[matt green]

Had the chance to try out a pair of RSPB's top of the range HD 8x42's recently at the shop at Titchwell, amazingly lightweight in the hand and felt very much like the Leica Ultravid! The bins had a general feel of quality though the best feature by far was the surprisingly good image, the large smooth focus wheel just snapped distant objects into perfect focus once I had the dioptic adjustment sussed!

Not being brand elitist but I wonder how many would consider them in this price range (£499) compared to Minox, Opticron etc or even a secondhand pair of Leica or Swarovski at the same price?

Despite all of that, they are a fantastic pair of bins, does anyone know where they are sourced from?

Matt

[Kevin Purcell]

See another thread on these bins where I speculate that they're from Bosma in China.

Along with similar Chinese ED from Hawke and Promaster bins their view appears to be very good acording to your (and other) reports.

Why people wouldn't buy them? Well they'ed have to know they're crap and then not actually look through them because they already know (eh, ThoLa?). Me I prefer to look through the bin and then make up my own mind.

I would have thought RSPB (as a brand) would have it's own cachet in the UK.

[John Cantelo]

I had a peep at them and would agree that they're very good bins. As for having a cachet in the UK, I fear that amongst some birders there's a sort of reverse snobbery about RSPB bins which are seen as the bins of choice for 'dudes' and not 'real birders'. Nonsense, as they're an excellent buy,

[NoSpringChicken]

I had a brief look through a pair a couple of weeks ago at Minsmere and was impressed. From what I could tell in the shop the image was very good, the focusing action was excellent and they were light and comfortable to use. They look very neat, if a little unremarkable and the eyecups twisted in and out smoothly.

Unfortunately, I think you are correct and RSPB bins do suffer from a bit of brand snobbery. They cover a range of binoculars from around £90 to £500 and from a quick glance it is hard to identify which model it is. All Leica, Swaro and to a lesser extent Zeiss bins are expensive, so people know you have spent serious money on them. In a materialistic age that means a lot to some people, unfortunately. More sensible and open minded individuals have the opportunity to pick up some real bargains from the less fashionable brands.

Unfortunately I am saying this as a proud Leica owner, so I am probably a hypocrite and just as guilty of badge snobbery as anyone else. I was still very impressed by the RSPB HDs, though, and would definitely consider a pair if I didn't already have the Leicas.

Ron

[orbitaljump]

I wonder if the Orion Ultralux 8x42 EDs are going to be on par with the Hawkes and Promaster Elites EDs.

[Peewit]

Hi Matt

We bought a pair of RSPB bins from the Bird Fair last year and they are RSPB 10x42 BG.PC - Field 6, and we have found them a good buy - not cheap by any means but worth every penny.
They are lightweight and I found I can hang them around my neck with getting a sore on my neck

The other pair we have are RSPB also. They are 8x40 Field 8.2 They are wide, light, and more bulky, than the other pair that we have. We bought this pair from the RSPB shop in Rose Street, Edinburgh, a few years ago. They are just as good, and we use them as much as we always have done.

We keep a pair for long and the other for short viewing. Best way for us. RSPB are the only make we have bought so far.

I thought that 'Viking' had a lot to do with manufacturing RSPB bins, but correct me if I am wrong.

A worthy Xmas present to have anyday

[Kevin Purcell]

Originally Posted by Peewit

I thought that 'Viking' had a lot to do with manufacturing RSPB bins, but correct me if I am wrong.

Viking are just a marketing brand (like Omicron and many others). They buy and redistribute bins made by other (Chinese and Japanese) ODMs with perhaps a small amount of design input (usually the feature set, the armor design and the badging).

It happens that the RSPB brand and the Viking brand both sell some of the same bins made by the same ODMs then some people make the (causal) connection between the two.

At least one of their Viking bins appears to be the Xi'an Vision (Scicong) Navigator (which appears under several other brands: REI XR, Williams Optics and others).

The other threads of interest on the RSPB HD bins are:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1322737
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1322737

One of the interesting things about this bin is that it's a closed hinge bin. If my speculation about it being a Bosma ODMed bin is correct then it's an interesting choice as Bosma make exactly the same bin in both open and closed form. Perhaps the RSPB having a conservative audience went for the "older" more conventional design style.

