I've used Bushnell's for 20 years. My latest are H2O 10 x 42. I've used the 10 x 25 and found them very good for the money and size. They're pretty robust as well.
A little bit of advice on this would be greatly appreciated, as I know next to nothing about binoculars and never had any
I'm looking to buy myself a pair of binoculars to take with me when I go hiking.
I need them to be as small and light as possible, waterproof, and have decent magnification/field of view.
So far I think these fit the bill best :
http://www.wexphotographic.com/bushn...ulars-1553917/
Any experience with Bushnell? What else would you recommend, with a budget of £100 tops?
Many thanks
I've used Bushnell's for 20 years. My latest are H2O 10 x 42. I've used the 10 x 25 and found them very good for the money and size. They're pretty robust as well.
The only thing I'd say is that 10x is a lot of magnification and probably both more than you need and more than you can hold steady, especially in those small binoculars with little mass.
If they do a 8x I recommend they'd be better. If you can try them, you'll see what I mean.
They do indeed : http://www.wexphotographic.com/bushn...ulars-1553916/
I'll see if I can order both and return one of them. Thanks
Thank you, I will give them a try if no one suggests any alternatives
My 2p worth as a user rather than an expert is the 42mm objective is going to be a LOT better than 25mm i.e. nearly 3 times as much light gathering which, IMHO, is more important than the difference between the 10x or 8x.
Last edited by solwisesteve; 16th August 2017 at 12:19.
You are absolutely correct. However you can carry your 8x25 in your pocket all the time, and have them with you as and when you need them. Not so for a 42mm.
I would also recommend trying them on, with a caveat: the consequences of trying them first may make your credit card feel suicidal when you'll see how bright and sharp Leica or Swarovsky are compared to most of the rest.
Nikon are usually a good choice if you can't stretch to one of the above.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I was looking recently and these look to be an excellent compromise of size, weight and optical quality. £149 on Amazon.
F.T.F.A.
The best advice I can give you is 'try before you buy'. The next best advice I can give you is to stretch your budget and buy these: link. Here's a review: Pentax Papilio.
They are small and light, very capable with a good magnification for hand holding, have a great close focus...but they're not waterproof. Do you intend standing in the pouring rain looking through your bins? If not, you can probably protect them enough for them to do everything you need.
I have a set of Leica 10x25 that I hardly ever use. But my 6.5x21 Papilio II live in my rucksack.
Edit: A bit of searching reveals that Amazon have the original Pentax Papilio 6.5X21, slap bang on budget. The newer Papilio II have fully multi-coated optics whereas the original model did not.
Last edited by PickleB; 16th August 2017 at 13:10.
I have no doubt that this is right, however, I do want them to be as small and light as possible, so a 42 mm one is just out of the question.
Something to consider in the future for sure, but for now I'm only looking at getting a half decent one without spending mega money. An SKX007 of binoculars if you will :)
Thanks for the suggestion. While those ones are a tad over what I'm willing to spend at the moment, that seems to be a good website so I'll be reading what they have to say about compact binoculars
Thanks for the suggestion. No, I don't intend to stand out in the rain with them, but I will be carrying them in the top pocket of my rucksack so I can easily pull them out as needed. Waterproofness would be nice, but not really essential, so these are now on my 'to consider' list.
They come with a case that will fit onto your belt (they are small and light enough for this to be comfortable). It's shown in this picture from a review of the original Papilio 8.5x21
Your rucksack would add to the protection.
Jessops have the H20 8x25 for £39.95. They also have a 15& discount code: BINOS15
In true spirit of the forum, where someone asks for advice then disregards every suggestion made and buys something completely different, after reading a couple of dozen reviews on various compact binoculars, I went ahead and ordered myself the Nikon Sportstar EX 8x25 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
80 quid from amazon and from what I've read they have good image quality and are fairly well built.
Close second was the Steiner Safari UltraSharp 8x22, also 80 quid from amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steiner-Saf.../dp/B005M1VGMS), but I liked the somewhat simpler design of the Nikons more
Thanks again for the advice, it's greatly appreciated.
Last edited by asteclaru; 16th August 2017 at 15:48.
I have had a pair of Nikons for over 20 years. Still excellent when compared with later offerings.
However I would say that the optics in my father's Leicas are very slightly better, but they were X4 the price.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Until this morning when I read this post, I had no idea I needed a pair of bino's.
