First time binocular buyer, getting myself all tied up in knots (1 Viewer)

[quikhi]

I'll try to keep this shortish and to the point! I've been doing bird photography for years and I've really enjoyed seeing birds through a long camera lens (current setup is a Sigma C 150-600 attached to a Canon R6), but recently went on a field trip with a group of birders, one of whom was kind enough to lend me their binoculars for a while. I was surprised and impressed by how nice and relaxing it was looking through the binoculars, especially when spotting birds in situations where I wouldn't necessarily bother to take a photo. I guess in the past I've only looked through cheap ones with poor image quality. I don't always want to haul my camera kit when I'm birding, and as I've recently moved to a new country (Canada), all the birds here are new and exciting to me, so there is LOTS of enjoyable casual birding to be done!

I've identified the binoculars I borrowed as being an older version Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 (they have MONARCH M511 written on the focus ring). From some research I think 8x42 is probably what I want. But there's so many of them.

Possibilities:
Celestron Trailseeker ED: around CAD$490 (or seemingly CAD$360 if I buy from the US amazon... interesting), seems to review really well as per the cornell lab review (they rate it #1 under USD$600?), audubon review, and other random ones. Good FOV, very easy to focus?
Monarch M5 - current best price using a discount code - CAD$390 - I've briefly tried and liked the previous version, but it has a really narrow FOV compared to many others. Possibly the least interested in this one because I feel like I know that I'd be missing that FOV.
Vortex Diamondback HD - with a discount code, CAD$315 - good price, popular, quick sharpness falloff and some reports of a stiff focus wheel but still great quality/price ratio
Monarch M7 - can get it currently for CAD$545 (excl tax), is definitely the most that I'd want to pay for binoculars. I'm willing to pay a bit for my first pair to get something decent that I won't second-guess too much. It has a wide FOV and sounds like good quality but I still see mixed reviews.

and many others...?

It's strangely a bit tough to find nearby stores that stock all of these to compare and try. From looking online they're often missing at least one brand, and no one seems to have the Celestrons. I'm not super familiar with Canadian online stores but buying a bunch to try and then return doesn't really seem to be an option here.

If it helps I have small hands and the binoculars definitely need to be waterproof as I don't mind going out in the rain and snow.

Any and all advice appreciated thanks in advance!

 

[rajas]

The Trailseeker ED is overpriced at $360. I regret not pulling the trigger when it was $270 last fall.

• Peleewings has the Regal ED for 365+shipping+taxes.
• The M7 is the best in the list above. The Diamondback is the best value in the list. But there are other choices our there: consider Opticron and Svbony.

 

[winginit]

quikhi, I own the Diamondback HD and they're good binoculars for the price, especially considering the excellent warranty. They have purple fringing in some situations, and that can detract from the view, at least for me. The optics I use regularly now are an Opticron 8x32 ED bin, a Fuji 10x32 bin, and a Hawke 7x42 ED monocular. Even after reading reviews and getting advice here, it took a bit of trial and error to figure out I prefer mid sized, light weight optics, with little or no CA. If you're looking to buy only one pair of binoculars, the M7 would be a great choice. I used a friend's M7 a few months ago and understand why they get high praise.

 

[albie...]

Peleewings has the Regal ED for 365+shipping+taxes.

That's a decent price for the Regals , in fact it's the best price I've seen as generally it seems to be closer to $500ca .
I just sold a brand new pair of Celestron Regal ED 8x42's that were a warranty replacement for an older pair of 8x42 Regal LX 's I bought in 2007/2008 . I got $350ca for the ED's .
The Regal ED is a pretty decent binocular for $365ca . If I was in need of a binocular at that price I would probably jump on it . While I had the Regal ED I did some side by side comparison with my 8x42 Nikon Monarch HG . The Nikon was better as it should be given the price difference but the Regal ED didn't give much up to the Nikon . It came pretty close in a few areas such as sharpness and fov .

 

[Maljunulo]

Any time you want to get “all tied up in knots” over a binocular purchase, this is the place to come.

 

[[email protected]]

The M7 is the best in your list. Also, try the Vortex Viper HD 8x42. It is very close to the M7 at about the same price point.

 

[quikhi]

Thanks for all the replies and thoughts and opinions! Hah, yes, I’m familiar with only making myself more and more confused doing research and reading forums from my time buying photography equipment.. anything to do with glass and optics eh.

The Regal ED hadn’t really been on my radar, I saw it mentioned in the Cornell lab binocular review but they mostly dismissed it as being heavy, I’m looking into it more now as I can see that that price is much lower than any other shop has it, and other reviews are more favourable for it - I didn’t realise it was such a new model too, which is probably why I haven’t seen it mentioned a lot.

