[ingle1970]

do you have more than one pair of binoculars ? , i have 9 pairs , i just cant stop myself from buying them .
and the worst thing is i always go back to my old favourites 7*42 bgats.

[Charles Harper]

.. could I borrow a pair, then?...

[helenol]

Donations of bins gratefully received.....

[Tero]

I use 4 pairs. One pair is cheap, always in my car. They last a year or two. I have my nice pair, but sometimes I use another, which is actually my wife's for general use, since they are lighter. And she hardly uses them.

My oldest pair I keep around, because I have seen the most birds with those. Sentimental I guess. Sometimes I need all these since we are a family of 4, and I can occasionally get them interested.

[Adey Baker]

As well as my main pair, I have one pair near to the window overlooking the garden 'just in case!'

I used to keep a pair in the glovebox in the car, also 'just in case' -until someone broke into my car last week. Amazingly they didn't remove them but, not surprisingly, I have!

[IanF]

A sore point with my better half.

I guess we have 10 pairs of various quality and age. Five are compacts (10x25) and the others full sized - several are gifts I might add.

As Adey says, they are generally situated close to the house windows for garden viewing.

With the prolific break-ins at birding sites, keeping a 'spare' pair in the car is a 'no-no' nowadays.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Only 5! One pair beside each of our armchairs in the sitting room, one pair on the dining room table, one pair on the bedroom windowsill - and a tiny pair for going on a non-birding holiday abroad. I'd like a pair in the study too - hey, Father Christmas - are you listening?

[Jane Turner]

I have.... oh dear. 6


1 pair of Leica 8x42s
2 pairs of Zeiss Jenoptems 8x30
1 pair of Zeiss Dialyt 10x40
1 pair of Zeiss Jenoptem 10x50
1 pair of Leica trinovid 8x20


the 8x42 are my main pair... I use the trinovids when travelling or walking round the house on migrant days, the Dialyts are on the the winfdowledge overlooking the stream, another in the front room overlooking the sea and another in the bedroom!

Now for the scopes

38x78 Nikon ED in the Bedroom
20x60 Nikon Fieldscope on a shoulder pod for active birding but attached to a tripod in the front room.

then...the previous scopes. A Kowa TSN 1 - also in the bedroom, an Optolyth 30x75 and a Heutel and Reuss televari 20-60x60..... and its still works, even though the filed of view is like a tube of smarties!

[william j clive]

From oldest to newest:

8x30 porroprism Russian Helios, bought them for £13, 30 years ago. They are a Jenoptem clone. They reside on the kitchen windowsill overlooking garden feeders.

Swaro 8.5x42 EL. Actual cost £350. Slow focus, otherwise superb. Part exchanged photographic kit no longer required.

Canon 10x30 IS. Bought new. I am too unsteady for 10x without IS. Great on windy days, seawatching and flying birds. Porroprism.

Nikon Sprint 111 7x21 reverse porros. Brilliant sharpness. Clearance item at two fifths of new price.

Nikon 8x32 SE porroprism. Bought used, in mint condition for a very reasonable price. My favourite bit of kit.

Minolta Activa 7x35W. Porroprism, weatherproof. Clearance, cost £50. Original rrp £170. Fantastic field of view.

Nikon 78 ED. Clearance item. Half price. 25, 38 and 75x eyepieces.

Opticron MM2 Mighty Midget with 15-40x zoom.

Have so far managed to resist the temptation to add Pentax 8x32 DCF SP to my collection, despite rave reviews in the USA! I really dont know how much longer I can hold out. Incidentally, I gave up smoking and pledged that all the tobacco money saved over two years would be spent on boy's toys. And that paid for the vast majority of the above. Gordon Brown, eat your heart out!

Clive

[Charles Harper]

Well, since this is show-and-tell....

one.

There, got that off my chest... with a really neat bino harness...

[william j clive]

Originally Posted by ingle1970

do you have more than one pair of binoculars ? , i have 9 pairs , i just cant stop myself from buying them .
and the worst thing is i always go back to my old favourites 7*42 bgats.

Oi, come on, Ingle, you started this thread. Lets have a list!

Clive

[Colin]

Hi Ingle,
You can get cream from the doctors which helps to get rid of excessive binnies. You rub the cream on your hands which makes them slippery and you drop 8 pairs by which time the cream has worn off and you are left with the last and hopefully your favourite pair.

[helenol]

Well, since this is show-and-tell....one.

I'm with Charles on this one. Mine have been described as the equivalent of looking through two loo rolls.

[ingle1970]

i started it so if its you show me yours i'll show you mine,
my bins are , and i might add in no particular order ,

leica 10*32bn
swarovski 7*42slc
swarovski 10*42el
nikon 8*42 high grade
zeiss 10*40 bgat
zeiss 8*30 bgat
zeiss 10*40 victory , came with free 3*12 monocular
zeiss 7*42 bgat
zeiss 8*30 IF olive green
leica apo 77, 20-60 zoom.

[Jane Turner]

Originally Posted by ingle1970

i started it so if its you show me yours i'll show you mine,
my bins are , and i might add in no particular order ,

leica 10*32bn
swarovski 7*42slc
swarovski 10*42el
nikon 8*42 high grade
zeiss 10*40 bgat
zeiss 8*30 bgat
zeiss 10*40 victory , came with free 3*12 monocular
zeiss 7*42 bgat
zeiss 8*30 IF olive green
leica apo 77, 20-60 zoom.

You are worse than me...!

[ingle1970]

oh buy the way , did i tell you i got another pair , but these are second hand and i got them quite cheap ,
zeiss 7*50 bgat , i must like zeiss !

[Jane Turner]

I'm hoarding Jenoptems... I feel sorry for them when no one wants them on Ebay!

[Gerry Hooper]

This morning I had eight pairs, now I've got nine.
I cycled into Exeter to put a cheque in the bank popped into the optic shop 'n came out with a pair of Bresser 8*32 cheapies.
Ideal for the bike but they probably wont last long.
Picked up the first Sedge warbler of the year and a Green Sandpiper too.

[Bubbs]

1966. 1 pair of Swift 10X50.

1980 (I think) Zeiss 10X40 B'gats and still going strong...albeit a bit worn and shiny arond the barrels.

Ultravids!!!!! You can keep em!

Seriously; How anyone can part exchange an old and faithful pair of 'bins' in order to save a few pounds is beyond me. It's like trading in your old Labrador for a new one.

JB

[Jane Turner]

Oh I have another pair of Jenoptems - £30 on Ebay :)

[ingle1970]

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

Oh I have another pair of Jenoptems - £30 on Ebay :)

have you seen the russian military binoculars being on ebay a few times i quite like the look of them , what do you think ?

[Jane Turner]

Give em a go - you can always sell them again :)

[Bubbs]

If they are that good why are they selling them?

Save your money, time, and of course effort.

Put the thirty pounds into a decent pair of 'bins'.....or even better, a couple of bottles of decent 'red'.

[pauco]

OK truth time. 3 pair's

1 10-25.

2 8-42

3 my pride and joy opticron DBA 8-42.

and i thought i had a problem, but i do find it difficult to walk past in-focus, without going in for a look round and ermmmm buying. But i only have one scope optricon 65 with HDF 16-48x eyepiece.
bert.

[joser]

any leica 8x42 owners who feel they have got too many bins, i'll be happy to take them off your hands!!