Binocular for wild safari or bird (1 Viewer)

Of those I would go with the Vixen. I would not recommend the Bushnell Trophy to anybody. I have looked them over a few times and unless they have recently started they are not phase corrected. However the new ones could be.

Tutosat, post 40,
I support Steve with the Vixen and personally I would go for theVixen New Foresta 8x32 WP, since it is light,has a pleasant handling comfort and is compact enough since you will probably also take some other gear with you like camara's etc. It has enough light gathering power espcially if you are 40 or 40+.
Gijs van Ginkel

Gijs,

While there is considerable individual variation in maximum pupil dilation with age, I think you would be very unfortunate to have only 4mm at the age of 40. That might be more typical for a 70 year old.

When I last had a hunt around I found 20 differently branded versions of what looked like Bynolyt Traveller 8x34 (if you include a few x33 and 32 variants). Most of the online descriptions are a bit vague on technical details, but some claim phase correction, others do not. The Bynolyt is one of the more expensive options. Do you know if it is phase coated? I couldn't spot anything, but may well have missed it with Google Translate. I wrote something about the Opticron version a while back.

David

David, post 43,
You are right that there is a fairly large variation of maximum eye pupil size with age, but I had an 8x32 with me to Africa and it also served me well also under lower light conditions. But of course t is a trade-off between price, weight, size etc. if you are travelling in Africa, certainly when some of your excursions also include walking sessions with backpack in fairly rough terrain. I will check the Bynolyt Traveller, but I do not know by head about the yes/no presence of phase coating. By comparing the Vixen 8x32 and the Bynolyt Traveller 8x34, they look very similar as far as housing is concerned, so they may come from the same maker.
Gijs van Ginkel

Thanks Gijs,

I did consider the Vixen but didn't include it in my 20 count. It's heavier, has a wider view and is another step up the price ladder, so I'd guess a different design, but I've not seen it in the flesh.

David

Today i visited a store and i try to get some 8X32 and 10X46 bino,
I tremble a bit and have some difficulty in keeping the 10X binocular stable, so I liked the 8x model more because it is much easier to focus on the target

Tomorrow I will go to the other store to test the 8x42 or 8X32 model, in store I will test the brands Zeiss Terra and Vixen.

I definitely think the 8X bino is the best for me, now I only need to choose the brand and the diameter of the lens, For this I thank Your help.

Today i test some Steiner Binos, 8x30 Safari Autofocus, 8x30 Wild Life pro, 8x42 Observer and other 8X32.

For me, i like more Steiner 8x30 Wild Life pro easy focus, light weight, second is 8x42 Observer, best definition.

The steiner is a good brand? What do you think aboiut this binos?

tutosat said:

Today i test some Steiner Binos, 8x30 Safari Autofocus, 8x30 Wild Life pro, 8x42 Observer and other 8X32.

For me, i like more Steiner 8x30 Wild Life pro easy focus, light weight, second is 8x42 Observer, best definition.

The steiner is a good brand? What do you think aboiut this binos?

Click to expand...

6 “I WANT AN AUTO-FOCUS BINOCULAR.”

Despite what you have read or been told, there are no non-electronic auto-focus binoculars.

“But how can that be; I saw it myself?” Answer: the power of suggestion.

Years ago I made a bent-nail puzzle and gave it to a friend to tinker with while we talked. Figuring it out in short order, I grabbed the puzzle, turned my back, put it back together, and gave it to him again saying “Okay, hotdog, let’s see you get this one apart as fast; I put it together backwards.” Although we continued talking for quite a while, he couldn’t figure it out.

The puzzle only worked one way. Thus it couldn’t have been put together “backwards.” Yet, the power of suggestion caused him to flounder.

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A photo of the Puzzle
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Focusing and Depth of Field

Focusing your binocular for distances from 5 to 500 feet, you might turn the focus wheel almost a full turn. Focusing from 500 feet to 5,000,000,000 miles, however, may require only a fraction of that, depending on the binocular.

Example: Hold your hand a foot to 14 inches in front of your face and concentrate until you can see the swirls on the tips of your fingers. Then, while keeping your fingers sharply focused, try to look at an object just a foot farther away. Oops! It can’t be done; we can’t focus on two objects simultaneously separated in our line of sight by only a foot at close range.

