Binocular advice - tempted by the Zeiss (1 Viewer)

[lucky jim]

I'm sure there will be a lot of people on here with greater knowledge of binoculars than me.

We are off on a trip to Costa Rica in January and I've been considering getting some new, better quality binoculars. I'm a bit flummoxed by the different brands, specifications and costs (astronomical in some cases). I currently have an old pair of Olympus 8 x 25 PC1's, but was really impressed by a friends 10 x 25 Leica ones (bit out of my price range). The internal flights in Costa Rica are very hot on weight and I already have more photographic equipment than I should really take, any more and I'll have to live in one tee shirt and a pair of shorts for 2 weeks!.

I want to spend ideally around £200-£300 and the criteria is they must be small and easy to use for general bird and wildlife spotting.

I'm based in the UK
I've come up with a list of requirements and shortlist and would welcome any feedback, without going into HUGE detail about why none of these are suitable :

Roof Prism 'Pocket size'
8 x 25 or 10 x 25
(I understand that 10x is harder to hold, less field of view etc, and that 25 is not the best for light transmission, but the size and weight are big factors)

Zeiss Terra ED 8 x 25 £299
or 10 x 25 £329 (probably my preferred choice)

Kowa 10 x 25 £249 (not as compact)
or 8 x 25 £230

Steiner BluHorizons 8x22 £200

Hawke Endurance ED 8x25 £149
10 x 25 £155

Nice to have but more expensive:

Leica Trinovid 8x20 BCA compact £385 (too small?)
Leica Trinovid 10 x 25 BCA £425

Swarovski CL Pocket 10x25 S/H on eBay £600 Plus!
New £720-£760

Fire Away!

 

[NDhunter]

I think the Zeiss Terra 8x25 is ideal for your needs. Maybe the Kowa also, but I have not tried one.
And I think 8X is more friendly for your viewing. These are in your budget.
Jerry

 

[dalat]

I would suggest at least 8x30, much more enjoyable to use. Also I would not be too tight in the binocular budget. 100-200 more (to get a Monarch 7 or similar) will only add marginally to the overall coat of the trip but greatly add to the enjoyment of the observations (and of course you can still use it afterwards).

 

[Jinac]

If Costa Rica means birding in the wood, a more bright bino than a 10x25 or a 8x25 seems a good idea. 8x30 or a 7x will be better I think

 

[Cavendish]

I'd second those suggesting an aperture of 30mm and up. The Opticron BGA ED Traveller 8x30 is a great little instrument, is lightweight, has a nice wide field of view, and has a decent close focus which will be good for the hummingbird gardens you may visit out there. You should be able to find it at top end of your budget.

Traveller

 

[lucky jim]

Thanks for the replies. I’ll take these on board. I’m going to visit London Canera exchange to try a few pairs. Hard to find retailers in SE England to actually try things and see them ‘in real life’.

 

[mwhogue]

@lucky jim,

If you can accommodate the size and weight try to test a small 8x30/32 or 7x28. In any event, skip all of the 10x for birding in the woods of Coast Rica.

I agree with @NDhunter and your preliminary inclination, the Zeiss Terra 8x25 would be a good choice given your parameters.

The Trinovid 8x20 is very compact and light but they are not fully waterproof which may well be an issue for use in CR.

Good luck with the Quest.

Mike

 

[Cavendish]

The Opticron BGA ED Traveller 8x30

Traveller

Sorry that should read 8x32

 

[Maljunulo]

Once again ….. select a binocular by looking through it, not by reading about it.

(whenever possible)

 

[MiddleRiver]

Get the best (probably most expensive) 8x30 you can afford. Small and light enough to make the cut, but with an ample view that won’t feel like you’re looking through a peephole.

 

[lucky jim]

My other issue is I will have 2 full frame DSLRs to handle, whilst I appreciate the advice to go larger it makes it difficult to juggle cameras and larger binoculars

 

[lucky jim]

Once again ….. select a binocular by looking through it, not by reading about it.

(whenever possible)

Good advice but hard to find retailers to do this, most stuff is sold online. I’m in Guildford on Thursday so will see what I can look at. Any recommendations for retailers with a good range in London?

 

[Mike Crawley]

Personally I’d be looking for an 8x32 or 8x42
Unfortunately, I doubt a pair of Zeiss binoculars (two years ago my partner got the Zeiss Terra ED 8x32 which are really good for about £300 but I suspect new ones will be much more).
That said, these are available from Amazon at £349

https://amzn.eu/d/eVct2zb

But in principle I am against "buying without trying" however the advertisement says returnable within 30 days

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

If you have the money for trips like this, spend some more and buy a good 8x30 Zeiss SFL, the Swarovski Companion or the 8x25 Swarovski pocket.

When you buy pocket binos and you want quality it's simple: Swarovski, Zeiss or Leica. My Swarovski 8x20 is with me for 20 years. The only reason to buy something else is the introduction of the 8x25, that gives more ease of view and FOV. The Leica 8x20 is by far the best of the compacts, unfortunately it beats my Swaro 8x20, but they don't have the 8x25.

There is a huge difference in ease of view between 8x20 and 8x30. The downside of the 30 binos is their size and weight. Therefore the 8x25 model is the best when it comes to portability, weight and image quality. Don't even think about the 10x25, same tunnel-vision problem as the 8x20.

Yes, I fully understand the need for light binoculars, since I'm carrying a lot of camera gear too. My backpack is filled with gear and the last time I left out my Arcteryx all seasons Goretex rain jacket (for a few grams less) and I was wet for 10 days... wrong decision.

But don't cut on binoculars. Buy a good one for trips like this with a full backpack

 

[Maljunulo]

To me, binoculars are the heartbeat and the essence of birding and nature observation.

To drag so much other stuff with you that you have to stint on your binocular, would compromise the entire experience for me.

To each his own, and we are all different.

(if your profession is nature photography, please disregard all above)

 

[NatureLover123]

I would also go for a 8x30/32 or a 10x32. I am a 10x guy, so I prefer always 10x, but for the planned rain forest a 8x would be convenient.

You probably won’t want to spend +2k on a very good 32 so I would think adding a few hundreds on a bright for its aperture Victory Pocket 8x25 would be the best bino for the buck for your needs.

 

[dr pete]

Some good advise and options here. Just to add ... never look through a pair of binoculars you can't afford.

 

[lucky jim]

Some good advise and options here. Just to add ... never look through a pair of binoculars you can't afford.

I like that! Good advice

 

[PatR]

Jim you clearly appreciate the try before you buy mantra!

Good luck on your search but if I were to keep under your budget and wanted the best allround bino below £300 then your first inclination is spot on.

The Zeiss Terra's, 8x or 10x, are a perfect blend of size, weight, robustness and IQ and I would point you towards SWOPtics and their Terra offers.

They have both for £243. Cracking bino's which punch well above their price point.

Good luck!

 

[Cavendish]

Good advice but hard to find retailers to do this, most stuff is sold online. I’m in Guildford on Thursday so will see what I can look at. Any recommendations for retailers with a good range in London?

I've found London Camera Exchange on the Strand to be knowledgeable and happy to get lots of models out of the showcases for you to try. Park Cameras just off Oxford Street have a smaller range but are also very helpful.