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Help me choose my first binoculars! (1 Viewer)

The Yosemite is a nice little binocular, but if for any reason you don't love it, the Kowa SV seems a little better to me, having owned two original pairs of Yosemites (6x and 8x), a current pair of Yosemite 6x, and now the 6x Kowas (and I had my second pair of 6x Yosemites - new version - at the same time I had the Kowas, so there was plenty of time to compare them head-to-head).

In the interest of full disclosure, my first pair of Kowa 6x30s were out of collimation, and had to be sent back. Second pair is great. Also, I've never handled the Kowa SV in 8x30.

Okay, I went with yosemite, just bought them from b&h. Let's see how this goes. I am so excited!
 
I'd get the 6x Yosemite or the Vortex ones (the porro style, I want to say Raptor). They're the only cheap binoculars I've tried that actually work.
 
The legacy is slightly lighter (1.65 pds vs 1.7 pds) and there are only a handful of reviews on amazon and b&h (6 max) for the yosemite. The legacy has 60 reviews.



No idea dude. Something subtle like that could be a deciding factor.

One issue with the Yosemite review counts is they can get spread among
the different chassis colors.
 
I can't add anything but I'll back up everyone who said "NO ZOOMS" and nothing like the silly "Bear Grylls" model-it looks like something I'd give my 7 year old nephew. ;)
 
I am between the porro and roof versions of the H20 Bushnells, the bushnell legacy and Vanguard Endeavor. That yosemite is 6x, I feel like I'll need more magnification.

At the lower price point, porros almost always outperform a roof of the same configuration, particularly ones from the same manufacturer. With these two, the H20 roof doesn't have phase coatings listed as a feature. This will make the image slightly soft and show less contrast than the porros. Porros also have a larger FOV at this price point.

The Yosemite is also available in 8x30, but you are looking for an 8x42, which, if up to snuff, will serve you better on overcast days and during the winter.

If you prefer a roof, the Nikon 8x42 Prostaff 7 would an inexpensive choice, though it's $50 over your budget, but you are going to need to increase your budget if you want a decent quality roof. I tried the 10x42 model and found it was pretty good for the price.

Nikon 8x42 Prostaff 7

I would not buy a pair of compact binoculars as my first pair in 8x or 10x. They are too unfriendly for a beginner and are not usually recommended as primary birding binoculars.

Brock
 
The Bear Grylls 9x32 Monocular is pretty sweet, if a little stiff. A little glare but
contrast is good. Sharp enough. Very bright.

The 8x25 Bear Grylls binocs are ~bright and have good FOV, but the sharpness is
not that great. A little mechanical cause, but mostly optical, it seems.
They would be pretty good for a kid, though...they are quite tough.

Good price on the ProStaff 7 8x42s. Against the Yosemites the contrast was softer
but a 2-inch-forward black felt hood might freshen that up a lot.
 
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The leopold binocs are pretty cool. Steady, good view and everything. I won't really be able to test them out until I get into the field. VERY light as well. Didn't expect them to be that compact.
 
So I've finally gone birding with my new binoculars; here are my thoughts:


I love the strap that comes with the package. The construction of the unit is solid. The visuals are good. My only issue is this; I notice my eyelashes get in the way. So I figured out two ways around it:

A) Angle my eyes a little away from the where I am looking
B) Use the extenders which are made for glasses. The problem with that B is that the extenders move on my unit, they'll go back in.
 
"B) Use the extenders which are made for glasses."

I think you mean 'twist the eyecups out'. Actually, for eyeglasses we
twist all the way in. I'm forcing myself to do that now, since I just get the
whole field of view and it's easier to spot a bird and then raise the binocs.

So, if you don't use glasses, having the eyecups twisted all the way out
is actually normal. I think you mean the eyecups can easily be
pressed back down. They are a bit loose on Yosemites. You can
wedge a little bit folded paper in the gap from the backside to get them
to 'stay out' all the way. There is a click-stop..make sure you are all the
way "over" when you are all the way "out". Just pulling out leaves
them floppy.

BTW, if the focuser seems a little 'gummy', just cycle it 20 times. That
smoothed out my Yosemites and gave me extra sharpness.
 
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