Compacts for £80 in UK - Taiga VG, Travelite VG, but is Olympus in the running? (1 Viewer)

After almost twenty years away chasing girls, cars, balls and money I have recently found myself once again hooked on birding, and found that my equipment was not up to scratch. Thanks to wisdom gleaned on the forum and in the hides of Yorkshire I am now the proud owner of an Opticron GS665 scope with HDF zoom on a Velbon Sherpa tripod. My Swift Audobon MkII 8.5x44 bins arrive tomorrow (and my Opticron Countryman MCs are returned to the lender) Then only one scenario will be uncovered:

Like most of you, I need portable bins for birding when I'm not really birding - when I'm cycling or hiking or driving etc. What I want is:

I would be very grateful for any further comment on the relative merits of the shortlist below. Please do limit comments to the criteria above and to models available in the UK under the budget. US comment is welcome but since things are cheaper there the budget is circa $120 in US buying terms and several US brands are not widely available here.

1. Opticron Taiga 2 8x25
The Opticron Taigas have had glowing reviews all over the forum and I have tried them and like them, but they are not waterproof and the next model up (Compact HR WP) is over budget, heavier, and not as widely praised.

2. Nikon Travelite EX 8x25
I am very tempted by the Nikon Travelite EX since they are waterproof, and are also generally praised, and now can be snapped up under the £80 limit. But I ain't had them in me hands yet.

3. Olympus 8x25 PC I
The Olympus model is not often discussed here but seems to be excellent value. This comprehensive 2002 study (http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/pockets_chart.html ) rated them optically superior to both the Taigas and Travelites! And they tick all my other boxes, so why is no-one raving about them? And I can't get hands on - no local dealers.

Hope it's OK to open a new thread for this - there have been similar threads but not quite this question, not for a while, and covering the Olympus.

BTW - i LOVE this forum. :t: :t: I've been lurking a couple of weeks ready to plunge - next job is to post a couple of photos to check some stringy IDs. This seems a very good place to hang out and I'm looking forward to posting for a few years now I have got the bug again.

Thanks,
Graham

bitterntwisted said:

1. Opticron Taiga 2 8x25
The Opticron Taigas have had glowing reviews all over the forum and I have tried them and like them, but they are not waterproof and the next model up (Compact HR WP) is over budget, heavier, and not as widely praised.

2. Nikon Travelite EX 8x25
I am very tempted by the Nikon Travelite EX since they are waterproof, and are also generally praised, and now can be snapped up under the £80 limit. But I ain't had them in me hands yet.

3. Olympus 8x25 PC I
The Olympus model is not often discussed here but seems to be excellent value. This comprehensive 2002 study (http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/pockets_chart.html ) rated them optically superior to both the Taigas and Travelites! And they tick all my other boxes, so why is no-one raving about them? And I can't get hands on - no local dealers.

Click to expand...

The Olympus look better than the other two, though I've never tried them either. I've been looking at compacts because my narrow IPD limits the choice of full-size bins, and I've considered the first two, but not the Olympus. The Taiga are out of the question for me because their minimum IPD is 58 (actually, the same goes for the Olympus), but there have been lots of positive comments about them here. I tried the Nikon and didn't like them. They seemed tunnel-like and dim. I was comparing them at the time to the RSPB 8x25 Compacts and the RSPB seemed massively better. Let us know what you choose and how it works out.

PS Amazon are selling the Olympus for £57.16 and they have a very easy returns policy. If there's a fault you can send them back at Amazon's expense; if there's no fault you can still send them back at your own expense (£2.76, I think).

Thanks, MacGee. Yes, I'd seen the Amazon price, and will of course feedback when the plunge is taken. For me, IPD on the Opticron Taiga was no issue at all - had a few mms spare. Has anyone actually tried the Olympus?

one to consider?

Current Opticron compact waterproofs did OK in review here :
http://www.kikkertspesialisten.no/pdf/testkomp.pdf
Not quite up with Taiga optically, heavier, dimmer & less eye relief BUT waterproof and currently under £40 from WarehouseExpress.

