Help! swaro 15x56 or leica 12x50? (1 Viewer)

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

Hello this is my first post.

I'm looking for a high power bino.I like watching shorebirds.I use swaro ats80hd scope with 30x.I like the view from the scope but I thoght it would be great if I could watch them through bino.Because bino enable me relaxed and 3D view.

At this point,I narrowed the choice swaro 15x56 or leica 12x50.I tried both at the shop.I like Leica.It is very bright and clear but less magnification than swaro,which I don't like.

I can't decide which to choose,clarity of leica or better magnification of swaro.
My other bino are 7x20 /nikon,7x50 binnon/miyauch and 10x42 /olimpus.

tamandua · Apr 28, 2006

I have the Leica ultravid and am very pleased with it. It may have less magnification, but as you mentioned the Leica is (in my eyes) better concerning the brightness and sharpness which is very important. If you want to have much magnification, you can watch the bird through your scope. Plus, the Leica gives you a wider field of view which makes it (for example) easier to to track a bird in flight with the binoculars.

Bubbs · Apr 28, 2006

Welcome.

I hope you are prepared to buy another tripod for the binos. You will never be able to hold these steady for any length of time. The high magnification and narrow field of view of these monsters (especially the 15x) will certainly show you how much we all shake.

Another remedy is to join a gym and concentrate on the muscle building programme :-O

John.

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

tamandua said:
I have the Leica ultravid and am very pleased with it. It may have less magnification, but as you mentioned the Leica is (in my eyes) better concerning the brightness and sharpness which is very important. If you want to have much magnification, you can watch the bird through your scope. Plus, the Leica gives you a wider field of view which makes it (for example) easier to to track a bird in flight with the binoculars.

Thank you for the advice.I agree that Leica ultravid is very sharp and bright.
The view from Leica was WOW! view.But still, 12x isn't enough magnification ....maybe enough,I don't know. Shorebirds are not so big,so watching through 10x,birds are so small. I like bino,since it gives you the view as if you were in the field, not the view through the bino. It's kind of hard to explain.

Rob Smallwood · Apr 28, 2006

Get smaller bins (8 or 10X max) and a 'scope for the shorebirds.

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

john barclay said:
Welcome.

I hope you are prepared to buy another tripod for the binos. You will never be able to hold these steady for any length of time. The high magnification and narrow field of view of these monsters (especially the 15x) will certainly show you how much we all shake.

Another remedy is to join a gym and concentrate on the muscle building programme :-O

John.

Thank you for the reply.Yes,I'm going to use it with tripod or monopod.
I joined a gym so many times so I don't want to try again.

Tero · Apr 28, 2006

There are some 16x porro binoculars which might be sufficient. I know Nikon has one but others also. Then you can try those a while, cheap solution, and make up your mind what magnification you want. There are plenty of astronomy binoculars with tripods as well.

THEN, a year later, spend the big money on 15x or whatever is best.

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

Rob Smallwood said:
Get smaller bins (8 or 10X max) and a 'scope for the shorebirds.

I know.But the view throgh high power bino with tripod is fantastic.Once you tried them, I'm sure you will be adicted to them.

Tero · Apr 28, 2006

Here you go, a 20x experiment
http://www.opticsplanet.net/oberwerk-20x60.html

I have no idea if theya re any good. I would go for the 16x Nikons.

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

Tero said:
There are some 16x porro binoculars which might be sufficient. I know Nikon has one but others also. Then you can try those a while, cheap solution, and make up your mind what magnification you want. There are plenty of astronomy binoculars with tripods as well.

THEN, a year later, spend the big money on 15x or whatever is best.

Thanks. That sounds good idea.But there is a ploblem.My local shop offers only one pair each for lower price,the price before the big increase of both Swaro and Leica.So I can't wait a year.

I own some astronomy binocular,they are eyepiece changeable type ,20x,26x,37x 100, they are great at night,but not for daytime use.I think there is too much CA.

ceasar · Apr 28, 2006

katsunori said:
I know.But the view throgh high power bino with tripod is fantastic.Once you tried them, I'm sure you will be adicted to them.

