buying my first binocs (1 Viewer)

[ceasar]

I still can't figure out how Bushnell makes a decent 10x42 that sells for $23). If you lose a really inexpensive binocular for $23 in Rio you won't feel really bad. Have fun

They can't! Certainly not consistently! Occasionally they get lucky with a few, but most are junk with guaranteed profit for the retailer because the people who buy them don't know what a good binocular is, and they won't bother to return it!

Why ruin a trip to Rio with a chintzy binocular? Spend 50 bucks or so more and get the Nikons or even Leupold's classy new 6 x 30 Yosemites which in addition to being small, lightweight and attractive are waterproof and built like a tank. You can get them from Eagle for 99.00, which includes shipping. They are bright enough to enjoy the Rio nightlife with and 6x is plenty of power for a general purpose binocular. Besides, you'll be able to take them on your next 10 trips also. See Andrew Bright's review of them under small binoculars and other reviews in the Leupold thread.
Cordially,
Bob

 

[Tero]

Well, in comparison, the Wal Mart 10x25 Bushnell roof prisms ARE really bad. The Sportsman is just slightly on the poor side. Or maybe slightly better than bad.

Happy birding, with whatever you have. I have these Sportsmans, I give them to my kids. They see an eagle, look with bins, see a BIGGER EAGLE. Wow.

 

[FrankD]

I would agree with Bob's suggestion of the Yosemites. For the price they cannot be beat. They are actually lighter in weight and smaller in size than the Actions plus they have excellent image quality.

 

[kmiernik]

It is really bad. For $30 i would get a bottle of really good wine, rather than bad binoculars.

You could also buy two bottles of wine each for 5$. Drink it and tie empty bottles to each other with some sort of string. Now you'll have "decent binoculars that can not be beaten in their price range" plus 1.5 liter of wine. I'm sure that you'll hardly recognize difference with Busnell's 10x42 for 23$. So why should you pay 13$ more?

PS. Hangover in both cases is for free.

 

[MacGee]

If you can stretch to $65, you might consider the Olympus PC I 8x25.

Olympus
[font=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif] PC 1 8x25
Reverse Porro Prism [/font]

[font=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]This is an amazing little Porro, well made, bright, and sharp. It did as well as or better than the most expensive binoculars in our optical resolution tests. It offers a close focus of 8.2 feet. At 16.5mm, the eye relief is one of the best, for those who wear glasses as well as those who do not. [/font]

[font=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]The inch-long focus knob is rubberized and textured for an easy grip even to gloved fingers. It hangs well, tending to clasp the wearer's chest rather than bouncing around with each step. It's silver and gray, the gray part of which is a nonslip surface. It also comes in 10x25.

[/font][font=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]There's a chart here.[/font]

[font=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]Michael.
[/font]

 

[Tero]

Olympus is a little hard to find here. Bushnell and Nikon and Simmons are the common brands. Swifts at the bird feed stores.
PC III and Roamer look OK, no idea who sells them
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_binoculars.asp

added, one supplier found
http://www.optics4birding.com/olympus-binoculars.html

 

[Storm21]

Wow, thanks a bunch you guys Im so glad I found this place, who knows what kind of junk I would have gotten without all of you giving your input *big grin*

 

[MacGee]

The PC I is even cheaper from here, though they only have one left.

Michael.

 

[Tero]

Storm, just go buy something. Dick's will be fine, tell them it is for birding and should be 7x or 8x. Make sure you get to try the pair, a display item. The ones in the plastic package should still be tried with the display item if not the actual pair, people have eye and facial shapes that don't work with all models. Try them with glasses and without. I use glasses mostly with one of my pairs, but three will work. If I am reading a field guide and a new bird comes up, I need to be ready even with my glasses on.

One cheaper Nikon model I forgot to mention is Medallion, 8x, DIcks has had some.

 

[normjackson]

Assume your bf has got his own binocular? Presume so many nice things to see in Rio 8-P

 

[Tero]

Storm, did you get some binoculars? I looked at some cheap Simmons models. For 7x, I did not get to see them, only the Actions, now $70 at Dick's. Those would be my first choice for you, then 8x Actions or Simmons. I just posted in anothe thread:
There is a sports store in our mall, and they had some Simmons 8x and 10x out. The ProSport models are much improved from their previous stuff. I do not have any Bushnells with the rocker focus, that they sell at discount stores, but I would say this lineup is slightly better. The 10x model on display was better than the 8x on display, but the 8x display model did not match the one in the plastic package. Close focus on the 10x was about 20ft. I guess they put some effort into this as the hunters buy most of the 10x.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/simmons-pro-sport-10x50-wa-binoculars.html

The 10x are harder for birding than 8x or 7x. Do not buy the Simmons roof prisms, though.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/simmons-waterproof-binoculars-wilderness-8x32.html

Well, even those are better than no binocular, but the porros, this last link, are better at under $100.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/simmons-prosport-8x40-binoculars.html

 

[Storm21]

yeah, I got a pair Bought em from Amazon.com. theyre 16x32 (a bit high, I realize), but they work great. Nice and compact, and only $20. I really like em Now to get a digital camera... (that might have to wait for X-mas tho *lol*). They did spot an unknown bird for me (later identified as a yellow-billed cuckoo). So yeah, theyre workin out for me.

 

[Tero]

I am guessing that they are Meade or Celsestron roof prisms. Well, those work for the back yard, as long as you can rest your elbows on something. If you get into more hiking with binoculars, you may move up to some others later on. Good luck on winter birding, it is much easier once the leaves are gone.