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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Always used 10x but thinking about switching to 8x (1 Viewer)

...I place the binocular on the top of the stick, but I'm sure you recognize this as "poetic license." ;)

Actually I use a Stoney Point, Polecat Monopod...Binocular Rest attachment... ...not sure if these are still bein...tan, Personally I prefer IS only at higher x.
 
Amazon has several to choose from that seem in some ways similar to the Stony Point but what caught my interest is the Monopod tilt heads that can be used on any inexpensive monopod to allow the binocular to rotate and swivel. Some of these are quite inexpensive but would turn any monopod into a useful platform for binocular viewing or at least it looks like it. I'm sure many here know about these but I did not. Here's one example.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071GQLJKZ/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1K2QC0OJF2HTS
 
Some come with it, like my less-than-$45 model. Remember that a binocular will need an intervening part. Some, again, come with one (a "tripod-mounting" bracket). Else you need to order one from the pod or the binocular maker.

I write on about this subject which might seem off-topic for this thread because mounting or steadying brings through a 10x binocular the same level of detail as a higher-x handheld binocular (about 15x?) or mounted monocular scope (about 15x).
 
My first birding binoculars were the Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50 Dekarems (1974) in 1986 I upgraded to the west German Zeiss 10x40 Dialyts neither of these 10x binoculars were great in woodland and in 1997 bought the classic Zeiss 7x42 Dialyt which became my default birding binocular. I loved the wide FOV and the extra depth of focus. I did not miss the extra magnification. If I needed extra magnification I used my telescope. I now use my Swarovski 8x32s as my default birding binocular and see absolutely no disadvantages.
I must confess to buying a pair of Zeiss 10x42 SFs last year after receiving a modest financial windfall but only to replace my old 10x Dialyts.
Seriously if I could only have one pair of binoculars it would be 8x. I would suggest that the advantage of the greater depth of field is not emphasized enough.
 
As the person who posted the question initially I thought I would give an update. I went to a big optics shop (Cley Spy) and tried out loads of bins. I found, to my surprise, that I was not hugely taken with any of them for the strange reason that as a glasses wearer the eye relief on all of them was actually TOO much with the eye cups fully lowered, and generally too little at the first click stop as they were raised. I concluded that the latest generation of top end Swaros and Zeiss are not for me and that if I buy any I will go second hand on the previous versions, such as my wife's 2013 Swaro 8x32 ELs.

However the other day I decided to have a go with a stick supporting my 10x42s a la the Finnstick. WOW! It was a real revelation in comfort and stability. After 45 years of birding it was something of a eureka moment! So now I am going to investigate constructing my own version of a Finnstick, probably out of aluminium tubing, since the real version which I found on a Finnish website, costs around £100. If I am successful then I will stick with 10x and walk around happily looking like an idiot with a stick attached to my bins.

For anyone who has not tried this completely simple technique I urge you to have a go. The difference is amazing!

Sean
 
As the person who posted the question initially I thought I would give an update. I went to a big optics shop (Cley Spy) and tried out loads of bins. I found, to my surprise, that I was not hugely taken with any of them for the strange reason that as a glasses wearer the eye relief on all of them was actually TOO much with the eye cups fully lowered, and generally too little at the first click stop as they were raised.

Sean

Hi Sean,

That's more common than you may think but is an easy fix. The o-ring is your friend:
 

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