It doesn't matter how much money you pay for a 15X Roof Prism or from whom you purchase it. You will get FAR better performance from a quality 15x or 16x porro prism binocular than you will from any roof prism of the same or similar size at half the price or less! Ask any amateur astronomer.
Bob

katsunori · Apr 28, 2006

ceasar said:
It doesn't matter how much money you pay for a 15X Roof Prism or from whom you purchase it. You will get FAR better performance from a quality 15x or 16x porro prism binocular than you will from any roof prism of the same or similar size at half the price or less! Ask any amateur astronomer.
Bob

I tried Nikon 18x70 .They are very good for astronoy but I didn't like IF bino for birding.

Do you have any recomendation for a quality high power bino with CF?

Thanks.

postcardcv · Apr 28, 2006

Have you tried the Leica Duovid 10+15x50? They are excellent optically and can easily be handheld for long periods at 10x and short periods at 15x.

Tero · Apr 28, 2006

Ceasar, exactly! And our spotting scopes are porros too. katsunori, how about two spotting scopes, one for each eye?

katsunori · Apr 29, 2006

Tero said:
Ceasar, exactly! And our spotting scopes are porros too. katsunori, how about two spotting scopes, one for each eye?

I thought about duo scope binocular. There was a adapter made by KOWA for their scopes. And also some people watching Raptors used hand made duo scope. I've never tried them.I think adjusting two scope as a pair of binocular is hard.

I though about KOWA highlander,the duo scope made by KOWA. They are great but too expensive and too heavy to carry them in the field.

Thanks.

ceasar · Apr 29, 2006

katsunori said:
I tried Nikon 18x70 .They are very good for astronoy but I didn't like IF bino for birding.

Do you have any recomendation for a quality high power bino with CF?

Thanks.

Orion sells a very nice 20 x 70 "Little Giant" II for 279.95 that has Center Focus. A tripod adapter come with it. They also have a 15 x 63 Mini Giant for 219.95. See OrionTelescopes.com. Nikon has a 16 x 50 Action Extreme for $200.00. Vixen makes superb 16 x 80's for under $600.00, but they must be specially ordered. Go to www.astronomics.com. and click on binoculars for astronomy. These babies are real big though.

Instead of spending nearly $2000.00 on Leica's why don't you spend 10% of that on the Nikon's or Orion Mini Giants first and see if you can live with them. The chances are pretty good that you won't be carrying any of them around except on occasions when you will need them.

Good Luck with your choice,
Bob

katsunori · Apr 29, 2006

postcardcv said:
Have you tried the Leica Duovid 10+15x50? They are excellent optically and can easily be handheld for long periods at 10x and short periods at 15x.

I hav'nt tried them yet. Are they good? I preffer a single maginification model to a dual magnification model.

Thanks.

katsunori · Apr 29, 2006

ceasar said:
Instead of spending nearly $2000.00 on Leica's why don't you spend 10% of that on the Nikon's or Orion Mini Giants first and see if you can live with them. The chances are pretty good that you won't be carrying any of them around except on occasions when you will need them.

Good Luck with your choice,
Bob

Sounds reasonable and practical advice. But spending $200 for trial is kind of expensive for me. I'm not rich. I saved money for this purchase.

Using-not-so-often-ploblem is my big concern. Is anybody who have high-powered bino and who uses them at regular basis?

Thank you so much for your advice. Helped a lots. Using a high power bino as a low power scope might be a bad idea.

Pileatus · Apr 29, 2006

katsunori said:
Hello this is my first post.

I'm looking for a high power bino.I like watching shorebirds.I use swaro ats80hd scope with 30x.I like the view from the scope but I thoght it would be great if I could watch them through bino.Because bino enable me relaxed and 3D view.

At this point,I narrowed the choice swaro 15x56 or leica 12x50.I tried both at the shop.I like Leica.It is very bright and clear but less magnification than swaro,which I don't like.

I can't decide which to choose,clarity of leica or better magnification of swaro.
My other bino are 7x20 /nikon,7x50 binnon/miyauch and 10x42 /olimpus.

See:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=49210
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=54129

ceasar · Apr 29, 2006

Good post, John!

Bob

Help! swaro 15x56 or leica 12x50? (1 Viewer)

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