Is Bigger Better - from Better Views Desired

[etc]

One of the better articles on BVD.



I have resisted testing the new crop of big binoculars. By "big" I mean binoculars with large objective lenses...50mm and larger...as opposed to the more normal 40-42mm birding glass (though clearly, increasing the size of the objective lens increases both the size and weight of the whole instrument). Zeiss has their NightOwl line, both Swarovski and Leica have recently introduced 50mm roof prism glasses, and Meade has an 8x56 on the market (see last issue for a review of the Meade). 10x50s, of course, have always been common in the porro design. The real innovation here is 50mm glasses in 7 and 8 powers and 10x50 roof prism designs.




http://www.betterviewdesired.com/Complete-February-1998-Issue.php#Is%20Bigger%20Better?

[trashbird]

I used to love Better View Desired. Steve Ingram was a great writer and his views and reviews were full of charm and personality. He really understood that birdwatchers come in a wide variety of experience and budgets. He praised the best, but always made sure to recommend the best for a budget. I discovered BVD about the same time as I discovered birding and developed an interest in optics. BVD was a high-quality amateur effort, and there was nothing else remotely like it on the web. He won a lot of people's respect and trust.

BVD is still a pretty good site, not so much for its current reviews (which aren't very current) but as a repository of what once was.