Korean Binocular observation party in Busan, the biggest seaside city in Korea (1 Viewer)

[jackjack]

Last weekend, I threw a binocular observation party in Busan, second biggest city at the very south side of Korea

I have hold or attended many observation party regarding diverse usage such as landscape sighting, birdwatching, stargazing... extra...
as most of them are hold in Seoul, this is my first time to go to specific city that located far form my hometown

view location

Busan Gwangalli beach.


photos of various optic gathered.



name of the binos
(I hope I can get those english name right)

[Swarovski]

EL 8x32, 10x32 / SLC 10x56 / STX 65mm /BTX 85mm

[Zeiss]

HT 10x42 / CHD 10x42 / VP 8x25 / FL 10x56 / dialyt 10x40, 7x42 / Hensoldt 8x30, 7x50

[Leica]

BN 7x42 / Trinovid 8x20 / 77mm televid

[Nikon]

EDG 10x32,8x42 / E2 8x30,10x35 / 14x40 stabileyes / 10x70 / 18x70

[Canon]

10x32 IS, 10x42 IS L

[Steiner]

Commander electronic 7x50
Nighthunter (2016) 8x56

[others]

Fujinon Technostabi 12x28
SRBC 10x42, 12x50
IOR 7x40
NEW MS APO 12x56, 20x70
BW8 8x42
BW20 6.5x32
SVBONY SV47 8x42
Sightron safari 5x20
Sirius 120mm APO

more then 30 optics are gathered

most of them are already seen, but there are something new even for me such as EDG 10x32, Zeiss Hensoldt, Nikon stabileyes...extra

(Diffrent magnification by different binos)

7 power by BN 7x42


8 power by E2 8x32

10 power by HT 10x42


12 power by SRBC 12x50


I - don't - know - exact power by Sirius 120mm apo


The party at Gwangalli starts from 15:00 and ends in 19:00

as Gwangalli is one of the two most famous seashore of Busan, there were many citizens and tourists showed interested on our equipments.

luckily, members of the forum are eager to introduce their optics. so we have a busy time seeing, showing and talking about binos.

(Also, there were many foreign tourist that have to be explained by me because of the English issues)





after the party, some members left for more observation, went up to
Hwangnyeong Mountain to see night view of Busan city

View from the top of the mountain



digiscoped photo of night city by SRBC 10x42





Thanks for reading.

If you are interested on the bino that participated on this party, PM me.

 

[jackjack]

afterall, this forum is 'bird'forum and I'm also a birder not only an optic reviewer.


Second day on Busan, after the observation party,

I planned to do my first birding in this city.

my goal is to watch

Blue rock thrush, which is widely found at east seashore of Korea.

as Seoul is closer to west side, I have never seen it before.

So, after taking advice from local birder that participated the bino observation party last night, I planned to visit Tea Jong - Dae which is the area famous with rough and big rocks

to Korean birders, Tea Jong Dae is famouse for nesting of Peregrine Falcon.
it is visited by many birder and photographer to see Peregrine Falcon relatively closely


I have brought ELSV 8x32 and SRBC 12x50 for birding trip

observatory site of Tea Jong Dae


I can see Tsushima island, one of the island of Japne through bino

SRBC 12x50


famouse cliff of Tae Jong Dae


the distance of the view is long enough to use 12power. so I use SRBC 12x50 for birdwatching and digiscopeing

Here is the birds I have seen around cliff of Tea Jond Dea

(SRBC 12x50 digiscope)

Large bill crow

x3


Daurian Redstart
(Male)


x3



(Female)


Bull headed Shrike

x3


Blue rock thrush

(Male)
the bird I seached for!

x3



Peregrine Falcon

x3


there were another Falcon on the smaller rock beside

 

[jackjack]

those two Peregrine Falcons stay on that cliff almost for 2 hours.
so I can see and digiscope it ling enough
and it is closer then I thought (I can easily distinguish it from Large bill crows nearby without using binocular)

because the falcon stay still resting even they got constantly bullied by crows and gulls,
I manage to digiscope it with various magnification using two bino I brought.

(I don't use adapter or tripod. luckily I can lean myself and bino against the railing of the cliff to reduce the shake)

(The magnification is not 100% right because there are no binocular that have EXACT power as It said)

8 power with ELSV 8x32

12 power with SRBC 12x50

24 power with x3 of ELSV 8x32


36 power with x3 of SRBC 12x50


72 power with x6 of SRBC 12x50


120 power of x10 of SRBC 12x50


collaged it all together

8 / 12 / 24
36 / 72 / 120



Edited ver of 120power digiscope results

 

[Hermann]

Excellent report. I continue to be amazed how good your phone-scoped photos are. Handheld ... Unbelievable.

I'd love to get such results. It would save me from having to take my camera for record shots. A shame you are so far away, I'd love to see you in action with a binocular and your phone.

Hermann

 

[jackjack]

Excellent report. I continue to be amazed how good your phone-scoped photos are. Handheld ... Unbelievable.

I'd love to get such results. It would save me from having to take my camera for record shots. A shame you are so far away, I'd love to see you in action with a binocular and your phone.

Hermann

actually, over 72 magnification is not totally hand held becaues I have to lean my bidy and bino to reduce the shake.
the biggest binoscope I can get with total handheld was 60. (Nikon 20x50) x3

I visited munich this summer just for couple of days... it is far indeed...