Next, look at trees or buildings a mile or more away. Notice that although some of those trees or buildings may be separated by more than 500 feet along your line-of-sight, they’re all focused sharply. Distance and depth of field make the difference.

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Photo, Illustration, or Comment 2 photos illustrating the last two concepts
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When focused for a distance of 80 yards or so most handheld binoculars of moderate magnification will provide reasonably good imagery up close (~40 feet) and at infinity. Even so, they must be refocused if they’re to provide optimum resolution at either extreme.

Being able to see distant trees and the license plate on the car across the street may cause you to believe you have an auto-focusing binocular—especially if you’re young and have a large range of dioptric accommodation. But if you want to resolve leaves on those trees or the dirt specks on the license plate, without excessive eyestrain, you’ll have to refocus.

People in their 20s may have an accommodation of 10 diopters or more. Those in their 30s and 40s will have much less. And by the time we’re 50 ... one or two diopters is probably the upper end of our accommodation and a focusing mechanism may come in handy.

Although this gimmickry has subsided somewhat over the last few years, it won’t go away completely as long as trusting consumers are prepared to spend their money on today’s equivalent of “snake oil.” Fortunately, more and more people are seeing this sham for what it is. The following is from the All Best Binoculars Internet site:

Q: “So why are they called auto-focus binoculars if they don’t automatically focus?”

A: “That’s a good question. The answer can probably be found in the world of marketing, many years ago. Auto-focus sounds much more exciting and groundbreaking than fixed-focus. Now, the name has been used for so long, that there’s no real reason to fix it … except that newcomers to the optics game are consistently confused by it, and rightfully so.”

This was the sham that in the early 1990s pushed me over the edge and caused me to start writing about the charlatans of binocular marketing.

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Photo, Illustration, or Comment Photo Illustrating Depth of Field
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Smoke and Mirrors

Some companies market binoculars lacking a focus mechanism, which supports the idea no focusing is required. However, the real magic here is in the ad campaign and not the binocular. These instruments force the user’s eyes to adapt to their fixed-focus setting via the eye’s ciliary muscles, which may lead to fatigue, headaches, and less than crisp imagery at most distances. Furthermore, without the ability to focus there’s no way for the observer to compensate for his or her differing dioptric strengths and few people (between 2 and 3%) have exactly the same in each eye. There’s a 1 ½ diopter difference in mine. Do you know the difference between your eyes? If not, your optometrist can help.

Through the stretching and compressing of the eye lens via the eye’s ciliary muscles, the average adult emmetropic observer (one with really good vision) will have a dioptric accommodation range of ~4 diopters, but often more is needed.

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Photo, Illustration, or Comment Illustration of how eye muscles work and that eyes are rarely perfectly matched
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On a number of occasions people have assured me they could see just as well with a fixed-focus product as they could with any “so-called quality binocular.” Considering the ages of most of these observers and understanding their dioptric accommodation limitations, I’m certain their contention related more to what they didn’t appreciate about what a binocular should do than observed and understood performance. Even so, let’s try to understand why a person could feel this way.

He might grab his binocular to see who just drove slowly past his house. He doesn’t notice the burgundy car looks black with a yellow/green fringe on the right side, that the image starts getting soft 1/3rd of the way from the center of the field, or that the binocular is so poorly collimated he has to use the limits of his spatial accommodation to achieve even a barely tolerable image.

That poor quality binocular told him what he wanted to know; thus, his needs were met. Would he have noticed the difference had he been using a Swarovski or Leica? Probably not. Physics never takes a back seat to opinion. But it’s opinion, not physics, that makes cash registers ring.

A Story: As a teen I tried to get my parents to appreciate stereo music; both claimed they couldn’t hear the difference between monaural and stereophonic. I assumed it was just a matter of wouldn’t. After all, if vocals were coming exclusively from the right speaker, bass was coming exclusively from the left, and I was quickly switching from one channel to the other to illustrate, how could they not hear the difference? In the end, they told me they were pleased for me but that they just couldn’t do it. I finally gave up in incredulity.



The Real Deal

Not long before photo-optical giant Minolta merged with Konica in 2003, the company marketed a truly auto-focusing binocular. This was accomplished via an electronic mechanism like those in today’s digital cameras.

