Anyone know anything about binoculars?

Harlequin565

Harlequin565

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Ian
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My wife is disabled and spends a lot of time on the bed looking out of the window. She's mentioned that she'd love to be able to ID some of the birds that land in the tree so I'm thinking binocs might be a nice Christmas present.

The choice and prices are all over the place. I have no clue. I don't want to spend a fortune (over £100) on something she might use once and then not bother with, but neither do I want to buy crap that she won't use because they're rubbish. The review sites seem to indicate anything sub-£60 is rubbish, but Amazon has thousands for around the £20-30 mark which is what I was thinking of. She needs specs for distance, but I assume you just focus at a different point if your eyes are bad(???)

Anyway. All advice appreciated. I know zip.
Thanks!
 
I have a pair of Zeiss Jena 8 x 30.

They are perfect for back garden observation.

Too much magnification is hard to use.

Loads on ebay
 
One thing I've noticed is that many binoculars are man sized so women find them harder to look through.

If you have a limited budget then second hand might give you better quality for the money. Charity shops are also worth trawling around in case they have any.

I have some minox ones and they seem to be quite reasonable. New prices aren't outlandish either.

Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski are all premium so those second hand are also worth investigating.
 
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Hi Ian

I can only offer some general thoughts:-
- do you both or are able to get out together? If so are you near an RSPB reserve, many are accessible and in regard to binoculars have a hire service and someone on hand to help select an appropriate pair........this can be a good idea because in common with being comfortable with a camera's user friendly'ness trying binoculars to find a pair she will be happy with is important!

Most will dioptre adjustment to compensate for eye/eye correction variation. I wear specs and on my pair need to make such an adjustment.

Not all of any now(?) have a method for tripod mounting......such might be something to consider on your wife's situation?

All the best with getting her a pair she will enjoy watching your garden visitors with :)
 
I would suggest something fairly light and moderate power, say 8x magnification otherwise they will wobble about a lot and the magnification factor will make them hard to hold in position. Next comes object lens size, and something called exit pupil, look it up on Google for a full description, but basically you need about 6mm and it's a factor of magnification and object lens so something around 40/50mm is about right, obviously the bigger the front lens then generally the heavier they are. Is all this sounding familiar? ,:-)
Next up is construction and coatings, the better these are the more expensive, nothing new there.
Much like cameras it's a minefield and if you're really serious you can pay a fortune.
Is your wife strong in the arms? If so weight might not be so important, otherwise it might be a big factor.
There are some good guides on B&H and Wex websites, although their recommendations seem a bit pricey.
I have a pair of Russian submarine commanders binoculars I bought at Cash Converters in Australia years ago and went for the biggest I could find without doing any research at all, I assumed bigger was better and they are useless, far too heavy.
 
I just remembered you're in Cheshire. If you like you could but me a coffee in Nantwich and I'll show you the Zeiss.

They are quite small ish

Edit to add - but probably not necessary, especially at this time of year.
 
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Best advice on binoculars I've ever heard was from Bill Oddie. He says when you buy a pair throw away the case. Keep the case & by the time you've got them to your eyes it's too late.
 
I have some Boots Admirals, I've had them... er… 48 years and they still working perfectly. They're very very cheap on evil bay.
 
After many years on my wishlist and recently gaining a small inheritance I have finally splashed out on some nice Zeiss binoculars. For years I have used a second hand pair of minoltas I bought for £20.

I use binoculars all the time in my volunteering role which are big and heavy and one of the important things for me was to have them small and light. Too large and I wouldn't carry them with me, but also it's far less tiring holding small ones. I went for 8 x magnification as they tend to be less wobbly than 10x for me.

You can either use binoculars wearing your glasses or without. The 'eye relief' can make a difference and most binoculars have a piece that will extend around the eye pieces that you pull out if you're not wearing glasses. The diopter adjustment allows you to set them so both eyes can see equally well at the same distance.

I seem to remember Opticron and Steiner were good makes to go for if you're not heading into Swarovski, Zeiss or Leica territory.

The RSPB site sells a few https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/rspb-binoculars/

I can imagine if you set up a feeder, your wife might enjoy many hours watching the birds... she might even want to photograph them :)
Good luck
 
Just an extended thought that might enhance her experience of the feathered visitors?

If you are able to place a microphone outside (wired to a speaker on the bedside table) that is not too directional so that it picks up the song(s) this combined with how she might get on with the binoculars might add to her enjoyment.

PS Actually there are times when I think I should do the same, as just watching from the kitchen window and there are times when we see the beaks open but think "would be nice to hear their calls" :) As when in the garden doing whatever outside jobs are needed, we can hear them but rarely see the singer....................and I am awefull at recognising their calls?
 
Theres always the option of bird seed on the window sill. They're braver than you think.
 
Box Brownie said:
Just an extended thought that might enhance her experience of the feathered visitors?

If you are able to place a microphone outside (wired to a speaker on the bedside table) that is not too directional so that it picks up the song(s) this combined with how she might get on with the binoculars might add to her enjoyment.

PS Actually there are times when I think I should do the same, as just watching from the kitchen window and there are times when we see the beaks open but think "would be nice to hear their calls" :) As when in the garden doing whatever outside jobs are needed, we can hear them but rarely see the singer....................and I am awefull at recognising their calls?
Click to expand...

Good idea! :D
 
I would recommend a pair of Opticron 10x42 binoculars as good value and excellent all-round, they offer a bright image and aren’t too heavy to hold for a while.

I bought a tripod bracket for mine which does make watching the birds in the garden much easier though.
 
Some great ideas folks, many thanks.

