New binoculars under 200€ (3 Viewers)

[Davide_Videvitt]

Hi! I recently bought my first binoculars to finally get into birdwatching, a monarch m7 8x42. It took me a few days to get used to it and now I am fully satisfied. Now I am looking for a second pair of binoculars for my girlfriend. She will hardly use it by herself, but she likes to come with me sometimes and therefore would like to buy a decent binoculars shipping at most 200/210€ . As a first thing: better an 8x32 or another 8x42? I got the idea that considering the price range, weight and the fact that we already have a good quality 8x42 might be better an 8x32. We could also use it as binoculars to have on our backs at all times and if we happen to observe something in low light situations there would always be my m7 (as I said she is unlikely to find herself birding on her own, even more so in low light conditions).

For now I have marked as my main options the Vortex DB HD 8x32 (180€), the Prostaff P7 8x30 (200€) and the Svbony SV202 ED 8x32 (140€). I also find the Kowa YF II interesting, especially the 6x30 version (although I'm afraid it weighs too much the lower magnification). Among the 8x42, on the other hand, the Svbony SV202 seems to me the best option. What do you guys recommend? Do you have other options to recommend? As long as we stay in the given price range I am interested in getting the best possible option. When quality is equal, however, we will obviously opt for the cheapest option.

 

[exup]

This will be a repeat of the same debate.

You won't get a balanced answer.

I suggest you look at what jarrelli has written..... He is reliable, has used many bins and has an open and balanced outlook, with no axe to grind.

SVBONY SV202, a Bad Sample?

I recently got a TMB planetary 9mm eyepiece to try on my Celestron hummingbird spotting scope and it shows this exact same ring reflection. Maybe I will take it apart and see if I can figure out where it's coming from.

www.birdforum.net

Recently I have read criticism from 3 individuals who have compared the sv202s against €500 bins.
These should be compared against €200 bins.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

Thank you. The thing I don't understand is whether the Svbony 8x32 are just great quality/price or even putting cost aside can they actually compete with the Prostaff P7, Vortex, Kowa etc etc
Anyway, that there is no one answer as to which is the best binoculars under 200 I know, but maybe someone who has tried a few can give me some feedback to help me narrow down the field with more certainty. Unfortunately, where I live there are few binocular stores and in general they are short on 8x32s.

 

[exup]

The bins I have compared against the sv202s are....

Celestron Nature DX,

Celestron Trailseeker,

Barr and Stroud Sierra,

Barr and Stroud Savannah,

Barr and Stroud Series 5,

Vanguard Spirit XF,

Opticron Savanna,

Opticron SR.GA,

Opticron Verano,

Celestron Ultima,

Celestron Regal,

Helios Mistral WP6,

Huact,

KF,

Pentax SP WP,

I haven't compared to my higher priced bins.


There are swings and roundabouts with some of the better bins above, but the sv202 are definitely good performers in this list. They out perform all at the same price point above. At the ~£200 threshold, I would have no hesitation recommending them.

Dr Neil English was the key reviewer of these back a while ago and IMHO he has captured them well in his book and online.

Your M7 is similar to the Verano (Verano probably very marginally better in 8x32)...... My assessment is that the Verano is better than the sv202, but not by a huge margin. If you buy, you can compare yourself.

 

[sudsdetailing]

A casual user (along with many avid birders) would probably choose a light weight pair

 

[exup]

A casual user (along with many avid birders) would probably choose a light weight pair

The sv202s are magnesium alloy and are heavy and robust.

If weight matters, then a light weight plastic bin like the yf II porro or P7 would then be better in the OP list.

Edit...

The Opticron Savanna Porro is identical to the yf II and they are good entry level porros, if that is desirable.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

The bins I have compared against the sv202s are....

Celestron Nature DX,

Celestron Trailseeker,

Barr and Stroud Sierra,

Barr and Stroud Savannah,

Barr and Stroud Series 5,

Vanguard Spirit XF,

Opticron Savanna,

Opticron SR.GA,

Opticron Verano,

Celestron Ultima,

Celestron Regal,

Helios Mistral WP6,

Huact,

KF,

Pentax SP WP,

I haven't compared to my higher priced bins.


There are swings and roundabouts with some of the better bins above, but the sv202 are definitely good performers in this list. They out perform all at the same price point above. At the ~£200 threshold, I would have no hesitation recommending them.

