What were your first pair of binoculars & for the bonus round what was your first field guide? (1 Viewer)

[JJacq]

It was either Tasco or Jason as far as brand. Definitely remember it was 10x50, bought by my dad who not unreasonably assumed higher magnification was best. You could say I eventually grew into them. Of course to me they were the pinnacle of optical craftsmanship! My first field guide was a Golden's Field Guide to Common American Birds bought by my mother at a yard sale. I remember that I wanted to see every bird in that book at once, always straining my eyes to see what birds were on Long Island which was a barely perceptible sliver on the already small range maps in an already small book. Just got a nice copy from eBay delivered today. Released a flood of memories, you may never be able to go home again but it doesn't stop you from from wandering those fields & patches of woodlands in your mind. Goodnight from the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A. & from somewhere in my memories circa the late 70s, early 1980s. OK, Woen, take it away!

Jim

 

[Maljunulo]

Stellar 7X50, “How to Know the Mammals” by Ernest S Booth.

 

[VonMaunder]

My first 'real' binocular was a Pentax 12X50, still use them going on 35 years. And the guide, not quite a field version, but it was the 1982 edition of Reader's Digest North American Wildlife that I 'borrowed' from my parents home when I left at 17. I read that thing for hours, over and over, it was always at the desk/table, read it as some do a newspaper. Still have and use that one on occasion too, remember every page. The first dedicated, actual field guide was Audubon's Guide to the Birds of NA E Region 1990 edition. That too still on the shelf with an accumulation of others.

 

[JJacq]

Stellar 7X50, “How to Know the Mammals” by Ernest S Booth.

Just looked them up, loads of the on eBay. Also looks like the brand had a good run, 1950s to 1990 from what I saw. Look up mammals guide also on eBay & Amazon. Not schilling for either but that what seems to pop up on Google as first results alot these days. Was being tongue in cheek before but some of those rebranded, cheap Japanese bins could be pretty decent. Today's equivalent of MIC. Thanks for participating Maljunulo & be well.

Jim

 

[Dennis Mau]

A Nikon Action 7x35 porro. It always impressed me as being a good binocular for the money, and it still is. I also had a Nikon Venturer II 8x23 compact that was rated number one in a Consumer Reports test of binoculars, beating out a Leica, and it still is a good little compact binocular.

 

[JJacq]

My first 'real' binocular was a Pentax 12X50, still use them going on 35 years. And the guide, not quite a field version, but it was the 1982 edition of Reader's Digest North American Wildlife that I 'borrowed' from my parents home when I left at 17. I read that thing for hours, over and over, it was always at the desk/table, read it as some do a newspaper. Still have and use that one on occasion too, remember every page. The first dedicated, actual field guide was Audubon's Guide to the Birds of NA E Region 1990 edition. That too still on the shelf with an accumulation of others.

Was always curious about Pentax, particularly some of their uncommon configurations like 9x or 11x if I'm not mistaken. Never got my hands on the Reader's Digest North American Wildlife but sounds like something I would have loved! Remember my mother got me a door stopper of a book published in 1936 with these beautiful colored plates, researching it just recently, found out the original copyright was 1913. And yes it was another yard sale but remember it was in excellent shape. North American Birds Something, Something...Thanks for participating Von Maunder, be well.

Jim

 

[JJacq]

My first 'real' binocular was a Pentax 12X50, still use them going on 35 years. And the guide, not quite a field version, but it was the 1982 edition of Reader's Digest North American Wildlife that I 'borrowed' from my parents home when I left at 17. I read that thing for hours, over and over, it was always at the desk/table, read it as some do a newspaper. Still have and use that one on occasion too, remember every page. The first dedicated, actual field guide was Audubon's Guide to the Birds of NA E Region 1990 edition. That too still on the shelf with an accumulation of others.

P.S. Had the 1977 edition of the Audubon guide. Just ordered a good copy online. Excellent guide, loved the photos. Also remember they went from a color coded classification to a taxonomic one after being criticized for it.

Jim

 

[JJacq]

A Nikon Action 7x35 porro. It always impressed me as being a good binocular for the money, and it still is. I also had a Nikon Venturer II 8x23 compact that was rated number one in a Consumer Reports test of binoculars, beating out a Leica, and it still is a good little compact binocular.

Nikon! First brand I really fell in love with. Also had one of their excellent porros or more than one now that I think about it. Believe the models I had predated the Actions. Never had a compact & it always seemed worthwhile to do it for the Birds you miss when you could've had a compact in your pockets! May have to very well remedy that. Now whatever happened to Consumer Reports? Did they migrate online or hit the wall like alot of print media did. Also full disclosure, coming home to Nikon, just bought a used pair of 10x42 SE's on eBay. Price was good & I took a chance. As I stated on another thread I positively lusted after them when they were in the shops & was unable to afford them. Say what you want about Nikon but they still know how to make a nice set of porros. Thanks for participating Denco, be well.

Jim

 

[Boogieshrew]

Opticron Elite 9x35 porros and the Mitchell Beazley Birdwatchers Pocket Guide by Peter Hayman. In 1983.

I feel very nostalgic about both of them. But I don't miss having to remove my spectacles to get full fov!

 

[CharleyBird]

Equally nostalgic...
About 1971 my parents bought me some whopping 17x50 porros, probably from Boots the chemist, probably made by Tasco.
And the Readers Digest/AA
Book of British Birds,
a beautifully illustrated A4 tome. This came with a very useful tiny field guide, the
Pocket Book of British Birds

 

[skatebirder]

My dad's Carl Zeiss Jena Jenoptem 8 by 30 w were the first ones I used but the first I bought were Swift Osprey 7.5 by 42, purchased in the 1980s. These were so good that I still have them on hand in the kitchen and I used them yesterday to watch a Little Egret flying past the kitchen window. That wouldn't have happened in the 80s. First guide was the Observer's Book of Birds...a pretty terrible book in hindsight as half the pictures were in black and white.

