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Binocularisation (Read 8561 times)

nik at work

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Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 09:04:34 am
Mrs At Work has requested a set of binoculars for Christmas, a subject on which I know nothing. Any resident experts care to suggest a pair?
I'm after something quite small to be used to "look at the boats and generally skeeting around"?!? Budget is unknown as I dunno how much binos should cost, happy to spend a bit to get something better than shit but the bleeding edge of bino tech will probably be overkill. Wads ready and waiting to be dished out...

psychomansam

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#1 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 10:57:47 am
Not an expert, but in such cases, I often trust the wisdom of crowds.
Amazons no.1 seller with v.good reviews
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-8-40-DPSI-Binocular/dp/B0001M3612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385808516&sr=8-1&keywords=binoculars

Or if you want a really mini model (8,10 or 12 times zoom, but not so good in low light, presumably slightly lower build quality)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-10-DPC-Silver-Binoculars/dp/B00006G33O/ref=pd_cp_ph_0

Johnny Brown

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#2 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 11:10:47 am
A few guidelines:

The spec is two numbers, eg 8x30. The first is magnification, ie how powerful they are. The second is the objective lens size, which affects how bright and broad the field of view is. Quality isn't always obvious on a brief view, but your eyes quickly tire with cheap bins.

Get 8x magnification. Not 10x, not zoom. 8x.

8x20 will be the smallest. I don't rate them. 8x25 are the best if they need to be small. You can get a half decent pair for ~£70. I've been through a few of these, dead light, optics are okay but over time they get knocked out of alignment and send you cross eyed.

8x30 are the best compromise, great view without being too big and heavy. Between £200-300 will get you a pair that should last for twenty years. Spend £600+ and they'll be good for life.

I've got a pair of Minox HG 8x33, ex demo they were £350. Cheapest premium pair I could find. Pleasure to use. At that price point definitely consider a second hand premium pair over a new pair. Swarovski or zeiss would be my choice. Otherwise read some reviews on new ~£200.

8x40 might be okay if they are just going to sit on a windowsill.

dave

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#3 Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 12:26:04 pm
I have some smallish Nikons which are good for someone like me who doesn't spend ages peering at ring ouzels week in week out. Think they were in the ton to ton fifty ballpark. Astoundingly better quality than whatever cheep shite I had before.

Edit: found em, these are mine:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Travelite-EX-8x25-Binoculars/dp/B000FFP14K

Falling Down

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#4 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 01:04:03 pm
What Johnny said.  My mate Dave the birder has a Swarovski pair of 8x30's and they wipe the floor with any other pair I've used.  So bright and optically crisp.

nik at work

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#5 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 01:05:01 pm
Thanks guys, I knew I could rely on the UKB massive :2thumbsup:

I think £300+ would probably be excessive investment at this stage so have gone for Dave's suggested 8x25's which seem like a reasonable starting point. Cheers.

Johnny Brown

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#6 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 05:35:50 pm
Best choice at the price those, they should do you well for starters. Just be careful not to knock them (I think I went through three pairs of a similar spec).

dave

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#7 Re: Binocularisation
November 30, 2013, 06:37:07 pm
The outer of them nikons is kinda semi rubberised, should off a bit more impact resistance than the norm. But yeah as a rule don't drop stuff.

SA Chris

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#8 Re: Binocularisation
December 01, 2013, 08:33:35 pm
but over time they get knocked out of alignment and send you cross eyed.



Sorry for slightly OT but I've got a pair where this has happened. Is there any point in getting it fixed, or is it chucking good money after bad. And if not worth sending off is it fixable yourself? I've got a good set of watch screwdrivers, and they are so knackered  there's nothing to lose

underground

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#9 Re: Binocularisation
December 01, 2013, 11:18:40 pm
No idea if it's of interest but I use the previous version of these : Hawke Endurance the reason being they focus up close. Handy for spotting stuff in the bushes without getting too close and spooking them

AndyR

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#10 Re: Binocularisation
December 02, 2013, 02:17:14 am
I have a pair of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pentax-9x28-Roof-Prism-Binocular/dp/B0014PYBHI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_1

They are great - lightweight, very bright and clear for their size and surprisingly robust - I would buy another pair.

