How Many Pairs of Binoculars do you Have? (1 Viewer)

[Peter C.]

I don't want to start.

If you know how many binoculars you have you don't have enough!:king:

Bob

?

1. Swarovski 8.5 X 42.

All I need. Why spend money on hardware, when it can be much more profitably be directed towards travel?

 

[[email protected]]

I'm more curious than anything what the readers of this forum have as their bino collection?

This is not about showing each other up but rather how many types of glass everyone here has to select from.

OK. I'll start by saying that I have a very tough time throwing away a pair of binoculars. |^|

So I have:

1. Vintage Minolta MK Standards 10x50 (7.8 degrees!). Semi-retired. Window binos only today. Were bought before I really knew much about binos and thought I needed higher power ones.
2. Vintage Minolta MK Standards 8x40 (9.5 degrees!!). Sadly no longer used, need repair.
3. Atlas Optics Radian 8x42s (Wife's)
4. Vortex 8x42 Diamondbacks (better quality car binos)
5. Atlas Optics Intrepid ED 10x42s (Were my primary binos until the Vipers and still a favorite)
6. Vortex Viper HD 8x32s (Primary and probably the best all around so far)
7. Bausch & Lomb 8x24 Legacys (Car)
8. Nikon Venturer II 8x23 (Car)

1) Nikon 8x32 SE(Best porro in the world with a 400 foot FOV))
2) Nikon 8x30 EII (Best porro in the world with a 450 foot FOV)
3) Bresser Everest ED 8x42(Best roof for the money and good for traveling because you don't have to worry about it or as a car binocular)
4) Swarovision 8x32(Best roof in the world)

 

[PhilR.]

?

1. Swarovski 8.5 X 42.

All I need. Why spend money on hardware, when it can be much more profitably be directed towards travel?

Some reasons why:
1. Some people like binoculars of differing weights. Or to put it another way, some people will not want to carry 28 oz. (or more) around their neck all day, even if they can manage some of the day.
2. Some people have more than one hobby, and can often use binoculars of different magnifications. Bow hunters often use bins at the lower end of the magnification range (6x), and bow hunters who like astronomy might want something along the lines of 15x or perhaps 20x as well. My hunting binoculars do not make good astronomy binoculars. My astronomical binoculars do not make good hunting bins.
3. Some people have a collecting hobby (I have almost two dozen microscopes, and that doesn't count the ones I use at work), and even though they may spend money for more than one of a particular commodity, will also have plenty of money left over for travel. Or any other hobby or desire for that matter.

I'm sure there are other reasons to have more than one of something, but that is all for now....

 

[PhilR.]

1) Nikon 8x32 SE(Best porro in the world with a 400 foot FOV))
2) Nikon 8x30 EII (Best porro in the world with a 450 foot FOV)
3) Bresser Everest ED 8x42(Best roof for the money and good for traveling because you don't have to worry about it or as a car binocular)
4) Swarovision 8x32(Best roof in the world)

Now there's a man who knows what magnification in binoculars he likes....

:t:

 

[Omid]

Currently, I have these:

1-Leica Duovid 8-12x42 Green (about 6 years)
2-Nikon 8x32 HG (about 10 years)
3-Nikon 10x25 HG (about 3 months)
4-Swarovski STS 80 HD (about 6 month)

I have previously owned these:

5-Zeiss 8x56 Night Owl (donated to my friend)
6-Leica 8x50 BN (donated to my brother)
7-Zeiss 15x60 BGA
8- Swarovski 8.5x42 EL
9- Zeiss 10x40 B/GA
10- Zeiss 8X30 Safari
11-Leica 8x20 pocket-size
12-Leica 10x25 pocket-size
13-Fujinon 7x50 Polaris
14-Leica 8x32 BN
15-Leica 12x50 BN

 

[Tantien]

1. Minox 8x32 BD BR ALT (primary bins).
.
.
I will probably end up upgrading my primary bins to the Zeiss Terra ED one of these days.

I was looking a the Terras as well but was wondering if the difference from them to the Conquest HD would be worth the jump--my problem is that I don't see the size that I want in a Terra. I am looking for a great quality 10x32--and unfortunately I think that might end up as a Swarovski EL Swarovision 10x32 budget killer, so Zeiss is my next option.

A Demo of the Zeiss Victory 10x32 T* FL LT is also a distant possibility but I first need to see what I'm missing in these Alphas and that's where the Nikon SE's step in.

You know what? This is obsessive madness!

Thoughts?

 

[stereotruckdriver]

Daily rotation would be Minox 15x58 ed, Swarovski 7x42 SLC, Swarovski 8x32 el wb, Nikon 8x32 se, Leupold 8x32 gr HD, Swarovski 8x30 SLC! Others that see occasional use Pentax 8x30 and 7x50! Although I could list a page of previous bins, it would just cause me to go into a depressed state! Bryce...

 

[Tantien]

?

1. Swarovski 8.5 X 42.

All I need. Why spend money on hardware, when it can be much more profitably be directed towards travel?

So Peter: did you just go from 0 to Swarovski without any other binos? And if you did, how'd you decide to spend $2K+ once and for all?

Unfortunately, I never had the experience of others to guide me before/when I started buying binoculars until I got my Diamondbacks. Before that, I simply saw stuff that was being displayed in the store I was in that happened to be affordable or recommended by the store clerk.

So I didn't know about Swaros, nor that they were over 2 grand.

