binoculars

[fergalorion]

hi everybody,
i am getting into birdwatching,
what bins do you recommend?
Fergal.

[Andy Bright]

hi everybody,
i am getting into birdwatching,
what bins do you recommend?
Fergal.Hi Fergal, welcome to birdforum from all the staff here, I have taken the liberty of moving your post to the binoculars forum, you will get a better response to your question here.
Maybe you could let us know what sort of budget you have, this will help when it comes to others recommending binos for you.

regards,
Andy

[mcdowella]

General pointers:
1) Above all, try them out yourself before buying them - personal preference and fit counts for a lot.
2) Zoom binoculars and very high power binoculars (15x and above) are on sale cheap in Argos and the like, but are in fact extremely impractical.
3) Porro prism binoculars (old fashioned binocular shape) will get you better optics than roof prism binoculars (sleeker, almost like two small telescopes tied together) of the same price, but will be less robust (as well as bulkier and probably heavier).

[Otto McDiesel]

Always try binoculars before buying.

[QUOTE=mcdowella]2) Zoom binoculars and very high power binoculars (15x and above) are on sale cheap in Argos and the like, but are in fact extremely impractical.

Never buy zoom and high power binos for birdwatching.

Experience tells me that for starters a 7x or 8x magnification - wide angle is the best to start with.

[Tero]

If you can afford roof prisms, I would check them out. Nkon and Opticron hae some cheaper 8x models. I immediately knew I would prefer them over porros as soon as I tested a few pairs. Plus they are usually durable, water resistant.

Don't use this store, but here are pictures.
http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/manufacturer.aspx?categoryid=161&sub=Roof+Prism+Binocular&man=Opticron

[Corvus Corax]

Welcome to Birdforum Fergal,

Best advice is to try as many different pairs as you can before buying - I would agree that in general roof prisms are more compact and good deals are out there.

Weight is a factor as a few hours walking with heavy or bulky binoculars around your neck can get uncomfortable (but neoprene straps will help greatly).

Opticron are excellent value for money & high quality - I have had a pair over 8 years which are now my spares & live in the car for almost daily use.

Magnification is a personal thing but a good start is 8x42 or similar for general birding giving.

Once you have decided on a make & model, some great mail order deals can be found from UK stores such as Warehouse Express or Ace Optics - the adverts in the monthly bird magazines are a good starting point for a web search.

Most of all, once you have your binoculars just get out there, enjoy your birding & have fun.

[Atomic Chicken]

Greetings!

Karl gives good advice above... if you are planning on buying only 1 pair of binoculars, a 7x42 or 8x42 would probably be your best choice because of it's better low-light performance than 8x32 models (at the cost of higher weight however - nothing's free!).

If you are buying 2 or 3 pair for different purposes, I would recommend that you buy these, in this order:

1 - a 7x42 or 8x42 for general purpose use
2 - a 10x25 compact pair from Nikon, Swarovski, or Zeiss for hiking or glovebox use.
3 - a 10x50 for low-light use

Those 3 will serve you well for every conceivable situation, with option #1 (7x42 or 8x42) being the most useful all-around. If you become a "binocu-holic" like many people on this forum, there are many other configurations for specialty uses - including image stabilized, ultra-high power (12x+), built in laser rangefinders, and switchable magnifications (Leica Duovid). While most of these are pretty neat technically, their relatively high cost and specialized functions make them dubious choices as a first birding binocular to buy.

One final thought... many people prefer high-power binoculars because of the style of birding they do... if you are watching a lot of raptors, waterbirds (from shore, not from boats) or birding in wide-open spaces, consider 10x42 as your main choice instead of 7x or 8x. If you spend much time in forests, valleys, or birding on boats, however, the 7x or 8x are definitely superior.

For world travel, if I ever have the opportunity to go "world birding", I would take along 2 binoculars - a pair of 7x42 and 10x25. This would combine maximum optical flexibility with minimum weight.

Best wishes,
Bawko