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new binoculas. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter wiko
- Start date
Tero
Retired
Not really. They will work in bright light. I sold my pair and moved to 9x25, and even those are not all that bright in winter. My pair is in fact for sale.
I would recommend all the 8x pairs, especially Vortex Vanquish 8x. Pentax 8x25 was not bad either. A bit bulky for a pocket bino. Pentax also has decent 8.5x Papillio, a bit of a toy but good optics as long as it works.
I would recommend all the 8x pairs, especially Vortex Vanquish 8x. Pentax 8x25 was not bad either. A bit bulky for a pocket bino. Pentax also has decent 8.5x Papillio, a bit of a toy but good optics as long as it works.
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The Opticron Taiga 8x25 is an excellent bin, though, as Tero says, bins with small objectives can be dim in poor light. It can mean the difference between seeing the sheen on a drake mallard's head and only seeing a dark shape. The Taiga has a smallish field of view, but excellent optics and close focus and is lovely to look through. It's very good for a summertime compact, especially if you're interested in insects and flowers as well as birds. The Olympus PC I 8x25 is the same bin and usually cheaper.
The Nikon Travelite is also good optically, though some people (including me) don't find it easy to use with glasses.
Michael
Wiko,
I have the 8x25 Travelite V. It is certainly useful, being collimated well enough, and with functional diopter and focus controls. If smallness and light weight is paramount, I guess at this price point it's probably as good as any. But, the view is small and rather distorted, the little eyepieces are fussy to look through, and in difficult lighting, scattered light can flood over the field harming the view. The reverse Porro design makes a binocular that is quite thick from top to bottom, too fat to fit into any but the largest coat pocket. I use mine at concerts, and it's good for that.
You're not paying by the pound. At this price a larger binocular like a 7x35 is a better value.
Ron
I have the 8x25 Travelite V. It is certainly useful, being collimated well enough, and with functional diopter and focus controls. If smallness and light weight is paramount, I guess at this price point it's probably as good as any. But, the view is small and rather distorted, the little eyepieces are fussy to look through, and in difficult lighting, scattered light can flood over the field harming the view. The reverse Porro design makes a binocular that is quite thick from top to bottom, too fat to fit into any but the largest coat pocket. I use mine at concerts, and it's good for that.
You're not paying by the pound. At this price a larger binocular like a 7x35 is a better value.
Ron
Tero
Retired
Not sure what that is. 8x32 is good, so is 8x42. In the cheap end of phase coated roof prisms, Bushnell Excursion and Vortex Diamondback are both phase coated. Opticron may have a similar product in 8x42.
Here is the Bushnell
http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/Bushnell_Excursion_8x42.html
the 8x32 is a little cheaper. I have the 8x28, an OK little bin, but there was a little cheapness in the eye cups. Had to glue the outer layer back on.
Found a Bresser 8x32
http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/Bresser_Safari.html
It is a slight improvement on 8x25s, but still not phase coated. I would rather have the 8x25 or 8x26 reverse porros listed at the start than these. The Opticron taiga 8x25.
Here is the Bushnell
http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/Bushnell_Excursion_8x42.html
the 8x32 is a little cheaper. I have the 8x28, an OK little bin, but there was a little cheapness in the eye cups. Had to glue the outer layer back on.
Found a Bresser 8x32
http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/Bresser_Safari.html
It is a slight improvement on 8x25s, but still not phase coated. I would rather have the 8x25 or 8x26 reverse porros listed at the start than these. The Opticron taiga 8x25.
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Tero
Retired
Sorry, I do not remember what I said, but I do not like any Audubon brand binoculars. I think they are getting rid of the brand. If you want just standard porros, Nikon 8x40 and Bushnell Legend 8x42 are pretty good value for the money. The cheaper Bushnells is sports stores on the rack are less so. If you are settled on a porro, we might have some people for advice, just wait.
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
We've been talking about this recently. There are quite a few porro lovers (or at least porro likers!) around here. Me, FrankD and Steve C come to mind but there are plenty of others.
For around $100:
Bushnell Legend 8x42 porro is a very good buy in this range.
The Leupold Yosemite 6x30 or 8x30 are good buys (though I rather prefer the 6x of these).
Just to confuse matters with the same name ... the Eagle Optics Raptor 10x42 (not the Audubon Raptor 10x42) is a nice 10x bin. See the Binocular Bargains thread for the link to the Eagle Optics eBay store. But you may not want 10x to start.
Celestron Ultima DX 8x32 if you can get it is still a very good bin ($75 last time I saw it and much better than the Audubon Raptor).
Nikon Action Extreme 7x35 (the waterproof one with good eye relief) though I've heard nice comments about the view through the non-waterproof (and short eye relief) Nikon Action 7x35.
Search for the Audbon Family thread I started there are a couple of comments on the Raptor there. Basically it's a nice bin but it has stray light problems in "normal" use which were too much for me at least.
You should be able to have a very good time with a $110 or less porro.
Hunt around the site (search works well!) and you'll see quite a few comments. They start to make more sense after a while
PS: after writing all of that I see you are in the UK ... that makes it more difficult to get some models I mention above (with my US-centric view).
Plus opens you up to some different brands ... we need some UK residents to chip in on Opticron and other UK OEM options.
Hawke also have a good porro for under £100 that has been mentioned on the board.
For around $100:
Bushnell Legend 8x42 porro is a very good buy in this range.
The Leupold Yosemite 6x30 or 8x30 are good buys (though I rather prefer the 6x of these).
Just to confuse matters with the same name ... the Eagle Optics Raptor 10x42 (not the Audubon Raptor 10x42) is a nice 10x bin. See the Binocular Bargains thread for the link to the Eagle Optics eBay store. But you may not want 10x to start.
Celestron Ultima DX 8x32 if you can get it is still a very good bin ($75 last time I saw it and much better than the Audubon Raptor).
Nikon Action Extreme 7x35 (the waterproof one with good eye relief) though I've heard nice comments about the view through the non-waterproof (and short eye relief) Nikon Action 7x35.
Search for the Audbon Family thread I started there are a couple of comments on the Raptor there. Basically it's a nice bin but it has stray light problems in "normal" use which were too much for me at least.
You should be able to have a very good time with a $110 or less porro.
Hunt around the site (search works well!) and you'll see quite a few comments. They start to make more sense after a while
PS: after writing all of that I see you are in the UK ... that makes it more difficult to get some models I mention above (with my US-centric view).
Plus opens you up to some different brands ... we need some UK residents to chip in on Opticron and other UK OEM options.
Hawke also have a good porro for under £100 that has been mentioned on the board.
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Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
I think there is one selling in the UK but the prices are terrible.
I think we had a Swede some time back import one from the USA. I think there are at least a couple of internet retail outlets that do international business.
Try
http://binoculars.com/
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
and there may be few others.
http://buydig.com last had the Celestron DX for $75 but I'm not sure if they still have them or ship internationally.
Try searching the forum too ... there are other Europeans who have bought from the US.
mikfoz
It's not a competition. Watch the birdy!
The Opticron Taiga is good under all daylight conditions and peers into foliage very well. It's also superb in the hand if you have larger mitts like me because of its porro-prism layout where it just snuggles into your palm. It has OK eye relief and good twist up eyecups. The FOV isn't awful for a compact binocular at 6.5deg either.
It only really struggles compared to my 10x42s at very low light after sundown and is a great bin for when you want to be discreet. And it's cheap at sub £70 if you look around.
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
Two links in post #15 ...
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