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£500 Binocular Budget - what would you buy? (1 Viewer)

MarkCaunt

Well-known member
Hi all,
if you had approx £500 Binocular Budget (give or take a £100) - what would you buy?
Thanks in advance to any suggestions.
Any links to reviews of binoculars would also be appreciated!
 
Do a forum search here for Mystery Binocular, another for Promaster Infinity Elite ELX ED and another for Hawke Frontier ED. The mystery binocular is the Promaster. The Hawke and Promaster binoculars are sort of like non-identical twins, or siblings at least. They look alike, but have some minor differences in specs. Both have been reviewed here and there is loads of information there. You simply will not get better optics for the cost than you will with one of these. The Hawke likely is the easiest one to get in the UK. The Hawke is less than your budget limit as well.
 
how does hawk compare to Nikon 8x32se which Ive come across in posts as being highly recommended? cheers for reply
 
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A good question, but I believe Nikon only made an 8x32, 10x42 and 12x50 SE, I could be mistaken though. I own and love my 10x42 SE and am very interested in comparing a Nikon 8x32SE to my 8x32BN and 8x42 Ultravid. I would be curious how the famous 8x32SE compared to one of these new Chinese wonderkinds as well.

John
 
You can look at both 8x32 and 8x42 models. Some people prefer 42mm for brightness and other reasons, some like 8x32 which often has a wider field of view.

The Mystery Binoculars come only in 8x42 and 10x42.
 
For £500 I'd buy a pair of Nikon E2s and a pair of Hawke Frontier EDs and I'd have two pairs which were better than any other single pair under £500. In fact that's what I have. Total cost including postage £508.

Graham
 
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As I type this, the Hawke Fromtier ED thread is just 5 or 6 threads below this one. I'd read it. As for image differences, all binoculars tend to have a different "look" to them. These differences will seem more profound to some people than others. Some like the Leica views , some Zeiss, some like the Swarovski view. Some like the 3-D effect of a good porro, like the Nikon SE.

To my eyes, the Promaster "looks" like a Swarovski EL image or the Steiner Peregrine XP. I imagine the Hawke is similar, although FrankD remarked on how Zeiss-like the image was. The binocular is large and also has a fov of over 420', in the Hawke, which is unmatched by almost any other 8x42.

The optics of the Hawke/Promaster will not be beaten at the price they come at. Order from a dealer with a good return policy and see. I'd be somewhat surprised if you did not buy them when you see tham.
 
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The optics of the Hawke/Promaster will not be beaten at the price they come at.

Will not be beaten by another roof binocular. But the Nikon E2 still has the edge and is cheaper. It is still true (just) that you get better optics for your money with a porro. Both are ridiculously good value.

Graham
 
I'm thinking of getting a pair of Hawke Frontiers for Xmas, an important factor for me is performance in bad light, as most of my birding is done after work, how do these bins perform in the gloaming and has anyone tried the 10x43 model?

Nick
 
I'm thinking of getting a pair of Hawke Frontiers for Xmas, an important factor for me is performance in bad light, as most of my birding is done after work, how do these bins perform in the gloaming and has anyone tried the 10x43 model?

Nick

I have 8x43 - performance in poor light is very good - they're easily good enough to give that straneg impression in the dusk that it's brighter through them than without them - they put clear detail onto birds which have long become silhouettes to the naked eye.

The Nikon EIIs are even better, but I can only vouch that both models are streets ahead of other Opticron, Swift etc. bins I've used in the £100-£200 bracket, and that you can bird an extra twenty minutes to half-an-hour with them. I can't say whether the really high end bins (Swaro/Leica/Zeiss) would keep going even longer as I've not used them in really low light.

Graham
 
Also, while commenting on the Hawkes, I did experience the same 'stray light' effect that others have noticed. This is manageable and happens quite infrequently, but with the sun behind and, for me, to the left, at one particular angle, light would creep in onto the eyepiece lens. If that's your biggest quibble, and it was mine and others, you've a fine pair of bins for £270.

Graham
 
I have 8x43 - performance in poor light is very good - they're easily good enough to give that straneg impression in the dusk that it's brighter through them than without them - they put clear detail onto birds which have long become silhouettes to the naked eye.

That is just how I would describe the Promaster as well. However, I have never seen stray light in it.

I would guess that there aren't many readily available porro prism binoculars readily available in the US that would beat the Promaster. About the only two that come readily to ming are the Swift Audubon 820 ED and the Minox BP. Nikon SE and EII are pretty rare in this part of the world.
 
