Beginner bincoluars (1 Viewer)

Hi all

I am looking for some binoculars to buy as a present for a friend - he is interested in birds and wildlife to the point they will receive regular use but not to the point that they need to be anything particularly high end. I was hoping to get some advice for the best current binoculars <£200.

Many thanks

Dan

Dan,

You Sir are a good friend indeed!

I haven't tried them but the Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32 bins are available in the States for @ $200 and seem highly regarded here on BF for the price. The 10x32 as I recall have a somewhat narrow FOV but the 8X has an excellent 420' at 1000'. Do avoid the 42 mm version which has been panned by forum members who have tried them.

Hope this helps.

Mike

mwhogue said:

Dan,

You Sir are a good friend indeed!

I haven't tried them but the Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32 bins are available in the States for @ $200 and seem highly regarded here on BF for the price. The 10x32 as I recall have a somewhat narrow FOV but the 8X has an excellent 420' at 1000'. Do avoid the 42 mm version which has been panned by forum members who have tried them.

Hope this helps.

Mike

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Mike beat me to it. I was going to recommend the same binoculars. I've enjoyed mine for years and have loaned them to dozens upon dozens of people and everyone likes them.

If you can find them within budget the Kenko UltraView EX OP DH II 8x32 would be my first choice. Currently on ebay at about £225.00.

Kenko have recently released the UltraView EX OP DH III 8x32, exactly the same binocular but with dielectric prism coatings, if you are lucky you may find an offer for the older model.

In addition Uttings have the Bushnell Legend L 8x42 @ £189.00, not an unreasonable choice sub-£200.00, and hopefully others will post some more UK recommendations in your price bracket.

Regards, Steve

Dan,

Unfortunately the Sightron is tough to find here and usually expensive. It's close cousin, the Kenko EX OP DHII 8X32 can sometimes be found close to your price limit.

Sorry! A major correction to my original post. Dennis' post below made me recheck my Celestron models. I got them in a muddle. It was the outgoing Trailseeker I was suggesting, which now sells for around £190 and not the cheaper Nature, which I would not recommend. The new Trailseeker ED is better than the old model, but over budget.

Vortex have recently introduced a new HD version of their popular workhorse, the Diamondback, which I rather like. You would be lucky to find the 8x42 within budget but the 8x32 might creep in there and is well worth considering, though there aren't many in the shops yet. The outgoing x42s sell for around £190, but could be discounted as the replacement gets rolled out. Vortex are known for their excellent warranty.

The latest incarnation of the Opticron Discovery is very popular and fits nicely in your budget. Support isn't too far away in Luton.

Just a few to think about.

David

Try the Celestron Trailseeker ED 8x42. it is a very good value at it's price point. Available in the UK.

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/celestron-trailseeker-ed-8x42-binoculars-1692152/
https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Celestron-TrailSeeker-ED-8x42-Binoculars-review-253.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qneV6gXNVmI

I've corrected my Celestron comment in post #5.

David

typo said:

Celestron ... Nature, which I would not recommend.

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Perhaps best described as a 'churn bin', where the lowest price varies by as much as 15% over short periods of time, the lower end of the market being churned to maintain turnover.

Thanks all for your input following my request, as someone who really doesn't have an ear anywhere near the ground when it comes to optics, it was most useful! After a good amount of comparing and weighing up I ended up choosing the Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42s, which were £219 from London Camera Exchange. My pal is shortly off on a hiking trip to India so hoping they should be an invaluable asset whilst out there.

Many thanks again

Dan