 

[Patudo]

Really enjoyed your posts @jackjack. Taejongdae reminds me of another coastal cliff where you can see both peregrines and blue rock thrush, but the one I'm thinking of is in Spain. Peregrines are the species I focus most of my effort on. I enjoy watching them in the city a lot, but there is something special about seeing them in a more natural habitat. You often need patience, as they are such good hunters that they can spend many hours sitting around doing absolutely nothing. But they're almost always on the lookout and you never know when they will suddenly shoot off after prey, or to challenge another raptor. If you can get back to Taejongdae, or indeed anywhere else you know they are nesting, during the display season (which in our area is roughly late January to early April) you may be able to see some amazing courtship flights, and the pair will likely also drive away gulls and crows, which can be fun to watch. The birds in your photo look really similar to the English peregrines I've seen.

--------------------

It would have been a lot of fun trying and comparing the various optics from a good viewpoint like that. Much much better than what you can see from the optics tent at Birdfair. How would you say the 10x40 Dialyt (was it a P model?) compared to the Leica BA/BNs?

 

[jackjack]

Really enjoyed your posts @jackjack. Taejongdae reminds me of another coastal cliff where you can see both peregrines and blue rock thrush, but the one I'm thinking of is in Spain. Peregrines are the species I focus most of my effort on. I enjoy watching them in the city a lot, but there is something special about seeing them in a more natural habitat. You often need patience, as they are such good hunters that they can spend many hours sitting around doing absolutely nothing. But they're almost always on the lookout and you never know when they will suddenly shoot off after prey, or to challenge another raptor. If you can get back to Taejongdae, or indeed anywhere else you know they are nesting, during the display season (which in our area is roughly late January to early April) you may be able to see some amazing courtship flights, and the pair will likely also drive away gulls and crows, which can be fun to watch. The birds in your photo look really similar to the English peregrines I've seen.

--------------------

It would have been a lot of fun trying and comparing the various optics from a good viewpoint like that. Much much better than what you can see from the optics tent at Birdfair. How would you say the 10x40 Dialyt (was it a P model?) compared to the Leica BA/BNs?

I remember your messages regarding Peregrine Falcon.I knew you would like it 😀

There is a birder who keep monitoring Peregrine Falcons 24/7 I have seen many wonderful photo of Flacons flying and nesting

I have never been to Bird fair.... it didn't happen in Korea...

It was T model and 10x40 feel inferior then BN 10x42.
but, 7x42 T*P* beats 7x42 BN in terms of central resolution which have compared 1 by one.
really unique contrast.

 

[wllmspd]

I was pleasantly surprised by my son digiscoping my zeiss conquest 8x on a recent holiday, watching seal pups from the top of a cliff. You take that to another level! Any tips for getting both focussed and sharp results?

Peter

 

[jackjack]

I was pleasantly surprised by my son digiscoping my zeiss conquest 8x on a recent holiday, watching seal pups from the top of a cliff. You take that to another level! Any tips for getting both focussed and sharp results?

Peter

It's hard to describe in single reply...

You have to ve careful to adjust perfect distance between Camera lens and ocular lens.
not every bino produce cleanest result with eyecups fully extended.
Plus, align the camera after you got perfect focus at the object you want to take photo.

 

[Scott98]

Looks like a wonderful event, thank you for posting all the beautiful pictures of Korea. I had no idea Korea was so close to Japan....geographic ignorance. I checked the map and learned something. What a great idea to combine fine optics and socializing.

 

[jackjack]

Looks like a wonderful event, thank you for posting all the beautiful pictures of Korea. I had no idea Korea was so close to Japan....geographic ignorance. I checked the map and learned something. What a great idea to combine fine optics and socializing.

There are almost none off line shop in Korea to see optics from various companies, so observation party like these are only way to see various bino in one place except buying them.

there were some launched before COVID, but sadely it is now decreased.

As I am the main provider of information among sport optics in Korea,(The owner of the Korean forum sticks to astronomy extra large bino.)
I volunteer to spend some effort launching these events to solve people's curiosity

 

[Scott98]

As I am the main provider of information among sport optics in Korea,(The owner of the Korean forum sticks to astronomy extra large bino.)

Is this one of his events? This looks like another party I wish I could attend:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/907185-binocular-telescope-star-party/

What is the story with Korea and binoculars? I notice that USA retailers have a message on their websites saying they cannot send binoculars to South Korea, the only country with that designation out of 142 countries I think? Are they worried about national security or something? Or is it a situation of difficulty with tarifffs and customs duty charges?

 

[jackjack]

Is this one of his events? This looks like another party I wish I could attend:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/907185-binocular-telescope-star-party/

What is the story with Korea and binoculars? I notice that USA retailers have a message on their websites saying they cannot send binoculars to South Korea, the only country with that designation out of 142 countries I think? Are they worried about national security or something? Or is it a situation of difficulty with tarifffs and customs duty charges?

yes thats the event.

I have seen some but have not attended yet because I don't have much enthusiasm to stars compared to birds

Korea officially imports some bino form USA such as Vortex and Leopold. and imported Bushnell and Brunton too.

I heard about restiction of some special optics such as thermal and night vision, but I don’t heard about normal binos

 

[Scott98]

I heard about restiction of some special optics such as thermal and night vision, but I don’t heard about normal binos

I think the US had similar restrictions at one time, I'm not sure they're still in effect today.

Sometimes certain countries require a lot of paperwork to import certain items and it's not worthwhile for businesses to comply with the added cost. Several clothing & outdoor equipment companies in Europe refuse to ship to the USA for that reason too. They're not willing to spend an hour or two filling out forms for one sale. You used to be able to get Andrew Shoes leather boots from Italy and they stopped selling to USA at some point.