damage are as good now as they were the day I bought them.

Anyway, that's the end of my contribution- at least I had the good grace to try making my initial post on the subject constructive rather than just using it to criticise somebody else.

They may give you extraordinary vision, but even with your bins you can't see that you are making a t1t of yourself.
Lighten up.

I was going to respond but you've put it more succinctly and far politer than I could have. Obviously binoculars are a very serious subject and not to be joked about.

team47b

robertclark101299

Steiner is an excellent binoculars. Vision, day and night, is essential in any tactical situation, during hunting or long range shooting. These binoculars cover usage during day, dusk and dawn, at land or sea. They are not too heavy. Very clear and reliable. Haven't had an issue with any Steiner products ever.

photonic69

I was looking at a decent pair of bins a while back. Luckily we have a very good local shop where I was able to try out a few. They have even placed a stuffed owl high in a church spire as a test target. Very handy. My main concern was a waterproof and compact pair for trekking up in Scotland. Waterproof roof prism bins are not the lightest. You can get some excellent Porro prism ones that are very light but not strictly waterproof.

In the end I went for a pair costing around £180. I tried cheaper ones that were naff and much more expensive but unless I was spending £600+ the difference I found was not justifiable. You really need to know his desires to get the perfect pair. i.e. you wouldn't expect someone to buy you a road bike without knowing what sort of riding you do or how tall you are etc.

I went for these in the end. Very happy with them 5 years on:
https://www.aceoptics.co.uk/avian-lite-open-bridge-8x42-binoculars.html

Edit: The best pair of bins I ever had the pleasure to use was a pair up at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, where in the control room they had a pair of German WWII Leitz bins with Swastika stamps on it! Amazing optics!

pblakeney

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

elbowloh

pblakeney said:

I went for the Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 which I am very happy with.

At your price range you could upgrade to the 7s.
http://www.photospecialist.co.uk/nikon-8x42-monarch-7-binoculars?dfw_tracker=2487-6119&gclid=CNCeuoeSs8YCFSbItAodKggDvQ


Edit:- Oops! Between reading and Googling I upgraded your £200 to £300. The Monarch 5s?

I have the Nikon prostaff 5s and they're great. £170 ish

First.Aspect

I bought my wife the world's most expensive small binoculars. I can't remember the brand but they were 10xsomething, about 500 quid and I would highly recommend them.

When we were kayaking on the west coast in June they were great for spotting lots of things that weren't otters.

Pross

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

womack

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

First.Aspect

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Pross

First.Aspect said:

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Or buy a telescope / monocular

First.Aspect

Pross said:

First.Aspect said:

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Or buy a telescope / monocular

Every time I go on youtube I'm advised of one that is so good even the military don't want you to have it. It is also very, very cheap.

photonic69

Pross said:

First.Aspect said:

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Or buy a telescope / monocular

Or go halves on a pair of binoculars with a friend suffering a similar complaint?

Pross

First.Aspect said:

Pross said:

First.Aspect said:

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Or buy a telescope / monocular

Every time I go on youtube I'm advised of one that is so good even the military don't want you to have it. It is also very, very cheap.

Is it on a video with massive text all over it in bright primary colours?

First.Aspect

Pross said:

First.Aspect said:

Pross said:

First.Aspect said:

womack said:

Pross said:

I can't use binoculars for some reason, probably due to the eyesight being so imbalanced between by left and right eye (right manages the third line on a chart at a stretch with some guessing, left reads the whole thing).

It's not just me then, I bought a pair years ago and on first outing discovered I couldn't see through them either.

Try closing one eye.

Or buy a telescope / monocular

Every time I go on youtube I'm advised of one that is so good even the military don't want you to have it. It is also very, very cheap.

Is it on a video with massive text all over it in bright primary colours?

Yes, with a text recognition voice that sounds like an attempt at mind control.

elbowloh

First.Aspect said:

I bought my wife the world's most expensive small binoculars. I can't remember the brand but they were 10xsomething, about 500 quid and I would highly recommend them.

When we were kayaking on the west coast in June they were great for spotting lots of things that weren't otters.

Swarovski?