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purchasing new binoculars (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Justin
- Start date
scampo
Steve Campsall
"Who needs magazine reviews eh! Scampo how do you rate the various optics when wearing glasses?... Sleeper"
I couldn't agree more. The only binoculars I can truly say I feel entirely comfortably using while I wear my (long-sighted) specs on is Nikon's Sporter 8x36s. My own Swaro EL8.5s hardly allow a full view so I find myself removing them 90% of the time. Same with scopes - my Nikon ED82 allows a lovely full FOV - but only at at 25x, my son's Swaro 65, only at 20x. So frustrating - I think I'll have to buy one of those things that you hang your glasses on - as pretentious as I have always thought they looked!
When I read how so many binos and scopes state that they allow the use of specs, I often wonder what's wrong with my own!
I couldn't agree more. The only binoculars I can truly say I feel entirely comfortably using while I wear my (long-sighted) specs on is Nikon's Sporter 8x36s. My own Swaro EL8.5s hardly allow a full view so I find myself removing them 90% of the time. Same with scopes - my Nikon ED82 allows a lovely full FOV - but only at at 25x, my son's Swaro 65, only at 20x. So frustrating - I think I'll have to buy one of those things that you hang your glasses on - as pretentious as I have always thought they looked!
When I read how so many binos and scopes state that they allow the use of specs, I often wonder what's wrong with my own!
scampo
Steve Campsall
A friend owns a camera shop that sells many scopes and binos - but not many "birding" binos. It always surprises me that most binos sold are probably not to birdwatchers! So, it might be that Zeiss are very popular, say, with race goers or sailing types? Mind you - once upon a little while ago, I envied the many birders whoi had Zeiss around their necks. Fashion, huh? Or crafty marketing! I think I bought my Nikon ED82 partly out of contempt for the fashionable brands - and I'm sure their binos are up their with the very best if not ahead of them!Leif said:
scampo said:
I find the Swaro 8.5x42 EL and Nikon 8x32 SE very comfortable with eyeglasses. In fact if anything I find them more comfortable with eyeglasses than without. I suspect it depends very much on the nature of the eyeglasses. I recently got some of the small frame kind that seem to be all the rage, despite my dislike of this modern fashion. It turns out that they are much better for use with binoculars than the old round John Lennon kind I used to wear. They seem to sit closer to my face. Also, it helps that I am only modestly short sighted in one eye and hence do not need thick lenses.
BTW The Nikon 8x42 HG have very long eye relief ~20mm IIRC.
gorank said:
Steve Ingraham (BVD) also reckons that the Leica 8x32 BA vignettes so I would tend to believe your observations. When I tested them I could not see it, but I only had half an hour with them, and the sky was not even. In fact I have never noticed vignetting through any bin (either my ignorance or maybe the Leica are unique in this).
Edward woodwood
Member
I'm a specky git and have no trouble with my 8 x 32 HGs but the Zeiss 7 x 42 are THE bins for the glasses wearers among us......
I hear that birding is the fastest growing hobby because of the ageing 'Baby-Boomers'. And there are some optics shops located on the doorsteps of famous birding spots, so they sell mostly to birders (big surprise). It would be interesting to find out how many of what they sell, and if that fits their own biases. I swear by any of the Nikons top models, but see more red badges when I'm in a birding area. I've only noticed one Zeiss, but also many bargain brands. Not too many Swaro's around here either.
Justin said:
Hello Justin, one area to consider is retained value, Leica, Swaro and Zeiss, hold the value better than any others out there (sorry all you nikon users) but them is the facts, if you ever want to sell your binos you to upgrade you will find that the top three will get a very good return on investment, Raptor.
I don't usually outright disagree with anyone, but, in this case, I must! I have purchased and sold Nikon binoculars on eBay. I did that because it was the easiest way to give them all an extensive try-out (no local shops carry any high end except B&L Elites), and it lost me virtually NO money. If you were to go to your local shop and buy an 8x32 HG and then sell it on eBay, you would lose. But if you buy and sell on eBay, the loss is negligable. I have had 6 pairs of top of the line Nikons: 2 pairs of the 8x32 SE (I have kept one pair), a pair of 8x42 HG, a pair of 8x32 HG, a pair of 10x32 HG (I have kept those) and a pair of 10x42 SE (I have kept those). Never was I disappointed in any of them, but am keeping the three pair that suit me the best under the different circumstances in which my wife and I bird. The three I kept are the lighest for their particular strengths. One pair is waterproof and 10 power for those days at the beach when it rains (my wife would not be there in the rain). One pair is eight power, wide angle, has the BEST optics and is very light for those days in the bush (if my wife is with me she prefers the roof prism 10 power pair always). And one pair is for all other circumatances - bright, the best resolution, and acceptably light. When I think that I have all three of these (all were brand new) for just a bit more money than 1 pair of Swaro's, I think myself brilliant (and thank Nikon profusely). And I am not alone in my opinions.Raptor said:
Raptor said:
I could not disagree more. In my experience in the UK Nikon binoculars retain their value extremely well, and certainly as well as posh European brands. The quality of top end Nikon binoculars is widely recognised esp. by specialist dealers. However, it is still sometimes possible to buy used Nikon 8x32 SE and Nikon 8x30 EII at low prices as some people do not realise their true value.
I agree Lief, and I saw a pair of Swaro's also go for a low price ($430 I believe) on eBay because the title wasn't worded so that the search engine would find them easily and the auction was short (and the owner didn't set a high starting point). So bargains can be found on anything, and I'm glad of that (speaking selfishly).Leif said:
scampo
Steve Campsall
"but them is the facts..."
Your facts are as faulty as your grammar, eh? (-:
It simply not so in the UK - indeed why ever should it be so? Nikon - which often costs quite a bit less to begin with over here - tends to hold its value probably better. If you ever try to buy Nikon kit on EBay you'll see what I mean.
Your facts are as faulty as your grammar, eh? (-:
It simply not so in the UK - indeed why ever should it be so? Nikon - which often costs quite a bit less to begin with over here - tends to hold its value probably better. If you ever try to buy Nikon kit on EBay you'll see what I mean.
Edward woodwood
Member
The guys at In Focus in Norfolk apparently all bought a pair of 8 x 32 HGs when they came out....for what it's worth!
