Which do you think are the best all round bird watching binoculars (1 Viewer)

OPTIC_NUT said:

Right said.
Also, be sure any testing considers the distances and conditions you are usually in.
Exploring more new places, going through dense woods? lower power
Long open distances? higher power

Click to expand...

I tried my Zeiss HT 8x42 Binoculars in all conditions and in my opinion they where excellent in all conditions and I'm very pleased with my purchase way back in August. I'm going out regularly every month on Bird Watching coach trips with my RSPB Local Group from Newcastle Upon Tyne as well as the annual 7 day annual day birdwatching holiday in the UK with them, as I don't have my own transport. So that's why I decided to upgrade my binoculars.
Ian.

I would take Toei Kogaku 7x35/10-Deg into the local woods,
Toei Kogaku 10x35/7-Deg to the marsh, pond, or coast,
and Nikon Prostaff 7s 8x42s as best all-around.
Since I have the 10x and 7x, the 8x doesn't get out much.
The 35mm is because my eyes are high sensitivity. Toeis
because contrast is more important to me than brightness at that level,
and I like 60s-style color-corrected optics.
It all makes sense.

IAN JAMES THOMPSON said:

Are there any experts on here who can give an opinion on what they think are the best all round bird watching pair of binoculars? I recently bought the Zeiss 8x42 HT Binoculars for birdwatching after reading the reviews and trying them out. They are very good binoculars indeed and I'm very pleased with them for birdwatching. If anyone can give opinion on what they think are the best all round pair of birdwatching binoculars, without giving the technical jargon as then I wouldn't understand anything and try and explain as simple as possible what they think is the best.
Ian.

Click to expand...

Ian,

The best 'all round' binoculars for you is a question only you can answer ..... and while cases can be made for 8x32's, 7x42's, or 10x42's in specific cases, I believe you have the best compromise, and arguably the best bin available in that format. Apart from in real dense, close cover, I actually prefer the shallower DOF of the 8x, and find it helps to find, and snap into focus ..... other folks mileage may vary! My 2c, but I prefer the 8X42 HT to the 8.5X42 SV ..... you've got the brightest bin made, nice colours, nice focus, and with nice clarity. Just nice.

Go and enjoy them, and don't give the matter a second thought! :t:


Chosun :gh:

Samandag said:

Completely out of stock with the importer, discontinued and now seldom available, many hundreds sold without complaint :t:

Click to expand...

There's a few threads on here complaining about the AFOV. One or two places still have it and I remember one place had it down to £219 for a long time trying to shift it.

Having said that, it's a good binocular. Excellent build quality and very good image. Not nearly as good as the Zeiss FL 7x42 or the Leica 7x42 but it was a fraction of the price.

Ian

I think that we both cover the same patch judging by your RSPB group programme. I am in the locality.
As a case in point to emphasise what others have said, for example Chosun’s comments, a trip yesterday up to Druridge and Boulmer (which I guess you will know), is illustrative. At Druridge – a walk through the fir and deciduous plantations to look for yellow browed warblers, on to the main lake to scan the reed beds for bearded reedlings from the hide and to check the other wildlife including otters, a walk across to the shore to see what divers were around, on to Boulmer to work through the many hundreds of waders and then a coastal walk (finches, pipits and sea ducks) finishing off with a hunt through the low scrubby trees to look again for warblers, thrushes other passerines and possible incoming migrating owls.
This shows the diversity of habitat and distances at which birds were viewed, including very distant views of large skeins of pinkfeet migrating south but well out at sea.
There is no best given that a 10x is ok for distance but not so good for close work, and vice versa for a 7x – but of course this is open to opinion or alternatively load up with an armoury of binoculars ! For the record I find an 8x42 just about the right ‘compromise’. The HT is probably well nigh perfect for all this including coping with the usually dull conditions up on the coast in the winter.
I also looked at the diversity of binoculars in my local birding group yesterday – everything from elderly porros to (only one) recent top end alpha (swarovski slc), a number of leicas (the most popular make) of various vintages and a couple of zeiss fls. Nobody ever talks about binoculars, nobody seems to miss any birds, most seem perfectly happy with what they have. The one feature is that there is always someone with a scope which is invariably shared around for viewing something interesting at distance, so this may be my next priority rather than upgrading my own second tier binocular. An HT would be very nice but I am not sure it will let me see more birds or help make more certain IDs – but the view may be that bit better having looked at one recently. The difference between my second tier and an alpha did not seem all that great.
I think you are very well placed with your HT – and showing local bias, in one of the best birding locations in the country.

Barrie

I'm increasingly of the opinion that the best all round birding binoculars are the ones you've got with you - that's why I favour 8x30 bins these days as they're so small, light (weight) and handy that it's easy to take them wherever you go!

John Cantelo said:

I'm increasingly of the opinion that the best all round birding binoculars are the ones you've got with you - that's why I favour 8x30 bins these days as they're so small, light (weight) and handy that it's easy to take them wherever you go!

Click to expand...

And then, there are those people who, like John, can succinctly whack you over the head with the LOGIC stick, and do it so well with a one-liner.

Bill