Lost My Binoculars - What Now?

[John151]

I have just lost my Nikon HG 10 x 42 binoculars which I have had for about 8 years. I was always very pleased with them. I am now searching for a new pair not necessarily Nikons. I am attracted to the image stabilising type but I am not sure whether image quality is affected by this or not. I would be very grateful for any advice on manufacturer and type with respect to image quality and anything else I may not have thought of. At 77 I am well aware of the weight factor. Thank you for reading.

John

[Corvus Corax]

Sad news John - it is horrid being without binoculars for any length of time.

Been a lot of threads recently discussing the merits of a wide range of 8x and 10x 42 bins and they have fallen into 3 main groups depending on price range.

First thing to look at is how much you want to spend and then look in the binocular forum for some great personal hands-on reviews.

Hope you get sorted soon.

[Tero]

Vortex Viper 10x42 or 8x42
should last a while

[Sancho]

Sorry to hear about the Bino loss. Canon IS bins are excellent, IMHO, but the "top-glass" version is the 10x42 L Series. I saw my first pair in a store two weeks ago (just Window-Shopping!), and the optics are superb. Problem is, I found them very heavy. I have the 12x, but they also come in 10x and 8x. These configurations are very light and usable, and I think the IS feature more than compensates for the lower quality glass.

[Henry B]

Can you claim on your house insurance,worth a try.

[John151]

My thanks to everyone for your helpful comments.
Sancho, are you implying that the IS feature is not available on the 'L' series?

PS
I've just found a Canon 10x42 IS L series on the web so that answers my question. I will have a look at one before buying.

John.

[Sancho]

My thanks to everyone for your helpful comments.
Sancho, are you implying that the IS feature is not available on the 'L' series?

PS
I've just found a Canon 10x42 IS L series on the web so that answers my question. I will have a look at one before buying.

John.

Sorry about that John, I didn´t explain myself properly, but at least now you´ve sorted it out. I hope you find a replacement pair of bins that you´re happy with, do check out IS a few times before deciding because some people love it and some don´t! Best Wishes....

[John151]

Sorry about that John, I didn´t explain myself properly, but at least now you´ve sorted it out. I hope you find a replacement pair of bins that you´re happy with, do check out IS a few times before deciding because some people love it and some don´t! Best Wishes....

Thanks again I will eventually report back.

John

[John151]

Can you claim on your house insurance,worth a try.

Thank you for your suggestion. I believe I could but, they get it all back by increasing the premium in future years so I don't think I'll bother.

John.

[paulwfromtheden]

Thank you for your suggestion. I believe I could but, they get it all back by increasing the premium in future years so I don't think I'll bother.

John.

You should do. Unless you have made a number of claims, no insurance company will increase the premiums, this is a falacy put out by insurance companies!
Presuming that you lost them away from home, they will only pay out on an 'all risks' policy and it will be subjects to limits and an xs.

[John151]

You should do. Unless you have made a number of claims, no insurance company will increase the premiums, this is a falacy put out by insurance companies!
Presuming that you lost them away from home, they will only pay out on an 'all risks' policy and it will be subjects to limits and an xs.

Thank you I do have an "All Risks." I did make a claim about 15 years ago for several thousand pounds and I don't want to be thought of as a persistant claimer!

John

[paulwfromtheden]

Thank you I do have an "All Risks." I did make a claim about 15 years ago for several thousand pounds and I don't want to be thought of as a persistant claimer!

John

John,
If you have had the same insurer for 15 years, they will not hesitate to pay up, believe me!
I work for a Lloyds Syndicate, insurance companies have no problem paying claims - no claims, no insurance industry!!

[Brian Stone]

I have made a couple of expensive claims in the past (I'm a clumsy beggar which is why I have all risks) and they've always paid up no problem. Premiums haven't risen any more than anyone else I don't think.

[paulwfromtheden]

Besides, Home/Contents insurance (along with pet insurance) is the biggest money spinner going for the insurance industry

[P H]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Best price I found the Canon 10x42 IS WP upto know £839 Bristol Cameras on Canon website says £1500

[Sancho]

Thank you I do have an "All Risks." I did make a claim about 15 years ago for several thousand pounds and I don't want to be thought of as a persistant claimer!

