Upgrade from Olympus 8x40 DPS I (1 Viewer)

Hello All,

Some advice needed, as it's my girlfriend's birthday soon.

She is currently using the Olympus 8x40 DPS I.
Things she doesn't like:
• the dioptre adjuster doesn't stay in place unless she uses some elastic bands around the eyepiece (effective solution, but not ideal - it's always set at zero).
• the edge sharpness isn't great
• the centre sharpness isn't there for fine details (I'm translating here, the impression I have is that really seeing what a bird is doing would be better with a sharper pair of bins).
I wonder about the weather resistance too.

What's a step or so up from these?

Thanks!

Hello Hooper, and welcome.

Can I ask what your budget is ?

If you are looking for a bin with a dioptre lock or indeed an IPD lock there not that many choices but in the general market you have brands available locally that we do not see here, did you have anything in mind ?

Samandag said:

Hello Hooper, and welcome.

Can I ask what your budget is ?

If you are looking for a bin with a dioptre lock or indeed an IPD lock there not that many choices but in the general market you have brands available locally that we do not see here, did you have anything in mind ?

Click to expand...

The budget isn't set. The Olympus were about £60 (we bought in the UK). Let's say somewhere around £250 (AUS$400)? Lots of people seem to like the Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 (they seem to be about $400). Is that a significant upgrade? Would more money be better? I'm really open about brand, but it would be good if it wasn't too obscure so that I could go and have a look at them.
(The dioptre wouldn't need to lock, but the Olympus has nothing to stop it spinning around and it's very easy for it to get out of position (until the rubber bands...).

Thanks!
Michael

Sounds like a shopping trip to Bintel for you both, Michael.

You should be able to try a few, they should have the NM5 8x42 in stock, and may still have some new 'old stock' Bushnells.

The Bushnell Excursion EX 8x36 has a useful dioptre lock but be sure to look carefully for any QC issues in the particular unit you may be interested in buying. One day Bushnell will make a bin that I will want to buy, batch variation permitting !

http://www.bintel.com.au/Binoculars/Bushnell-Binoculars/Bushnell-Excursion-EX-8x36/1608/productview.aspx

Good luck with your choice !

Best wishes,

Ah, fantastic! I didn't know about that shop.
What should we be looking for in a pair of binoculars in that price-range? In what ways will they be better then the Olympus?
Thanks!

Samandag said:

Sounds like a shopping trip to Bintel for you both, Michael.

You should be able to try a few, they should have the NM5 8x42 in stock, and may still have some new 'old stock' Bushnells.

The Bushnell Excursion EX 8x36 has a useful dioptre lock but be sure to look carefully for any QC issues in the particular unit you may be interested in buying. One day Bushnell will make a bin that I will want to buy, batch variation permitting !

http://www.bintel.com.au/Binoculars/Bushnell-Binoculars/Bushnell-Excursion-EX-8x36/1608/productview.aspx

Good luck with your choice !

Best wishes,

Click to expand...

So we had a trip to Bintel. What a terrific shop! The Monarch 5 stood out, though we're still wondering about whether the fov is ok. Probably easy enough to get used to. Less convinced about the Bushnell...
Michael