Which binocular(s) did you use today? (2 Viewers)

[dorubird]

@dorubird are those real Leica eyepieces? ...

Yes they are real . They are from my Leica stereo microscope. I made adapters for 1.25" because they have a slightly smaller barrel. They are very high-resolution and very comfortable eyepieces

 

[Trinovid]

Here's a couple posters I selectively quoted from an older thread, but both speaking on their views of the 8x28 Viper. One additional point I'd intended to post yesterday was the fairly decent 6-7' close focus.

The Viper 8x28's are very good.
I have a number of compacts including the 8x25 swaros. The little vortex vipers hold their own with any of them.

I tried the Viper 8x28 in my search for a lightweight, long eye relief travel bin. Being of single hinge design they don't fold up as compact as some competitors, though they are quite flat and slip into a shoulder bag nicely...I was more concerned with weight anyway and they are very light.

FOV is narrow at a little over 6 degrees, narrow enough that they felt a little constricting. It was just slightly - but noticeably - harder to find birds, especially in flight... Sharpness, CA and glare control were all only OK.
The advantages of the Vipers were the flatter profile (which does pack and carry more easily), about an ounce in weight (which I find insignificant), and water resistance (which is not a big concern for my application).

I also tried the older model Diamondback 8x28s, but only in the shop. They were not very sharp and had lower contrast. The Vipers were very much better in all respects except fov...

 

[Pinewood]

Yes they are real . They are from my Leica stereo microscope. I made adapters for 1.25" because they have a slightly smaller barrel. They are very high-resolution and very comfortable eyepieces

Hello dorubird,

Before Ernst Leitz introduced the Leica [LEItz Camera], in 1924, the firm's major business was microscopes, although I think that they were making cinema lenses, as well. The firm may have been second only to Zeiss in microscopes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

 

[Ignatius]

My Mk1s to watch a little egret stand in the now rather full brook looking out for some breakfast while I was out with the beast. His name is Diabolito btw.

 

[Mike Crawley]

Swarovski 8x32 EL (2012)
RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands
.

 

[MiddleRiver]

Went on first real hike with new-to-me 8x32SF’s. Had great views of a young (?) Cooper’s hawk.

 

[rran6136]

spotted a satin bower bird building its bower through 12x NLs

 

[Foss]

Looking thru my trusty FL 8x32 at the beach, watched a seagull figuring out how to open an unattended beach bag. Took the bird about five minutes to get into the beach bag, and ultimately a bag of Doritos inside. Once he opened the Doritos, a flock of gulls swooped down to help eat the spoils.
Circle of life. 🤪

 

[Maljunulo]

spotted a satin bower bird building its bower through 12x NLs
View attachment 1603110

I’d love to know what goes on in their little bird mind while they fuss with that.

 

[yarrellii]

This season I'm mostly at home working to finish an important project, which means that I don't get to go out birding as much as I wanted (or as much as I would have done any other year at this peak of the migration season). So I have to make the most of when I'm out doing some sport (mostly cycling), or else the breaks from my work that allow me to go out to the balcony and try to catch some nice views of the birds in the garden. These days this means a significant number of pied flycatchers (I don't recall so many other fall migration seasons). And I'm having a really great time with the Nikon E2 8x30. They live on a bench by the window and are the grab-n-go binocular to spot any unexpected visitor.



Here, pictured under the afternoon Sun. These never cease to amaze. Just cleaned the lenses a couple of days ago and the HD is back, hehehe. Such a deep, calm, rich and immersive view. Sometimes I think these are "my best 7x"

 

[Maljunulo]

I had to look up your Pied Flycatcher.

Looks like a rather striking bird.

When they perch, do they flip their tails, like our flycatchers do?

 

[Pinewood]

Hello,
@Foss The 8x32 FL is still a great glass.
@Yarelli The Nikon eII 8x32 is another great glass.

Today, I used a Zen-Ray 7x36. Zen-Ray had a certain popularity. It had a lifetime guarantee which ended with the life of the company. I never liked this binocular mainly because of the soft edges of its rather wide field.
@Mono rather liked his until it failed.
\
Happy bird watching,
Arthur

 

[yarrellii]

I had to look up your Pied Flycatcher.

Looks like a rather striking bird.

When they perch, do they flip their tails, like our flycatchers do?

