Observation bins or scope?

[nobby]

I live in a steep sided valley. The far side of the valley is about 1000ft away and is wooded with some meadow areas.
With my old 12x50s I can make out wood pigeons in the trees and can watch foxes in the clearings but not in any great detail.

I am thinking about 20x80 observation binoculars to bring me in a bit closer to the action. I would also use them for the odd bit of star gazing but nothing too serious.

Has anyone used anything similar or would a scope be better suited?
I will be using them on a tripod in my house so weight is not an issue.

[dafi]

Hi Nobby

Im no expert but i would tend to go for the bins. As long as you dont want to focus to close to the house. You will get a nice bright view,Plus the bins have to be better for the night sky than a spotting scope.

[nobby]

Thanks for that Dafi. I can use my 12x50s for closer objects so that should not be a poblem.

[J. Moore]

A lot depends on personal preferences, but if it were me I would go for a spotting scope with a zoom eyepiece. Binoculars cannot beat its flexibility in terms of getting more detail when you want to. Also, I have used such scopes for casual astronomical observations (e.g. to see the rings of Saturn, or moons of Jupiter), with good success. From what I can tell, the type the binoculars you reference have a similar field of view to a scope, so that should not really be an issue.

My two cents,
Jim

[Steve C]

If I read you correctly, it seems that the view is only 1000 feet away. That is no sort of challenging distance for a decent binocular. I'd therefore question the binocular you have. Get a decent 8x or so binocular and see if things don't improve. At that distance with 12x, the Wood Pigeon should look like it is sitting on the objective of the binocular.

Steve

[J. Moore]

If I read you correctly, it seems that the view is only 1000 feet away. That is no sort of challenging distance for a decent binocular. I'd therefore question the binocular you have. Get a decent 8x or so binocular and see if things don't improve. At that distance with 12x, the Wood Pigeon should look like it is sitting on the objective of the binocular.

Steve

Not sure if I agree with your intuitions here Steve. 1000 feet is more than the length of three (American) football fields stacked end to end. I do not think I would be able to identify most small birds from that distance with ordinary binoculars.

Jim

[Steve C]

Jim,

Thanks for pointing out that 1000' is greater than the length of three football fields. My point , not too clearly stated I suppose, was that if the view at that distance was not satisfactory at 12x that there is very likely something wrong with the binocular in use. That magnification should bring both the fox and the pigeon to a little over 80 feet, not real far. An 8x glass should bring the fur and the feathers to a distance equivalent of 125 feet, again not real far away, especially for subjects the size of a Red Fox and a Wood Pigeon. It seems that in my experience there are lots of birding, viewing or even hunting situations which occur at this or even far greater distance that we routinely encounter on outings where many people find a good 8x entirely satisfactory. Today I was easily identifying Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, and Shoveler ducks landing in amongst a huge mixed flock of Snow and White Front Geese. This took place on my farm where the fence distances have been surveyed at one time or another and the duck identification was being done with a 6x30 Yosemite at 800-1250 yards. My eyes are 60 years old as well. I suggested a view through a good 8x as a check on the 12x.

Steve

[nobby]

I see your point Steve C. I have checked out my window approx 80ft down my garden (without bins) at small woodland birds only a few inches in length and yes I can see them. The only problem is not in any great detail.

Looking at tiny birds at 50ft (as at 20x) and there is a masive difference in the detail I can see.

[J. Moore]

That magnification should bring both the fox and the pigeon to a little over 80 feet, not real far.

Thanks for the additional explanation. What I was reacting to was your suggestion in your initial post that seeing a bird from 80 feet away with the naked eye would be equivalent to seeing a bird "sitting on the objective of the binocular".

Jim

[stuart C smith]

a pair of inexpensive russian 20x60 binoculars [tento or kronos] on a tripod would be fine, very sharp central image and good for some astro work.