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Fast-focusing, decent quality for $200ish? (1 Viewer)

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Pseudonym

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I apologize for yet another thread looking for recommendations. I've been reading up on bins on this board over the past few days I've found myself pretty overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available here.

I'd like to get to buy a pair of binoculars for my mom. She'd primarily use them to watch birds in the backyard feeder (at about a 20ft range) but she'd probably also take them on vacation for general wildlife viewing as well. She currently has a pair of Super Zenith 8x30 binoculars that she got from my grandfather. They're nice and sturdy but it takes forever to focus them. Other than the old Super Zenith bins, I have no real experience using other binoculars and really have no recent standard of comparison.

Ideally, I'd like to get something that's quick to focus and would (optionally) be suitable for eyeglasses. That said, given the advances in binoculars over the years, everything may be "quick to focus" in comparison to what she has now. :)

My budget is, currently, up to around $200. I've got no real preference between prism types or magnification; I'm just trying to find something that's good overall quality for fairly general usage. I see that the Celestron Ultima DX is pretty highly recommended at the $100 point, but I was curious if the $200 mark yielded anything with a similar price/performance ratio.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Pseudonym said:
I apologize for yet another thread looking for recommendations. I've been reading up on bins on this board over the past few days I've found myself pretty overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available here.

I'd like to get to buy a pair of binoculars for my mom. She'd primarily use them to watch birds in the backyard feeder (at about a 20ft range) but she'd probably also take them on vacation for general wildlife viewing as well. She currently has a pair of Super Zenith 8x30 binoculars that she got from my grandfather. They're nice and sturdy but it takes forever to focus them. Other than the old Super Zenith bins, I have no real experience using other binoculars and really have no recent standard of comparison.

Ideally, I'd like to get something that's quick to focus and would (optionally) be suitable for eyeglasses. That said, given the advances in binoculars over the years, everything may be "quick to focus" in comparison to what she has now. :)

My budget is, currently, up to around $200. I've got no real preference between prism types or magnification; I'm just trying to find something that's good overall quality for fairly general usage. I see that the Celestron Ultima DX is pretty highly recommended at the $100 point, but I was curious if the $200 mark yielded anything with a similar price/performance ratio.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...


Hello!
I'd like to recommend a Pentax PCF WPII. The eye relief is very generous (20 mm or more for the 8x40). Focussing is very quick. The image quality is very good for the price. Only drawback: quite heavy - some 850 grams or so. But very sturdy indeed.
You just have to see if the size is suitable for female hands (ergonomics are very good, though).

Cheers, Tom
 
Bushnell Excursion (regular) 8x32. I have now put the EX versions of the same on "not recommended" list.
Vortex Diamondback 8x42, bigger roofs.
 
The best $200 roof binocular I have much personal experience with is the Vortex Diamondback. I'd go with the 8x42 for the uses you describe for your mom.

Another option is the Leupold Yosemite Porro prism. These cost less than $100 and are very good quality for the price. They come in 6x and 8x30 models. These have the advantage of having the ability to adjust to a narrower IPD than most binoculars, so if your mom is a smaller lady, the eye placement may be better for her with these.

I'd also consider the Promaster Infinity Elite 8x32. Problem is that I've never seen one. Judging from specifications they seem like a good deal. Prior to reading Tero's diopter problems, I would have recommended the Bushnell Excursion EX.
 
Celestron Ultima DX is a very good (if a little heavy) porro and it will beat most roofs up to about $300 or so (at least in my testing).

So the other solution is to look for other porros. FrankD regards the 8x42 Leupold Cascade porro very highly. Sharp, internal focus porro with a compact enclosure. Rather narrow FOV though.

And don't forget the Leupold Yosemite's 6x30 will meet the eye relief requirement is inexpensive, sharp and very easy to hold.