Hi,

I had....(maybe still have?) a pair of Jenoptik 8x20's that were very similar to the Olympus model you've mentioned....it seems a bit of a generic design as I've seen other branded models from different 'manufacturers'.

I have to say, the Jenoptiks were surprisingly sharp little bins, quite bright too (compared to cheapo 8x20/25 roofs), very portable and handled decently. The dioptre setting was ok-ish (turns with the whole eyecup)...no accurate means to gauge it though (unless you use a marker pen or something to recall setting), so if you're dioptre sensitive, it could be a downside. But they were great value for money - £10 brand new!

I have tried Travelites & think they are a very good balance between compacts & full sized binoculars. Nice to handle, sharp optics, lightweight & I believe the dioptre setting was a seperate ring below the eyecup.

I've heard good things about the Tiaga's but can't speak from experience.

Hope this helps.

Mook

normjackson said:

Current Opticron compact waterproofs did OK in review here :
http://www.kikkertspesialisten.no/pdf/testkomp.pdf
Not quite up with Taiga optically, heavier, dimmer & less eye relief BUT waterproof and currently under £40 from WarehouseExpress.

Click to expand...

Here's an automatic translation of the conclusion on the Taiga :

A lot of good in despondent. Gum fokuseringshjul. Nedskrubare okularkapper. A lot of good for brillebrukere (glasses). Binoculars am gummiarmert at 2005. Fails klikkstops at diopterring , but circle goes slow and keeping her in adjusted the position. Extreme good optimal in relations award.

I get most of it, but despondent and nedskrubare (nose-scrubbing?) have me stumped.

Michael.

"nedskrubare" must be something like "downscrewable" for the ocular caps ....

Takis said:

"nedskrubare" must be something like "downscrewable" for the ocular caps ....

Click to expand...

Yes, that'll be right. Only 'despondent' now, which seems to a translation of the Norwegian word 'motlys.' The nearest I can get is 'into the sun' or 'against the light.'

Michael.

MacGee said:

Here's an automatic translation of the conclusion on the Taiga :

A lot of good in despondent. Gum fokuseringshjul. Nedskrubare okularkapper. A lot of good for brillebrukere. Binoculars am gummiarmert at 2005. Fails klikkstops at diopterring , but circle goes slow and keeping her in adjusted the position. Extreme good optimal in relations award.

Click to expand...

Final translation is (approximately):
Very good looking into the light. Armoured focus mechanism. Adjustable ocular caps. Very good for glasses. Rubber armoured for 2005. Dioptre adjustment has no click-stops, but the setting is sensitive and stays in place. Extremely good value for money.

Feel free to set me right on any point.

Michael.

Norm, thanks for the link to such a comprehensive review. Printing it now for bedtime reading, and Michael thanks very much indeed for the valiant efforts with Norwegian. Certainly this review seems to rate the Taiga highly as, it seems, so many do. I'll see how much further I can get with some of the other models write-ups.

Mook, very interested in your feedback, and the £10 sounds like a steal. Advice I've had, and trusted, was that sub £50 bins might look and feel fine and give a bright image, but crucially they can't resolve detail. I quote, "they're OK for telling a cow from a sheep" I want a pair that helps me separate Reed and Marsh Warbler, Willow and Marsh Tit etc. But, hell, don't we all.

Mook, you're spot on about the different "manufacturers" and the same bins, different badge. It was ever so and becoming more and more so. I learnt recently that 75% of all the world's socks were all made in the same factories in one new city in Western China. All brands, all styles, all "qualities", from £20 hiking socks to 3 for a pound packs on a mraket stall. And your feedback on the Nikon's is valuable. I must say I'm leaning towards the new Travelite EX.

Still seems no-one has got "hands-on" with the Olympus?

Mr. Bitterntwisted,
Can you tell us what you plumped for in the end?