Nothing wrong with that, though I like the open bridge one gets the feeling that people jumped on it because it's a fad, you can position yourself like Swaro (!!) and you can get a decent enclosure for a reasonable price that all the Chinese/Japanese made open (non-premium) bridges (even the Vortex Razor?) seem to use.

Let's hope we see the Bosma ED bins in the USA in 2009 ...

[Tero]

your two links are the same, by the way

tell me when they
http://www.bosma.com.cn/en/lbinoculars.asp
come up with an 8x32

[Kevin Purcell]

Thanks, Tero. A copyo ...

That should be

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=125763
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=113899

and the link posted

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1322737

An odd thing is the RSPB HD bins aren't on the Viking site RSPB page

http://www.vikingoptical.co.uk/acatalog/rspb.html

though they are on the site

http://www.vikingoptical.co.uk/acatalog/rspb_hd.html

[baldingeagle]

Hi everyone.

Every time im at RSPB Rainham Marshes i spend time looking through a pair of 10 x 42 bins across the site. They provide a good clear and bright image amd fit in my hands just right. Easy to focus and good Depth of Field.

I cannot wait until i have got enough cash to purchase a pair. I think for the money they are very good value. The money i would have spent on a more expensive brand, once saved, will now go towards a Nikon ED 50 scope and lens.

Buy a pair and enjoy.

[MacGee]

I was talking to a guy in one of the Viking/RSPB shops who said that the published close focus of 2m was an error and that the actual figure was close to (or closer to) 3m. He said he'd tried lots of them and they were all the same. While I was there someone came in and bought one.

Michael

[charlotte1234]

Hi i have seen this model it is very much like the Vortex Fury 8x42 £269.

[NoSpringChicken]

Purely out of interest, has anyone had the opportunity to test the RSPB HD 8x42 against the Hawke Frontier ED 8x43? I tried the Hawkes on Saturday and was very impressed by the view but hated the focusing. I briefly tried the RSPB HDs a few weeks ago inside the store and remember being impressed by the focusing action but didn't really have a chance to assess them optically. I wonder how they compare. The RSPB bins are more expensive (£440 against £299 at Sherwoods), a bit lighter and, to my eyes, better looking. The Hawkes have a slightly wider FOV (142 against 131 metres). I would be interested to hear any opinions.

Ron

[falcondude]

Is RSPB HD available in the US?

[Tero]

I believe not. It is like our Audubon society
www.rspb.org.uk/

[NoSpringChicken]

Originally Posted by falcondude

Is RSPB HD available in the US?

Sherwoods (and no doubt others) sell them and will export but I don't think they are on general sale in the US.
http://www.sherwoods-photo.com/rsbp_..._optics_fs.htm

Here is a link to the RSPB Optics site:
http://www.rspboptics.com/acatalog/rspb_hd.html

I'm not sure anyone has established who manufactures these binoculars and if they are on sale under any other name.

Ron

[Tero]

That first link has it under rsbp, but nothing shows. Is it a pop up window?

Sorry, I had to scroll way down on the page.

[Kevin Purcell]

Originally Posted by NoSpringChicken

I'm not sure anyone has established who manufactures these binoculars and if they are on sale under any other name.

Ron

Further back up the thread on 18th and 20th Dec posts I point to the other threads where I give pretty good evidence for speculation that these are Bosma bins.

If so they probably have the "same" optics as the other Chinese ED bins we've been seeing except in a "closed hinge" enclosure.

[NoSpringChicken]

Originally Posted by Kevin Purcell

Further back up the thread on 18th and 20th Dec posts I point to the other threads where I give pretty good evidence for speculation that these are Bosma bins.

If so they probably have the "same" optics as the other Chinese ED bins we've been seeing except in a "closed hinge" enclosure.

Thanks Kevin. I should have looked a bit harder.

Ron

[NoSpringChicken]

Originally Posted by Kevin Purcell

If so they probably have the "same" optics as the other Chinese ED bins we've been seeing except in a "closed hinge" enclosure.