Dr Neil English was the key reviewer of these back a while ago and IMHO he has captured them well in his book and online.

Your M7 is similar to the Verano (Verano probably very marginally better in 8x32)...... My assessment is that the Verano is better than the sv202, but not by a huge margin. If you buy, you can compare yourself.

Thank you very much for the feedback. Very interesting that the Svbony performs better than all competitors in the same price range.

Regarding the weight: according to the specs, the Svbony still weighs less than the P7. Am I wrong? Maybe it is sturdy, but reading opinions it doesn't seem particularly heavy.

 

[exup]

Thank you very much for the feedback. Very interesting that the Svbony performs better than all competitors in the same price range.

Regarding the weight: according to the specs, the Svbony still weighs less than the P7. Am I wrong? Maybe it is sturdy, but reading opinions it doesn't seem particularly heavy.

Please note that my list contains bins from ~£100 to ~£400..... So in general terms the sv202 does not better all of these IMHO.

Regarding weight.... Sorry I have not checked actual numbers. Because the P7 is entry level and reported as predominantly plastic (comparable to the Nature DX, Sierra etc) I assumed it was less heavy than the sv202s.
I don't regard the sv202s in 8x32/ 8x42 as heavy ( in 10x50 they are), but they are magnesium alloy and very robust.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

Please note that my list contains bins from ~£100 to ~£400..... So in general terms the sv202 does not better all of these IMHO.

Regarding weight.... Sorry I have not checked actual numbers. Because the P7 is entry level and reported as predominantly plastic (comparable to the Nature DX, Sierra etc) I assumed it was less heavy than the sv202s.
I don't regard the sv202s in 8x32/ 8x42 as heavy ( in 10x50 they are), but they are magnesium alloy and very robust.

Yes, I understood. I was referring to "They out perform all at the same price point above. At the ~£200 threshold, I would have no hesitation recommending them".

How do you judge Svbony's brightness?

 

[exup]

Yes, I understood. I was referring to "They out perform all at the same price point above. At the ~£200 threshold, I would have no hesitation recommending them".

How do you judge Svbony's brightness?

They have good multi coatings, phase coated and have dielectric reflective coating on their prisms. This has enabled them to outperform aluminium or sliver reflective coatings on other entry level bins. They are noticeably brighter than some of the other bins ( from memory..... I'm actually 3000 miles away from most of the bins mentioned!). To me they are bright and sharp, with some FC present, as per most bins that are not flat field or higher mid level.

If you look at the most recent Cornell bins shootout ..... Personally I would 'award' the sv202s a value greater than 1.6 ie better than the Trailseekers. This might help you to compare against some other available models, including the p7s .

The Best Affordable Compact Binoculars (8x32): Our Review

Thanks to ever-improving optics and a new crop of compact designs, it's now possible to find small, comfortable, bright binoculars for less than $500.

www.allaboutbirds.org

What is common is for personal preferences to come into play. You might prefer wide FoV, with blurry edges.....others might like a narrower FoV that is better corrected. Really, better to bite the bullet and try one pair and if you don't like it, sell it or return it and try a different pair. Few on here have one or two pairs of bins.
My preferences are definitely different than most on here, I spend the bigger money on stabilised bins instead of premium bins costing top money than have tiny improvements that are only visible when mounted on a tripod.

I would advise to read the reviews on Bestbinocularsreview, Neill English website/ book, Roger Vines website, albinos, etc. Seeking comments on BF is not what I would use to make decisions, there are too many conflicting opinions.

 

[dries1]

They perform better than all competitors in the same price range because they are the only ones in that price range. Get your significant other a Vortex, that way if she drops it or as many in this price range are bound to do , have problems, Vortex will replace them. Think Warranty when buying in this price range.

 

[Maljunulo]

They perform better than all competitors in the same price range because they are the only ones in that price range. Get your significant other a Vortex, that way if she drops it or as many in this price range are bound to do , have problems, Vortex will replace them. Think Warranty when buying in this price range.

Wise words.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

They perform better than all competitors in the same price range because they are the only ones in that price range. Get your significant other a Vortex, that way if she drops it or as many in this price range are bound to do , have problems, Vortex will replace them. Think Warranty when buying in this price range.