Clearly the following is a subjective view.
Olympus 8x25 pci - sharp and comfortable to hold ditto Nikon in a different way.
Nikon feel more unbreakable due to rubber armouring though many months use of Olympus have shown no signs of damage.
Eyecups of Olympus significantly smaller.
Minimum ipd of Nikon less than Olympus.
Olympus 1.5 rotations from close up to OO
Nikon about 1 rotation
Olympus focus much stiffer than Nikon.
Nikon very slack focus with a bit of backlash (are we seeing a trend here for recent small Nikons?)
Nikon slightly wider view than Olympus.
Olympus view marginally more tunnel like.
Diopter adjustment with Nikon much firmer than Olympus.
Attaining correct diopter adjustment - easier with Olympus.
Olympus +ve points - cheaper to buy, nice and sharp, marginally more pocketable.
Olympus -ve points - slightly too stiff focussing
Nikon +ve points - Feels more rugged, wider view
Nikon -ve points - Backlash in focussing
Collimation - both fine.
Close focussing - very similar in practice.
A Clear winner - No - both work - both have downsides - but both are competent units and represent good value for money IMHO.
Nikon possibly the better birding glass as it has attached eyepiece covers, is faster focussing, waterproof and armoured.
Olympus possibly sharper but more suited to use by walkers with an interest in nature.

Surprisingly they feel very different in use and either could be a 'best buy' depending on the user.

Don't know if this helps and it is only based on a single sample of both.

J

bitterntwisted said:

Still seems no-one has got "hands-on" with the Olympus?

Click to expand...

This response, being two years late, may be academic as far as you're concerned, bitterntwisted (unless you're even worse at making your mind up than I am, which seems scarcely feasible), but in case anyone else is wondering the same thing, here's my hand-on experience with the Olympus.

Straight out of the box, I found it comfortable to look through. The view (for me) is so pleasant that I don't really "feel" the smallish FOV. I do notice it in the field, however. Finding a passerine in a tangle of branches is easier with something like the Yosemite 6x32.

I'm not very good at analysing the elements of optical quality, but it seems to be to be everything I wanted from an 8x25. Sharpness, contrast, colour fidelity are all better than I dared to hope.

The close focus is excellent. Though it's sold as 2.5m, mine is actually about 1.5m, which I love.

The focussing is something I don't notice, which means it's smooth and positive. 1.5 turns lock to lock is okay for me. I wouldn't want any more, though I could accept a bit less.

In addition to the FOV already mentioned, there are a few tiny minuses. The first is flare when looking close to the sun or to reflections off water. It's not terrible and for the price I paid, I think it's acceptable. The second, as you would expect, is lack of brightness. In overcast daylight, in the shade, a drake mallard's head looks dull, compared to the view through an 8x42. But that's exactly what you'd get from any 8x25. The third is the dioptre setting, which does wander, though only by a millimetre or so. This doesn't seem to affect the view, so it may just be play in the knob.

To sum up, I think this bin is wonderful and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Michael

iveljay said:

Nikon slightly wider view than Olympus.
Olympus view marginally more tunnel like.

Click to expand...

This shows how important it is to try these things out for yourself. I found the Olympus's view wide and wonderful and the Nikons' (EX and non-EX) horribly tunnel-like.

Michael

Michael,
My solution to the diopter wandering is the use of an "O" ring just a smite smaller than the diameter of the ocular.

Just to clarify - both were mounted side by side in light levels that were towards the limits for a 8x25.
One day when the sun shines brightly I will look at them again just to satisfy my own curiosity as I have a suspicion that the apparent angle of view may be strongly linked to the way my own eyes react to differing light levels. I too have never had any problem in normal use with the Olympus pci and don't recall meeting anyone who has - that statement does not follow for all other small Olympus bins!
N.B. Resetting the diopter setting is so simple on these I don't bother doing anything to stop the wander. The Nikon sample I was using was so stiff that getting it right was a nightmare - unlike the sloppy focussing action.
Nicest of the lot is an old 7x20 Nikon but you can't still buy them!