A good question, but I believe Nikon only made an 8x32, 10x42 and 12x50 SE, I could be mistaken though. I own and love my 10x42 SE and am very interested in comparing a Nikon 8x32SE to my 8x32BN and 8x42 Ultravid. I would be curious how the famous 8x32SE compared to one of these new Chinese wonderkinds as well.

John

I have all three and have compared them: the SE is sharper and "cleaner" than the Hawke or the Promaster.

I just wrote up my observations on a new thread (it's worth it's own title).

http://birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1349640

If optics was your only consideration and you can find one then that would be the "best" bin. But the usual caveats apply: SE is not waterproof and has eye relief blackout problems for some people. The latter can make it a pain to use if you are afflicted.

If optics was your only consideration and you can find one then that would be the "best" bin. But the usual caveats apply: SE is not waterproof and has eye relief problems for some people. The latter can make it a pain to use.

Another consideration is value for money. In Europe it seems the Hawke has a considerable lead (at least for now!) over some of the other rivals though I suspect you'll see quite a few more Chinese ED bins appearing in other brands in 2009.

bitterntwisted said:
Also, while commenting on the Hawkes, I did experience the same 'stray light' effect that others have noticed. This is manageable and happens quite infrequently, but with the sun behind and, for me, to the left, at one particular angle, light would creep in onto the eyepiece lens.

The stray light issues I talk about all have light coming in the objective. Side on or behind you stay light issues (which I do get as I wear glasses) are a given. The Hawke gets veiling glare quicker than Promaster and also has an occasional "rainbow ring" around the field stop (I think due to light scattering in the edge of the eyepiece lenses). But neither are deal killers but they show room for improvement IMHO. But I do go out with the Promasters as my default bin these days.

As for image differences, all binoculars tend to have a different "look" to them. These differences will seem more profound to some people than others. Some like the Leica views , some Zeiss, some like the Swarovski view. Some like the 3-D effect of a good porro, like the Nikon SE.

Actually I rather discounted the porro 3D effect as I've mostly been using roofs recently but I took the SE and Promaster birding together (I've started AB comparing bins whilst birding ... it's quite revealing technique). I was rather surprised how much I liked the enhanced 3D especially birding in trees. So there's a trade off there in view and ergonomics (in addition to sharpness).

The Chinese ED are very good value for money and in terms of absolute view are not challenged until you get to the "excellent" bins of the Euro 4 and Nikon. They certainly give the top bins of others like Pentax, Minox, Meopta and Kowa a run for their money.

In Europe the Hawke at £270 is excellent value for money (except as mentioned above by some very good porros).

In the US the Promasters are better value.

So they should make the short list.

Search the binocular forum for reviews and comments. There are several threads on these Chinese ED bins (and others that we keep finding!).
 
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I'm thinking of getting a pair of Hawke Frontiers for Xmas, an important factor for me is performance in bad light, as most of my birding is done after work, how do these bins perform in the gloaming and has anyone tried the 10x43 model?

Nick

DHB has ordered a Promaster 10x42 so we should see a write up in a week or two. He has a Promaster 8x so he will have a feel for the change.

For me both the Promaster and Hawke 8x are amongst the brightest bins I own. There very close the Bushnell Elite (that use a dielectric mirror rather than the silver mirror in the Chinese EDs). I have no problem with using them in the twilight specially compared to other cheaper bins.

As always try them out!
 
I will only use bins by the alpha boys becuase of the respect they get you on 'the street', but I tried the RSPB HD bins at Rainham last week and for £500 they were very good. Not much in it between my Swaro's when comparing the 10's and under half the price!
 
I'll put in another plug for the RSPB HD. It has excellent optics, as jimibird says, but it's also a very neat, well-designed object, with an aura of quality about it. It's nice to handle and a pleasure to use. In fact it has the same sort of feel as the alpha bins do.

Michael
 
For £500 I'd buy a pair of Nikon E2s and a pair of Hawke Frontier EDs and I'd have two pairs which were better than any other single pair under £500. In fact that's what I have. Total cost including postage £508.

Graham

With the Nikon EII not being available in the US (same with the SE for all practical purposes) I tend to not have these on my radar. However, if they are still available in the UK, then Graham's suggesstion seems to be the way to go. I suppose that leaves the question of 8x or 10x Hawke to serve as a compliment to the 8x EII, or which Hawke to compliment the 10x EII if that suits you..

However, if you don't want two binoculars, I'd get the Hawke, if you want a more rugged binocular. But the EII may be fine for your uses. Wish I'd bought an 8x EII when I had the chance.
 
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