John

John, in a previous existence I also worked for an insurance company. Your claim for a pair of bins is buttons. You pay the all-risks premium, so you are buying the service. Your premium won't rise. Please do yourself a favour and make a claim, otherwise you are buying a financial service that you don't use....it's like buying an ice-cream and not eating it!

[dipped]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Best price I found the Canon 10x42 IS WP upto know £839 Bristol Cameras on Canon website says £1500

Microglobe have them at £699!

Nev

[John151]

Well I thought I had insurance cover but it seems I haven't! I payed extra for the following clause in my 'Building and Contents Cover,' "Items over £1500 in and away from the home." Now they are saying that it does not included personal possessions. Notwithstanding that they allowed me to specify my camera body in the buildings and contents section as being an item over £1500. To my mind that is a personal possession if ever there was one.

[John151]

Well PH thats a good price thank you for pointing it out to me. I was leaning towards the canon IS 10x40 model but now I am having second thoughts, why? Because I have read that this model has poro prisms. I have also read, on a Canon site that these are easily put out of line with a slight knock. Once this happens, very slightly displaced double images are produced which cause dizziness and eye fatigue. So I now seem to be left with Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski, all of which have roof prisms. I Will let all of you know what I finally decide on but any further tips will be more than welcome.

John

[Sancho]

That insurance policy sounds well dodgy, John, you should take it up with them or complain to the Insurance Ombudsman (if you have one in the UK....there must be some State Agency regulating Financial Institutions). If you want to get top-class optics, light and comfortable, but old-style porro prisms, not waterproof, for about 239 sterling, think about Nikon EII 10x35. They are out of production, but still available from some places in the UK (acecameras is one).

[P H]

Well PH thats a good price thank you for pointing it out to me. I was leaning towards the canon IS 10x40 model but now I am having second thoughts, why? Because I have read that this model has poro prisms. I have also read, on a Canon site that these are easily put out of line with a slight knock. Once this happens, very slightly displaced double images are produced which cause dizziness and eye fatigue. So I now seem to be left with Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski, all of which have roof prisms. I Will let all of you know what I finally decide on but any further tips will be more than welcome.

John

Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski

think thats the direction I would be looking in at this kind of price.

[paulwfromtheden]

Well I thought I had insurance cover but it seems I haven't! I payed extra for the following clause in my 'Building and Contents Cover,' "Items over £1500 in and away from the home." Now they are saying that it does not included personal possessions. Notwithstanding that they allowed me to specify my camera body in the buildings and contents section as being an item over £1500. To my mind that is a personal possession if ever there was one.

So if it does not include 'personal possessions', what does it include? I suggest you read the small print of the policy document carefully to se if they are talking the truth.

[Jos Stratford]

So if it does not include 'personal possessions', what does it include?

That's kind of what I was thinking? What exactly do you take out of the house that is not a personal possession?!

[vkalia]

Sorry to go slightly off-topic, but thanks Paul for the first Red Dwarf reference I have seen in ages!!

V.

[paulwfromtheden]

Sorry to go slightly off-topic, but thanks Paul for the first Red Dwarf reference I have seen in ages!!

V.

No problem, I have bucketloads..."Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for break-fast..."

[Henry B]

I think you should name and shame the company, obviously one we should avoid.

[John151]

I think you should name and shame the company, obviously one we should avoid.

OK RIAS

John

[John151]

Well I've bin an gon an dunit! I have just purchased a pair of 10 x 42 Leica Ultravids at a cost of £1008 including postage, from ACE Cameras. Ive have looked through these in the past when I have met people whilst out walking and they have always impressed me. I decided it wasn't worth spending an extra £420 to get the latest version because I think the difference will be small. Thats what ACE told me anyway. Thanks for all your comments which were interesting and helpful to me.

John.

[Sancho]

Congratulations, John, I hope you get years of pleasure out of your new bins! Happy Birding!

[John151]

Congratulations, John, I hope you get years of pleasure out of your new bins! Happy Birding!

Thank you. Someone will even if I don't!
John.