Which 10x50 binoculars?

[Helen]

My friends are looking to get a pair of binos. So if you had £150 budget for a pair of general purpose binoculars which of the ones available from FLO would you recommend and why?

Thanks

Helen

[Matt Smith]

you can get a pair of general purpose 10 x 50 bino's for around £30-£40 which would be perfectly suitable for astronomy......and keep the change.

[Grunthos]

My friends are looking to get a pair of binos. So if you had £150 budget for a pair of general purpose binoculars which of the ones available from FLO would you recommend and why?

Thanks

Helen

A good "open" question and one that continually provokes debate .

An interesting place to start is to have a look at The Binocular Sky site for suggestions on what to look for in a binocular.

With regard to your question (and assuming your friends want bins for astronomy) I looked at this subject some months ago and ended up choosing an Opticron Imagic TGA WP 10x50.

Have been very impressed by its performance.

YMMV.

[rowan46]

there's lots of very good reviews about the pentax First Light Optics - Pentax 10x50 PCF WP II

[estwing]

lidl have got 10x50 back in tomorrow £15

[BinocularSky]

My friends are looking to get a pair of binos. So if you had £150 budget for a pair of general purpose binoculars which of the ones available from FLO would you recommend and why?

Curious why you're limiting yourself to FLO but, given that is the case, I'd suggest stretching the budget by another tenner and getting the Opticron Imagic TGA.WP, or reducing the size spec and getting the 10x42 in the same binocular (you'll see more in that 10x42 than in most budget 10x50s). It is difficult to find better quality than the Opticrons in your price range. Next spec up is the Kunming BA8, which FLO sell (as WO) for &199.

However, if the price and spec are immutable, the choice has to be the Pentax PCF.

All IMNSVHO, of course

lidl have got 10x50 back in tomorrow £15

Indeed, but whilst this may be a reasonable budget binocular (if you can find a collimated one), it is not a touch on what you can get for the OP's budget.

[garethmob]

i second optricons helen, i dont have the exact bins steves recamending but i have the 8X42 asphetics and they are fantastic quailty compared to my rockwell(lidl) 10X50s

[Doug]

Hi Helen

weight could be a issue so 8x42 nice I also like the Opticron's or the Pentax 8x40 for £136.00 sounds good if you want a pair that stays in collimation that is

Clear skies

Doug

[neilm]

I tend to agree with Steve, why restrict yourself to FLO, not that I have anything against them. You could try Nikon Action EX 10x50, not too heavy, well built and good optics. Jessops currently have them on offer, knocked down from £169 to £125.

Cheers

Neil

[Helen]

Thanks for the advice guys. My reason for going for FLO was that as I'm making a recommendation for friends on both what to buy and where to buy it I wanted to be sure about both. For binoculars, more than most astro things, it can come down to personal preference about what is comfortable to use, so knowing that if my friends didn't like the feel of the binos they could change them easily without hassle was a good reason for going with a known supplier. Also the risk of a problem with binos in transit is also quite high, so after care was important.

If there is a bino that is much better for the price than the ones stocked by FLO then we'd consider it.

Helen

[Treeden]

Opticron Imagic TGA WP 10x50.

Have been very impressed by its performance.

YMMV.

Me too. I bought the Opticron Imagic 10x50's and have been very impressed. At the time I tried a cheaper pair without full multi-coatings (on the glass) and the difference is very noticable. For astronomy this is a big plus point.

[ismangil]

I can recommend my bins, Helios NatureSport+ 10x50. Rother Valley Optics stock them, Ian checks bins before dispatch, I hear (I went in person for mine).

[Bobby1970]

I recently got some Helios Fieldmaster 10 x 50 bins for £46 delivered. They have Bak 4 prisms. I am really impressed with them.