Still considering strongly ponying up for the M7 too. “Luckily” I haven’t seen any Viper HD at the current price of the M7 (which is currently on sale at a couple of places) so it’s one less thing to think about, unless I see them go on sale somewhere soon too…

Lots to think about!

 

[jring]

Hi,

first of all, a warm welcome to birdforum!

Regarding your new bins, the first question would be whether you have to wear glasses when you use the bins. This depends on your prescription, cylinder (for astigmatism) or prism (for cross-sightedness) often make this necessary - pure spherical (for far- or nearsightedness) don't need to wear glasses, but of course when nearsighted, you want to wear glasses when looking for birds w/o bins and taking off the glasses then would be a hassle.

So if you are going to wear glasses, you need enough eye relief (the distance between eyelens and where the image is formed) - 18mm plus are ok for most glasses, some rare binocular models offer 13mm only.

Regarding the 8x42 format - many here use 8x32 without missing anything (except maybe for a few minutes less birding time at dusk or dawn). An 8x32 pair would be a lot more convenient together with your camra kit - and of course light and small is always nice. On the other hand, 8x32 models often have less eye relief than 8x42, so if you have to wear glasses, you have to choose the right 8x32 pair (often not cheap) or take a 8x42 (in general the 8x42 version of the same series is a bit more expensive than 8x32).

Another way to get the best view for your money is to buy used - but I only do this (a lot actually) when I'm able to buy either in person or from a business with a no questions asked return policy.

Joachim

 

[rajas]

The Regal ED was reviewed by a birdforum member (DipperDapper): Product Review: Celestron Regal ED 8 x 42. | Neil English.net

 

[quikhi]

Hi,

first of all, a warm welcome to birdforum!

Regarding your new bins, the first question would be whether you have to wear glasses when you use the bins. This depends on your prescription, cylinder (for astigmatism) or prism (for cross-sightedness) often make this necessary - pure spherical (for far- or nearsightedness) don't need to wear glasses, but of course when nearsighted, you want to wear glasses when looking for birds w/o bins and taking off the glasses then would be a hassle.

So if you are going to wear glasses, you need enough eye relief (the distance between eyelens and where the image is formed) - 18mm plus are ok for most glasses, some rare binocular models offer 13mm only.

Regarding the 8x42 format - many here use 8x32 without missing anything (except maybe for a few minutes less birding time at dusk or dawn). An 8x32 pair would be a lot more convenient together with your camra kit - and of course light and small is always nice. On the other hand, 8x32 models often have less eye relief than 8x42, so if you have to wear glasses, you have to choose the right 8x32 pair (often not cheap) or take a 8x42 (in general the 8x42 version of the same series is a bit more expensive than 8x32).

Another way to get the best view for your money is to buy used - but I only do this (a lot actually) when I'm able to buy either in person or from a business with a no questions asked return policy.

Joachim

I'm lucky to not need eye correction (at least not for the next decade or two) though I suppose I might possibly use the bins with sunglasses at time. I suppose I don't really have to worry about eye relief then!

I suppose that's true, an 8x32 would be a bit lighter to carry alongside my camera kit when I'm bringing both. While searching for the full sized Monarch M7 I did come across one store selling the older Monarch 7 8x30 (not the M7 model) for CAD$364 (+tx etc), clearanced of course, since it's discontinued. Hmmmm.

It's a shame that it doesn't seem as easy to buy and return things here in Canada compared to the US - ideally I'd be able to try out at least a 8x32 and 8x42 pair for a day including low light/evening viewing, to see how much of a difference both the brightness and weight of the bins makes to me personally, over the time period of a couple of hours (and while carrying my camera with me).

Thanks for the advice and thoughts!

 

[Zedster]

One to look at is the Opticron Traveller ED 8x32. They are VERY nice binoculars. I think I paid around 400USD when I got mine. Small and lightweight and good image quality. Only downside I've experienced is glare. Too close to the sun and glare becomes noticeable. I can usually adjust them to reduce the glare a fair amount but it is there in some instances.

 

[Siggy]

I just did this purchase dance myself. I'm not an expert, but have been pleased with the GPO Spectra 8x32 purchased from Costco for $329. The 8x42 are $359. Also, Cabelas has the Vortex Viper 10x42, 2017 Model, though of new manufacture for $299.

 

[jring]

Hi,

364 CAD seems helluva deal for a Monarch 7 8x30, even if that's w/o tax... The old model did very many things right for a good price back then and now on clearance you should certainly have a closer look at it.