There are plenty of roofs in the $200 range that are "good enough" (though less sharp than the porros) but the weight and grip might better better match. Vortex Diamondback 8x42 and Bushnell Excursion 8x42 and Bushnell Excursion EX 8x42 (all share the same optics). These all have 2 turn max (about 1.5 turn in practice) focusing so the rate isn't that high.

8x32 or 8x36 roofs should also be on the list as they're easier to handle. Buydig has the Pentax HS 8x36 for $99 and $129 that again FrankD likes.

The Promaster 8x32 is getting some positive hype right now. Keep track of that thread.
 
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As soon as I saw "fast focus" my thought was the Vortex Fury 32 mm. The 6.5x32 Fury has the fastest focus I have ever tried in a binocular. The eye relief it generous (very generous) and it is well made. Plus, if your mom's primary use is backyard bird watching then the 6.5x will provide an exceptionally wide field of view and excellent depth of field to make viewing the birds in that scenario a dream. Discounted demo units can be found around the $250 price point at cameralandny.

I do like the other suggestions though as well. The 6x30 Yosemite, the 8x32 Ultima DX, the 8x42 Leupold Cascade porro and the Pentax DCF HS 8x36 roof would all be good suggestions also.
 
Thanks for your responses, everyone. I really appreciate your recommendations. Now, the research begins!

Again, thank you. I'm really glad you guys are so willing to share your knowledge even when these sorts of recommendation threads show up so often. :)
 
The Yosemite 6x32's focus knob turns just slightly more than half a revolution, which makes it the fastest focussing bin I've ever come across. The 8x42 Leupold Cascades (assuming it's the same as the equivalent Opticron HR WP) turns through two complete revolutions, making it annoyingly slow. I have both, but though I love the focus on the Yosemite, I never use it; and though I hate the focus on the HR WP I use it a lot. The problem with the Yosemite is that the small magnification, the porro effect (causing your brain to think the image is smaller than it is) and the wide FOV all combine to produce an image that seems even smaller than it is. Maybe the 8x32 Yosemite would be a better bet for your mom.

Another possibility would be a good reverse porro such as the Vortex Vanquish 8x26 (I've not tried it, but I'm sure everyone here is fed up with me recommending the one I use myself, the Olympus PC I 8x25). The reverse porro has the reverse of the porro effect, in that your brain thinks the image is bigger than it is. I find this can be as satisfying as the porro effect can be unsatisfying. It works directly on the pleasure centres in your brain.

Michael
 
A final point: narrow your choice and order from someone who allows returns without penalty to make the final choice. Nothing beats having the bin in hand for an extended period for a good evaluation.
 
I would also recommend looking at the Yosemite's. I just bought my wife some 8x30's and she loves them. They don't have quite the sharpness to the edge like my Nikon Se's, but they are very similar in the center of the field, and are quite light (also only 1/5th the price!). She also really liked the 6x30's and those might actually be a better choice for the backyard feeder viewing, as the FOV will be a little wider.

Regards,

Gary
 
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Kevin Purcell said:
A final point: narrow your choice and order from someone who allows returns without penalty to make the final choice. Nothing beats having the bin in hand for an extended period for a good evaluation.
Click to expand...

My options are a little narrower being located in Canada, but I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Thanks for the additional recommendations too, folks. There definitely seems to be a lot of decent choices in the price range I'm in. All of the advice is much appreciated!
 
Tero said:
Bushnell Excursion (regular) 8x32. I have now put the EX versions of the same on "not recommended" list.
Vortex Diamondback 8x42, bigger roofs.
Click to expand...

That is so, so true about those Excursion EX versions. I bought a pair earlier this year, and I think they really are terrible. I agree with you that the 'regular' versions are better.
 
Marcus, I thought they were an "almost" model, like Vortex Fury, that just needed some fixing. Wait for the fix.
 
Hello Tero,
I just bought one of those Vortex Fury's and they seem to be great. But the Excursion EX, YUCH!
But seriously, they can be fixed? 'Wait for the fix.'? Do you mean sending them back to Bushnell to get fixed or to do it myself somehow?
Marcus
 
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