Binoculars recommendation / Are some Bushnells fake?

Donnie

Donnie

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OK, fancy some binoculars for going out and about and spotting areas when searching for landscape points of interest, if that makes sense.

I'd looked on here and the Bushnell ones seemed recommended so ordered some Bushnell Powerview 10x25 and arrived today, my god but they are cheap crap :-( Granted I only paid 30quid but the underside bit of plastic "protecting" the centre focus are fell off as I unfolded them out of the box. these seem little better than the £10 from jessops!

So, they're going back as they are either fakes or Bushnell's budget end isn't worth entertaining!

So, I do want either 8x25 or 10x25 for the compactness, Im going to up my budget to maximum £100 given how little it'll be used, I'd consider a monocular or spotting scope but suspect the latter would be bulky and heavy.

As said its for scouting locations etc, its not for birding or aero displays or even the neighbours windows :exit:

So, does anyone have a recommendation based on their own purchases or experiences, either positive or negative?
 
low end new binos are crap, sorry but its the same as camera lens you don't get much for that money. second hand there are some great poro prisms if you dont mind the weight and size. generally the traditional shape/prisms are better in the lower price ranges. for a bit more look at lower end minox or some of the Steiner's are great as are some of the lower nikons. but with binos you really do get what you pay for.
 
I bought a pair of Braun 8x42 waterproof binoculars for £80
They are very good for the money.
 
niko said:
low end new binos are crap, sorry but its the same as camera lens you don't get much for that money. second hand there are some great poro prisms if you dont mind the weight and size. generally the traditional shape/prisms are better in the lower price ranges. for a bit more look at lower end minox or some of the Steiner's are great as are some of the lower nikons. but with binos you really do get what you pay for.
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Beginning to see that :-/ I think roof prism would suit me better as I want fairly compact and light ones?

I did spot this monocular that I thought was interesting?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/hawke-nature-trek-10x50-monocular-green-n96dd
 
I have a pair of Bushnell legend ultra hd 10x25 and I think they are quite good. I only use them as companion when carrying camera gear, I normally use Vortex Razor HD 10x42 otherwise (so I'm comparing them to something very good). I tried a Vortex monocular once... I didn't get along with it at all.
 
Nikon Travelite 8x25 very good value and pretty compact
 
I went shopping for these with a friend, who decided on one of the Olympus Porro models, which performed well above their price range (I remember wondering whether the money I'd spent on the excellent 8x20 Leica Ultravids was entirely justified!). I'd suggest the Olympus 8x25 PC I - Amazon seems to think it's a roof prism model, but it's a Porro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-8x25-Binoculars-Silver-Black/dp/B00006G33J If you want something lighter and more compact, there's an 8x21 in the same range. A roof prism model would be smaller again, but I think the general consensus is that a Porro gives you better quality at this price. Incidentally, although you don't want it for birding, birdforum.net has the best user reviews of binoculars I've found. Here's one that comes to the same awkward conclusion as me about the Olympus vs the Ultravid: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=151944 (to be fair on the Leica, it's a tiny design you can use in a theatre without looking like a U-boat commander).
 
sk66 said:
I have a pair of Bushnell legend ultra hd 10x25 and I think they are quite good. I only use them as companion when carrying camera gear, I normally use Vortex Razor HD 10x42 otherwise (so I'm comparing them to something very good). I tried a Vortex monocular once... I didn't get along with it at all.
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I have vortex razor HD 8x42 way more expensive than mention in OP but far cheaper than Swaro etc and people who have tried mine have commented on how good they are plus vortex give a lifetime accidental warranty transferable to new owners call VIP I believe
 
AdamSi said:
I have vortex razor HD 8x42 way more expensive than mention in OP but far cheaper than Swaro etc and people who have tried mine have commented on how good they are plus vortex give a lifetime accidental warranty transferable to new owners call VIP I believe
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I've used the Vortex warranty, it's excellent (no paperwork/receipts/questions and pretty quick).
But for a pair of compact/inexpensive/waterproof/nitrogen sealed/inexpensive/etc, etc, I've yet to find anything better than the legend's (I have at least 4 pair of "junk" binoculars, but there's many I haven't tried)... I don't particularly like the dual hinge design, but it does make them more compact.
 
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Donnie said:
Beginning to see that :-/ I think roof prism would suit me better as I want fairly compact and light ones?

I did spot this monocular that I thought was interesting?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/hawke-nature-trek-10x50-monocular-green-n96dd
Click to expand...
its luck with binos at the cheap end sometimes you can get a good pair but not very often. Its also highly dependant on user, my mum cant see any difference between cheap or good glass, but the distortion in cheap binos made/makes me felt physically sick with movement. i just cant stand using crap binos. some people just don't seem to notice it as badly as others but I really think if you can wait and save up you will be a lot happier for it.
I've spent/wasted a lot of money on recommended cheaper glass from £10 things to £200 hawke and in the long run it would of been much , much cheaper just to wait and buy a good set once. i now own to very good sets. There are some incredible older poros i wont bother naming, as they are big and heavy but are available cheaper.
 