We have three cats, and they're fighting for territory with cats living next door, and "over the way" so we try not to encourage birds into the garden with feeders. All the cats are hunters, and all continue to astonish me with their ability to get to places. Dusty was on next-door's roof the other day. A normal semi-detached, two story house! I have no clue how he did it but he was after Magpies.

We have a chicken area too which all the cats avoid a)because it's muddy and b)because the chickens see them as the bottom of the... pecking order... and the birds will often drop into the relative safety of that to pinch the chicken food - until they get seen off too.

Weight will be an issue I think. Some of the big heavy 2nd hand ones on fleabay might not be suitable, but there's plenty of options there. I'd be far more comfortable spending £20-30 to see if she gets enjoyment out of it, then upgrading, rather than going £60-80 and finding it's a waste of money (although I guess I could resell on ebay)

Thanks again!
 
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The larger the magnification (the first of the two numbers) the closer things will appear which will help with identification but more magnification makes them difficult to hold still. Years ago I could hold 12x50s still, I now find 10x50s are definitely my limit.

The larger the objective lens(the second of the two numbers) the more light the binoculars gather so the image will be brighter. This isn't a big issue on a sunny day but might be on a grey day in Winter. However, a larger objective lens means a heavier binocular which makes holding it steady and/or for extended periods more difficult.

Assuming your garden isn't huge than something like 8x42 (it is a common size now) would be fine.

As they are going to be used for the garden have a look at the minimum focussing distance. I have a pair of cheap 10x50 and they won't focus any closer than about 6 metres which is annoying at times; Mrs T's binoculars focus easily to about 2 metres which is useful.

On a different issue. I suggest you experiment with the food. We found the birds throw away quite a high proportion of any mixed seed to get at the ones they want. Now we feed straight sunflower seeds or hearts as they are liked by most garden birds. The seeds are cheaper but create more mess when the birds drop the husks. Peanuts are also a convenient food that are eaten by a lot of birds.

If you have squirrels visiting your garden you'll need some protection around the feeders or the squirrels will eat the food and probably destroy the feeders too.

DAve
 
srichards said:
One thing I've noticed is that many binoculars are man sized so women find them harder to look through
Click to expand...

I've had exactly this problem trying to find a replacement for my very tired old bins. Admittedly I'm looking at 12x50 purely because that's what I've always used. I was looking at the Hawke range (I want them to last for ever and they'll get hammered) but the design of them makes the minimum inter pupil distance definely man sized, however I am just over 5 foot with quite a narrow face. I've settled on Opticron. They're decent quality while not carrying a hefty price tag and I can see through both eyepieces at the same time.
But obviously, Ian, don't choose 10x50. 8x42 is a very popular size for bird watchers and there's a reason for that - reasonable resolution coupled with light weight for dragging around all day. More magnification helps at range and a larger ojective helps in less than ideal light, but the advantages disappear if the user can't hold them steady enough. You'll find plenty of choice in the 8x42 range because it's so popular. Look at the minimum focus distance, look at the min inter pupil distance. Also look at arranging a support, eg an adjustable table, so your good lady can rest her elbows to aid stability and stop her arms getting tired. The easier the binoculars are for her to use the more she's likely to use them.
One thing to be aware of if you're going to buy s/h is that any plastic/rubber coating can start to deteriorate from contact with human skin, so with age can tend to feel a bit sticky, which isn't nice. Some are worse than others, but I had a pair of 8x25 compact bins I had to replace because of that, and annoyingly the replacements aren't as good as the the pair I had to put in the bin.
 
For cheap and cheerful, perhaps have a look if Lidl or Aldi are getting some in as 'Specialbuys', as you can try before you buy then - in your quoted price range look for full size binoculars, as cheap (£20 to £30) compact/pocket-sized bins are quite often horrible to use!.

Out of choice, for the garden, I'd stick with 8 x magnification as they should have a wider field of view and deeper depth of field, which makes it easier to find the bird and less likely to suffer the effects of shake, which can negate any benefit higher magnification binoculars give.

For higher quality, a few years ago I discovered the Hawke Frontier ED 8x43 binoculars (now discontinued), they'll be out of your price range but if you do see a good pair on Ebay (like these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hawke-frontier-ED-Binocular-8x43-Black-/372811129814?hash=item56cd4663d6:g:C58AAOSw4fhdrLn6&nma=true&si=7vdG1oxTaVPtOm55aoNCsX2LNHQ%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 ) I think they're well worth considering as the image quality and brightness weren't that far off the likes of £1500+ pair when they first came out (I had a colleague with Swarovski binoculars that went a bit quiet after trying my Frontier EDs). There are plenty of reviews about them on the internet if you want a second opinion on that!

So if you find that Mrs H likes her binoculars then that might be a good upgrade for birthday or Xmas next year if you can find a good used pair at handy money (remembering that condition is everything). To be honest, once you've tried good quality bins then you won't want to go back to cheap ones, as it can be like looking through the bathroom window by comparison!
 
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I'll just bung in , if they are/would be for just occasionally grabbing rather than "serious" birdwatching, I got a pair of Nikon sportstar 8 x 25mm (might be 21mm). These were about £100 on amazon a few years back but may come on offer. They are small, lightweight, fit in your pocket and give pretty good images. When I was a "serious" birder I used to carry round a pair of opticron 10x 42's which were good if a bit heavy, but the Nikons now go in a pocket "just in case" when Im out on a walk and work fine.
But as said, dont leave them in the case, you want them ready to go when you need them.
 
There's a pair of Opticr 8x42 on Amazon Warwhouse at the moment fowhich seem a bit of a bargain, but I'll let more experienced binocular users comment.
 
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