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Beginner looking to pick one of these... which? (1 Viewer)

G

getter

New member
Hi.
I would like to purchase a pair of binoculars to do a bit of bird watching and view the odd WW2 plane that occasionally flies overhead. If it could give good images of the moon that would be a plus.
So I guess you could say the zoom consideration and sharpness needs to be able to view distances of between 100 meters (birds) to 20000 feet (planes). I could be wrong with those distances though.

I haven't a clue on what will be a decent pair, however I would like to go cheaper as I expect I wouldn't be using them much. I've narrowed it down to three pairs.

Tasco

Olympus

Nikon

Which pair provides the better deal?
Please provide me with another deal if you know of one??

Thanks.
 
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Your budget is based on the fact that you're not going to use the binoculars very often and don't want to spend too much. Of the 3 you've listed there won't be much difference between the Olympus nor the Nikon. The Tasco, to me, is the binocular I would not consider.
The binos you've listed are x 8 magnification.....standard for hand held optics. Another size could be a 10 x 50, slighter more magnification and larger in size. As always, people on here will suggest you try before you buy so get along to your nearest retailer so you can compare the different options.
 
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Out of those three choices, Nikon all day, but I second the 10x50 notion. This configuration is the most well rounded for most purposes. It's the ideal blend of magnification and aperture and will deliver good long views while pulling in lots of light. If higher magnification isn't as important to you as brightness and field of view, you could also go with the 7x50 Aculons. Either way, you can't go wrong with Nikons. They are among the best binoculars out there for the price.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
Not sure about the Olympus but the Nikon has pretty poor eye relief so you may want to look elsewhere if you wear glasses.
 
getter said:
Hi.
I would like to purchase a pair of binoculars to do a bit of bird watching and view the odd WW2 plane that occasionally flies overhead. If it could give good images of the moon that would be a plus.
So I guess you could say the zoom consideration and sharpness needs to be able to view distances of between 100 meters (birds) to 20000 feet (planes). I could be wrong with those distances though.

I haven't a clue on what will be a decent pair, however I would like to go cheaper as I expect I wouldn't be using them much. I've narrowed it down to three pairs.

Tasco

Olympus

Nikon

Which pair provides the better deal?
Please provide me with another deal if you know of one??

Thanks.
Click to expand...

First, WELCOME.

Secondly, friends don’t let friends buy ZOOM binoculars, although some inexperienced observers will brag about the quality of certain binoculars with nothing really to compare them to. (Send me your email address and I will explain exactly why. ([email protected])

Finally, names mean almost nothing. TASCO is noted for junky binos. But SOME of the binos they have imported in the past are pretty good. Conversely, most of my binos have been Nikon, based on dollars in verses quality back. However, they rebrand other instruments from lowball Chinese OEMs. Names don’t mean what they used to. People once placed emphasis on their reputation and the quality that gave them that reputation. Today, the emphasis is on profit margin and as long as inexperienced people have money, it will stay that way. Two binos from the same “brand” may look very similar and have similar advertising but are, in fact, made by two OEMs with considerably different specs. :cat:

Cheers,

Bill
 
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Hi there and welcome.
Either the Nikon or Olympus should be fine if you don't need to wear glasses with binoculars.
About one in ten are likely to have some misalignment of the two barrels. If you get eyestrain ask for a replacement binocular stating why.

WW2 planes in the air are rare unless you live near an active airfield such as Biggin Hill.
The most likely to be seen are Hurricanes, Spitfires, a Lancaster or a DC3.
At air shows there would be more types.

They normally fly below 5,000ft often needing special permission.
Single engine aircraft are not allowed over London except over the river Thames.
Only twin engine helicopters are allowed also, usually at around 2,000ft.
There are lanes such as H4 etc. that they have to stick to except for emergency helicopters.

A slant range of 20,000ft is possible at an elevation of about 15 degrees above the horizon.
At this distance better results are likely with a zoom lens bridge or compact digital camera with a viewfinder.
But identification is possible at 20,000ft with an 8x binocular or even with unaided eyes in good conditions.
Usually I identify them by sound first.

A trip to the RAF museum at Hendon would give a close up view of WW2 aircraft and more variety.
Good luck.

200,000 aircraft observations and counting.
 
Hi and welcome,
My general advice would be:
  1. Listen to WJC. Particularly at lower price points, variation is significant. This includes QC unit variation between samples of the same model as well as variation in designs from one model to another within the same brand.
  2. Try before you buy. The way that a binocular fits your face, feels in the hand, and generally handles are very important and rather subjective. Magnification, 8x vs. 10x etc., is also a personal choice and your preference may vary depending on how steady you can hold a particular binocular.
  3. If you can find someone local who knows binoculars they can help you find the best sample of a particular model in a store.

Alan
 
getter, post 1,
In your case I would look for a used binocular and if you do not want to spend a lot of money look for a used Russian one mostly named as Tento 8x30, 7x35 and 7x50 etc. (all porro's) They are here in Europe available for very low prices and their quality is almost criminally undervalued.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
getter, post 1,
In your case I would look for a used binocular and if you do not want to spend a lot of money look for a used Russian one mostly named as Tento 8x30, 7x35 and 7x50 etc. (all porro's) They are here in Europe available for very low prices and their quality is almost criminally undervalued.
Gijs van Ginkel
Click to expand...