Vortex definitely remains an option, and their warranty is very attractive to me.

However, from €200 and below, the Kowa YF II and Opticron Adventurer also seem very good (and beautiful) to me. To your knowledge, are the warranties Kowa and Opticron reliable?

 

[dries1]

I can vouch for Kowa, no idea what the specific Warranty is for Opticron, however being based in the UK I am sure they have a good Warranty coverage. Others with Opticron experience may also chime in.

 

[exup]

I can vouch for Kowa

What country are you in?

What was the fault?

What did Kowa do to rectify?

Different parts of the world can experience different levels of service.

 

[Binocollector]

Thank you very much for the feedback. Very interesting that the Svbony performs better than all competitors in the same price range.

It really doesn't though. Exup is just a fanboy of this particular bino. Not sure why.
It performs exactly as the price suggests. The nice thing is the build quality. The negatives are:
-- smallish FoV.
-- lots of pincushion distortion -- similar to some old porros
-- for me, not enough leeway towards infinity. Problematic for viewing without glasses. And they are unsuable for me with glasses as the field of view gets truncated too much.
-- lateral false color is also nothing to write home about.
All in all they perform optically similar (but with a smaller field of view) to the Opticron entry level Adventurer T WP porro. I just used them today. My 100€ Komz 8x30 (sold by Levenhuk in their "vintage" line) is sharper in the center and has the exact same brightness.

Levenhuk-Fernglas Heritage BASE 8x30

Finden Sie Produkt Levenhuk-Fernglas Heritage BASE 8x30 zum Preis von '€94.95. Nur auf der offiziellen Website von Levenhuk!

de.levenhuk.com

Another alternative:

https://www.amazon.it/Opticron-Adventurer-WP-32-binocolo-nero/dp/B074WH3GVB/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=1W0RZ3QETNVRT&keywords=opticron+8x32&qid=1706810518&sprefix=opticron+8x32%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1

The Prostaff P7 8x30 has a much wider field of view compared to the Svbony SV202 but the plastic build quality is not that great (especially for the price -- here the Svbony SV202 is clearly better). I had problems with the diopter ring (which locks) snapping off but others had no such problems.
A Pentax might also be worth a look but I never owned them, so I cannot say how they compare.

https://www.amazon.it/Pentax-JUPITER-8x40-Nero-Apertura/dp/B09VXGXV1R/ref=sr_1_12?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=3ABOIQ60KK746&keywords=binocolo+pentax&qid=1706810969&sprefix=binocolo+penta%2Caps%2C284&sr=8-12

In general, when not wanting to spend too much, I'd recommend a porro prims bino, not roof prism.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Hi! I recently bought my first binoculars to finally get into birdwatching, a monarch m7 8x42. It took me a few days to get used to it and now I am fully satisfied. Now I am looking for a second pair of binoculars for my girlfriend. She will hardly use it by herself, but she likes to come with me sometimes and therefore would like to buy a decent binoculars shipping at most 200/210€ . As a first thing: better an 8x32 or another 8x42? I got the idea that considering the price range, weight and the fact that we already have a good quality 8x42 might be better an 8x32. We could also use it as binoculars to have on our backs at all times and if we happen to observe something in low light situations there would always be my m7 (as I said she is unlikely to find herself birding on her own, even more so in low light conditions).

For now I have marked as my main options the Vortex DB HD 8x32 (180€), the Prostaff P7 8x30 (200€) and the Svbony SV202 ED 8x32 (140€). I also find the Kowa YF II interesting, especially the 6x30 version (although I'm afraid it weighs too much the lower magnification). Among the 8x42, on the other hand, the Svbony SV202 seems to me the best option. What do you guys recommend? Do you have other options to recommend? As long as we stay in the given price range I am interested in getting the best possible option. When quality is equal, however, we will obviously opt for the cheapest option.

The kowa YF's are porro binoculars which are very wide and the focus wheel is hard to reach. I don't think it would be a suitable binocular for birding but I do think it would be a fun binocular to try. Another similar binocular is the Nikon EX 7x35.

All the binoculars I could think to recommend from reviews here are in the $300-350 range. I do think you should go for a different magnification and aperture so you can have fun comparing them.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

In general, when not wanting to spend too much, I'd recommend a porro prims bino, not roof prism.