I don't know if my IPD is unusually small but when I tried the Hawke Frontier ED on Saturday, the two barrels ended up very close together and there was no room to get my fingers round them. That sort of design seems wasted on me and I am much happier with the closed hinge design like the RSPB ED or, of course, my 8x32 Trinovids.

Ron

[falcondude]

Ron, thanks a lot for the link. In another thread revewing ZEN ED, someone commented that the Hawke or Promaster(don't remember which one) has thicker rubber cover so you cannot wrap your finger into the open hinge area. It looks like this problem was fixed on ZEN since I have no issue with that at all. But I am not a brawny person. So it might be just me.

[Kevin Purcell]

Originally Posted by NoSpringChicken

I don't know if my IPD is unusually small but when I tried the Hawke Frontier ED on Saturday, the two barrels ended up very close together and there was no room to get my fingers round them. That sort of design seems wasted on me and I am much happier with the closed hinge design like the RSPB ED or, of course, my 8x32 Trinovids.

Ron

Or you have chunky fingers.

I've commented on this in the Hawke ED thread (I think ... one of the Chinese ED threads).

I think (IIRC) the Hawke actually has slightly slightly less space between the barrels than the Promaster or the Zen Ray ED due to slightly thicker rubber. With my 65mm IPD (the male average) I can wrap my hands around both though the Hawkes are a tight fit.

One should note though that the Chinese ED enclosure is rather well designed for a standard "hold" with the top surface below the focuser being rather nicely shaped to let the fingers lie over the top in standard "Leica grip": the bins supported by the hand rather than held with the fingers folded down across the top of the bin.

[NoSpringChicken]

Originally Posted by Kevin Purcell

Or you have chunky fingers.

I've commented on this in the Hawke ED thread (I think ... one of the Chinese ED threads).

I think (IIRC) the Hawke actually has slightly slightly less space between the barrels than the Promaster or the Zen Ray ED due to slightly thicker rubber. With my 65mm IPD (the male average) I can wrap my hands around both though the Hawkes are a tight fit.

My hands are actually unusually small and my fingers are much more slender than the average. I could almost have a complex about them!

I have just set my Trinovids up to suit me and measured the distance between the left hand edge of each eyepiece, which I assume is my IPD (more or less.) It measures 61mm, so it seems I do have an unusually narrow IPD.

I am not painting a very enticing portrait of myself here: tiny hands and close set eyes. If you see someone fitting this description it could well be me so give me a wave (although I probably won't be able to see you.)

Ron

[NoSpringChicken]

There was an optics day at Minsmere when we were there yesterday, so I took the opportunity to try the RSPB HD again. They let me take the 8x42 and 10x42 versions outside to look at the birds on the feeders. I found them both to be bright and very sharp but preferred the FOV on the 8x42. I did a rough test on the close focus and would say it is much closer to the 2 metre quoted figure than the 3 metres mentioned in this thread. The focusing is very smooth and I didn't notice any backlash. It seemed to be well geared - not too fast and not too slow. The action of the twist up eyecups was beautifully smooth.

One point I did notice is that I needed to move the diopter dial (at the front end of the focusing knob) quite a way to bring my right eye into focus. I don't know if this is a feature of the binoculars or if there was a problem with that particular pair. On my Trinovids and Swift roofs I hardly need to move the diopter from the central position. The diopter has a click stop adjustment and looks as if it shouldn't move in use. One strange thing is that the cheaper HG models, without ED glass, come with a 30 year warranty whereas the HD has to make do with 10 years.

My partner tried them and was very impressed. She was all ready to reach for her credit card to treat herself to a pair until I advised to wait and try a few alternatives. Miserable old b*gger!

Ron

[matt green]

Originally Posted by NoSpringChicken

One point I did notice is that I needed to move the diopter dial (at the front end of the focusing knob) quite a way to bring my right eye into focus. I don't know if this is a feature of the binoculars or if there was a problem with that particular pair. On my Trinovids and Swift roofs I hardly need to more the diopter from the central position.
Ron

I found exactly the same thing on a pair at Titchwell last year, and like you I usually have no need to move the diopter setting from the centrel position.

Regarding the 8x42 HD, nodoubt it's a nice piece of kit but personally I'd rather save up an extra £300 for Swarovski 7x42 SLC!!

Matt