 

[oetzi]

Outside those I have on loan, I own more than I thought of in the first place:

My personal fovourites:
Swarovski EL 8x32 Swarovision
Kowa Genesis 8x33
Nikon EII 8x30
Opticron SR.GA 8x30
Nikon Action VII 7x35

In the car or to be loaned to other people:
Nikon Sportster 8x40
Steiner Military 8x30

Nikon Traveller 7x20 CF III, my first own binocular
Hartman 8x30 vintage Porro
Two Eschenbach compact 8x binoculars of dubious quality, to be loaned to children

The first six on this list list I acquired in the last seven month :eek!:

 

[typo]

Opticron Classic 7x36
United Optics 12x50 porro
Eden XP 10x56
These are the pairs I principally use for bird/wildlife watching. Including my wife's we have a Pentax LV 9x28, Bushnell Elite 7x26 and Eschenbach 6x15 which are used for sightseeing, sports, concerts etc.. There is an unbranded 10x42 for the car, and my father's and great-grandfather's for sentimental reasons.

David

 

[Troubador]

Zeiss Victory HT 8x42
Zeiss Victory FL 8x32
Zeiss Victory Compact 8x20

In the past I have also had Zeiss Dialyt 10x40B, Zeiss Dialyt 10x40BGA T*, Leitz Trinovid 10x40, Swift Audubon 8x44, Swarovski EL 8.5x42.

Actually, strictly speaking, the answer to the original question on this thread is: 3.


Lee

 

[normjackson]

Actually, strictly speaking, the answer to the original question on this thread is: 3.


Lee

Or maybe three binoculars equals one and a half pairs

Edit : blame that on recent conversation with Steve/mooreorless about Kenny Jones who always insists a pair of binoculars amounts to four oculars.

 

[cycleguy]

I have 4 pair. Just stocked up to try something new and different. Otherwise i try to keep it to two.

cg

Ps. I thought the 8x32 se had a 385 fov that albinos reported smaller.

 

[plyscope]

Three for daytime/birding. Swarovski Habicht 8x30W, Nikon 8x30 E II, Nikon 10x35 E II.

Three for astronomy. Docter 10x50 and 15x60 Nobilem, Vixen 9x63 Ultima.

Two for marine use. Docter 8x58 roof, Steiner 7x30 Commander.

Then there are three others that are for the kids or friends to loan. Vixen Foresta 7x50, Vixen 8x32 Ultima, Vixen Apex 8x42.

Most of them I've acquired over the last two years. The Vixen 9x63 and Apex 8x42 have been around the longest (since approx. 1998). I enjoy using most of them and expect to buy/sell/trade more in the future. I've started gathering the bits to make my own 29x127 astronomy binocular.

 

[steve@37n84w]

Roofs: Vortex Viper 6x32 HD, Nikon 7x42 EDG, Leica 8x42 Geovid HD, Zeiss 8x20 B, Zeiss 8x42 FL

Porros: Nikon 7x50 SP, Pentax 7x50 PIF, Nikon 8x30 EII, Nikon 8x32 SE (x2), Opticron 8x30 SR-GA, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Fujinon 10x50 FMTR-SX, Nikon 10x35 EII, Nikon 10x42 SE, Pentax 10x50 PIF, Nikon 12x50 SE, Zeiss 15x60 GAT T*, Nikon 18x70 IF WP

Vintage Binoculars: I have over 20 vintage porros most in mint condition with my favorites being several superb Nikon 7x35 Wide Fields

Steve

 

[Chhayanat]

Porro: CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W (somehow magnification has become +/- 8.75 after collimation; results gratifying) 1980; Swift Audubon 8.5x44 HR/5 1985;
Roof prism: CZJ Notarem 10x40B 1985; Pentax 8x42 WP 2000; Nikon Premier 10x42 2010;

 

[momotych]

Docter 8x32, Jenas 8x30w & 10x50, Brunton Wide 8x32,
Sightron SIII 8x24, Leica 10x25 Trino, Swarovski 10x42 SLC NEU,
ZenRay 7x36 ED2, Leupold 6x32 Katmai, Hawke ProStalk 10x56ED, БПВ-7x50. All of them are gone now.
Actual (selected))) my devices are all in the signature.

 

[Peter C.]

So Peter: did you just go from 0 to Swarovski without any other binos? And if you did, how'd you decide to spend $2K+ once and for all?

No, that's certainly not what I did - I had some very cheap Bushnells which I used for years, and they weren't bad for something that cost less than $200. But these had no water-resistance at all, and were always steaming up.

Then I had a pair of Nikon compacts for quite a while, which were actually quite good a not misting up, but which had the disadvantages of being compacts (like very small objective lenses).

Prior to going on a trip to Ecuador, I thought I really ought to have a pair that could really take both lots of moisture and lots of abuse. So I saved up all my pennies at the end of every week, put them away in a special fund, and (after about 4 1/2 years!) had enough saved up for a pair of ELs. I had started saving with Leicas - I can't remember the model - in mind, but by the time I had enough, the Swarovski had arrived on the scene. I tried both, and liked the "handling" of the ELs much better.

Peter C.

 

[[email protected]]

Roofs: Vortex Viper 6x32 HD, Nikon 7x42 EDG, Leica 8x42 Geovid HD, Zeiss 8x20 B, Zeiss 8x42 FL

Porros: Nikon 7x50 SP, Pentax 7x50 PIF, Nikon 8x30 EII, Nikon 8x32 SE (x2), Opticron 8x30 SR-GA, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Fujinon 10x50 FMTR-SX, Nikon 10x35 EII, Nikon 10x42 SE, Pentax 10x50 PIF, Nikon 12x50 SE, Zeiss 15x60 GAT T*, Nikon 18x70 IF WP

Vintage Binoculars: I have over 20 vintage porros most in mint condition with my favorites being several superb Nikon 7x35 Wide Fields

Steve

Wow. You like binoculars don't you.

 

[Clive A]

One pair and they are falling to pieces, any of you multiple owners fancy donating!!