Hi all
I'm a keen photographer and have only recently become interested simply in watching animals rather than trying to photo them!
I'm off on safari next month and thought I'd take this opportunity to buy a sensible set of binoculars that would serve me for both larger animals and for birdwatching - I'm over at the Newport wetlands quite regularly so would be using them in grey, overcast South Wales weather.
I have had a play with a few sets, and the Nikon Monarch and Minox BV in the 8x42 would fit my budget and feel comfortable to use. I'm considering the Nikons, but would be interested in opinions on how these stack up against the Minox - both for the image quality and the 'non-functional' such as longevity and robustness. As sod's law would of course dictate, these two brands are not in stock in the same shop, so side-by-side tests are not possible. The Nikons are £250, the Minox £300, so reasonably comparable on price.
Also, I tried the Nikon Prostaff and Minox BFs which are both £129, I gather the Monarchs have ED glass but I'd be interested in what compromises there are in this lower price bracket - namely, whether I would find either of these as suitable to my needs as the BVs/Monarchs but at half the price. I noticed some slight fringing on all the sets I tried, but nothing disastrous, and I'm not sure I could detect a huge drop-off in brightness but clear, bright mid-mornings perhaps aren't the most indicative times to test this.
All advice gratefully received - please note I know almost nothing about binoculars, so apols if questions are noddy and/or answered elsewhere!
I'm a keen photographer and have only recently become interested simply in watching animals rather than trying to photo them!
I'm off on safari next month and thought I'd take this opportunity to buy a sensible set of binoculars that would serve me for both larger animals and for birdwatching - I'm over at the Newport wetlands quite regularly so would be using them in grey, overcast South Wales weather.
I have had a play with a few sets, and the Nikon Monarch and Minox BV in the 8x42 would fit my budget and feel comfortable to use. I'm considering the Nikons, but would be interested in opinions on how these stack up against the Minox - both for the image quality and the 'non-functional' such as longevity and robustness. As sod's law would of course dictate, these two brands are not in stock in the same shop, so side-by-side tests are not possible. The Nikons are £250, the Minox £300, so reasonably comparable on price.
Also, I tried the Nikon Prostaff and Minox BFs which are both £129, I gather the Monarchs have ED glass but I'd be interested in what compromises there are in this lower price bracket - namely, whether I would find either of these as suitable to my needs as the BVs/Monarchs but at half the price. I noticed some slight fringing on all the sets I tried, but nothing disastrous, and I'm not sure I could detect a huge drop-off in brightness but clear, bright mid-mornings perhaps aren't the most indicative times to test this.
All advice gratefully received - please note I know almost nothing about binoculars, so apols if questions are noddy and/or answered elsewhere!