Hobbes2
Well-known member
In the hope that I'll find people who can relate to the joy of birding with great optics, I thought I'd share my recent experience...
....I'm in the process of going through lengthy physical rehabilitation after 8+ years of being pretty incapacitated. This month marked the completion of 1 year of doing a weekly hydrotherapy regime which has been both hard going and rewarding. Anyways....
.....as a kind of mark of the achievement, I'd saved up and finally treated myself to a superb pair of compact binoculars, the Ziess Victory 8x20. And, I'm so pleased I did. I'd never before appreciated how thoroughly enjoyable really good optics are. They are a pleasure to use. Some people say it's like looking at HD TV when you look through them, and I can see where they are coming from. The view is crisp, contrasty, bright and substantial/3D.
I'm also extremely pleased I decided to invest in a binocular that I can put in my coat pocket. They're always with me whenever I'm out on a walk however short that is. I live in a socially deprived area and walking about with a pair of binoculars round your neck is likely to get you into trouble so having a pair that I can safely stick in my pocket is spot on. Over the past few weeks I have seen some glorious sights which, had I not had my compacts, would have otherwise gone unwitnessed. In particular there was one morning I stepped out onto the footpath along some local fields and a small bird flew up from the earth to the bushes some way up along the path. I grabbed my binoculars, set them on the bird and discovered a beautiful Yellowhammer, shining in the sunlight, perched so that only I could see him. Then there was the late afternoon when I walked through some local woodland and up ahead spotted a red-breasted bird come to rest on some fencing. First thoughts were that it was a Robin but looking through binoculars, I was thrilled to find the most handsome male Bullfinch feeding on blackberries. He was the first and only Bullfinch I've seen in those woods in 10 years of enjoying them!
Anyway, there we go. An 'hurrah' for great optics. They have enhanced my experience of observing birds and nature and have already given me some cherished memories. I'm chuffed to bits I bought them! Anyone else really thrilled with their purchases...?
Hobbes
....I'm in the process of going through lengthy physical rehabilitation after 8+ years of being pretty incapacitated. This month marked the completion of 1 year of doing a weekly hydrotherapy regime which has been both hard going and rewarding. Anyways....
.....as a kind of mark of the achievement, I'd saved up and finally treated myself to a superb pair of compact binoculars, the Ziess Victory 8x20. And, I'm so pleased I did. I'd never before appreciated how thoroughly enjoyable really good optics are. They are a pleasure to use. Some people say it's like looking at HD TV when you look through them, and I can see where they are coming from. The view is crisp, contrasty, bright and substantial/3D.
I'm also extremely pleased I decided to invest in a binocular that I can put in my coat pocket. They're always with me whenever I'm out on a walk however short that is. I live in a socially deprived area and walking about with a pair of binoculars round your neck is likely to get you into trouble so having a pair that I can safely stick in my pocket is spot on. Over the past few weeks I have seen some glorious sights which, had I not had my compacts, would have otherwise gone unwitnessed. In particular there was one morning I stepped out onto the footpath along some local fields and a small bird flew up from the earth to the bushes some way up along the path. I grabbed my binoculars, set them on the bird and discovered a beautiful Yellowhammer, shining in the sunlight, perched so that only I could see him. Then there was the late afternoon when I walked through some local woodland and up ahead spotted a red-breasted bird come to rest on some fencing. First thoughts were that it was a Robin but looking through binoculars, I was thrilled to find the most handsome male Bullfinch feeding on blackberries. He was the first and only Bullfinch I've seen in those woods in 10 years of enjoying them!
Anyway, there we go. An 'hurrah' for great optics. They have enhanced my experience of observing birds and nature and have already given me some cherished memories. I'm chuffed to bits I bought them! Anyone else really thrilled with their purchases...?
Hobbes
