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Help Selecting New Binoculars (1 Viewer)

My old 10x25 binoculars which were supposedly waterproof weren't, so I am looking to buy a new pair. The old ones were a gift when I was younger, so I am not sure where to start looking for a new pair. I am an avid hiker, climber, and traveler with an interest in bird watching and wildlife viewing. I am not a birder per se, but when I see them, I would like to ID them. Therefore weight is important, but I do want to upgrade a bit. The field of view was pretty small on my old ones and I was thinking that perhaps a 10x42 would be a good move. However, being a poor student, I don't want to go higher than $200 for sure, and would prefer the cost be closer to $100. Any suggestions?

Here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spr...HZ5bWlzNGNOMEprSU5lNGk1TC1FRVE&hl=en_US#gid=0 are some of the binoculars that I am currently considering along with most of their specs. Anything I definitely should/shouldn't get? Also note that most of the prices are markdowns and sales that I found.

Which design specs matter most: brand name, magnification, field of view, objective diameter? Are porro or roof lenses superior?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: What the question has boiled down to: " I am particularly interested in these, as I hear good things about Eagle Optics and they are marked down 50 bucks :http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-shrike-10x42-binocular and these from Vortex which have been marked down 50% (although I don't know why they are 200 to begin with) http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vortex/vortex-spitfire-10x32-binocular

That being said, these http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-10x4...r_1_24?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1311689451&sr=1-24 have also been marked down 50%, but have better specs than the Vortex and just as good as the Eagle optics. I guess the main question is why I shouldn't chose a lower quality manufacturer like Bushnell with the same or better specs than a higher quality manufacturer. Namely, why go for 8x when I can have a 10x?"
 
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My old 10x25 binoculars which were supposedly waterproof weren't, so I am looking to buy a new pair. The old ones were a gift when I was younger, so I am not sure where to start looking for a new pair. I am an avid hiker, climber, and traveler with an interest in bird watching and wildlife viewing. I am not a birder per se, but when I see them, I would like to ID them. Therefore weight is important, but I do want to upgrade a bit. The field of view was pretty small on my old ones and I was thinking that perhaps a 10x42 would be a good move. However, being a poor student, I don't want to go higher than $200 for sure, and would prefer the cost be closer to $100. Any suggestions?

Here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spr...HZ5bWlzNGNOMEprSU5lNGk1TC1FRVE&hl=en_US#gid=0 are some of the binoculars that I am currently considering along with most of their specs. Anything I definitely should/shouldn't get? Also note that most of the prices are markdowns and sales that I found.

Which design specs matter most: brand name, magnification, field of view, objective diameter? Are porro or roof lenses superior?

Thanks for the help.

Get the Nikon Monarch's preferably 8x42. Best binocular in the price range you are looking at. I don't you think you will be happy with any of those other binoculars.
 
The 8x42 Monarch is above your budget (~$279), but a good choice for your activities since they are rather compact.

I've tried the 10x42 Monarch ATB, which has higher reflective coatings on the prisms. I thought they were bright, but they had too small a "sweet spot" (area in the center where the image is sharp).

10x is nice for distance, but I would think after hiking or climbing, shakes would be a problem, but maybe not if you're using 10x25s now and want a WP 10x

I haven't tried them, but Lil' Crazy has been raving about his Alpen Wings 10x25 ED, which would reduce the color fringing you can see around birds at 10x, particularly in less expensive bins (though sometimes at the high end too before the introduction of ED glass).

Here's that thread:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=203959

You would definitely want something compact, perhaps the Zen Ray 10x42 ZRS. Compact sized w/out being actual compacts bins, so they are brighter under dim light with their larger exit pupils and larger objectives. Haven't tried them but they have gotten good reviews (16 of them!).

At $215, just about in your budget.

Here's the specs and reviews:
http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/zrshd10x42.html

Brock
 
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Hello, and welcome to the forum, we love to rant and rave but will probably only confuse you more.

Not recommendations, as I haven't even used them, but two that are quite popular here and should be on your list are Nikon Action Extreme, and Bushnell Legend HD.

A roof ought to cost twice what a Porro costs, to get similar optical quality.

Also I think a 42mm is a bit large for "avid climbing". You can't mean like 5+ with that thing hanging around your neck! Many people swear by 30mm for daytime use. A good one will beat your old 25mm pretty bad.
Ron
 
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Zen Ray ZRS FTW. I had both the $400 Zen Ray ED2 and the ZRS - it was hard to see a difference optically. The ZRS is that good.
 
Elduderino260

Based on your interests and the intended use, the 42mm binos in my opinion are much larger and heavier than you need, particularly since you state that weight is important. Also, do you really want to stick with 10x as opposed to 8x? The 8x will give less shake, a wider FOV, a greater depth of field, and an easier more relaxed view.

Brock is correct in that I like the 10x25 Alpen Wings ED glass binos, and I guess only Brock would equate a review with raving. Mine compare favorably to the high dollar alphas, but like this class of double hinged mini binos, they suffer from finicky eye placement due to their small occular lense and eyecups. Although not quite as good optically, I prefer some of the larger single hinge 8x25 & 10x25 binos because of the much easier eye placement and ease of use due to the larger occulars and eyecups.