The original poster probably does not wish to spend say 50% of the maximum budget on insured postage fees.......assuming a budget of £50 (€55).
Secondly, the unit is being purchased remotely so no opportunity to handle it for ergonomics as stated in posted above.
Thirdly, further cost if it had to be returned.

Not a viable option at all. Too risky, too complicated.
Can you post an example of a unit as you detailed, keeping it under €55, shipped to the UK?
 
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Pyrtle, post 9,
There are other worlds than internet sales. Also in the UK there are many optic sales opportunities where you can actually feel en check these used binoculars. Even in The Netherlands we have quite a few English persons coming over to sell used and old binoculars on optic fairs as I have seen just two weeks ago in Doesburg a little town that attracts quite a few sales persons from all over Europe. And soon there are other ones to come both in Germany and in Holland and undoubtedly also in England.
Gijs van Ginkel
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
Pyrtle, post 9,
There are other worlds than internet sales. Also in the UK there are many optic sales opportunities where you can actually feel en check these used binoculars. Even in The Netherlands we have quite a few English persons coming over to sell used and old binoculars on optic fairs as I have seen just two weeks ago in Doesburg a little town that attracts quite a few sales persons from all over Europe. And soon there are other ones to come both in Germany and in Holland and undoubtedly also in England.
Gijs van Ginkel
Gijs van Ginkel
Click to expand...

Hey, Gijs:

Get me a job at the house of outdoor. Not only do I speak AMERICAN English, I also speak fluent ... Texas. :cat:

Cheers,

Bill
 
Hello Bill, post 11,
Speaking Texan next to American is an advantage, but if you do not speak Frysian as well: no chance.
The rules are pretty strict.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Giys,
You've missed my points.....
a.The purchaser is on a budget as previously mentioned.
b. The suggestions you mention all take time, effort and money, the purchaser just wants a basic pair of binoculars to use now and then.
c. Give an example of the cost, distance travelled and unit bought.

There is a vast difference between a "standard" consumer and a person who perhaps is an optics historian, collector or in the trade.

Pyrtle
 
Pyrtle, post 13,
I missed not any point in Getter's post 1. He/she lives in London and that is THE place where one could find for 20-80 euros (no price is mentioned in post 1) the Russian/Tento binoculars I mentioned in my post. It may take some effort to find the shops/markets in London, but if you live there that may not be a problem and transportation costs could be low one could even go by bike (I did it on foot several times).
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Giys,
We will have to agree to differ.
Budget of £50 Was my conclusion following the links to the 3 examples....£49.99 being the most expensive and purchaser stating something cheaper would be welcome.
Everything else is of course, subjective.
Regards, Pyrtle.
 
Pyrtle. post 16,
Perhaps we do not differ that much. I had mentioned the Tento binoculars, since they can be found very cheap and they are generally of very good quality for their money, but most impostant is that Getter can do something with our suggestions.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Thank you all for your suggestions. ALL have been helpful!!
Also, thanks for the warm welcome, most kind.
Buying a second hand pair is good advice. Never heard of the Tento brand before. When looking at them online they seem retro looking. Maybe they are but back in the day is when items were built for reliability rather than 'break soon and replace soon'.

I won't go with any of the three pairs I mentioned. I guess it's worth spending the £50 on a second hand £150 pair (now down to £50).
 
Firstly the 8x30 Russian may not be Tento. (8x40 possibly).
Secondly, although the Russians used an excellent goo for weather sealing, these binoculars may need cleaning or alignment.

Action Optics Southampton usually have an example cleaned and aligned.
Allthough they were or are low priced, I wouldn't say they are valued at £150, as they aren't, despite being often good quality.
However, the later Russian and Chinese possibly fakes are bad.

One can pick up a Russian binocular for ten quid at a boot sale. However, for the inexperienced how does one know if it is any good?
In London there are astronomy groups, one meeting in Baker Street or Regents park, another the WOLAS, west of London.
An amateur astronomer there would know how to choose a Russian binocular.

The Nikon Aculon 8x42 or 10x42 would be my choice if glasses are not worn. Or the Nikon Action VII 8x40 The 10x40 has minimal eye relief, so not that.
The Pentax or Olympus cheap 8x40s are nearly as good. They also have large fields of view compared to most cheap roof prism alternatives.

Then look at Optical Vision Ltd. site.

Microglobe in London would allow a direct hands on comparison and one can choose the best one. Buy the one you test not an identical boxed similar.

Currys would probably let you test an 8x42 Aculon.
 
If one buys a £150 binocular for £50 secondhand there is likely to be something wrong with it, unless one buys it from a trusted friend.
A good used £150 binocular would probably cost around £80, but even here, how does an inexperienced person know if it is good or not?

I have bought binoculars from Charity shops for less than a tenth of their true value, but many charity shop binoculars are faulty.

I reckon that used binoculars, even when I ask all the right questions, have a failure rate of 33%. I just write this off as a loss, which is compensated by the low price.

For the inexperienced, the failure rate may be 65%.
 
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