10x42 birdwatching bins for £500-600 (1 Viewer)

[mathare]

I'm looking for new birdwatching binoculars. I want 10x42s, I've used several bins over the years and I always go back to 10x42s. I don't have a strict budget but I'd be happy to spend around £500 I guess. I'd go higher, to a point, if there was a model out there that was worth the extra but I'm not paying alpha money.

My initial list has the following on it (in approximate ascending order of cost):
Hawke Sapphire ED 10x42
Hawke Sapphire ED 10x43
Bushnell Elite 10x42 ED
Nikon Monarch 7 10x42
Vortex Talon HD 10x42
Opticron Verano BGA HD 10x42
Vortex Viper HD 10x42
Opticron DBA VHD 10x42

Outside my "budget" but still on the radar are:
Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42
Nikon High Grade Light 10x42
Leica Trinovid HD 10x42
Minox HG 10x43

I know that's quite a lot to get started with but can anyone help steer me in the right direction - any of those stand out? Any I should steer clear of?

I'm going to go read various reviews now but the opinions of Bird Forum users are important too :t:

Thanks
Mat

 

[dipped]

I'd go for either the Conquest or the Leica.

Try them both and then decide.

I also like the new RSPB HD models. Worth a look if you're near a reserve.

 

[Torview]

Hi Mat, I don`t know how willing you are to buy mint used from a trusted dealer, but Clifton Cameras have a mint Minox 10x43 Hg well within your £500, just thought I`d mention it.

https://www.cliftoncameras.co.uk/Used-Minox-HG-10x43-BR-7653

Cheers. John.

 

[[email protected]]

I would go with either the Zeiss Conquest 10x42 HD or the Maven B.1 10x42.

 

[FrankD]

Opticron DBA VHD. I compared the 8x42 with the latest Leica Trinovid and if you can tell a difference between the two optically then you are more discriminating than I.

 

[dipped]

Opticron DBA VHD. I compared the 8x42 with the latest Leica Trinovid and if you can tell a difference between the two optically then you are more discriminating than I.

F.O.V. Close focusing better on the Leica. (10x)

 

[mathare]

Thanks for all your thoughts and opinions. I went to bed last night pretty convinced of my choice but on reading this I have some doubts.

The Zeiss Conquest are quite heavy and are more than I would like to spend really. I could stretch that far but I'd rather not. And the Leica's are more expensive again. They were stretch options that I threw in to the mix in case the cheaper options were really inferior.

I'm nowhere near an RSPB reserve to test out their HD offerings, unfortunately.

The mint used Minox are something I would consider but there is confusion in that listing as to whether they are 10x43 (as it says at the top), 8x33 as it shows lower down or 10x33 as it says in the spec!

The Opticron DBA VHDs are open hinge, and while I know I put them on the list, I have since changed my mind about open hinges. I carefully looked at the way I hold & handle my bins last night and I can't see me getting on with open hinges.

I'm leaning heavily towards the Vortex Vipers which are available brand new in box via a well-known auction site retailer for under £400. They may be grey market stock but I recall reading an old thread on here about warranties where someone expressed the opinion that it would be nice if bins were sold with optional "insurance" i.e. cheaper if you intended to look after them and were willing to accept a more limited warranty. That's effectively the case here as this price is £100 less than anywhere else I have seen for the Vipers.

I'll mull it over more today while I am out with my falling apart Bushnells...

 

[typo]

Mat,

InFocus has a place in Barnes and another a little further out at London Colney. They should have the Opticrons and one or two others on your list. I often find dual hinge designes a bit awkward to use but I liked the Opticron VHD and would be my pick from the top list, and personally think they are in the running aginst the top list IMO, depending on how you feel about weight and fov.

David
http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/shops.html

 

[mathare]

Thanks David. I will probably be at Barnes tomorrow so may pop in and try the Opticron DBA VHDs if you have them in.

 

[Mike Price]

Before you spend £500 I would take a look at the Vanguard Endeavour ED http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Vanguard10x42EndeavorED-106.htm
Excellent binos for the money with a lifetime warranty, I can't fault them and they cost around the £200 mark

 

[jremmons]

Vortex Viper HD are consistently underrated on this site, but I'd recommend them. Sharpness, CA control, brightness, and color fidelity are all very good. The one negative is the smaller than preferred FoV. If you can find the Razor HD in your price range I'd actually recommend those but I doubt you'll be able to do so.

 

[jtc]

I have both the Viper 8 and 10 x 42. If thats what you end up with you won't be disappointed.

 

[Torview]

The mint used Minox are something I would consider but there is confusion in that listing as to whether they are 10x43 (as it says at the top), 8x33 as it shows lower down or 10x33 as it says in the spec!

Mat, I`v always found Clifton to be very helpful, so a quick phone call should sort out the ambiguity in the provided specs.

 

[mathare]

I went with the Viper Vortex 10x42s and they arrived yesterday. Unfortunately I'm at work all this week and the weather last night was foul so they only got an indoor test yesterday evening. But the image seems brighter and sharper than my Bushnells so I am impressed so far. Their first real test should come at Barnes this weekend. It's a reserve I know well and from certain hides I know what details I "should" be able to pick out based on hours staring out there through my Bushnells.

 

[Ratal]

I'd of taken new bins for a lunch time test. Certainly did when my Sightron Blue Sky 8x32s arrived.