We have a summertime visitor, which is very common, the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), in fact, a local subspecies has been described, balearica. It's one of the most common sights over the Summer months, perched on a wire or at the end of a branch waiting for prey, ready to do a highly acrobatic jump/fly to catch small insects.



And then, on migration season we get the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). This one, however, doesn't stay here for the Summer, and keeps on going to continental Europe. As you say, the males in Spring are quite a thing, after all, around here there are not that many (if any) black and white birds. Mind you, there are no magpies in this island, and the only corvids are a few and scarce couples of raven. However, on their way back to Africa, both males and females share the same plumage, which is way duller. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure you can separate them easily, if at all, by just watching them. Now they are grey and only the contrasting white on the wings is a telling clue when you seen them from afar (they are restless). They tend to wag their tail ever so slightly. Check out if this is what you mean, this video is only 1 second, but enough to the the movement I mean (have a close look at the tail):

View attachment PiedFlycatcher_wag.mp4

@Maljunulo Are the flycatcher over your side of the Pond any similar? Are they members of the Ficedulla genus? I'm going to check it out.

And finally, sometimes we get (as a rarity) the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We are on the very western edge of their range, and they used to be even scarcer than they are now. From 1984 to 2004 there were only 37 sightings in Spain. Now, while being rare, it's not as incredibly rare. It is quite similar to the pied, but this one has a white collar that goes all around it's neck. I saw this one 4 years ago and never again.

 

[yarrellii]

@Pinewood Arthur, I had the 7x36 as well (on my endless quest for a nice 7x), but while I found the view satisfying, it was sharp and bright, I think in my case the deal breaker was mostly a matter of size/shape/materials and a less than stellar focus wheel action. Somehow the whole package didn't work for me. Especially the focus wheel reminded me of a very familiar "vague and spongy" feeling I've had with many Bushnell, Celestron, Kenko, that seem to share a similar technology/finish/workmanship (for lack of a better term), and it's a kind of focus wheel action I dislike (unlike the ones on many Nikon, that always seem to get it right for my taste).

 

[Maljunulo]

Our flycatchers to a quick up and down tail flick, through a rather large angle, repeated, especially after a landing.

Quote

 

[Mono]

@Mono rather liked his until it failed.

I loved mine! I brought it in the fire-sale when Zen-Ray went bust, I think I got it for about $200.

I was getting my scope out of the car boot(trunk) but the binocular strap caught on the tripod. The binoculars got dragged out as well. They fell to the floor and it knocked one of the barrels out of alignment.

I still have the good barrel and use it as a monocular. It sits on top of the microwave and I use it as a quickdraw optic if I see anything out of the kitchen window.

 

[Pauhana]

Took out my Ziess 8x32 SF. Love these bins. Downside 3rd straight day of fog, clouds and misty rain. Tough to get any detail of any birds up in the trees. Been contemplating SF 8x42 or 10x42 to add to collection

 

[MiddleRiver]

Took out my Ziess 8x32 SF. Love these bins. Downside 3rd straight day of fog, clouds and misty rain. Tough to get any detail of any birds up in the trees. Been contemplating SF 8x42 or 10x42 to add to collection

Funny... same here. Like cloudforest birding!

 

[Pinewood]

@Pauhana
@MiddleRiver
My mother taught me to step inside from the rain. Although, I do recall the pleasure of emerging from the mist on a Norwegian plateau, the Hardangervidda to encounter a herd of reindeer, which was a rare experience..
Would either an 8x42 or 10x42 do any better on a day with misty rain?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

 

[MiddleRiver]

@Pauhana
@MiddleRiver
My mother taught me to step inside from the rain. Although, I do recall the pleasure of emerging from the mist on a Norwegian plateau, the Hardangervidda to encounter a herd of reindeer, which was a rare experience..
Would either an 8x42 or 10x42 do any better on a day with misty rain?

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

Hahaha... Arthur, it'd been raining for daaaays and i grabbed the first semi-dry day hoping I'd be rewarded with a warbler fallout But yes, some of my sightings and photos were so obscured by tree level clouds that it was an exercise in frustration.
That said, moody mountain weather is a delight in its own way!

I did wonder - having taken my 8x32's - whether 8x42 Nocs might have been better, but I was actually quite impressed by the contrast and brightness of the little SF's.

Is this a Grey-cheeked Thrush? <quietly sobbing>


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