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$50 binoculars (1 Viewer)

ebacree35

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What is the best binocular around $50? This is all I can spend. They will be for my 12 year old daughter and myself. We have been using Bushnell Sportsman and these worked fine for my daughter but I would like one just a little better.
thank you to anyone who can help. Oh, and I will not be able to try out any at the stores either; I will just have to order online.
 
A very warm welcome to the Birdforum.
A lot of people may disagree but Tasco make fine budget binoculars.I have had a pair (8x30) for about ten years.They are the ones I keep under the passenger seat in the car for emergency birding (lol).They cost me £15 way back when and I think they are great.
 
If you could double your budget, you'd have a lot more choices. I'd go for a full sized or reverse porro prism model. Do you wear glasses? If so, your options will be even more limited.

If I only had $50, I'd try to find a used 7x35 or 8x42 porro that sold for $150-$250 originally.

Failing that, I'd go to a big-box department or sporting goods store and sort through their cheapest 7x35 and 8x40 porro prism offerings (Tasco, Bushnell) for a unit that I thought was usable. At this price level, there are a lot of assembly errors, poor optics, and designs with poor mechanical integrity (so the focus control is so sloppy that it doesn't really work well enough for birding). Problem is, many of the cheapies are in bubble packs these days, so you can't try them easily.

If you can spend a little more, consider Nikon Action 7x35 ($65), Bushnell Legacy 8x42 ($65), Leupold Yosemite 6x30 ($90), Leupold Yosemite 8x30 ($105). If small size is a concern and you don't mind a restricted field of view, a good reverse-porro in an 8x25 configuration could be very good, but all the ones I'd recommend would be $75 or more.

--AP
 
Hi Ebacree35,

If you can push the budget to $89 then the Leupold Yosemite 6x30 Alexis mentioned are (in my opinion) the best at that price. I bought a pair for my daughter last year and I ended up using them in tight woods a lot of the time.

They are very sharp, light in weight, wide view and very affordable. Scroll down to see more on this page:

http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/171/cat/10/limit/recent/date/1067110192

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=98430

Good place to buy:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/419012-USA/Leupold_61165_6x30_Yosemite_Porro_Prism.html

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4582

Check out the Leupold bino threads... I don't think you'll find a negative word about the Yosemite 6x30

Cheers
 
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I agree with the others that say if you are able to push your budget at all, the Leupold Yosemite 6X30 is a superb binocular for $90.00. Closer to your budget, are the reverse porros at around $60 each, but you get considerably worse views, IMO. Links to all have already been provided.
 
If we are assuming you meant what you said about $50, then I'd look first on Ebay because I was able to buy a couple of Olympus reverse porro 8x21 binoculars for about $25 including all shipping and handling directly from the Olympus factory-direct refurbished program with a 90 day Olympus warrantee. After I posted this info on this forum a few others were also able to buy them and everyone thought it was a great product.

I also bought the Olympus Trooper 7x35 binocular from Olympus on Ebay for about $40 including shipping. The binoculars in all cases looked new and came with cases, straps etc. and even the box. The 7x35 Trooper is surprisingly good and we get many good reviews back when we lend them out here.

Many Nikon 7x21 reverse refurbed-in-the-box porros show up on Ebay as well for about $30 including shipping. I like these allot. They are multicoated and pretty sharp. I took a set to Yellowstone during the May 29-June 9 period '07 and they were very handy to have in my pocket (even though they are about an inch longer than the equivalent Olympus model, that made the Nikon mini's easier for me to handle because of my large hands).

Amazon.com currently has the Celestron UP-Close 8x21 (I think it refers to how close it will focus) for about $13 plus shipping and they look very similar to the Olympus model I mentioned.

Cambridge Photo (Cambridgeworld) sells the Pentax UCF mini 10x21 for $46.95, the 8x20 Jupiter for $38.95, a wide variety of Bushnell binoculars (like the Natureview Birder 8x40) for under $50 and the Nikon Sprint III 7x21 for $44.95. Cambridge also claims to have some of the Nikon E2 10x35s and E2 8x30s left as well as the 12x50 Superior Es (for others of us reading this thread who thought the E2s were out of stock everywhere).

If you are on a budget these will all serve your daughter well.
 
The advice from ksbird/foxranch is good except the bit about buying from Cambridge. They advertise lots of stuff that they don't have, engage in bait-and-switch and many other unethical practices. If you don't believe me, check their dealer rating on any of the online dealer rating sites.

