Binocular choice (1 Viewer)

Hi, all. tanbark here. Newbie on board.

I live in coastal South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. Did a lot of volunteer field work in herpetology for the N.C. State museum, in Raleigh, when I was much younger, but I've always been interested in birds, too.

There's probably an equipment thread somewhere, but I haven't been able to find it. (I'm not very computer literate)

I'm also on a fairly modest budget, and I just ordered a pair of Bushnell 10X42's in the legend series---$230. I know that the 10X's are some jiggly, but I'm pretty steady, if I'm laying off the caffeine. B

I'm more concerned that I got some decent quality for the bucks. Are any of you guys familiar with those bins, and if so, what do you think of them?

I'd rather not return them when they get here, but if they're a bar of soap, I'd like to know about it now.

Thanks, tb.

Best to all, tb.

tb,

Actually there was just a thread up in the Bushnell subforum about the 10x42 Legends IIRC.

I have the 8x42s and am happy with their handling and performance for the price I paid. For quite some time the Bushnell Legends and Nikon Monarchs were a bit of a reference standard at the $300 price point. With Bushnell introducing the new Legend Ultra EDs this summer many retailers have been cutting prices to move old stock. Those 10x42s that you paid $230 for were selling for about $100 more 6-8 months ago.

Frank; Thanks for the info. That is what I was hoping for. If a little peace of mind is worth a beer, come on down to Cackalack and let's get 'faced. B

No way could I afford a pair of the 4-figure jobs, but I do like Canon's photo stuff, and their IS series, especially the same power-rated bins as the Bushnell Legends, are intriguing. But they are new, and they've got those interior electronics, and all sorts of moving parts, and if I HAD the bucks, I think I'd be a little redneck-leery of that new tech. Of course you'd think that since it sure works in their camera lenses, why not in their binoculars?
But I think I'll wait for a consensus to develop(and for the ship to come in...) before I do an upgrade. Thanks again for the good reply. tb.

TB,

Glad I could help. I do have some free time coming up shortly so I may pop "down" for a bit of suds.



I have been hearing good things about the 10x30 IS lately from someone whose optic's opinion I respect. Maybe it will be time to invest in a pair.

I got the Bushnell 10X42 bins in today. I wish had enough experience with decent- quality binoculars to write a useful review on their optics, but I don't, and that's that. They look good, feel great. And are much the best I've ever used.
($29.95 WalMart specials...the others...)

The Zeiss's and Swarovskis, etc. must be something, if these are just so-so in quality, relative to them.

I CAN talk about the physical aspect of the bins some.

I got the camos, and their rubber armoring feels good to glom onto. I like the contoured shape of the rear of the bins. It felt natural the first time I picked them up. Everything is well-damped, from the spread of the two barrels to fit my eye-span, to the focusing knob. Like that. The focus is fairly "coarse", and I like that, too. It comes in right NOW, and requires a little touch, which I'll get, pretty quickly, I think.

The front eyecups (are those the "objective" end?) are well designed and stay on well when the glasses are hanging from the neck strap. Not so, the eyepiece covers: They're a good quality rubber, but they are such a loose fit that if you turn the bins upside down, they will fall off almost instantly.

The neck strap is well made, but i WILL get a harness in the near future. They look more comfortable and usable.

They feel...substantial...but the weight, a hair less than 30 ounces, feels right. I've not had a problem with cameras and/or lenses that were hefty. I like that, up to a point. In fact, I plan on getting a battery grip for my Canon 50D pretty soon, because so many reviewers say it makes handling the camera easier.
The 10X magnification seemed jiggly when I first started using them, but in about 20 minutes, I had steadied up, and I was glad I went for the 10's.

FOV, at 315' at a thou, or, 6 degrss, which is a bit narrower than some of the other models I looked at, but I don't feel I'm being forced into tunnel vision. Again, I have nothing for reference, and maybe I'll wish I had gone wider angled or something.

I'm really pleased with them. If that changes, I'll post about it.