The ed50 is the perfect example why to switch
Mainly because you can't walk a couple of miles between hides using an 18x binocular handheld, so I've got to carry a pair of 7x50's or similar anyway and an ED50 and eyepiece weighs half of what 18x binoculars weigh. If a 20x eyepiece doesn't give enough magnification for the other side of the scrape, I can swap to a 27x eyepiece that weighs very little to carry as an extra whilst with 18x bins you've got nowhere to go. I'm also unaware of any good 18x - the only one's I know of are the old Canon IS one's that introduce pretty nasty artifacts because the image stabilization struggles (I did try a pair). I'm unaware of any truly good binoculars above 15x (there are some excellent 15), but I may be out of date. I can see high power binoculars as being okay for static activities, but they're not a lot of good for moving around and lack the magnification that a scope has.
I read through that thread in question:
15-20x binoculars are commonly available only in 56mm or larger size. That usually means weight of at least 1.2kg. For me, at that weight I would choose a 16-48x65mm scope instead.
Well actually my post about how birders carry their binoculrs was actually more sophisticated than what you suggest. And I actually wasnt THAT surprised at the results. Instead, I suspected from the beginning of that post that the reason people on this forum seemingly preferred compact 32mm binoculars was because most of them were probably using neck straps. I couldnt understand why so many would recommend clearly inferior configurations unless they were solving a different problem like neck fatigue. While I was surprised that harnesses weren't more popular, I was not surprised at all that many were using neck straps, it actually confirmed my original suspicions. Thereafter I just wanted to raise awareness of the clear advantages that harnesses and chest packs provide over neck straps. You know, just try to share the good things I know to help some fellow birders out. Furthermore, I also suspected that I could learn something new about the subject from others as well, which I did! It turned into a pretty cool thread that exceeded my expectations imo. It was actually soo cool. But rest assured, Im not trying to pursuade any one to do something they dont want to do (warning, here comes the sarcasm). And by gosh, I wouldn't want to try to pursuade birders to do something that hunters do, because heaven knows hunters are too stupid to come up with anything useful and dont know a thing about birding. Please! My peers are professional wildlife biologists, most of whom are also serious birders. Each year the state chapter of the The Wildlife Society has an annual meeting which also offers a field trip, usually a birding field trip. So two years ago 40ish wildlife biologists showed up early that morning to go to a nearby birding hotspot guided by one of the local biologists. Sheesh talk about bashfullness in making ID calls! Many of them are not hunters btw, but I digress. Anyway, I recall looking around that morning to see which binocular everyone was rocking, and how they were carrying them, mostly because I was the loner with the chest pack. Well I didnt quantify it, but I recall that the VAST MAJORITY of them were using harnessed. In fact, I can't recall anyone using a neck strap. Furthermore, the vast majority of them had full sized binoculars. The number of people who had compact binoculars could probably be counted on one hand. I was just surprised that this forum hadn't yet figured out what the pros have known for at least as long as my 22 years in the wildlife profession, that harnesses are superior to neck straps for comfort in carrying a binocular and that full sized binoculars are the best all around tools for birding. And seriously yurellii, you didnt need to take a thinnly veiled shot at me, I was only trying to engage constructively on a subject I have experience with. Anybody who has actually tried a binocular on a tripod, even an 8x or 10x, can quickly see the benefit and utility of it in some situations. And you're right, its not for every situation, and it doesnt replace a spotter, but it is a pretty usefull tool for me in a lot of birding situation. Thats all the OP is saying. Had I let my prejudices keep me from trying something new, I too wouldn't know that. Who knows maybe I will even try a compact binocular one day. Only a fool thinks they know everything there is to know and refuses to learn from others (there see, I can take my own thinnly veiled shot).
Yarrellii, I full heartedly accept your apology and forgive you. Thank you for your thoughtful response. I also offer up my own apology to you or anyone else I may have offended. Also I recognize you are right about opinion vs facts. I tend to learn more from listening to the WHY or reasons people chose what they chose. I find this forum full of great rational and experience. Sorry I got defensive.
When are out nature observing (not just birds) in the west of Scotland I carry a backpack with shoulder straps, chest strap and waist belt. On the waist belt is a holster for carrying a DSLR + lens. The backpack contains a flask of tea, a waterproof cape and a folded sit-down pad.
