[dafi]

I had spied Bresser 8x56 bins in Lidl just before Christmas. This had raised my interest as I could do with something that gathered a bit more light in the endlessly gloomy Orkney winter. I returned yesterday to check them out armed with my Nikon 8x42 monarchs to compare them with. I was pretty dubious about a pair of super market bins retailing at £80.Looking at them they didn’t seem like either of Bresser 8x56 roof bins that I could find on the net. Side by side looking round the darker recesses of the shop the image was sharp, bright and compared well to the Nikons I am used to. Needless to say I snapped them up. I did however have to open three boxes to find a sharp pair. This might not bode well for there durability and only time will tell.
On leaving the store I went over the road to the town boating pond to check out the gulls and ducks. It was midday and about as bright as it was going to get but the image was brighter than the 8x42s and nice and sharp. This afternoon we went out to the shore for the last light of the day. I wasn’t disappointed. The weight was more than I am used to but not bad in the hands. The focus is smooth and slightly stiff but fine. The image definitely falls off at the edges but not so much it worries me and the image is sharp enough for most of the view and far better than I had thought it would be. As the light fell things just got better and brighter. The Nikons soon faded away and the Bresser marched on. The plumage details on our target birds [Turnstones and Redshank] seemed easily discernable for ages after the Nikons had quit. Looking over the sea at distant birds was excellent as well, Picking out shags and divers in the fading light.
I think they will be a very handy addition to the armoury. All in all I am pretty impressed with them for £80. I am not an expert on optics though and these are just my first impressions but so far I am quite happy.
I do wonder if I am alone though. Has any one else tried or bought them? If you have what do you think of them?

[Richard Scott]

I bought the Bresser 10x50 which were £9.99 at Lidl at the same time as the 8x56. They are OK, the centre sharpness is good but off-centre its all a bit fuzzy and the shortest focus distance isn't very good. They are great for the price though.

[dafi]

Hello Rich
i think the 8x56 will be a whole diffrent kettle of fish. The quality of the image seems pretty good. The close focus is nice and close. They seem to be worth the money. Im just concerned that they might prove to be a litle 'delicate' to ride under the cargo net on the bikes petrol tank or be bungied to the seat. When i took out my scope today i realised it was coated in dried road salt from the last trip out. My gear has a bit of a tough life.

[spitfiretriple]

Any more thoughts on the Bresser 8x56? I'm thinking of buying some but would appreciate any more experiences.

Oh, does anyone know if they are phase-corrected? I'd guess not given the low price, besides, if they were PC the marketing blurb would surely mention it. I note the Lidl model - the "Diorit"? is RRP £240 though, whilst other Bresser 8x56s are RRP c.£100, and I'd expect PC for £240.

[dafi]

Morning spitfiretriple.

I dont ken about phase corrected.

The bins have given me good service over the winters. I have had no problems with my pair at all, but i do tend to look after them and not bash them about. At the end of the day tho you are still buying cheap bins so check out each pair before you buy. I would buy another pair again. You probably couldnt compere them to an expensive set of bins but i dont think thats the point in the cheap and cheerfull end of the market. However in the dull twlight that passes for afternoon at these lattitudes or out in the dull dark woods you get a nice crisp bright image and they take a lot of beating for the money.

I would recomend them if you want an almost disposable pair of big bins.

In the winter evenings i cable tie them to my tripod and they work great for star gazing as well!!

My only reservation is as it was back in 07 i originaly bought them it ocurrs to me that the ones on sale in Liddles might not be the same model any more.

Try before you buy.

[spitfiretriple]

Thanks Dafi.

The pair I'm considering are from Ebay (item now gone but more may be available from the vendor). For all I know they might be ones which Lidl didn't sell last time round - a fair proportion of which may of course be pairs that people have checked, found wanting, and put back in the box. So it's a bit of a gamble, even at half the Lidl price - which is a third the RRP(!) From the photo they are "Diorits" which Amazon has as being twice the price of Bresser's other 8x56s. I wondered if that double-the-price might mean PC, but I notice that the cheaper 8x56s are not waterproof. Double the price seems a lot for just waterproofing but there you go.

What's your bike dafi? I have a couple of Triumph 900s, both need work to get back on the road, and a rather scratched Aprilia Futura. My Big Trip

Edit: Just had a quick look at your Orkneys wildlife blog. Looks fab. It'll keep me busy for quite a while I think!

[dafi]

Cheers man, nice of you to say so....i did think you might be a biker.

I did have a big mat black cbr thou rat with a strait through pipe but its gone now and i have a nice red suzi rf900 with a factory pipe...its all a bit respectable for me but better for sneaking up on birds whilst out and about.

This is a couple of snaps of the bins.

When i bought them they bore no visual resemblence to the other two Bresser 8x56s that were avalible at the time.