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£350 to spend on new or used binoculars 8x30, 8x32 ?? (1 Viewer)

T

Traveller88

New member
Hello All,

I want to upgrade from my old cheap set of binoculars as I'm starting to do more bird watching. I don't want to keep upgrading so this is my dilemma.

I was originally going to buy a pair of Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 for around £300, but would I be better off buying a used pair of quality binoculars from the likes of Swarovski, Leica and zeiss?
I have done a little research on this forum and I have found that the Monarchs are quite highly regarded for their price, especially as they are lightweight and have a large FOV which are important to me as I prefer to travel light.
What are your suggestions and which new or used 8x30, 8x32 binoculars would you choose for around £350.

Thanks in advance.
 
Traveller,

Welcome to the forum.

Recommending binoculars is often a thankless task. We all differ quite significantly in our visual demands, physical features and the way we use them which inevitably means what I like won’t suite the next person. You can reasonably draw up a shortlist based on reviews and specification, but ultimately you really need to try them for yourself.

Possibly the first thing to look at is ER, particularly if you wear glasses. Excellent though the Nikon EII 8x30 is it will be problematic for those with glasses. The Kite Lynx is also a very nice roof design but likely to be an issue too. If you have close fitting glasses the Monarch 7 could be OK but it’s slightly bigger cousin the Opticron Traveller ED 8x32 might be a safer bet. I suspect you would be hard pushed to find models like the Swarovski CL 8x30 or Monarch HD in you range on the used market. You would need to judge for yourself if their performance is worth paying over your budget, particularly for the earlier version of the Swaro CL.

There are not really a huge number of other options at that price level I’ve been able to track down currently in the UK. Opticron have slimmed down their offering. Hawke have a new Frontier ED-X I’ve not seen yet that may well be worth a look. The Kowa BD XD 8x33 is well liked by some, and you might be very lucky and find their Genesis 8x33 on the used market. There are are a few quite nice models below the £250 price point that might appeal. You will generally lose some field of view and edge sharpness, butvsome do better on centre sharpness than you might imagine.

You really need to check out some of these for yourself. I guess the Wetlands centre is SE London might be closest, but there may be a wider choice if you can travel a bit further. It’s a bit of a trek, but there is a birding and wildlife fair at Pensthorpe up in Norfolk next weekend where several brands and a couple of retailers will be represented.
https://www.pensthorpe.com/event/pensthorpe-bird-wildlife-fair/

David
 
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Hi,

as has been said, recommending used bins is especially difficult as the offerings might change...

The E2 8x30 is certainly a nice pair but it is not waterproof and eye relief is limited so most persons using it with glasses on will not see the whole field (and that is the main attraction). If that doesn't bother you and you can find one inside your budget, go for it. It is certainly the best view for the money.

As for other used bins which might be found in the general rice range are Leica Trinovid 8x32 BA/BN (not super light and short eye relief, but very sturdy and nice view), Nikon HG/HGL 8x32 (another classic - also heavy but good eye relief) or the Opticron Verano HD 8x32 (also a bit heavy, good eye relief, nice view, Made in Japan for 250 quid or so).

Swaro is probably not gonna happen for 350 quid unless you count an ancient Habicht 8x30 porro (modern ones have a following by those looking for the sharpest center field view to be had through an 8x pair - usually through a doubler - and disregarding the disadvantages). Zeiss will only have the Terra ED series in the general vicinity, Conquest 8x32 HD are nice but go for 500 quid or so, beware of the old Conquest 8x30 - it was not so great.

Joachim
 
Hi -

I'd wait until you can afford about double that budget at which point you'll be able to get a Leica, Swaro or Zeiss used or even new old stock or sale, which is high end and repairable and will basically be a forever binocular. Otherwise what may happen is that you "need" to "upgrade" again within a year or so.

Have a look at Swaro, Zeiss and Leica prices on ebay. You might get lucky on the local ads.

Btw charity shops sell some extraordinary large bincoulars (porro) prism glasses for almost nothing. Unless size and weight is an issue you might find happiness is easily attainable.

Edmund
 
dipped said:
Welcome T88

I know these will probably too heavy for you but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.

These Nikon hg8x32's are a lovely binocular which will last a long time. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikon-HG...288219?hash=item1efa0ebadb:g:s0gAAOSwvGFc0KBX

If I was on a budget I would get these (again as I have a pair already).
Click to expand...
That is an excellent choice also if you can get them for a good price! They are the only roof prisms mentioned here that would come close to the Nikon 8x30 EII's and they will be heavier and they won't have as big of a FOV or 3D effect. Also, they are used. The Nikon 8x30 EII is brand new in the box. No scratches, mars, dog hair, dirty lenses or cigarette smoke issues. I know I have been there done that. One used pair of binoculars I bought on Ebay had dog hair all over the binoculars, strap and case. It took me two hours to get it off. About 50% of the time used binoculars were ok. Put the strap on the new EII's, inhale that new binocular smell (new porro's smell really good) and go birding. No hassle. Life is short.
 
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Dipped, I also have the original HG 8X32s and wondered why they never used the same armor on later models, the LX Ls, or other newer roofs, the armor is the best and looks new after 15 years. The Nikon SE had similar armor. The HG is still a very nice 8X32.

Andy W.
 
[email protected] said:
Wow! That is a LOT of tax!
Click to expand...

Hi,

it is, but roughly 20% VAT (value added tax - somewhat similar to you sales tax but federal) are fairly normal over here in europe (Germany has 19%) - you don't really see it that much as all prices must be stated including tax (although the amount of tax is usually printed on the receipt for those who read that).

And if you import merchandise from abroad, you have to pay VAT and a few percent of duties on top before you receive the packet.

Joachim
 
jring said:
Hi,

And if you import merchandise from abroad, you have to pay VAT and a few percent of duties on top before you receive the packet.

Joachim
Click to expand...

To be clear, when Jo says 'from abroad' it means from outside of the European Union.

Lee
 
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