Nutty

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#11 Re: Binocularisation
April 08, 2014, 04:42:50 pm
Only semi-related, but does anyone have experience of using a monocular? I'm considering one as a lighter, smaller alternative to my bins. I usually take my bins with me bouldering in case I chance across any interesting wildlife, and while they're not massive something smaller would leave more room for flapjack.

I've been looking at the vortex solo models and I'm leaning towards the 8x25 based on size, weight and price. I'm guessing the 10x25 would be too dark and hard to use? Any other models anyone would recommend?
« Last Edit: April 08, 2014, 04:54:23 pm by Nutty »

underground

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#12 Re: Binocularisation
June 22, 2014, 01:30:35 am
Bit of a late update but after a week in Norfolk at Stiffkey saltmarshes, Cley, Morston etc. I've invested in a pair of 10x42s, that everything you read says not to get, because I got fed up of trying to look at fairly slow moving waders etc. at a distance, and although they won't be the best thing for quickly catching birds in flight, in the woods etc. and won't focus that close for Odonata etc. they are good for the job without needing a scope.

I'd decided to take a look at some top end binoculars just to see if they were as good as I've heard compared to mine, and was steered away from Leica and Swarovski by the guy in the shop on account of poor backup service and other stuff I forget now, and instead tried some from Kite Optics (Ibis HD) which were every bit as good but half the price and 30 year guarantee, and fancied the look and aesthetics of Nikon EDG, so tried them aswell. We agreed I was after 8x42, but the guy accidentally gave me the EDG in 10x42 and I really liked the extra magnification straight away. Both were optically fantastic and every bit as good as each other (the EDG definitely had the edge :) on aesthetics and just, niceness) but the Kites were a really good pair too and as I said, half the price).

In the end I realised that as good as they were, they weren't £1500 gooder for my purposes as I do perfectly well with Hawke Endurance and the 10x42s were more than a tenth of the price of the Nikons so I got them.

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#13 Re: Binocularisation
June 24, 2014, 11:01:18 am
These are excellent for the price

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenko-UltraView-8x25-WP/dp/B002VWEO84

Kenko have very good rep on optics.

Monocular, I have one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-21-Powerful-Nikula-Monocular-Telescopes-Novelty-Design-Hiking-Exploring-Use-/131201338602?pt=UK_Photography_Binoculars_Monoculars&hash=item1e8c358cea

which is a poor man's:-

http://www.opticsreviewer.com/docter-monocular.html

pretty happy with them - they're a lot better for the money than equivalent priced roof prisms, but not as robust



Nutty

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#14 Re: Binocularisation
January 07, 2016, 03:57:18 pm
I'm thinking of getting a new pair of binoculars, with the idea of using them for astronomy. I can spend up to £200. I'm considering the Pentax SP 10x50 WP, thinking that they'd be usable handheld and I'd be more inclined to use them than if I had to get out the tripod to use a bigger pair with higher magnification, like the Pentax SP 20x60 WP or a 15x70 pair. I've already got a pair of 8x32 Hawke binoculars I use for bird watching.

Has anyone much experience with binocular astronomy and any recommendations?

andy_e

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#15 Re: Binocularisation
January 07, 2016, 06:15:52 pm
Sorry for the hijack...

Why do you say only 8x JB? I've got a pair of 10x42s for the birds and they're awesome!

Johnny Brown

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#16 Re: Binocularisation
January 07, 2016, 07:28:23 pm
I carry them around with all my other stuff.

lagerstarfish

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#17 Re: Binocularisation
May 15, 2018, 12:03:24 pm
I have some smallish Nikons which are good for someone like me who doesn't spend ages peering at ring ouzels week in week out. Think they were in the ton to ton fifty ballpark. Astoundingly better quality than whatever cheep shite I had before.