So with that in mind, why oh why do I now find myself in the position of having just bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 7's, having spent half the day looking at reviews?!?
How/why does that happen?
If you intend to use the binoculars a lot, then drop the £100.00 budget.
You can keep a set of binoculars for life and it really does pay to buy a decent set such as Leica.
My approach is that you are better off with a small pair, I have 10 x 25s because they are small and hence you carry them more than if you had a big bulky pair. Also the better makes allow more light in which is a disadvantage of the small models. However Leica really let the light in and hence you can have a very small pair of 10 x 25s which still let in the light. So you get the best of all worlds.
Binoculars are one of those products were buying cheap usually means buying twice.
You can get some decent pre owned 10 x 25s on ebay for good prices.
Bit late, but why not look at a monocular. 8x20 will fit in any pocket, and you won't have to worry about parallax errors.
BTW the Bushnells are adequate for your requirements.
I agree that "the total amount of light entering a lens system is a function of the front aperture", but it is also a function of how much light is reflected by the front surface. This is affected by the different anti-reflection coatings used by the manufacturers.
The amount of light passing through the system and available to enter the eye is a further function of the reflections at each internal optical surface and the transmission properties of the glass.
The Nikon Sportstar binocular chosen by the OP have (according to Amazon) multi-coated lenses rather than being fully multi-coated, as are more expensive options. I'm not sure that I could discern the difference, but I'm sure that it is measurable.
Slightly under the radar are the Minox BV 10x25 Binoculars, I bought mine from Amazon for about £75 about 18 months ago and they have easily met my criteria of portability and excellent build quality and optics. Sadly they are currently about £125. If cost is not an issue, the Leica Ultravid BL 8x42 at around £1,600 are pretty delightful with the Leica Ultravid BL 10x25 being about a third of that price and of similarly superb build quality.
You could at first/last light - that's when the optical quality of the more expensive binoculars becomes readily apparent, giving an extra 10-15 minutes of visibility at each end of the day compared to cheaper optics.
Of course if all viewing is done during normal hours of daylight that's going to be of little tangible value, but for those who need it the additional time given can prove priceless.
You can't physically change the amount of light with lens coatings, but you can certainly affect the amount of light that is transmitted through to the eyepiece from the objective.
Last edited by willie_gunn; 17th August 2017 at 06:56.
Well, my binos are here, so I thought I'd follow up with some thoughts and a few pics :
They are very small and light, just what I was looking for size wise.
My colleague's iPhone for scale :
Build quality is good and the image is clear and bright, no complaints there either.
However, I've decided to return them and get the Bushnells I've initially had my eyes on, for 2 reasons :
- I think that some of the bits inside are misaligned, because I can see the edge of one lens in the bottom left of the right 'eyepiece' (I don't know the exact term for it - it's the bit you look through) and I feel dizzy after looking through them.
- 8x is just not a lot of magnification. Up to a distance of say 100-150 m, they are excellent, you can see a lot of detail clearly. Any further than that and they don't really give you much more than you'd be able to see unaided. I am fully aware that this is limited by the compact size, however, now that I know what to expect in this regard, I'm not willing to spend more than £50 on them
Thank you for explaining. I'm fully aware of how optical systems operate, having been an astronomer in an earlier career. Of course the quality of the lenses, coatings, prisms will affect the image formed by the eyepiece, but that all happens after the light enters the aperture. The poster to whom I responded seemed to have a mystical view of the ability of one brand to gather more light than others.
I would add that with binoculars, the "you-get-what-you-pay-for" curve maintains its upward slope for relatively further than it does for watches. The high end products from Leica, Zeiss, and Swarowski, for example are noticeably better than cheaper models. But what constitutes reasonable value depends entirely on the use-case.
This is what I'm going by. Perhaps I should have given a specific example of what I'd be using the binoculars for from the get go.
Last month I went scrambling in Wales. We were doing the Bristly Ridge up towards Glyder Fach. While our group was fannying about on the Sinister Gully, this one guy went past us, and, by the time we all got up and stopped for a snack and a bit of chat, he was already way high up on another rock face. Back then I wish I had some sort of binoculars so I could see his ascent better
That's the sort of thing I want the binoculars for. I'm not a bird watcher, a hunter, or whatever else might require binoculars. I don't need them to be super bright or extra sharp. I just want a half decent pair that I can have in my rucksack and use occasionally in this type of scenario. As I said, they will only be used maybe a handful of times a year, so it makes no sense to me to spend more than I have to.