Here is a list of some of the small binos I can recommend, as I own all but 2 of them.

Reverse Porros
8x25 Olympus Tracker PCI - $65
8x25 Nikon Prostaff - $100

Roof Prisms
8x25 Columbia/Kruger Backcountry - $90
8x28 Bushnell Excursion - $70
10x25 Columbia/Kruger Backcountry - $113
10x25 Smith & Wesson Performance Premier - $99
10x25 Alpen Wings ED - $160
8x36 Bushnell Legend Ultra HD - $210

The little 8x28 Excursion is one of my favs as it has excellent optics, 14 oz, 417 FOV, 6 ft close focus. waterproof, phase coated, lifetime warranty.

If you want bigger and heavier binos, we can give you another list. If you need any specs or website info, let me know.

Tom
 
Based on your edit and the links it contains, it looks like you really want to keep the cost at the low end, so that changes things. Hopefully folks here can review the edit and make suggestions. I've seen none of those so I can't say. None has phase coating which would be nice to have.

I would suggest sticking with a midsize and lightweight model. I do a lot of backpacking and I wouldn't want to carry a 22oz full-size for that. Of course you're young and maybe don't mind the weight so much. I hope you have room in the pack. I also prefer an 8x because of the shakes. Especially with climbing, I'd guess your hands would get a bit shaky.

One of my favorites is the Olympus 8x25 that lilcrazy mentioned. They aren't waterproof, but the view is great. Plus they weigh about 10oz--sweet. I keep them on my sternum strap when I'm hiking and never even feel them.

That Vortex Spitfire you linked to also looks pretty good. Midsize and only 17oz. EO also has the same model in a 8.5x that'll get you over 100 extra feet of field of view, plus it's $10 less. That FOV difference is huge for a bin like that. Hmm, I might try those myself.

The Nikon Prostaff 8x25 is also very good, waterproof, small and light. The 10x25 version has a very narrow field of view though. It's a bit of a tunnel.

I'm sure others will weigh in as well.

Hope this helps,

Mark
 
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I have a couple comments/guesses that I would like to offer about your list and/or situation.

One, I see that those 10x25s you originally used were a gift so your experience with binocular configurations in general is fairly limited. Without putting you on the defensive I would say that the 10x25 configuration would probably be the least one I would choose for any type of outdoor application. 10x25 binoculars have a small exit pupil (2.5 mm) which can make them fairly critical of eye alignment. The smaller exit pupil also provides a fairly limited amount of light to your eye (in comparison to everything else). This means a dimmer overall image.

The next configuration I would tried to avoid (unless you are going to spend about 4-5 times as much as you indicated) would be the 8x21. If you are going to go 8x then an 8x25 would be the minimum I would be comfortable recommending. An 8x32 or 8x42 would be even better. These configurations will offer a brighter image and easier eye placement in comparison to the 10x25s you are accustomed to.

That is part of the answer to your question about why you should choose an 8x over a 10x. 8x binoculars also typically provide noticably wider fields of view which makes it much easier to find the objects you are trying to view.

Second, I am guessing that spreadsheet you put together was pulled off of some website like opticsplanet or binoculars.com . Some sites have a "comparison" function which will allow you to stack all of your choices side by side so you can see how the specs compare. There is nothing wrong with that and it can be quite useful. What you can't find in that type of experience is an understanding of the quality level of each of those models. If you do enough digging on here and other optics websites though you will get a fairly thorough understanding of what is good and what is junk.

I have been spending a great deal of time on the various optics retailers websites...along with ebay and a few other choice places that occassionally offer some very good deals on optics. My preferences for optics tend to be in the 8x32, 8x42 and 7x42 configurations though I will certainly bite on something unusual but similar to these three. For example, take a look at those Dakota Elite 7x28 and 8x32s in the Binocular Bargains thread. They have the specs and characteristics of binoculars costing hundreds of dollars more. It is almost hard to justify not buying them at $19.99 and $29.99 respectively. Clearance offers are a beautiful thing. ;)

Here are some very good binoculars that I have tried/bought in the last three months that I think would suite your needs....

Zhumell Short Barrel 8x42s ($80 on binoculars.com but not phasecoated)
Swift Reliant 8x42s ($100 on the same site and are phase coated)
Konus Emperor 8x42s (around $115 on a variety of internet retailers)
Adorama Pro Optic 8x42 (Around $150 and with ED glass)
Barska Huntmaster 8x42 ($83 on Amazon)
Dakota Elite 7x28
Dakota Elite 8x32

The beauty of many of these "full-sized" 8x42s is that they are actually extremely short in length making them very compact in comparison to other 8x42 models currently on the market.

Also consider the Zen Ray Vista 8x42s ($125) and Eagle Optics Radian ($125). Both are very good optically with all of the features that typically could only be found on $300 roof prism binoculars just a few years ago.

These are all roof prism binoculars. I did not even get into porro prisms or reverse porro prism models though both have been suggested by others above.

