Advice on binoculars please?

aliasojo

I want some binoculars to watch the wildlife in our garden but I have no idea what to buy.

I don't need big powerful things (the garden isn't that big!) and I don't expect I'll be using them too often elsewhere so don't want to waste money needlessly.

I don't want to buy rubbish though, so I'd really appreciate any pointers or suggestions?

hjibds

Aldi quite often do a pair of bresser 10x50 pair of bins. These are great quality for the pice £10-£20 I think last time they had them

penrhyn

I have a pair of Bushnell binoculars which are very good.

Gillor

+1 for Bushnells. They're robust, have good lenses and are good value for money - ideal for bird spotting.

If you've only got a smallish to medium size garden stick with 8x magnification as you might find trying to focus quickly with anything above that i.e 10x is more difficult owing to the limited field of vision.

fwor

You've got a lot of choice if you don't set yourself price/weight/size limits!

First choice you have is design - Porro or roof prism? The latter are more compact and straight-barrelled. In your case I'd look at Porro (the stepped-out barrel design), because generally they give a better stereoscopic effect, particularly close up, and you probably won't care about the extra weight and size.

Magnification: If you're going to use them hand-held, 8x magnification is probably about right, though if your garden is small, 10x might be Ok if your hands are steady.

Objective lens size: If using at dusk, the bigger the better, but at a cost of weight. 8x40 are quite handy, and typically not heavy.

Make: Avoid cheap chinese made ones, and also the big names such as Swarovski and the top-end Zeiss models - you pay a big premium for the name.

Lastly: Try before buying! I had already decided what I wanted when I bought mine earlier this year (Opticron Aurora BGA 10x42s) but when I tried them they simply did not suit me, and I ended up buying a pair of heavily discounted Olympus 10x42s instead.

googler

I'd put the question on a more specialised forum -

RSPB?
WildaboutBritain?

and see what the folks advise there.

I have a pair of Nikons that I'm very fond of.

debitcardmayhem

Morning, have a quick look here - general article not selling http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/features/binoculars.asp

aliasojo

Thanks all, appreciate the pointers. I can see I have some reading to do.

nokia1100

Also consider what windows you've got if you'll be watching the wildlife from indoors. Speaking from experience, if you have 19th Century sashes with 16 small pieces of glass, the frame tends to get in the way! Unless you position the binoculars right up to the window. Most of our glass distorts far more than my binoculars' deficiencies. Don't get seduced by magnification (8x will do as others have said). Larger objective lens diameter will bring in more light for brighter viewing, but the trade-off is weight.

Bollotom

Go to a specialist. If they're for garden you might be better off with a monocular and it's the optics that dictate. Some you will look through and they will have a bright disk that acts like mirror and others have a reddeish or yellowish cast. If the magnifying is too large you may need to mount them on a tripod as "Shake" will be heavilly pronounced. I should Google sellers and if there's one near you then pop in, otherwise telephone. I have a pair of 10x50 for star spotting and when I'm down the coast but they're rubbish in the garden.

tafelmoneysaver

I bought a fabulous 2nd pair from eBay for £5.

Worth a look