 

[BruceH]

My first binocular purchase, many years ago, was a brand new Bushnell Custom 9X36. It was considered a higher end quality binocular back then. The advances in coatings hurts brightness compared to modern optics. However it is still not bad and worked well for me for many years.

There is an old thread titled The Most Beautiful Binocular. The Custom was my suggestion for most beautiful poro model.

My first birding book was Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America. It is still my favorite because it so easy to use.

 

[Canip]

My first binocular was the fabulous "Swarovski Optik Tirol Habicht 10x40", early 1970s, with the typical dark blue coated objectives and yellow hue in the image.
Still an impressive bino, I use it occasionally, and I think I took appropriate care of it (it has only minor scratches on the body). I had it serviced once by Swarovski about 20 years ago (internal cleaning of slight fogging), the optics are now impeccable again.

 

[yarrellii]

The first pair I remember buying was an 8x25 Minox single hinge, which I think was very nice overall. It served me well, then I passed it on to my partner to get an 8x32 Opticron Discovery.

I got my first field guide from a friend, it's the SEO (Birdlife International in Spain) guide of Spanish birds. I've bought it and lost/given it at least 4 times since then, still a great resource.

My first binocular was the fabulous "Swarovski Optik Tirol Habicht 10x40", early 1970s,

Wow, older than me! They look amazing.

My first binocular purchase, many years ago, was a brand new Bushnell Custom 9X36. It was considered a higher end quality binocular back then.

I've always been really curious about those. I guess back when they were launched they must have looked quite futuristic in terms of "design language".

 

[Ignatius]

My first binos were some no-name 8x40s given to me by one of my grandfathers. The first ones I actually bought myself were a pair of Bushnell Trophy Xtreme 8x56 for watching deer on our property in VA.
The first guide I ever purchased was the Nat Geo Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America. There were others in that series which I also found useful to get into looking closer at the fauna and flora of the world around me and understanding what I was seeing.

 

[VonMaunder]

P.S. Had the 1977 edition of the Audubon guide. Just ordered a good copy online. Excellent guide, loved the photos. Also remember they went from a color coded classification to a taxonomic one after being criticized for it.

Jim

The 1990 was still color coded, it worked well for me as a novice and still does, probably because I've used it for so long. I find Sibley frustrating at times. I prefer the similarly vintaged American Bird Conservancy's All the Birds of NA and Nat Geo's FG to Birds of NA over the latter.

 

[kb57]

An unbranded 'Made in Japan' pair of very compact 8x40 porro prisms...possibly bought for me from Turner's camera shop in Newcastle. They still just about work, although the focussing is a bit stiff.
A few years later I upgraded to a pair of Swifts - not Audubon's though...but I don't think they lasted so well.

My first 'proper' field guide (after the Observer's Book of Birds...) was Peterson, Mountfort and Hollom's 'A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe', which apart from missing its dust cover is also more or less in one piece...that was 'upgraded' to the then-popular Hamlyn guide, which had a kind of plasticky soft cover which didn't survive prolonged field use.

I only wish my copious field notes had survived a tidiness-obsessed adoptive mother, but I think the only species I've seen through my old optics and never caught up with since is Pomarine Skua - identified by a group leader on a YHA birdwatching holiday trip to Lindisfarne. Mind, given the books we had then, we must have missed a few off Whitburn in subsequent years...

 

[Harry Stottle]

My first binoculars were Lieberman and Gortz 7x30 which were 'fully coated' complete with stars, like these:

PAIR OF LIEBERMAN & GORTZ 7X30 FIELD GLASSES, in carrying case

Bid Live on Lot 497 in the Antiques & Interiors Auction from McTear's.

www.the-saleroom.com

..and first bird book was The observers book of birds by S. Vere Benson:
.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Observers-Book-Birds-Pocket-S/dp/0723200432

..and my first field guide was Collins pocket guide to British birds br R.S.R. Fitter like this:
.

Amazon.com

 

[Dennis Mau]

Almost all our first binoculars were porros. I guess roofs became popular later.

 

[JJacq]

A Nikon Action 7x35 porro. It always impressed me as being a good binocular for the money, and it still is. I also had a Nikon Venturer II 8x23 compact that was rated number one in a Consumer Reports test of binoculars, beating out a Leica, and it still is a good little compact binocular.

Actually I'm wrong Denco, did a little tour of the net i.e.; Nikon binoculars 1980s & looked at what was actually available & at what price versus the version I have in my head. I almost certainly did own binoculars in the Action line.

Opticron Elite 9x35 porros and the Mitchell Beazley Birdwatchers Pocket Guide by Peter Hayman. In 1983.

I feel very nostalgic about both of them. But I don't miss having to remove my spectacles to get full fov!

As stated above I find that 9x configuration in a bin really intriguing. If I'm feeling flush again might try to track down a pair on eBay. Great thing about this site is finding out more about the birds of the world, birding destinations & the different optics, field guides & other gear used & available in other countries. Although with sites like eBay, Amazon & other big onlime retailers, a lot of newer brands are available here in the U.S. Tracked down the Pocket Guide online & saw a few sample pages, very detailed. Remiscent to me of the Peterson Guides to NA Birds my first copy of which was an 1980 edition. Nostalgic about that too. Bins in some aspects have come a long way, apparently the industry realized that there existed these people who actually wear glasses & that they too possessed currency to exchange for goods & services. Probably as no industry likes leaving money on the table they also lacked a lot of the know how as well. Thanks for participating Boogieshrew, be well.

Jim