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SaganagaJoe
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12/09/2015 08:45PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Can any of you recommend anything within a reasonable price range? What are your favorites? Is there a set that could do double duty for hunting and birdwatching?
 
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SaganagaJoe
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12/19/2015 11:18PM  
bump
 
Zoco
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12/20/2015 08:19PM  
quote SaganagaJoe: "Can any of you recommend anything within a reasonable price range? What are your favorites? Is there a set that could do double duty for hunting and birdwatching? "


I would recommend a pair of porro prisms from Nikon. They aren't waterproof but they offer a lot of quality for the price. You might find the following article useful:


Binocular Picks for Every Price Range

 
SaganagaJoe
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12/21/2015 01:03PM  
Well I'm in Washington so I should probably get waterproof. Thanks also for the great article.
 
12/21/2015 01:51PM  
An 8x40 is good for general purpose bird watching. That's the minimum magnification that I find useful coupled with a larger field of view. Waterproofing is a plus. For a lightweight binocular, I like a waterproof 8x25, but the narrow field of view can make finding a bird somewhat harder. I'd recommend a brand name like Nikon or Pentax. Cheap stuff causes eye strain for me, but I don't know what you consider to be a reasonable price.
 
SaganagaJoe
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12/23/2015 01:33AM  
Under 200 would be reasonable, but I'm willing to pay more for a good set.
 
12/23/2015 01:15PM  
quote SaganagaJoe: "Under 200 would be reasonable, but I'm willing to pay more for a good set. "

That Eagle Optics Shrike on birdwatching.com looks like a good choice for under $100.
For a better binocular, look at the Pentax SP8x40WP for $159 on optics planet.com.
 
12/23/2015 05:26PM  
The Nikon Monarch 5 is highly rated by birders for its price range, @$250-275. You may be able to find a good deal for closer to $200. 8x42, or 10x42 would be the size you would want.
 
Alan Gage
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12/23/2015 06:09PM  
If you're at all serious about bird watching you might as well spend the money now. It will be cheaper than gradually upgrading over the next few years.

For about $500 you can get a really nice set of water proof compacts (8x20 or 10x25) from Zeiss, Leica, or Swarovski. Although small in size quality is fantastic for the price and, at least when I bought mine about 6 years ago, the field of view beats many full size binoculars in the same price range. After trying out a few pairs of full sized binocs in the $500 range I was disappointed and went with the compacts and found my little Leicas to be of better image quality. You just give up a little brightness in low light but to be honest it really hasn't bothered me.

Main reason I went with Leica was because of availability and, at least at the time, better eye relief which meant a lot to me as I wear glasses.

Then, in a year or two when you're really sucked in, this pair of compacts will become your backup pair when you buy a set of full sized binoculars in the $1000-2000 range.

I've also got a pair of 10x42 Zeiss Victories and now that I'm not so serious about birding they mostly stay in the case and the Leicas come with me everywhere. The small size and light weight is hard to beat. You don't even know you're carrying them and they easily fit in a jacket pocket. The compare surprisingly well with my Victories in terms of image quality. I don't feel like I'm settling for second best when I use them although the huge and bright picture the 10x42 Zeiss's offer is hard to beat when you don't mind carrying the weight.

Alan
 
SaganagaJoe
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12/24/2015 01:31AM  
That's great information, thanks Alan.
 
Alan Gage
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12/24/2015 09:18AM  
Trying out binoculars in the store is hard. Sharpness is, of course, important, but judging that by looking around a dimly lit store or through a window is difficult at best. And everything looks sharp when the sun is shining since there's so much contrast. The real test is spending some time in the field under difficult lighting situations. I've found chromatic aberration to be one of the most common problems with lower priced binoculars and something I won't tolerate when when bird watching.

When I was trying to choose my first binoculars I ordered a pair of Eagle Optics Rangers. I'd read great things in the forums and lots of people bragged they couldn't tell the difference between them and name brands costing twice the money. I was very pleased when I unpackaged them and looked around the yard. Next day I took them out in the field on an overcast day. Stepped out of the car and saw a dark bird nearby on a telephone wire silhouetted against the sky. When I looked through the Rangers I saw a black silhouette with a purple halo around it (chromatic aberration). When I put the little Leicas up to my eye I could see a black bird with a brown head and no purple halo. Those are the conditions where you get the benefit of good glass. The Rangers got returned next day.

Alan
 
12/24/2015 11:46AM  
Check out the American Birding Association site . There is a drop down menu for Events. Click on festivals and enter your state. I checked Washington and Oregon, there is a festival in both. Optic reps and vendors are often at such festivals. This would give you a chance to compare optics side by side, perhaps in real birding situation. My wife and I did this in Ohio, it was very valuable. You may find a good price on bins on the association site.
 
Zoco
senior member (56)senior membersenior member
  
12/24/2015 08:25PM  
quote Alan Gage: "


When I looked through the Rangers I saw a black silhouette with a purple halo around it


Alan"


You should have kept those Rangers. A Shiny Cowbird is a nice find for Iowa!
 
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