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Pocket binoculars (2 Viewers)

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Rockhopper69

New member
United Kingdom
Hi
Unsure if I have posted this in the correct area .
I am after abit of advice on a new pair of pocket binoculars .i currently own a pair of Hawke frontier Apo in 8 x 42 which I cannot fault . I also own a pocket pair of Nikon 10 x 25’ s which I would like to upgrade to something like zeiss terra Ed’s or Leica’ s in either new or second hand .
In an ideal world I should have purchased my 42 hawkes in 10 power and invest in some pocket ones in 8 power , but it’s a bit late now .
So my question is what would you do , buy 10 x or 8 x pocket binoculors if your 42’s are 8 x .
I prefer pocket binoculars for when Im out doing things like fishing and metal detecting etc , I’m just abit unsure if the correct route is stick with the 10 power ones or buy 8 . I’ve tried researching and a lot of things I’ve read advise on a lower magnification for the pockets .
Thanks in advance
 
I have moved your post to the binocular forum.

Have a search for pocket binoculars and you will find a lot of similar quandaries.

"Pocket" means different things to different people. To me it means something you can comfortably put in the pockets of normal clothing. That would have to be a 20mm objective and even some of them can be a tad on the large size. When some folk talk about "pocket" they mean a large coat pocket and then 25mm or even some 30mm objectives can fit.

The larger the objective the easier the binocular will be to handle, plus larger objectives will give you a brighter image. In 20mm I would stick to 8x or lower. But if you desperately want 10x then 30mm is much better.

Then of course there is budget to consider.
 
I now only own two binoculars, both traditional Leica Trinovids: the 8x42 BA and the 10x25 BCA. For me the ideal combination, versatile and handy. From my own experience I would therefore recommend a 10x25.
 
Rockhopper69 said:
Hi
Unsure if I have posted this in the correct area .
I am after abit of advice on a new pair of pocket binoculars .i currently own a pair of Hawke frontier Apo in 8 x 42 which I cannot fault . I also own a pocket pair of Nikon 10 x 25’ s which I would like to upgrade to something like zeiss terra Ed’s or Leica’ s in either new or second hand .
In an ideal world I should have purchased my 42 hawkes in 10 power and invest in some pocket ones in 8 power , but it’s a bit late now .
So my question is what would you do , buy 10 x or 8 x pocket binoculors if your 42’s are 8 x .
I prefer pocket binoculars for when Im out doing things like fishing and metal detecting etc , I’m just abit unsure if the correct route is stick with the 10 power ones or buy 8 . I’ve tried researching and a lot of things I’ve read advise on a lower magnification for the pockets .
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Rockhopper69,

Since you have Nikon 10x25 and apparently (?) get along with the format, you've got options.

If looking to actually replace the Nikons I vote you stick with 10x25 and go with a used Leica UV or Trinovid. The UV do have a bit more eye relief if you want or need to use with glasses. Another option would be the Terra TL version in green armor that come with a cloth pouch rather than a case. They sometimes go on sale for $199 in the US market. I've never tried the Terra in 10x25 but the 8x25 is a very good bin for the money.

You could consider as well supplementing your Nikon with a a true shirt pocket model like the UV or Trinovid 8x20. If inclined to spend the extra money the SW Curio is a great bin as well IMO and maybe the ultimate model to compliment your 10x25.

Good luck with the Quest and let us know how it goes.

Mike
 
Rockhopper69 said:
Hi
Unsure if I have posted this in the correct area .
I am after abit of advice on a new pair of pocket binoculars .i currently own a pair of Hawke frontier Apo in 8 x 42 which I cannot fault . I also own a pocket pair of Nikon 10 x 25’ s which I would like to upgrade to something like zeiss terra Ed’s or Leica’ s in either new or second hand .
In an ideal world I should have purchased my 42 hawkes in 10 power and invest in some pocket ones in 8 power , but it’s a bit late now .
So my question is what would you do , buy 10 x or 8 x pocket binoculors if your 42’s are 8 x .
I prefer pocket binoculars for when Im out doing things like fishing and metal detecting etc , I’m just abit unsure if the correct route is stick with the 10 power ones or buy 8 . I’ve tried researching and a lot of things I’ve read advise on a lower magnification for the pockets .
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
I have moved to using only 10x and 12x binoculars. I have Pentax 10x43 and Swarovski with a 10x25 and a 10x32, as well as a Vortex 12x50 binocular. My favorite is the Swarovski Pocket Mountain 10x25. They are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or a water bottle pocket on a pack and light enough that I can hike around all day with them hanging off my neck.

I do not go smaller than 25mm objectives which have 56% more surface area than 20mm ones and so pass through a great deal more light to my eyes.
 