The kowa YF's are porro binoculars which are very wide and the focus wheel is hard to reach. I don't think it would be a suitable binocular for birding but I do think it would be a fun binocular to try. Another similar binocular is the Nikon EX 7x35.

I really like the idea of getting a porro prims, but it seems impossible to find a balanced one for about 200€. I was attracted to the Kowa, but I read some opinions that it performs worse than the Opticron Adventurer, which, in turn, you say performs at the level of the Svbony. This is all very confusing to me, especially since here in Italy the Kowa YF II 8x30 is sold for about 170€ (30 more than the Sv and 70 more than the Opticron). Plus, now that you make me pay attention to it, actually the focus wheel on the Kowa might be difficult to adjust. There would also be the Opticron Savanna, but I'm afraid it might have the same problems as the Kowa, plus I'm not quite sure if optically it ranks on the same level as the others just mentioned or higher.

That said, I do know that for the same price a porro is likely to give a better image than a roof prism. But does this also apply compared these binoculars with roof prisms such as the P7 or the Vortex DB that can be found for 200€ but started with prices closer to 300€?

 

[Binocollector]

That said, I do know that for the same price a porro is likely to give a better image than a roof prism. But does this also apply compared these binoculars with roof prisms such as the P7 or the Vortex DB that can be found for 200€ but started with prices closer to 300€?

The P7 is optically great, very nice view, the only issue I had was the build quality. I didn't like the plastic feel.
The Opticron Adventurer T WP has metal ocular arms and a metal frame, only some parts are plastic, like the focus wheel and the cover plates for the body. The rest is really solid. I'd say it's the best bang for the buck.
I only own the 12x50 Vortex DB which shows a bit of lateral color (off axis color fringing), apart from that, it's quite nice. Some people love the small Vortex DB in 8x32 but I never looked through that one, so I cannot say how good it is. Lower magnification means that things like false color are less obvious.
Rule of thumb is that you need to spend about twice the price for the same optical quality in a roof prism model. So a 100€ porro performs like a 200€ roof.
Both designs have their advantages and disadvantages. I also like the "3D-view" in a porro but that only applies to distances of around 300m out, I'd say. After that, you don't really notice it anymore.
In the end -- all of these low price models perform similar enough to be happy with either one.
I'd go with either a shop with good return policy, if you don't like them. Or good warranty if an issue arises. Some companies have that, some don't. I think the "lifelong" warranty of Vortex for example only applies in Europe when you order from the official Vortex homepage. At least it is the case in Germany.

 

[Davide_Videvitt]

The P7 is optically great, very nice view, the only issue I had was the build quality. I didn't like the plastic feel.
The Opticron Adventurer T WP has metal ocular arms and a metal frame, only some parts are plastic, like the focus wheel and the cover plates for the body. The rest is really solid. I'd say it's the best bang for the buck.
I only own the 12x50 Vortex DB which shows a bit of lateral color (off axis color fringing), apart from that, it's quite nice. Some people love the small Vortex DB in 8x32 but I never looked through that one, so I cannot say how good it is. Lower magnification means that things like false color are less obvious.
Rule of thumb is that you need to spend about twice the price for the same optical quality in a roof prism model. So a 100€ porro performs like a 200€ roof.
Both designs have their advantages and disadvantages. I also like the "3D-view" in a porro but that only applies to distances of around 300m out, I'd say. After that, you don't really notice it anymore.
In the end -- all of these low price models perform similar enough to be happy with either one.
I'd go with either a shop with good return policy, if you don't like them. Or good warranty if an issue arises. Some companies have that, some don't. I think the "lifelong" warranty of Vortex for example only applies in Europe when you order from the official Vortex homepage. At least it is the case in Germany.

First of all, thank you for the advice. Excluding price, from an optical point of view did the Opticron seem better than the P7 to you? I understood that in this range there are no abysmal differences and all the binoculars mentioned perform sufficiently well, but I also wanted to understand if it all comes down to preferences regarding size and cost or if, discounting less portability, the Optricon also return superior vision.
I also ask because if I had to choose an Opticron I would aim for the Savanna WP of which I have read good things and which seems to be a step up from the Adventurer (however, it also costs 170€ so we are much closer to the price of the P7 and that is where my doubts come from).