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Barr & Stroud - not familiar to me but

Flying Eye

By Flying Eye
in Discussions - Binoculars

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Flying Eye

Flying Eye

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Hi all,

For me these seemed to tick a lot of boxes.

LINK

What I don't know, but some of you might, is whether they are designed to tick boxes or if they might actually be any good.

It's apparently an old British brand but I'm not sure where they actually come from today (hopefully Japan), or how much they really have to do with Britain these days.

On this model I really like the near focus figure in particular, and I think I am right in thinking that roof prisms should do well in closer work, or at least I think that's what I read recently. Something about them avoiding flats on image edges or something, or being more likely to at any rate. I'd favour use with a tripod.

Any thoughts on them, better yet actual user experiences?

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BinocularSky

BinocularSky

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I've never so much as held one, but:

As far as I know, Barr&Stroud no longer has even a nodding acquaintance with its illustrious origins (the original company made darned good military optics); the name has been bought and sold a few times. Again as far as I know, the current crop of Barr&Stroud binoculars is made in China.

One caveat from the description in the link you posted: many people find "quick focus" to be a pain at night; it is also quick defocus and can be difficult to get really well focused (the reason a lot of telescopes have a "fine focus" option, not that you need to go to that extreme on a small binocular).

Also, with all comparatively inexpensive roof prisms, it's worth checking what the body is made of. If it's polycarbonate, it has to be thicker than if it's alloy. This can have implications for both achievable IPD and space for a tripod L-bracket (as I recently discovered on a Hawke, that would not fold to an IPD of less than 67mm when mounted on my "proper" roof-prism L-bracket). However, from the images and the rubber armour, the one to which you linked is probably alloy.

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Flying Eye

Flying Eye

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Thanks Steve,

That quick focus was bothering me a tad, and you anticipated my concerns smartly. I was speculating to myself that if that's lubed with the infamous Chinese grease, and it makes things even slightly stick or judder, then it could be a nightmare, especially as it cools down, as things outside on a cold night will tend to do.

That aside it does potentially tick a lot of boxes.

I've got 8x32, I've had 10x50 albeit many moons ago. I'm wondering if it's time to extend the experience a little or play safe.

There's Oly 10x50s as a safe enough bet, but bound to prove fairly unexciting, but that may well be good, exciting in the dark can end up dangerous or frustrating at the least. And these B&S are about twice the cost of the Olys.

I suppose could always return if they were too exciting, and one of us needs to find out something about them I guess. I bet if I do end up having to send back, then the olys will have run out by then! (a madman called Sod and his law):)

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Parus major

Parus major

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I've used B&S bins before, modern made ones and found them to perform pretty much the same way as any other roof prism 8x42 £100-£150 nitrogen filled bins, Viking Optical, Opticron and the like. I did find their dipore's very tight, though.

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Flying Eye

Flying Eye

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Thanks very much for that James.

Dioptre is one of those things I'd like to be smooth and easy, but which I have never yet truly found. I try to content myself with the thought that it's perhaps marginally harder to accidentally knock out of whack, although I'm probably just kidding myself there!:)

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Parus major

Parus major

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Thanks very much for that James.

Dioptre is one of those things I'd like to be smooth and easy, but which I have never yet truly found. I try to content myself with the thought that it's perhaps marginally harder to accidentally knock out of whack, although I'm probably just kidding myself there!:)

No bother. It's actually about as stiff as Viking ones used to be in their last round of models and I wouldn't be surprised if that was connected. I've a pair of the first model Viking Navigators, which are excellent in low light, btw, and the dioptre is solid but loosens to being very soft if you give it a good wiggle back and forward before it sets again in a few minutes. /not necessarily a bad thing. /anyway, B&S ones did the same. The new Vikings don't so these are perhaps the same.

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Flying Eye

Flying Eye

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Also, with all comparatively inexpensive roof prisms, it's worth checking what the body is made of. If it's polycarbonate, it has to be thicker than if it's alloy.

I've now watched one of the videos of their range and it does claim the tubes are of alloy!:)

It's becoming harder and harder to ignore them! :)

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Parus major

Parus major

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We will have more to say regarding Barr & Stroud binoculars soon because the name was recently purchased by the company who import and distribute Skywatcher telescopes :)

Opticron also have a strong product line which includes several Japanese-made binoculars. We are currently adding new models to our stock from both brands.

HTH,

Steve :)

I openly confess to being a birdwatching Opticron fanboy so this is good news.

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Syntarsus

Syntarsus

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I've been considering a Barr and Stroud Savannah 12x56. There aren't many reviews but those I found were positive. This model is available in 8x and 10x. The cheapest I found were Amazon at £113 or their supplier (Direct Digital?) at £110.

The difference between the Sahara and Savannah range is that the latter have phase corrected prisms, something unnecessary on porro prism bins but for roof prism bins is sorts out colour. Phase corrected roof bins for just over £100 is a very good deal as far as I can see.

There is also an ED version (extra low dispersion glass) at something like a hundred pounds more. However a review I read compared the two and was so positive about the non ED version - basically said he couldn't see any chromatic aberration anyway - that the ED version didn't seem like paying the extra for.

Here is the review from Amazon:

After some research I took a chance on ordering these Barr & Stroud Savannah binoculars through Amazon, they are better than anything else I have tested, even big brand names well known for their cameras. Though heavythey are so well balanced you dont notice the weight and the image is extremely clear and sharp.. Even when viewing towards the setting sun (not looking derectly at it of course)there is absolutely no flare, the lens coating must be very good indeed.

Highly recommended.

Of course this might be written by someone at Barr & Stroud - who knows?

I was drawn to this particular model for 12x magnification, bigger 56mm objective, relatively light weight (lighter than Nikon equivalent), relatively wide field (5.5 degrees) and close focusing to 3 metres (irrelevant if only using for astro).

If I do get one I'll post a review.

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BinocularSky

BinocularSky

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Ah I had picked this up form an earlier post you had made Steve....

(as I recently discovered on a Hawke, that would not fold to an IPD of less than 67mm when mounted on my "proper" roof-prism L-bracket).

Ah. That was a Hawke Nature-Trek.
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Flying Eye

Flying Eye

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The difference between the Sahara and Savannah range is that the latter have phase corrected prisms, something unnecessary on porro prism bins but for roof prism bins is sorts out colour. Phase corrected roof bins for just over £100 is a very good deal as far as I can see.

Oh now that's tempting, and now I'm really struggling to stay with the extra half metre of close in from the 12x50s - rats!:) That half metre could be the making of a good shot versus a missed shot due to no focus. Don't think I can have both; 50 with that coating isn't there, so you're not making this easy are you? :) The prices are agonisingly close.

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