New birder in GA trying to figure out where to buy binoculars where I can try them out. (1 Viewer)

[jillrobin23]

Hello, I am a new birder in GA doing the Birds GA Master Birder Program. After using some old cheap binoculars that I inherited initially, I am ready to buy some good (mid-priced $300-$400) binoculars. Everything I read suggests I need to try out the binoculars to make a good decision, but I’m not sure where I should go to see a good range of options. Several people have suggested REI, but they seem to carry only a couple of brands. Others have suggested that I go to birding store, but I don’t see anything in the metro Atlanta area that describes itself as a birding shop which also sells binoculars. (Where do birders in the Atlanta area buy binoculars?) The binocular choice is complicated by the fact that I wear glasses and have a significant astigmatism. When I borrowed some binoculars at recent bird walk I found it really awkward to see through my glasses through the binoculars my peripheral vision still showed by glasses frame and my view through the lenses was distorted. I likely need to just practice and fiddle with the settings, but it’s frustrating because it takes me so much time to see clearly that I often miss the bird.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Jill and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I've moved your post to the Binocular forum, as I feel that, initially, you need good advice on the more suitable binoculars to look at in your price range. From personal experience the best type for spectacle wearers have screw cups (not rubber ones) and you need them in, not out. The rest of it I'll leave to the experts in this area.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Lisa W]

Hi Jill and welcome to the forum. I think you will find us a friendly and helpful group. You could try Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabella’s or Bass Pro.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

 

[Tringa45]

Hi Jill,

Yes, if you have astigmatism you need to wear your glasses to get the best out of your binoculars.
The problem is that many binoculars in the medium price category have inadequate eye relief for glasses-wearers.

If you hold a binocular at arm's length you will see two white circles. These are the exit pupils and float in space above the eye lenses of the oculars.
The distance of the exit pupils from the eye lenses is usually the eye relief quoted in the manufacturers' specifications, although the effective eye relief is shorter, because the retracted rubber eye cups are usually a few mm higher than the eye lenses.

Ideally the exit pupils should be coincident with your own eye pupils to obtain the full field of view of the binocular.
As you have noted, the fit is something you will have to try for youself, but a good starting point would be a specified eye relief around 18 mm.
If, in addition to your astigmatism, you are basically near-sighted you may get away with somewhat less. If far-sighted you may require more.

I'll spare you the technical explanation, but in general an 8x binocular is likely to offer more eye relief than its 10x equivalent and 42 mm binoculars generally offer more eye relief than 32 mm versions. There are exceptions of 8x32 or even 10x32 binoculars such as the Swarovski NLs and Zeiss SFs with good eye relief but they involve complex eyepiece designs and are at the top of the price range.

Lastly, there is a relationship between eye relief, apparent field of view and the diameter of the eye lenses in the oculars. A mere external look at an 8x32 Leica Ultravid for example is sufficient to tell that it is useless for most eyeglass-wearers because of its small eye lenses.

Good luck with your search.

John

 

[Patudo]

Welcome, and take heart that using binoculars to pick up a bird or other target, and indeed "learning to see through" your binoculars (for want of a better expression) can take a bit of practice. My mother also used to find it awkward, but has improved quite a bit with practice, and I remember going through a bit of a learning process myself until it became second nature. It'll come with time.

Even if you don't have astigmatism, it's better to wear glasses/spectacles when birding if you have myopia (shortsightedness). This means you'll need binoculars with long enough "eye relief" to let you use them with glasses. Fortunately most binoculars are designed to be used with glasses these days. It's definitely best to try as many binoculars as you can, as what fits best in your hands and to your eyes can be a very personal thing. BTW: If you're borrowing binoculars from a friend who doesn't wear glasses, you'll probably need to turn the eyecups down in order to use them with glasses.

If there are no/few birding stores near you, outdoor/hunting stores often carry a selection of binoculars, and may be worth a try.

Good luck in your birding journey!

 

[Paultricounty]

Welcome to BF.

I’d agree with Tringa45 and Patudo here. One very good 8x42 that will check a lot of boxes is the Vortex Viper HD, excellent optical quality for the price level, it has 18mm of eye relief, a very forgiving friendly eye box, is very light and compact and is made in the Philippines, which is another bonus. The Vortex warranty is probably one of the best in the business. B&H Photo Visual in NY has the Vipers on sale right now. They have a very liberal return policy , I’ve done business with them for probably 20 years. No questions asked 30 day return policy, just pay the return shipping if you don’t like them, they’ll even give you a discounted return shipping label.

Good luck and let us know what you get , and how you like them.

Paul

 

[jillrobin23]

Hi Jill,

Yes, if you have astigmatism you need to wear your glasses to get the best out of your binoculars.
The problem is that many binoculars in the medium price category have inadequate eye relief for glasses-wearers.

If you hold a binocular at arm's length you will see two white circles. These are the exit pupils and float in space above the eye lenses of the oculars.
The distance of the exit pupils from the eye lenses is usually the eye relief quoted in the manufacturers' specifications, although the effective eye relief is shorter, because the retracted rubber eye cups are usually a few mm higher than the eye lenses.

Ideally the exit pupils should be coincident with your own eye pupils to obtain the full field of view of the binocular.
As you have noted, the fit is something you will have to try for youself, but a good starting point would be a specified eye relief around 18 mm.
If, in addition to your astigmatism, you are basically near-sighted you may get away with somewhat less. If far-sighted you may require more.

I'll spare you the technical explanation, but in general an 8x binocular is likely to offer more eye relief than its 10x equivalent and 42 mm binoculars generally offer more eye relief than 32 mm versions. There are exceptions of 8x32 or even 10x32 binoculars such as the Swarovski NLs and Zeiss SFs with good eye relief but they involve complex eyepiece designs and are at the top of the price range.

Lastly, there is a relationship between eye relief, apparent field of view and the diameter of the eye lenses in the oculars. A mere external look at an 8x32 Leica Ultravid for example is sufficient to tell that it is useless for most eyeglass-wearers because of its small eye lenses.

Good luck with your search.

John

Thank you for your reply—very helpful!

 

[jillrobin23]

Thank you for your reply—very helpful!

Thank you for your reply! Very helpful!

 

[Pinewood]

Hello,

You might try Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's Bass Pro Shops do carry Vortex but it would be wise to 'phone ahead. Do follow Delia's advice above, and see if you can try the optics in daylight. My astigmatism is far more pronounced in low light.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

 

[Ruff-Leg]

Wild Birds Unlimited (in Atlanta and Decatur) carry Vortex, and most REIs carry Nikon. They would give you another hands-on opportunity.

 

[Trinovid]

One very good 8x42 that will check a lot of boxes is the Vortex Viper HD, excellent optical quality for the price level...

Ever since getting my two pairs of HD Vipers I've been a strong supporter of Vortex and think of them as really fine binoculars, regardless of their price point.