Possibly the worst complaint levied against this binocular was that when two objects were in the same line of sight, but at different distances, the binocular couldn’t always decide on which to focus. Therefore, it might go through several seconds of noisy gyrations, trying to focus on something, while the observer’s viewing opportunity was lost to his neighbor who didn’t think it technologically obsolete to turn a conventional focus wheel with the tip of his or her finger. :cat:

I don't think even now Steiner has a great presence here on BF. Certainly that appeared to be the case back in 2012 when one BFer bought an 8x30 Wildlife Pro. Here are a couple of his threads :
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=229137
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=232369

I recall the 8x30 Wildlife Pro was a more expensive model than the Safari UltraSharp 8x30 and also thought that it was discontinued some time ago; if so I guess there is still new old stock around. Here is the Allbinos review referred to in above BF thread :
http://www.allbinos.com/255-binoculars_review-Steiner_Wildlife_Pro_8x30_CF.html
For one reason or another it might be prudent not to ponder too long over what is meant there by the words "German quality of workmanship"...

Interesting to see that you're drawn to the ergonomics of the porro model but felt the larger roof prism model had the better definition. Hope you can get to try a few more models.

"For one reason or another it might be prudent not to ponder too long over what is meant there by the words 'German quality of workmanship'..."

Most of which, these days are coming from China.

Troubador said:

30mm would not be a perfect choice for semi-darkness but it is a good quality instrument, compact and light and has a very good field of view.

If you definitely want bins that suit the semi-darkness then the Monarch 7 8x42 would be a good choice and the field of view is still excellent.

Lee

Click to expand...

Lee has things right, and I agree with those thoughts, and the poster does have a budget, so we will respect that.

I like the Nikon models that I have experience with. The Monarch 5 8x42
is a very nice and bright, light weight binocular, and that was on the original
list. The only thing it does have a narrower FOV, but the view is all very
good.

The Monarch 7 models are a step up, I agree with those recommending the
8x30. I also have the M7 10x42, it is very good also, and these are light
to handle and have nice optics.

I feel a Nikon Monarch 5 or 7 in the 8x42 size would be a nice choice.

Good luck with the purchase.

Jerry

WJC said:

“I WANT AN AUTO-FOCUS BINOCULAR.”

Click to expand...

Solution: get a 7x.

Trouble is 7x, to many, sounds deprived and less exciting than 8x or 10x, just as 'fixed focus' sound less exciting than auto-focus.

Lee

Tomorrow i visit a Opticron Shop, The Opoticron have a good model?

tutosat said:

Tomorrow i visit a Opticron Shop, The Opoticron have a good model?

Click to expand...

Tutosat,

I didn't go back and read through the other pages of suggestions but I did go back to your original post and see that you have a budget of $250-$300 US.

In that price range from Opticron I would suggest either the Discovery 8x32 or Discovery 8x42. Prices are usually between $230 and $250 US. The Discovery line is probably their best seller and for good reason. Very good optical performance in a compact package. The 8x32 in particular is now the lightest 8x32 on the market (to my knowledge) at under 14 ounces (391 grams).

Also, right at the $300 US price point is the new Explorer Wide Angle 8x42 which has ED glass in the objective. It is a new model for 2017 so I am doubting your shop will have it in stock yet but I felt it needed to be mentioned as it too should be in your price range.

Hope this helps.

Tutosat,

The previous Explorer WA wasn't bad either if they still have that in stock. I preferred it to the Discovery. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=309012

David

The shop have this explorer and Discover models, you can see here http://www.spea.pt/catalogo/listaprodutos.php?cat=46&sessao=1&p=1

Yestarday i test some binos, After some test , for me best binos is 8x42.

I test Zeiss Terra 8X42, Opticron Countryman 8x42, Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 and Minox BV 8x44

what this model you recomend?

Ask yourself "which one of the four I tested did I find to be the "easiest" one to use?"

Bob

For me i like more used Opticron Countryman 8x42, and like a quality of image of Zeiss.


This Bino good for safari?

I think you could have made a case for choosing any of the other three,on your list, but I think the Countryman HD would be my choice too.

David