[walker]

Hello everyone

I know this question has been asked before but I still can't make a decision.

Need a pair of lightweight binoculars for around £100. Do lots of walking and need something I can carry easily and unobtrusively. I already have an old pair of Opticron 8x42 but never take them with me as they are just too big and too heavy.

At present am leaning towards Bausch & Lomb Legacy 8x24, Bushnell H20 8x24, Nikon Travelite 8x25.

Any information on pluses and minuses on the above (or others) would be greatly appreciated.

I know the Summit 8x26MR has been recommended on the forum in the past but I just cannot find anywhere in the UK which seems to sell this binocular. If anyone can point me in the direction of a supplier for the Summit I would be interested in this also.

Thanks in advance

[scampo]

My wife uses a pair of Pentax - but I can't get used to them myself (such big hands). That said, they are fine! Surely though you would be better to get yourself off to In Focus or somesuch top retailer and try a few out?

[normjackson]

The Summit 8x26MR still apparently available:
http://www.wwt.org.uk/shop/catalogue.asp?CatID=81
http://www.castlecameras.co.uk/acata...culars_75.html
http://www.mifsuds.co.uk/acatalog/Su...inoculars.html
And a now sold item on ebay :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=3291999854
This was the second Summit this vendor sold; I got the first for a bit less

"carry easily and unobtrusively" : does that mean around neck, in a pocket? As am sure you're aware, a lot of reverse porros like the Nikon Travelite might be a bit bulky for a pocket. Actually was thinking of a shirt pocket; nothing to do with Mae West... Speaking of Mae West, are you looking for something well built. How weatherproof? Or do you intend wearing around neck all the time.

Not highly regarded as a review here I believe, but perhaps useful for containing list of things to consider; including that all important "dangle factor" :
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/p...osandcons.html

If can try before buy, really should. Compacts are probably even trickier to buy unseen than full-size; unless less than ten quid is at stake...

[walker]

Thanks scampo for the Pentax recommendation.

Thanks normjackson for those invaluable links. How come I couldn't find them when I searched Google?

>>"carry easily and unobtrusively" : does that mean around neck, in a pocket?<<

In a pocket or a bum bag. Have too many other things round my neck like dog leads.

>> Speaking of Mae West, are you looking for something well built. How weatherproof?<<

Blimey! How did Mae West get in here? Yes well built as in - they won't disintigrate when I drop them. But they don't need to be waterproof. Just want a pair of bins that I can carry with me all the time, can almost forget I have them on me but will give me as good a view as possible for the price.

>>If can try before buy, really should. Compacts are probably even trickier to buy unseen than full-size; unless less than ten quid is at stake<<

Excuse my ignorance on this but why are compacts trickier to buy unseen? If I buy the Summit unseen (which has had good reviews on the forum) for £35 - can I really go wrong? I only have small boney hands so size shouldn't be a problem.

Your help is appreciated.

[scampo]

I think small bins are the most likely to need testing because they need to fit your hands and be easy to focus. Some have separate tubes to move, others don't and so on. I would test them out and go for the widest fireld of view coupled with the brightest image.

Our Pentax minis, for example, take a good deal of concentration to find a single clear, circular image, whereas my Swaros or my brother's Nikon HGs for example are immediately clear.

[normjackson]

Originally Posted by walker

Thanks normjackson for those invaluable links. How come I couldn't find them when I searched Google?

We'd better keep quiet about that; might affect the share prices

Originally Posted by walker

>>If can try before buy, really should. Compacts are probably even trickier to buy unseen than full-size; unless less than ten quid is at stake<<

Who said that? Sounds a bit sweeping; but maybe Scampo's endorsement means I've got away with it . I guess that loosely my thinking (which is usually loose too) was that designing compacts involves overcoming pretty much all of the problems entailed in designing mid-sized; plus additionional ones. And in trying to achieve compactness the objective of producing a one-size-fits-all product seems ever more remote. Among so-called compacts, there seem to be massive variations in sizes, shapes and handling; greater opportunity for designing in what may be perceived as a niggle; eg. a particular hinge arrangement. And of course outside of all these possible pitfalls, compacts tend to have one immediate and common disadvantage in the ease of use department as a result of their smallish exit pupils.

