Advice please (1 Viewer)

[Jared185]

Hi guys,
So I'm new to birding, but I have a background with astronomy. I recently got into birding and am loving it so far but I have a question.
I have 3 pairs of binoculars and I was trying to figure out which one would be the best for birding. The binos I have are:
1. Orion resolux 15x70
2. Orion mini giant 15x63
3. Nikon aculon a211 10x42

The aculon and the resolux seems to have the clearest views of the binos. Since I'm a newbie I'd love it if I could get some advice on this. Also I know mostly roof prisms seem to be used on birding but I'd love to try and stick with what I have if I could. Thanks for any replies I appreciate it.

 

[David in NC]

10x42 without a doubt

 

[LesR]

10x42 without a doubt

I'll second that, 15x are to much magnification to hold steady and see the finer detail.

 

[MTem]

Agree with the above. Lots of people stick to a max of 8x as the ability to hold steady offsets the lower mag.

However if your 15 x 70 have a tripod mount then they could be a useful addition as a 'scope proxy' until you decide to invest in a spotting scope.

Mick

 

[Jared185]

Thanks for input guys I did a little research and found the vanguard endeavor with Ed glass 8x42 or 10x42 I was just wondering if these are pretty good binos I heard they were pretty good for the money for birding and will probably buy a pair they also have a lifetime no fault warranty which is a plus.

 

[OPTIC_NUT]

Vanguard Endeavors have been widely praised as excellent, especially here.

Just for context: birders will have problems with ideal astronomical binoculars,
due to both size and shaking. 10x50 and 15x60(with tripod) are common for astro.
But...if you are trying to do both things, 10x42 is probably the best compromise.
If you want more resolution at night, the first thing to do later is mount the 10x42s
on a tripod. It's fun for daytime distance, too, or for show-n-tell with another viewer.

 

[Jared185]

Thanks for input,
I ordered the vanguards and says they'll be here Tuesday I'm excited to get them. They seem to be really well liked and there customer service I heard was top notch. So hopefully I'll be out in the field soon with some nice binos.

 

[jring]

10x42 without a doubt

seconded, especially since nikon porros are good value.

Joachim

 

[paddy7]

Thanks for input,
I ordered the vanguards and says they'll be here Tuesday I'm excited to get them. They seem to be really well liked and there customer service I heard was top notch. So hopefully I'll be out in the field soon with some nice binos.

H Jared - i've been using the Endeavor EDII 8x42 since the upgrade was announced, and previously had the original ED 8.5x45, and as birding bins, they are just great! Enjoy them!

 

[BruceH]

Thanks for input,
I ordered the vanguards and says they'll be here Tuesday I'm excited to get them. They seem to be really well liked and there customer service I heard was top notch. So hopefully I'll be out in the field soon with some nice binos.

Sounds good!

Did you order the original Endeavor or the newer Endeavor II and did you get an 8X42 or a 10X42?

Having both series, the original is a great value, especially when on sale and stacked with a rebate. You could spend a lot more for small improvements.

You may know this already, but Vanguard USA has a $50 rebate till the end of December on both the I and the II series in 42mm.

http://media.sw-network.com/eo/pdfs/rebate_vg_holiday_bin_81515-123115.pdf

http://media.sw-network.com/eo/pdfs/rebate_vg_ed_bin_100115-123115.pdf

Let us know how you like them.