Edit: found em, these are mine:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Travelite-EX-8x25-Binoculars/dp/B000FFP14K

I was looking for a pair of light binoculars for the mother-in-law and discovered that Amazon Prime consumers can get these for £80 at the moment - that sucked me into getting a "free trial"

SA Chris

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#18 Re: Binocularisation
July 12, 2021, 09:10:07 am
https://www.ricoh-imaging.eu/uk_en/monocular-vm-6x21-wp-c

Got one of these recently and love it, the push button focussing is a great innovation, so quick and easy to use. The kit for mounting it onto a smart phone is a bit of a fiddle, but once set up takes some pretty good macro / microscope images.

duncan

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#19 Re: Binocularisation
November 12, 2021, 01:03:47 pm
Our cheap and rubbish 8x21 binoculars have thankfully died and as the season of rampant consumerism approaches a replacement pair would make a good gift for Mrs duncan (as with all the best gifts, one I would also benefit from!).

Their main use will be to follow the action in baffling Regietheatre productions from the cheap seats. Thus they should be small but work in low light (which I realise are contradictory criteria). x8 magnification is plenty.



Nutty

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#20 Re: Binocularisation
November 12, 2021, 02:33:28 pm
What's the budget?

If using in low light and 8x is plenty, I'd maybe consider a lower magnification to get a larger exit pupil. The Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 is well regarded and being a reverse-porro doesn't need the expensive prism coatings of a roof to get a good image, though will be bulkier than a compact roof prism binocular.

If you want compact and good image and budget isn't a concern then the Leica Ultravid 8x20 would be very nice.

The Zeiss Terra ED 8x25 is another option for a compact. Not as small as the Leica, but has a larger objective so collects more light. Cheaper than the Leica, more expensive than the Papillio.

Johnny Brown

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#21 Re: Binocularisation
November 12, 2021, 03:22:09 pm
Good advice from Nutty re the exit pupil and Papilio - these are famous for their close focusing abilities which add a dimension, great for butterflies etc hence the name. 6.5x will be easier to handhold for long periods too.

Worth noting that traditional 'opera glasses' have very low mags (2x - 4x) and are galilean in design which is quite different to a proper binocular and don't create an exit pupil as such so very easy viewing. I haven't used them myself but modern 2x - 3x designs have recently appeared in the astronomy market at ~£100.

Not personally convinced by the traditional 8x20 compacts even from the big name brands. 

Johnny Brown

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#22 Re: Binocularisation
November 19, 2021, 03:08:21 pm
Seeing some very good reviews of the Svbony SV202 10x42. For £150 or less they're said to compete with binos 5x the price, might be of interest.

10x42 is a good spec for a pair that will either live on a window sill with a good view, or only be taken out specifically for birdwatching, or casual astronomy from a reclining chair on your patio. I.E. they're a bit big for casual use or to stick in a bag for a day out.

Svbony is a Chinese brand mainly doing low end stuff, but certain items have a good rep and however these brands work in China they're clearly capable of makiing good stuff. Caveat will be quality control so would avoid other models and buy from Amazon so hassle-free returns are guaranteed.

duncan

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#23 Re: Binocularisation
November 19, 2021, 04:07:17 pm
Thanks JB  8)

Johnny Brown

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#24 Re: Binocularisation
November 19, 2021, 04:33:15 pm
NB they're likely not the best choice for the theatre.

Johnny Brown

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#25 Re: Binocularisation
November 19, 2021, 04:55:30 pm
The Svbony SV202 8x32ED is equally well reviewed and might be a better choice to pull out in theatre, or just get some cheap opera glasses.

To do both theatre and casual nature the Papilio mentioned above ramin a good option, or for a more premium pair the Kowa BDII 6.5x32 XD look very good. I might get some myself at some point...

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#26 Re: Binocularisation
November 19, 2021, 05:08:53 pm
SV Bony sounds like someone you’d see Spurs facing in the Europa Conference League :lol:. Might be the least pronounceable Chinese optics brand yet.

 

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