just purchased Nikon... (1 Viewer)

I'm just starting to get into birdwatching and I just got a pair of Nikon Action 10X50 binoculars. they seem to be pretty good binoculars. I know it'll take some getting use to since I've never had any before. Any suggestions on how to hold them steady? I know a tripod would help but I don't have one at the moment and I would like to be able to just grab them up and move around with them when a surprise visitor comes along. Now that I have them I was able to immediately identify a species that I wasn't able to see well enough before to identify. It was a male and a female house finch! Way cool!!!!

Well you weren't kidding about going out and getting a pair of bins. Someone nearly as impetuous as me

Until you get used to holding them, it might be a good idea to brace part of your body against something or prop your elbows on a railing. Will help with the steadiness

Hiya,

Using a set of 10x bins takes a bit of getting used to. KC's suggestion is a good idea, try to find a place where you can rest your elbows to steady the view. You'll be surprised how your eyes and brain can cope with some shaking of the bins. After some practice you'll get used to it. In all honesty, a tripod is probably not what you need, okay for long view scopes (20x-60x) but the idea of binoculars is portability and quickness.

well, I figure if you're going to do something, do it right! ||

I really am enjoying them tho. My eyesight is pretty bad, even with my glasses (I need to go in for another exam and get a stronger rx), so I wasn't able to see the birds well enough to make out beak sign and shape, etc. but with these binoculars I can get up close and personal. Why I was even able to tell that the squirrel eating the corn in the feeding area was a little boy squirrel. |^| ||

Nikon Porro Binoculars

Hello to everyone. I'm new to these forums, although I have a lifelong interest in birds - but that does not make me an expert. I have just purchased a pair of Nikon 8x32 SE binoculars and I am much more than impressed - a totally fantastic view. The main point of my message is to point out (or do you all know already?) that Nikon seem to have discontinued their E II and SE porro ranges, at least in the UK. I looked for the SEs on the Nikon UK website a couple of weeks ago and read "this product is no longer available". Now these ranges do not appear on the website at all. I bought my SEs at Ace Cameras, in Bath, and the guy observed that I seemed to have bought their last pair of SEs, although they still have EIIs in stock. If you were promising yourself a pair of top lightweight binoculars you had best be quick whilst there is still some stock available.

I think what some of us long-time birders forget is just how difficult it was to adjust to binoculars early on. Just hand over your bins to someone not used to looking through them and they search in every direction but where the subject is! It does take practice. I believe that your eyes and brain adjust to the shakes and vibrations as Colin has pointed out. I also believe that the better you become at identifying birds the less these vibrations bother you because you are able to pick out features by their familiarity to you.

yes, i'm sure that practice will make perfect. heck, i didn't even know until i got these that there are two adjustments for the focus! i just have to get adjusted to them. i sure have enjoyed using them!! one thing about them tho, they're heavy!! maybe later on i'll get a smaller pair.

If you go out in the woods, I recommend the 8x40 and 7x35 Actions. The 10x indeed are heavy. If you wish to use glasses with them, then the 8x40 Action EX, which is also a bit heavy, but the eye cups are much better than the Action series.