It's an interesting question. One I've been considering myself recently. I'm away at the moment on a road trip round France and have brought along an 8x30 porro and a 8x20 leica trinovid br to try and see if I could be content (i.e not optically frustrated!) with just an 8x20.

I've been genuinely surprised by the 8x20 in a lot of circumstances. I've used it a lot over the last few months since I got it back from a full service - that in itself says a lot as I don't typically like pocket (20/25mm lenses) binoculars.

The handling has taken a bit of familiarizing but I'm quite happy with the stability of them now. Eye positioning is fiddly - there is no denying that, I like a 6mm+ exit pupil for a reason! They are very useable though with careful ipd adjustments and positioning of my hands to lift them slightly away from my eye sockets.

Outright resolution is not bad, on a heat hazy day today at the mouth of the river somme they were about as good as a full size set, in more settled conditions they are clearly not as sharp and accomplished at resolving detail as even an 8x32.

The real problems though for me at least were highlighted when we walked into a church. I know this is bird forum but me and the family like to go into any church that has it's door open on our trips away and I always enjoy getting closer to the architectural details, paintings, organ pipes and stained glass, whatever, with my binoculars. There's often something special about the craftsmanship when it's been done in the name of faith.

The 8x20's were a real let down though. Visibly dimmer than naked eye and as a result scarcely revealing more detail, a quick check on my pupils revealed why, I was loosing about half there light gathering potential with the bins misery 2.5mm exit pupil. This has also been born out on cloudy days and dawn or dusk use - forget any engaging viewing of the night sky too.

So I suppose that's the advice, pockets are great on a sunny day, 8x20 or 10x25 have the same brightness so will be equally accomplished on those occasions - just pick your favourite mag but if you want a smaller second set that does most things well and can show you the brush strokes of a fresco, reach for a compact 30 or 32.....
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the advise guys , really appreciate it . Enjoyed reading peoples thoughts on this subject .
The Nikons I have are not in the league of the HG-L’s. They are just the aculon A30’s ,i have the 8x 25 and 10 x 25’s , I leave the 10’ s in my work van and my son uses the other ones .
I’m pretty used to them but to be honest there not the best , you really need to know how to hold them cause they are terrible for blacking out etc .
I would like to think any quality pair would be miles ahead of the 25’s I currently use .
I still think in highen sight I should have bought a 10 power 42 lense and be looking for a 8 x 25 ,
I will look into the Leica UV’s , I would also have considered the victory’s but don’t really like the off centre bridge .
Cheers again .
 
William Lewis said:
It's an interesting question. One I've been considering myself recently. I'm away at the moment on a road trip round France and have brought along an 8x30 porro and a 8x20 leica trinovid br to try and see if I could be content (i.e not optically frustrated!) with just an 8x20.

I've been genuinely surprised by the 8x20 in a lot of circumstances. I've used it a lot over the last few months since I got it back from a full service - that in itself says a lot as I don't typically like pocket (20/25mm lenses) binoculars.

The handling has taken a bit of familiarizing but I'm quite happy with the stability of them now. Eye positioning is fiddly - there is no denying that, I like a 6mm+ exit pupil for a reason! They are very useable though with careful ipd adjustments and positioning of my hands to lift them slightly away from my eye sockets.

Outright resolution is not bad, on a heat hazy day today at the mouth of the river somme they were about as good as a full size set, in more settled conditions they are clearly not as sharp and accomplished at resolving detail as even an 8x32.

The real problems though for me at least were highlighted when we walked into a church. I know this is bird forum but me and the family like to go into any church that has it's door open on our trips away and I always enjoy getting closer to the architectural details, paintings, organ pipes and stained glass, whatever, with my binoculars. There's often something special about the craftsmanship when it's been done in the name of faith.

The 8x20's were a real let down though. Visibly dimmer than naked eye and as a result scarcely revealing more detail, a quick check on my pupils revealed why, I was loosing about half there light gathering potential with the bins misery 2.5mm exit pupil. This has also been born out on cloudy days and dawn or dusk use - forget any engaging viewing of the night sky too.

So I suppose that's the advice, pockets are great on a sunny day, 8x20 or 10x25 have the same brightness so will be equally accomplished on those occasions - just pick your favourite mag but if you want a smaller second set that does most things well and can show you the brush strokes of a fresco, reach for a compact 30 or 32.....
Click to expand...
Try a monocular in a 5x30 or 8x30 when you are in a church or museum. They will still fit in your pocket and work much better under low light conditions.