Picking them up from Jessops tomorrow. I'm sure they'll do fine for the use case I'm describing above
Last edited by asteclaru; 18th August 2017 at 11:32.
I'm a birder so my requirements are different to the OP. However if possible I strongly recommend going to a shop to try out a range of bins in your price bracket. Everyone is different and what might suit me doesn't work for the next person. As the OP has discovered the Nikons don't work for him so they have to be returned even though the reviews are positive. By going to a,specialist you will have the opportunity to try out several models side by side to see what works best for you.
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I didn't really need any untill now .... you lot are bad influence
What do any of you 'experts' say about this one? Leica Trinovid Compact - binoculars 8 x 20 BC
Is the magnification enough? I like them, but don't want to make a mistake
As I just found out, 8x is not that much, so it all depends on what you want them for and what distance the stuff you'd be looking at would typically be.
I'll still go for some 8x ones, because I want to keep the size and weight down, but if you don't need them to be that compact, I'd look for something bigger with more powerful magnification
now I need them only now and then and the compactness is the main advantage (if they're too big they will always stay in the car...or at home)
This looks spot on....very expensive, but I think it can justify the price (many of my watches can't ...)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Monocular-...UAAOSwqrtWmJIN
The Leica is a cracking bit of kit. I have one that I normally take out with me in the morning when I am walking the dogs. The optics are pin sharp, and it also comes with a small, screw-in, lens that converts it into quite a useful little microscope.
The problem with optics is that, once you've tried the holy trinity (Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski) everything else is a huge disappointment.
Optical alignment is the very first thing to check. Reject any that aren't perfect. Try reading some detail far away to check resolution, like a sign or number plate. I will almost guarantee that hand held you will read more of a sign with 8x than with 10x.
Imagine an image drawn on a balloon. Then blow the balloon up more and more, bigger image, but actually no more information in the image. Also bear in mind the exit pupil diameter of the image (google is your friend) is reduced the higher the magnification, so less light.
Sounds as if one of the prisms has shifted.
I use Opticron fwiw.
I have three pairs (hahahaaaa....sounds like six!...but not)
Best by far is the 8x42.
The 42mm lens is fantastic in low light conditions.
Opticron service & back up if fantastic too. And very reasonably priced,
I went through the binocular buying process a couple of years ago. Did all the usual research as I would buying a laptop or similar but going to a shop was far more valuable. Tried the full range of price points in various magnifications and sizes and learnt a lot from the shop owner (binocular shop, not just a camera shop that sold bins). Went away, did some more research then went back to the shop to make a final decision.
Ended up with a very nice set of 9x32 Pentax waterproof roof prism which are the perfect compromise of quality, size, magnification and price for me. I'm sure some would say compromise is the operative word here as they are neither full size or truly compact, but I love them, and they really are a pleasure to use.
With something very personal like optics, reviews will never give you the whole story.
I ordered the Jessops branded 8x25's because I wanted something smaller, portable and easier to use than the chunky Lidls Bresser 10x 50's (40mm actual aperture) we had already.
Initially disappointed by the weak 8x magnification, I played about a bit and started to see the benefits of the new compacts.
The Jessops are better because they are:
Waterproof, lighter, easier to handle and stow away, good depth of field, easy to focus, solid construction with no wobbly plastic moving parts.
The Bresser 10x50's are better because they are:
Half the price, have a wider aperture, and better magnification.
But they loose focus when adjusting the diopter corrector, are tricky to columate if they get knocked out of alignment, can be wobbly due to the bulkiness and 10x mag.
For £38 delivered I am chuffed with the 8x25 purchase.
Comfortable and easy to use, light weight, easy to focus, with a clear and stable image.
Stock website photo
My Leica Monovid 8x20 should be delivered today....I blame you lot, but really looking forward to it :) (I've not bought any watches for ages, so that's my justification :) )
Rather than a compromise I'd say you had nailed it. Unless you need to pocket them, the 32mm dia objective is a great size.
I have some Nikon 8x32 SE and Nikon 8x42 HD (which were a four-figure sum to the original purchaser in 2000) both of which I bought second hand, and the 8x32 SE are my outright favourite. Light and a great view.
well i love my swarovski 8x25...nice light and do me well when over the fields
my steiner binos...altho nice are way to heavy 10x42 to lug about for hours
Amazon Deal of the Day...Pentax Papilio II 8.5 x 21 Close Focus Binocular for £89.99.