[saxon57]

After buying the wife some Helios 8x32's from Cley Spy whilst on holiday I've been bitten by the birding bug and decided to buy myself something a bit better than my £10 car boot specials Well in the two days since joining Bird Forum I've read post after post and I'm still non the wiser on what to buy, I have tried some Opticron Discovery 10x42's which I liked but I'm on a limited budget due to unforeseen early retirement so I've no more than £150 to spend, second hand would probably get me more for my money but it's finding the right kit and I can't afford to make a cock up and have to buy twice so any advice would be welcome

[captaincarot]

to be honest at the price you want to pay, there are 2 models which stand out, the opticron discoveries and viking navilux, so i'd have a look at both of them, personally i use the discovery 8x42. in models which are more expensive, unless you're looking at silly money, the next optical improvement comes with the hawke frontier ED, but people tend to spend the 400 notes needed to buy these then flatly refuse to let go of them. so the chances of getting your hands on a second hand pair are pretty slim

[Cheshire Birder]

You can get a new pair for under £150. Bushnell and Nikon binoculars are both available from Jessops (http://www.jessops.com/Directory/cat...&fh_eds=%c3%9f). I have dealt with Jessops over several purchases and they always give me good service at my local store. You should be able to try them out at the store.

CB

[typo]

Hi Saxon,

It's always best to try a few pairs if you can. If there is no where locally then somewhere like Rother Valley Optics isn't too far away. It's mostly a telescope shop, but carry a small but useful selection of reasonably priced binos as well. I found them very helpful.

One that I quite liked when I tried it was the Helios Aero ED which can be found for about £150 if you hunt around. I'd personally rank it above the Opticron Discovery, but below the Hawke Frontier ED optically but nicer to use than the latter. I posted a few comments about it a while back.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=204580

Good luck,

David
P.S. It wasn't clear how carefully you compared the 8x and 10x pairs. Many prefer a higher magnification. Personally I suffer from hand shake and not only see more detail with a lower power but enjoy the wider view and greater depth of view. Just suggest you check carefully both before making your choice.

[typo]

Another suggestion. I've not seen a pair of these but the Eden HD might be worth considering.
http://www.edenwebshops.co.uk/en/ct/...binoculars.htm

The 8x43 has been favourably reviewed a couple of times on the forum:
http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/sho...9/limit/recent
http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/sho...0/limit/recent

David

[chris butterworth]

Personally I wouldn't start thinking about brands of bins just yet. Get yourself down to a reliable dealer ( with good viewing facilities ) and try every brand / size you can get them to show you. When you've found a bunch that suit you ( not too heavy, good optics - for your eyes, etc ) then start looking at what you can afford and narrow them down from there. Good luck.

Chris

[saxon57]

Thank's for all the info, I went to Rother Vally Optics and tried every thing in my price range on some very obliging Black Birds in the trees opposite the shop and kept going back to the Viking Navilux in 10x42, They just seemed nice in the hand, I could hold them steady and all in all just suited me, Thanks again Folks

[typo]

Glad Rother Valley Optics were able to help you out. Enjoy your new binos and happy birding.

David