Walters 5x30 Waterproof Rubber Coated Monocular with Case and Strap

MaxiAids: The Walters 5x30 Waterproof Rubber Coated Monocular features the highest quality optics designed to produce clear images with minimal distor...
www.maxiaids.com www.maxiaids.com

Walters 8x30 Waterproof Rubber Coated Monocular with Case and Strap

MaxiAids: Walters 8x30 Waterproof Rubber Covered Monocular (item 102-208)TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:Weight: 9-1/16 ouncesLength: 5-1/8 inchesD...
www.maxiaids.com www.maxiaids.com
 
Last edited:
Rockhopper69 said:
I will look into the Leica UV’s , I would also have considered the victory’s but don’t really like the off centre bridge .
Click to expand...
While I personally like the Leica Ultravid better, I'd suggest giving the Victory Pocket a chance, and also adding the easiest of all actual pocket binoculars to use, not to mention brightest, the 7x21 Curio.

Of these three I have the Curio, plan to eventually buy a Victory Pocket, and have multiples of the tiny Ultravid.
 
My recommendation is the Zeiss VP 25mm in either 8x or 10x. I have the 8x and it's a surprisingly competent replacement for an 8x42 when weight is an issue as long as you have plenty of light. I haven't seen anything else in this size bracket that competes optically, but then I haven't yet looked through the Swaro Curio either.
 
hopster said:
My recommendation is the Zeiss VP 25mm in either 8x or 10x. I have the 8x and it's a surprisingly competent replacement for an 8x42 when weight is an issue as long as you have plenty of light. I haven't seen anything else in this size bracket that competes optically, but then I haven't yet looked through the Swaro Curio either.
Click to expand...
One point to remember concerning the Zeiss VP 8x25 and 10x25 is the eye cups are too short for the ER if you don't wear glasses. You have to install aftermarket longer eye cups to use it without floating it in front of your eyes. I had a couple Curio's right after their introduction and I had issues with the focusing knob coming off, but Swarovski may have solved that problem by now.
 
[email protected] said:
One point to remember concerning the Zeiss VP 8x25 and 10x25 is the eye cups are too short for the ER if you don't wear glasses. You have to install aftermarket longer eye cups to use it without floating it in front of your eyes. I had a couple Curio's right after their introduction and I had issues with the focusing knob coming off, but Swarovski may have solved that problem by now.
Click to expand...

Without glasses you can float it on your eyebrows pretty easily if you want to, but otherwise rubber eyecups are only £3 or something on eBay and they work very well. It's quite easy to find ones where the internal diameter is a snug fit on the external of the VP eyecup.
 
hopster said:
Without glasses you can float it on your eyebrows pretty easily if you want to, but otherwise rubber eyecups are only £3 or something on eBay and they work very well. It's quite easy to find ones where the internal diameter is a snug fit on the external of the VP eyecup.
Click to expand...
Will it fit in the case with the aftermarket eye cups installed, or do you have to buy an aftermarket case also? I really never liked floaters because you can't hold them as steady as a binocular you can shove into your eye sockets.
 
[email protected] said:
Will it fit in the case with the aftermarket eye cups installed, or do you have to buy an aftermarket case also? I really never liked floaters because you can't hold them as steady as a binocular you can shove into your eye sockets.
Click to expand...

I use a LowePro case which I think is designed for mini camcorders (viewpoint CS40). This is a very nice fit including with the eye cup extensions on and much better than the rather poor Zeiss case that they come with i.e. better protection, internal pocket, strongly built etc. I think it cost me about £5.
 
hopster said:
I use a LowePro case which I think is designed for mini camcorders (viewpoint CS40). This is a very nice fit including with the eye cup extensions on and much better than the rather poor Zeiss case that they come with i.e. better protection, internal pocket, strongly built etc. I think it cost me about £5.
Click to expand...
I know sometimes you have to modify binoculars to make them work for you, but I hate to have to buy new eye cups and a new case when they should come from the factory with everything required.
 
Rockhopper69 said:
Hi
Unsure if I have posted this in the correct area .
I am after abit of advice on a new pair of pocket binoculars .i currently own a pair of Hawke frontier Apo in 8 x 42 which I cannot fault . I also own a pocket pair of Nikon 10 x 25’ s which I would like to upgrade to something like zeiss terra Ed’s or Leica’ s in either new or second hand .
In an ideal world I should have purchased my 42 hawkes in 10 power and invest in some pocket ones in 8 power , but it’s a bit late now .
So my question is what would you do , buy 10 x or 8 x pocket binoculors if your 42’s are 8 x .
I prefer pocket binoculars for when Im out doing things like fishing and metal detecting etc , I’m just abit unsure if the correct route is stick with the 10 power ones or buy 8 . I’ve tried researching and a lot of things I’ve read advise on a lower magnification for the pockets .
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
If you want a true pocket binocular, I don't think you'll beat a Leica 8X20. Both the Trinovid and the Ultravid are very nice binoculars.

You can see in the picture below how much smaller the Leica is vs. the two 25mms.
IMG_2748.jpeg

DSC01365.jpeg
 

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