Retune said:
I went shopping for these with a friend, who decided on one of the Olympus Porro models, which performed well above their price range (I remember wondering whether the money I'd spent on the excellent 8x20 Leica Ultravids was entirely justified!). I'd suggest the Olympus 8x25 PC I - Amazon seems to think it's a roof prism model, but it's a Porro: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-8x25-Binoculars-Silver-Black/dp/B00006G33J If you want something lighter and more compact, there's an 8x21 in the same range. A roof prism model would be smaller again, but I think the general consensus is that a Porro gives you better quality at this price. Incidentally, although you don't want it for birding, birdforum.net has the best user reviews of binoculars I've found. Here's one that comes to the same awkward conclusion as me about the Olympus vs the Ultravid: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=151944 (to be fair on the Leica, it's a tiny design you can use in a theatre without looking like a U-boat commander).
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I must admit id been avoiding that style of bino but after reading the reviews they do indeed look good and seem to get great reviews, plus looks like they go about £40 second hand on the bay too if Im patient.
 
Have a browse on birdforum.net ...it obviously depends on size, weight, budget and whether you'll be using them around water, etc. The other thing to check is the field of view, some are quite narrow. At the cheaper end I have a pair of Hawke bins, which were good for the price but I have the impression many manufacturers have stepped up their low-mid range offerings.

If you have an RSPB or WWT site near you, give them a call as they often have a good range that you can try.
 
If the Legend Ultra HD bins are as good as the same range of rifle scopes then they should be well worth a look and I have a vague recollection of our rep saying they were what he would choose.
A friend of mine who normally uses high-end bins was impressed by the Bushnell H2O 8x25 and even used his own money to buy a set (he's notoriously tight. ;) )
 
The big guns are Leica, Zeiss and Swarovski but they're very expensive, and the OP stated a maximum budget of £100 and occasional use. I'd just cruise Amazon and read the reviews for any binoculars that seem to meet the criteria. You can always return them if they're unsuitable.

Compacts are handy, but lack the light transmission qualities of larger objective lenses for the same magnification, and are harder to hold steady. Some people find the difference between x8 and x10 quite noticeable.
 
Wouldn't the OP be better off asking this question on a UK birdwatching forum in terms of getting an answer based on the practical experience of numerous others? If so, it might be best do a search through existing posts within the last 18 months or so first, as the answer is probably there already.

I wouldn't go back much further than about 2 years doing a forum advice search though, as things seem to have advanced in recent years in terms of image quality for £ spent. I bought a pair of Hawke Frontier ED 10x43 binoculars a few years ago, and after being used to cheapish bins before I was amazed at the image quality I'd got for under £300! At the time, to get something significantly better I think I'd have had to put £1000 to the £280 I spent!

So I imagine the OP should be able to get something of reasonable quality for around £100 that won't fall apart or be like looking through a bathroom window. However, I wouldn't stint on putting another £30 or so to that if it would move me up a league as decent bins should last a good few years and, as the saying goes; the quality is usually remembered long after the price is forgotten! Hope this is useful, and keep us posted on what you buy. (y)
 
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Can't recommend any binoculars in the sizes you mentioned but whatever you go for definitely try them first. They are a bit like cameras - there is a lot in how they feel and the view they give to you that is important. You aren't that far from the InFocus shop at London Colney ( http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/ ) and I recommend them as a good place to check out. Mrs Tringa bought some binoculars from them a few years ago and she must have spent well over an hour trying out various ones, all without any pressure to hurry up or buy.

Being a specialist shop they do tend towards more expensive binoculars but their site shows they also have some in the price bracket you want; though I agree with above comment that if you can stretch to a few more quid it gives you more choice.

I appreciate the compactness of binoculars with small objective lenses (ie 25) but I'm not keen on them. Larger objectives collect more light and while this will not be an issue when it is bright, it might become important as the light drops.

Quite a few binoculars in the 8x42 or 10x42 ranges are still pretty compact.

If you are thinking of trying InFocus I suggest giving them a ring first - they are very approachable and helpful.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
If you are thinking of trying InFocus I suggest giving them a ring first - they are very approachable and helpful.

Dave
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+1 and they also do second-hand :)
 
if you can cope with full size poro's, its hard to beat these "swift 8.5x44 Audubon 804 porro" they can be found 2nd hand for good money. there are lots of older one around and mk1/11/111 versions I had the "gold labelled ones (highly recommended)
they are not just good value but if you get a good set they put a lot of very high end binos to shame-and that's coming from someone who owns both minox HG and Swarovski binos.
they really are great binos.
 
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