First Binoculars

[ellisonwales]

Hi..
Just wondering whether anyone has any experience of these binoculars?....
http://www.thebinocularshop.co.uk/popup.cfm?p_n=47361&p_i=47361
They seem very cheap and i havent heard of that make.Maybe somone has had experience of these?
tia
ellison

[scampo]

They do sound and look good, don't they? But experience has taught me at least that I wouldn't consider them without first trying them next to a good pair of top makes - Nikon, for example, or Opticron. There is a law of diminishing returns, but the old cliché that you get what you pay for almost always proves correct.

We bought a low price pair of Olympus a few years back - highly regarded by all magazines and the RSPB birding binocular of choice at the time in its price range - and a lovely view they gave, too. But they didn't last very long - the rubber eyecups loosened, the dioptre adjustment similarly. In the end, we had to change them and they were worth nothing in p/ex and would have cost far too much to repair.

We changed them for a pair of Nikon 8x42 Sporters - now available for half what we paid for only £99-00 at, for example, www.warehouseexpress.com (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/) - and they are living up to their top marque name admirably.

[ellisonwales]

Thanks for advice.I wish id found this forum earlier as ive already made a purchase for those binoculars on ebay (though at £27 inc p+p) the sting may be a little easier to take if they are not that good.The site that you referred to is excellent though , and i know where to look first in future.Thanks again for reply and advice.
ellison

[scampo]

I think you'll find they're well worth £27-00 - so you've done well. Let me know how you get on, eh?

[ellisonwales]

Well Im due to recieve them tomorrow , so ill let you know what i think .Although im no expert in binoculars i should be able to tell something by the build whether they are any good or not.Thanks again.
ellison

[Tero]

I'm wondering about those 12x50s. They probably see as much of a FOV as a pair of 10x36s?

If Ellisonwales got the 8x ones, theu should be OK for a first pair. The 10x and 12x will take some practice.

[ellisonwales]

Well i said id report back about the binoculars so here goes.They seem to be very well made and detailed and come with a soft case carrying strap , lens covers and( a nice touch i thought) a nice yellow cleaning cloth.The clarity is superb (picking out fine spider webs in the trees)As i said im not an expert and havent compared these to any other binoculars but i can honestly say that (save them falling apart which i dont think they will looking at the build quality) , i am very well pleased with them.The company seems to be selling them on ebay as well as thier main site.I picked mine up for £27 on ebay though i would say they are worth the £45 odd at the site.I would recommend anyone wanting a cheap first pair to add these to thier prospective testing.
ellison

[scampo]

Well i said id report back about the binoculars so here goes.They seem to be very well made and detailed and come with a soft case carrying strap , lens covers and( a nice touch i thought) a nice yellow cleaning cloth.The clarity is superb (picking out fine spider webs in the trees)As i said im not an expert and havent compared these to any other binoculars but i can honestly say that (save them falling apart which i dont think they will looking at the build quality) , i am very well pleased with them.The company seems to be selling them on ebay as well as thier main site.I picked mine up for £27 on ebay though i would say they are worth the £45 odd at the site.I would recommend anyone wanting a cheap first pair to add these to thier prospective testing.
ellison
If they're bright and sharp, and have a wide field of view - and they seem to have all of those features - you've got a bargain. Well done! Let's hope they bring you luck with your birding - you're in a beautiful part of the country to see some fine birds!

[Steve-O]

Hey Scampo -

If he really has the bug...how long do you think it will be before ellison buys his next bins? :bg:


Steve-O

[jebir]

If he really has the bug...how long do you think it will be before ellison buys his next bins? :bg:Steve-O
It is my experience that an unexperienced birdwatcher doesn't see many of the things that experienced observers see in the high end binoculars.

I was birding with cheap low-end Japanese 8x40:s for the first 5 years without any problem. Of course I had a desire to get better bins but I rather spent the money bringing me to some nice birding places in Europe. I didn't appreciate the improved view enough over the extra cost. I have then successively upgraded as my skills as an observer have improved.

Cheers, Jens.

[scampo]

Hey Scampo -

If he really has the bug...how long do you think it will be before ellison buys his next bins? :bg:


Steve-O
Not long, Steve, eh? But I used Zeiss-Jena bins for many years quite happily. It was a friend who bought Carl Zeiss that swayed me in the end - so much smaller and lighter.

Times have changed - it so much easier to spend large sums these days without so much as a second thought (until the credit card bill arrives...).

[Steve-O]

jebir,

I completely agree with your comment -

It is my experience that an unexperienced birdwatcher doesn't see many of the things that experienced observers see in the high end binoculars.
- I only meant to suggest that many new birders, unlike you -

Of course I had a desire to get better bins but I rather spent the money bringing me to some nice birding places in Europe. I didn't appreciate the improved view enough over the extra cost.
- have a hard time controlling their desire for the best possible optics, thinking perhaps (incorrectly), that better optics mean better birding.

Without experience, the best bins in the world are only expensive accessories.

scampo,

Carl Zeiss that swayed me in the end - so much smaller and lighter.
Carl is great! Smaller and lighter are good...second thoughts, not so...credit card bills...well...


Be good,


Steve-O

[ellisonwales]

Well i think it will be quite a long time before ellison buys new bins :).To be honest im happy with these.Ive spent a bit of time in teh garden with these (i have quite a large garden and many variety of birds visit nest etc),and the experience is quite satisfying.I think its probably (as was mentioned by jebir) that as an inexperienced watcher i probably wouldnt notice any difference.In fact im that inexperienced that even now im thinking "well how could i improve on these ones i have "? as they seem that good to me.Obviously though ,that is down to my inexperience .Maybe if my 6 numbers come up tonight ill go for those nikon ones ... just because i could :)
ellison