Binoculars-Any reccomendations

[Byeckerslike]

I can highly recommend Bushnell Legacy 8 x 42 pentoprism Bins, they are superb quality and if you shop carefully, very good value for money.

Be aware that the higher the magnification, the more lense wobble you will experience. The best pair of bins I ever used were ex-naval 8 x 50's

but my Bushnell 8 x 42 are very useable.

[Theo]

I am given to understand by somebody who knows more about than me that the first number should be at least 1/4 of the other number so 8X30 or 10x40 at least.

 

The larger the second number the more usable they will be in lower light.

 

The point about the eyepieces is well made however if like me you wear specs all the time the person advising you needs to know and then they can suggest a pair which can be used with the specs.

 

From a personal point of view I dislike the term "twitcher". A twitcher is a bird watcher who goes tearing round the country trying to add another tick (rare bird) to their list. I assume the reference to twitchers websites means bird watching websites as a twitcher would probably expect their readers to know all about optics.

 

Sorry if I gave offence regarding the term. I thought that birdwatchers were comfortable with "Twitcher".

 

Nick

[Jerra]

Sorry if I gave offence regarding the term. I thought that birdwatchers were comfortable with "Twitcher".

 

Nick

 

No problem Nick, no offence. Mainly me being pedantic! However to me who was a birder before I was a boater it is a bit like people referring to narrowboats as barges or the tiller as the rudder to me a twitcher has a specific meaning which isn't general birder.

[Guest]

Sorry if I gave offence regarding the term. I thought that birdwatchers were comfortable with "Twitcher".

 

Nick

 

I see no reason why that should cause any offence what so ever,

 

These guys even called their B&B after the term, if it causes offence to bird watchers (They are near a RSPB reserve) I doubt they would do any business -

 

http://www.twitchers-retreat.co.uk/bed-and-breakfast-snettisham/

 

Twitcher's web sites.

 

http://www.fffiow.co.uk/twitchers.htm

 

http://twitcher-online.com/home/

[Taslim]

Off topic. Cheers for the link Dog House. I was five years old again & it was my birthday. I've ordered three spud guns. Two for my nephews & one for.........um.

 

On topic. Our best bins are 10x50 with a field of 5 degrees by Zeneth. Well made, heavy & wouldn't look out of place on a remake of The cruel sea but brilliant in low light.

 

The set that get most use are 12x25 ranging 80M/1000M by tasco. Cheap as chips, tough & have been swimming a couple of times with no obvious ill effects.

 

Not high spec kit 'on paper' but more is not always better.

 

taslim

[Jerra]

I see no reason why that should cause any offence what so ever,

 

These guys even called their B&B after the term, if it causes offence to bird watchers (They are near a RSPB reserve) I doubt they would do any business -

 

http://www.twitchers...ast-snettisham/

 

Twitcher's web sites.

 

http://www.fffiow.co.uk/twitchers.htm

 

http://twitcher-online.com/home/

 

As I pointed out it caused no offence to me but I do find in all things it is best if possible to use the correct term as others may not understand if you don't. As I tried (probably somewhat badly) to illustrate with my tiller/rudder analogy.

 

Incidentally the sites you show links to are 2 twitchers sites (in my sense of the word i.e. correctly applied). The B & B probably does get a lot of twitchers and also hopes to attract twitchers (in my sense of the word i.e. correctly applied) due to being close to a reserve on the east coast which does attract a good number of rarities.

 

Again just me being pedantic.

[Bill]

I can highly recommend Bushnell Legacy 8 x 42 pentoprism Bins, they are superb quality and if you shop carefully, very good value for money.

Be aware that the higher the magnification, the more lense wobble you will experience. The best pair of bins I ever used were ex-naval 8 x 50's

but my Bushnell 8 x 42 are very useable.

 

I too have 8 x 42's but in my case made by Viking. We have the ED model which is quite pricy but very good. The full range is available here Viking link. We find them very sharp and they work surprisingly well in low light when you would think a 42 would suffer over a 50 or larger objective lens.

[lynalldisocvery]

Speaking as an ex retailer you need to remember that if everyone uses the high street store to touch and feel but buys elsewhere it won't be long before there are no high street stores for the hands on experience.

 

I personally know one camera shop which has closed because customers (wrong word as they patently weren't) came in, got the benefit of his experience and know how, handled the cameras and then went to the internet to buy.

 

Also remember that the internet seller doesn't have the same over heads as the high street shop, rates rent etc. so their prices need to be higher than many people who are selling out of an industrial unit miles out of the centre of town or their back room.

 

Ive been saying this for a long time and i reckon its the reason hight streets are going down the pan.

 

On the bino subject ive a got a pair of zeiss which were my late fathers pretty damn good and i was only using them yesterday on the boat trying to work out where our turn was!

 

Ive also got a cheap pair at home and they are just that cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

Lynall

[Woodstock]

I can highly recommend Bushnell Legacy 8 x 42 pentoprism Bins, they are superb quality and if you shop carefully, very good value for money.

Be aware that the higher the magnification, the more lense wobble you will experience. The best pair of bins I ever used were ex-naval 8 x 50's

but my Bushnell 8 x 42 are very useable.

 

 

 

 

Hi- I tried a few and these were the ones that I eventually went with-some may find them a little heavy- but I liked the ruggedness of them- felt right and tried them at the weekend and very pleased with them- and I did shop around as there was a significant variation in price