I would certainly recommend the Nikon Pro Staff 8x25, Leupold Yosemite 6x30 and 8x30, Celestron Nature 8x30 and Nikon 7x35 Action EX. All are very good optically and well within your price range.
 
I am not a birder per se, but when I see them, I would like to ID them.

Firstly, Your Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino, welcome to the forum. And I´m sorry to tell you, you have moved over to the Dark Side....if you see them, and like to ID them, you are a birder.

Secondly, I don´t want to confuse the whole issue even further, but one Binocular that I have owned, that is available Stateside and ideal for hiking, climbing, birding etc. due to compactness, cracking view etc., is the Leupold Katmai 6x32 or 8x32. I don´t know exactly what it costs in USD, but I got one on the ´Bay for a good price. Check it out in reviews and the prices, and avoid 10x, too heavy, and avoid 42mm, too heavy for hiking.
Good Luck and tell us what you get.
 
My old 10x25 binoculars which were supposedly waterproof weren't, so I am looking to buy a new pair. The old ones were a gift when I was younger, so I am not sure where to start looking for a new pair. I am an avid hiker, climber, and traveler with an interest in bird watching and wildlife viewing. I am not a birder per se, but when I see them, I would like to ID them. Therefore weight is important, but I do want to upgrade a bit. The field of view was pretty small on my old ones and I was thinking that perhaps a 10x42 would be a good move. However, being a poor student, I don't want to go higher than $200 for sure, and would prefer the cost be closer to $100. Any suggestions?

Here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spr...HZ5bWlzNGNOMEprSU5lNGk1TC1FRVE&hl=en_US#gid=0 are some of the binoculars that I am currently considering along with most of their specs. Anything I definitely should/shouldn't get? Also note that most of the prices are markdowns and sales that I found.

Which design specs matter most: brand name, magnification, field of view, objective diameter? Are porro or roof lenses superior?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: What the question has boiled down to: " I am particularly interested in these, as I hear good things about Eagle Optics and they are marked down 50 bucks :http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-shrike-10x42-binocular and these from Vortex which have been marked down 50% (although I don't know why they are 200 to begin with) http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vortex/vortex-spitfire-10x32-binocular

That being said, these http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-10x4...r_1_24?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1311689451&sr=1-24 have also been marked down 50%, but have better specs than the Vortex and just as good as the Eagle optics. I guess the main question is why I shouldn't chose a lower quality manufacturer like Bushnell with the same or better specs than a higher quality manufacturer. Namely, why go for 8x when I can have a 10x?"

I purchased these last week
http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Spiri.../dp/B001N44CQU
To my old eyes, they work real good. My other bin is a 16 year old Swift 8.5 x 44 Audubon and I believe these are a lot easier to use, very fast focus I really like and very close focusing distance,approx. 6 feet. My wife has always had trouble finding objects and she thinks these are easier than her Swift Ultralight. $52, free shipping.
 
Firstly, Your Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino, welcome to the forum. And I´m sorry to tell you, you have moved over to the Dark Side....if you see them, and like to ID them, you are a birder.

Bugger...I was hoping to avoid being sucked down that path. I suppose it was always my destiny. But yeah, well, that's like, your opinion man.

Secondly, I don´t want to confuse the whole issue even further, but one Binocular that I have owned, that is available Stateside and ideal for hiking, climbing, birding etc. due to compactness, cracking view etc., is the Leupold Katmai 6x32 or 8x32. I don´t know exactly what it costs in USD, but I got one on the ´Bay for a good price. Check it out in reviews and the prices, and avoid 10x, too heavy, and avoid 42mm, too heavy for hiking.
Good Luck and tell us what you get.

I think I am going to go with the Eagle Shrike (http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-shrike-10x42-binocular) unless anyone has any horror stories about Eagle or anything particularly positive about anything else on my list. They are amongst the lightest on my list and I wouldn't mind lugging around the extra 22 oz.
 
Bugger...I was hoping to avoid being sucked down that path. I suppose it was always my destiny. But yeah, well, that's like, your opinion man.



I think I am going to go with the Eagle Shrike (http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-shrike-10x42-binocular) unless anyone has any horror stories about Eagle or anything particularly positive about anything else on my list. They are amongst the lightest on my list and I wouldn't mind lugging around the extra 22 oz.


Dude:
Welcome to the Birdforum, many here have given some experienced recommendations.
You usually need to spend at least $200 to get a roof prism binocular with some good quality.


I am thinking go ahead with those, and give them a
try, they may be just right for you. Eagle Optics is a nice place to buy from, and
if they recommend these, and you are not happy they will offer a return policy.

Let us know how they perform.

Jerry
 
Bugger...I was hoping to avoid being sucked down that path. I suppose it was always my destiny. But yeah, well, that's like, your opinion man.



I think I am going to go with the Eagle Shrike (http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-shrike-10x42-binocular) unless anyone has any horror stories about Eagle or anything particularly positive about anything else on my list. They are amongst the lightest on my list and I wouldn't mind lugging around the extra 22 oz.

Go for it. and we hope you enjoy them. Seems like your stated criteria of lightweight and a larger FOV really weren't the deciding factors.

Hello wall -it's me again!

Tom
 
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