Having said that...the Summit 8x26 is, I suppose, a fairly conservative and ergonomically simple design. Not super compact (for a roof prism), largish exit pupil, sensibly placed focus etc etc. And it folds into a shape even more compact than Opticron MCFs (one of the smallest reverse porros). On the other hand, it is an inexpensive roof prism and, all else being equal, the more bulky reverse porros John Cantelo tried (other compacts thread) perhaps OUGHT to be optically superior as he found. Then again, must never underestimate sample variation; oh dear, another argument for trying the sample intend to buy.

If you really don't want to try different models (which I suppose will at least eliminate the risk of knowing there is better available...), then the Summit may well be a good choice. For a compact has the pretty good brightness and certainly a very good field of view that Scampo recommends.

Do hope you make a decision you're happy with.

[scampo]

Odd as it seems, I found a decent pair of compacts yesterday in... Marks and Spencers! And cheap, too. Now they looked fine to me - easy to see through and focus. A clear image... And, M&S have a returns policy second-to-none. There you are - sorted.

[normjackson]

I dunno, kids. Take them shopping and they're only interested in the toys department. (Bet Leif wasn't in John Lewis to buy optics when he tried out the Summits...).

Of the three models at M&S these have most promising spec :
http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCat...portal=locayta

Narrower FOV and smaller objectives but cheaper than Summits and presumably easier to try out; just don't get caught pointing them at the ladies lingerie dept...

[scampo]

Originally Posted by normjackson

...just don't get caught pointing them at the ladies lingerie dept...

Very good!

I suppose the Summits are a better binocular - their glass is made by Hoya, but that might not mean much. The M&S ones did the trick, though.

[walker]

They certainly don't sell binoculars in my local M&S.

Think I'm going to go for the Summits.

Thanks very much for the advice guys.

[captain vallo]

Originally Posted by walker

Hello everyone

I know this question has been asked before but I still can't make a decision.

Need a pair of lightweight binoculars for around £100. Do lots of walking and need something I can carry easily and unobtrusively. I already have an old pair of Opticron 8x42 but never take them with me as they are just too big and too heavy.

At present am leaning towards Bausch & Lomb Legacy 8x24, Bushnell H20 8x24, Nikon Travelite 8x25.

Any information on pluses and minuses on the above (or others) would be greatly appreciated.

I know the Summit 8x26MR has been recommended on the forum in the past but I just cannot find anywhere in the UK which seems to sell this binocular. If anyone can point me in the direction of a supplier for the Summit I would be interested in this also.

Thanks in advance

Try the new helios range of binoculars, they are just silly money for what you get, I bought 2 pairs of these, one for car and son, and the other for a friend:

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/products.asp?D=47&P=123

I got mine for under £30 each, and compared them against the 10x25 Leicas I had, sold the leicas within a week......

If I wasnt such a snob, I would sell the 8x42BNs and buy the helios AM6, and pocket the £400.

regards

Bob

[amh2029]

[quote=walker]Hello everyone

I know this question has been asked before but I still can't make a decision.

Need a pair of lightweight binoculars for around £100. Do lots of walking and need something I can carry easily and unobtrusively. I already have an old pair of Opticron 8x42 but never take them with me as they are just too big and too heavy.

At present am leaning towards Bausch & Lomb Legacy 8x24, Bushnell H20 8x24, Nikon Travelite 8x25.

Any information on pluses and minuses on the above (or others) would be greatly appreciated.



I tried the legacies and they are really good, but not waterproof. You can still get a waterproof version (different to the B H2Os, so be careful you get the right ones) but they're really bulky and not very attractive to look at. I settled for a pair of Swift 10x25 trilyte compacts (£119) and I love them.
A

[hornet]

Originally Posted by captain vallo

Try the new helios range of binoculars, they are just silly money for what you get, I bought 2 pairs of these, one for car and son, and the other for a friend:

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/products.asp?D=47&P=123

I got mine for under £30 each, and compared them against the 10x25 Leicas I had, sold the leicas within a week......

If I wasnt such a snob, I would sell the 8x42BNs and buy the helios AM6, and pocket the £400.

regards

Bob

Hi Bob,

These look too good to be true - they really persuaded you to sell a pair of Leicas?

By the looks of things, you're not too far from me. Where did you get them from? With that spec at that price, I really need to take a look at these!

Marc