--AP
 
What is the best binocular around $50? This is all I can spend. They will be for my 12 year old daughter and myself. We have been using Bushnell Sportsman and these worked fine for my daughter but I would like one just a little better.
thank you to anyone who can help. Oh, and I will not be able to try out any at the stores either; I will just have to order online.
http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4905
If you order, ask for a quick check before they ship.
Have fun!
John
 
You have used I believe an 10x Bushnell, so I think you will adjust to 8x well, as long as they are sharper. Try a standard 8x40 porro, Nikon, pentax or even Simmons. The Simmons will be go under 50 dollars.
 
Thank you to all who gave advice on binoculars. I really can only spend $50 and so will check out the ones recommended around this price. I was looking on amazon at the Bushnell Natureview 8 x 40 and the Bushnell Powerview 7 x 35 Wide Angle around this price. I also want one that is not too large. Some of the Bushnells had good reviews but they looked too large for our purposes. My daughter takes them with her on bike rides and also when she jogs so the binoculars need to be light and on the small side. The Bushnell Sportsman we have are good sized for us.
Thanks again.
 
If you could find the actual Bushnell 8x42 Natureview for $50 that would be a good deal on what I've generally found to be a surprisingly good binocular. If it's the 8x40 Natureview Birder, it could still be OK, but I've found that quite a few are improperly assembled and or out of alignment. That's a problem with all binos that sell new in this price range (which is why I recommend a trip to Walmart or such, so you can try the actual unit that you plan to buy first. I think you'd be better off with used/discontinued models marked down to your price range, perhaps from e-bay. If you buy mail order you're running the risk of spending $8 shipping plus $8 return shipping when they turn out to be defective.

--AP
 
This is a fascinating thread. This may sound crazy (and probably is), but I know two people who like the $15 7x21 bins available at Big 5, Wally World, etc. They are not great (double hinge, not very bright or sharp), but as a 2nd set for someone who does not wear glasses, they are better than nothing.

I've purchased many sets of bins off fleabay for less than $50. These includes real name brands like Meade, Olympus, etc. They are more than serviceable. I'd avoid the mega production models and "binocular/digital camera" combos, etc. But there are deals of good quality stuff there.

BTW, permafocus is bad because the results can be different with glasses vs without. Fast focus is not desireable because not fine enough control.
 
I never liked any Bushnell Powerviews. Even Simmons is better. Optics better, real focus knob instead of a rocker thingy that the Poweview has.
 
I am looking at Nikon Action 7x35 Ultra-wide Binocular; I can't find out if they are porro or roof . Does anyone know if these are any good? Also the Nikon Sportstar 8x25 Black Binoculars

Thanks.
 
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I am looking at Nikon Action 7x35 Ultra-wide Binocular; I can't find out if they are porro or roof . Does anyone know if these are any good? Also the Nikon Sportstar 8x25 Black Binoculars Thanks.

The Nikon 7x35 Action is a normal sized porro and among the best in its price range (but as always, there are a few lemons). If you wear glasses however, the eye-relief is a bit lacking. The Nikon 8x25 Sportstar is a pocket-roof. It is small and thus attractive to many buyers, but the optics are mediocre--very poor compared to the 7x35 Action. It is also even harder to use with glasses.

--AP
 
I am wondering if the Nikon Action will be too large or heavy for my daughter. Besides that, I like the Nikon Action. I am also looking at Olympus Roamer 10 x 21 DPC I Compact Porro Prism and the Bushnell Powerview 10 x 25 Porro Prism and the Olympus Trooper 7 x 35 DPS I. Does anyone know how these compare with the Nikon? Are the Olympus models made well? The outside looks like it is made of plastic; is this a good thing or not?
Thanks again.
 
I am wondering if the Nikon Action will be too large or heavy for my daughter. Besides that, I like the Nikon Action. I am also looking at Olympus Roamer 10 x 21 DPC I Compact Porro Prism and the Bushnell Powerview 10 x 25 Porro Prism and the Olympus Trooper 7 x 35 DPS I. Does anyone know how these compare with the Nikon? Are the Olympus models made well? The outside looks like it is made of plastic; is this a good thing or not?
Thanks again.
At your price point, and considering the weight issue, you will get the biggest bang for the buck with a reverse porro. Olympus will probably not be as well made as the Nikon Actions, but provide a decent (albeit not as good) view and be much easier lighter in weight and size. The view they provide is also probably better than the compact roofs at this price level. I wouldn't worry about the build quality as they are resistant enough to normal bangs, just always wear the strap when out and about and that should be sufficient.
 
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