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opinions on good compacts :>) (1 Viewer)

K

karmakanix7

Member
hi, i am looking for a good all round compact budget anything up to £150, maybe 8x25 to 8x30. the models that look good to me are,
nikon travelite ex
opticron taiga
bushnell excursion 8x28
any other ideas,
i used to be a pro photographer so need good and bright optics ( for the size ) and will be using while running up and down mountains driving about etc. so a robust model would be good. i like the spec of the bushnell excursion,wide view, phase coating, etc. but havent seen one in the flesh, how does it compare sizewise.
many thanks in advance.
 
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You could have a look at another couple of Opticron binoculars: the Discovery WP PC 8x32 and the Oregon LE WP 8x32. They are both waterproof, well specced and the Discovery is extremely light.

You can find them on the Opticron site under 'Binoculars £100-£250.'
 
thanks everyone for all the links and ideas ! it seems there arent a lot to view in suffolk/essex, however i did get to look at some yesterday. the weather was dull and rainy and the view was looking down a liitle lane colchester. i was able to try out the - opticron traveller which was obviously well made and felt good in the hand, however on the day i personally liked the nikon travelite which seemed brighter and more realistic.i also found the nikon easier to line up with my eyes ( eg no black edges )
i then tried the leica ultravid - wow they are special !
i would like to look at the optcron discovery which sounds like a neat package.
at the moment i think i might go for the nikon which seem to be great value at the moment and maybe get the leica if im feeling rich one day :>)
 
Hello all,

I would suggest trying these: Nikon ProStaff 8x25 ATB

Very nice optically and smaller than they look in the photos online. I'm buying a pair soon and will post the results next week. I did not consider these until I tried them in person. Nikon makes really nice stuff. Plus the price of $129 is easy to take as well.

In this range there is a lot of junk out there. The ATB's were a welcome surprise.

Cheers

Cheers
 
I carried a Nikon Travelite 9 x 25 around with me for years; in my briefcase, in the glove compartment, in a jacket pocket and in my Fishing Vest inside a sandwich wrapper. It was a great little binocular and it had the same FOV as the 8 x 25. Then I dropped it and knocked it out of collimation. I haven't replaced it yet. Maybe I'll get a 9 x 25 ATB this time. I have a Leica 8 x 20 Trinovid BN now, but it isn't as "fast on the draw" as the Travelite was.
Bob
 
On Ebay there are Smith & Wesson 10x25 new, from either the USA or the UK at £49.99+ post. these look identical to, and have the same specs ( Phase coated , close focus etc ) as the RSPB BG,PC at £159.99, I bought a pair and they are much better than any other compact I have owned, although my Summit MR 8x26 are close ( but not waterproof armoured etc ).
Someone on a previous BF thread has already praised them. I am currently awaiting some Smith & Wesson 8x32 from the UK ( £59.99 plus P & P )again sold under the RSPB brand for £299.
http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/RSPB_BG.PC_Binocular.html
 
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thanka again, nice feedback on the nikon prostaff (ex in uk ) i really liked it and prefered it to more expensive roofs, it was easy to line up, bright and clear.i managed to get a look at the opticron discovery 8x32 ( not as compact as they make out comparable in size to the lovely nikon monarch 8x36 !
thanks for info on smith and wesson but not for me.
has anyone compared the prostaff to the vortex vanquish 8x26?
 
karmakanix7 said:
i managed to get a look at the opticron discovery 8x32 ( not as compact as they make out comparable in size to the lovely nikon monarch 8x36 !
Click to expand...
It sounds to me as if it was the Discovery 8x42 which you tried rather than the 8x32. The Discovery 8x42 is very slightly smaller than the Monarch 8x36 but the Discovery 8x32 should be much smaller. (Discovery 108x117, Monarch 124x129).

The Nikon Prostaff sounds like a very good choice for your requirements.

Ron
 
thanks ron, i wondered that myself later,i also realised i didnt get on with the traveller because i didnt realise you could twist out the eyecups. the traveller 8x32 are actually a really nice pair of bins.
many thanks.
travelites will do me fine though.
 
I have a pair of Nikon Prostaff ATB 8x25s (Travelite EX in Europe I believe).

Here's some copy of a brief review I wrote of them:

Sharpness: Excellent
Flatness of field: Very Good
Ergonomics: Excellent
Eye Relief: w/o glasses- Excellent, with glasses-Very Good

These binoculars are very friendly to hold, both in your hand and to your eye. The sharpness and contrast are excellent with the exception when looking toward a bright light source. This is when flare kicks in and contrast suffers. These binos are prone to flare and that is about my only criticism of them.

The rubberized surface is ideal. It lends a grabby texture that's easy to grip but doesn't have that gummy quality that makes some attract lint and dirt. The eye cup design is great and has a relatively wide ring diameter and a fairly broad surface that is very comfortable. I mention this as most minis have an eyecup design that is too small and fits too deeply into one's eye socket causing discomfort. These feel like mid size binos in use.

The focus knob has a very nice feel to it. Very smooth with no play. The large diameter focus knob is like what you'd find on a full-sized bino and is better than most minis.
The simple case it comes with is quite useful and has a belt loop. Being as light as they are they carry on a belt without issue. The rain guard (ocular cap) works OK, though not as snug as I'd like.

I like the reverse porro prism design of these (and other makers) better than the two parallel tube (roof prism) design for a mini binocular as they feel more substantive and are easier to hold steady.



For the money, I think they'd be hard to beat.
 
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There are usually plenty of Travelite's on Ebay at excellent prices, I bought mine there and am very happy with their performance.
 
Stick to the 8x, I would say on almost all reverse porros. The 9x and 10x start getting steady at about 32mm size.
 
Check out the new Pentax 9x28 DCF LV.
I just read a report on them in i believe it was Outdoor magazine .
They got an exellent write up $249.
Brian.
 
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