The Monarch 7 and its Kamakura brethren from Opticron (Traveller ED), Maven (B3) and probably others were a forum favourite for the $400 class for a long time. The Monarch 7 is the cheapest and lightest and is Made in China (by Kamakura), but quality is still decent.

Joachim

 

[albie...]

The Regal ED hadn’t really been on my radar, I saw it mentioned in the Cornell lab binocular review but they mostly dismissed it as being heavy, I’m looking into it more now as I can see that that price is much lower than any other shop has it, and other reviews are more favourable for it - I didn’t realise it was such a new model too, which is probably why I haven’t seen it mentioned a lot.

It's definitely heavier than my MHG's . For me the Regal ED felt fat and heavy compared to the Regal LX and my Nikon MHG , YMMV .
Regal LX 25oz , ER 20mm ,close focus 6ft and fov 6.5 degrees . New Regal ED 27.1oz ,ER 22.5mm , close focus 4.9ft and fov 8 degrees . Monarch HG 23.5oz, ER 17.8mm , close focus 6.6 ft and fov 8.3 degrees . All 8x42's .

I actually bought my 8x42 Nikon MHG from PeeleeWings . They are easy to talk to and the whole transaction was smooth . They included a return shipping label with the binocular just in case I had issues that warranted returning the binocular .

 

[WJC]

Any time you want to get “all tied up in knots” over a binocular purchase, this is the place to come.

AMEN TO THAT!!!

 

[exup]

The Regal ED is the Celestron flat field binocular. The Traikseekers are not flat field.

I prefer flat field, some others don't, due to rolling ball effects, moustache distortion, etc. The other point of note is that the Regals have long eye relief, which can result in some users getting blackouts.

When I compared non ED Traikseekers 8x32/10x32 to Svbony SV202s, I rated the SV202s marginally 'better' (image brightness/ sweet spot). However, it is very marginal and in reality, I regard them as both very similar.

 

[quikhi]

I ended up going with the Nikon Monarch 7 (not M7) 8x30 for CAD364+tx! (USD270) For me, a binocular noob, this is an extremely nice little pair of bins for what seems to be a really good price. I couldn't find any of the other comparable bins in this category for even close to that price.

I was even able to compare it to the M7 8x42 for a few days, and I ended up returning the M7. The full sized M7 is also extremely nice, and slightly easier to look through with a smoother focus wheel (plus I tested them both in low light and yes it is slightly easier to make out details with the 8x42), but the 8x30 doesn't give up much and I actually really enjoy the smaller size and weight. Especially when I'm carrying a camera at the same time. Maybe in the future I'll find myself owning a full size pair of bins as well but I think these are actually perfect for most of my needs for now, especially at this price.

They're a real pleasure to use and I'm finding it fun and relaxing observing birds through these bins, especially when I'm not currently focused on taking photos or I've become sick of holding up 2.5kg of camera+lens - they really add something to my birding experience

 

[Elpha8888]

Excellent choice, I really like the M7 8x30. Would like to try the x42 models one day also.

 

[Pinewood]

I ended up going with the Nikon Monarch 7 (not M7) 8x30 for CAD364+tx! (USD270) For me, a binocular noob, this is an extremely nice little pair of bins for what seems to be a really good price. I couldn't find any of the other comparable bins in this category for even close to that price.

...

They're a real pleasure to use and I'm finding it fun and relaxing observing birds through these bins, especially when I'm not currently focused on taking photos or I've become sick of holding up 2.5kg of camera+lens - they really add something to my birding experience

Hello Quickhi.

You have certainly picked a very handy and useful binocular. Use it well! I use an 8x32 for almost all my birdwatching.

Stay safe,
Arthur Pinewood

 

[Zedster]

I ended up going with the Nikon Monarch 7 (not M7) 8x30 for CAD364+tx! (USD270) For me, a binocular noob, this is an extremely nice little pair of bins for what seems to be a really good price. I couldn't find any of the other comparable bins in this category for even close to that price.

I was even able to compare it to the M7 8x42 for a few days, and I ended up returning the M7. The full sized M7 is also extremely nice, and slightly easier to look through with a smoother focus wheel (plus I tested them both in low light and yes it is slightly easier to make out details with the 8x42), but the 8x30 doesn't give up much and I actually really enjoy the smaller size and weight. Especially when I'm carrying a camera at the same time. Maybe in the future I'll find myself owning a full size pair of bins as well but I think these are actually perfect for most of my needs for now, especially at this price.

They're a real pleasure to use and I'm finding it fun and relaxing observing birds through these bins, especially when I'm not currently focused on taking photos or I've become sick of holding up 2.5kg of camera+lens - they really add something to my birding experience

Nice choice. Enjoy the new views.