You get what you pay for - or do you?

[Markatw]

Hi - I'm going to buy a pair of 10x50 binoculars but as yet am undecided about which ones to go for.

I've seen lots of advice along the lines of "you get what you pay for" with binoculars (and indeed any optical instruments). Bearing that in mind I've scoured websites and forums that extol the virtues of high end, middle range and lower cost models all for different reasons. Having looked at so many of these sites it's relatively easy to pick up performance characteristics that I would be looking for in terms of such things as clarity, field of view, colour rendition, image quality across the field and eye relief.

However many low, mid and high models share very similar characteristics and in all the reviews and threads I've read it's very rare that someone says they are not happy with their chosen instrument.

So given that the binoculars will be my main/only viewing instrument for some time to come and I would like to invest in a pair that will deliver a really good image my question is:

Is there really that much difference between different sets of instruments and will paying more necessarily deliver a perceptibly better image?

Thanks for you help

Mark

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

I'd say yes and no. There is a lot of rebranding in the binocular game, and in some cases you can end up just paying for a name, but sometimes you pay for more robust build quality/materials.

That said, they all seem to hover around their loose price brackets, so it's rare you'l pay more than £10-15 more for a rebrand.

What's your budget? Having looked through a few different models of hawkes, and owning a pair of their 8x42s, i can wholeheartedly recommend them. The naturetrek 10x50s would be a steal if the optics are anything like the 8x42s. I'm considering trading up myself.

At first i didnt really appreciate how good they were. My eyes were those of a layman and i hadn't tried many binoculars, but after a year or so with them, and having tried quite a few other popular brands like revelations, skymasters, meades etc all in various sizes, i now understand just how excellent the hawkes are. Many people say they're like 85-90% swarovski performance for 10% of the price. Having not tried swarovskis i couldn't comment, but i'm yet to find a (sub £150) binocular i find better tbh.

So long as you think in terms of price brackets -

<£50

£50-100

£100-150

£200-500

£1k+

you'l pretty much get what you pay for within those brackets, but it's worth looking around to see if there are cheaper brands etc.

[Markatw]

Thanks jimmyjamjoejoe

I have a budget of about £600

I would be very happy to pay less and will certainly go and look at the hawkes

If anyone has suggestions about binocs in the upper limit of my budget to compare against the hawkes I would appreciate it

it

thanks again

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Yowza that's a tastey budget! You gonna consider a mount too? Maybe a parallelogram or a binochair

For small handheld binos that budget will certainly get some nice glass. Even if the differences are slight between modest and expensive binoculars, i have no doubt your eyes quickly adapt and become critical of those you use regularly. Maybe look for some second hand leica or something.

If you havent already, it'l be worth checking out birding forums too, they tend to be the ones reviewing high end binos, us astronomers usually make do with £50 jobbies since they're usually just a grab and go quick fix tool.

[Markatw]

Thanks JimmyJamJoeJoe

I've had some advice about Hawke binoculars and also Fujinon FMTR-SX

has anyone else got any experience of these?

Thanks

[E621Keith]

I have a Fujinon 7x50 FMTR-SX. It's a amazing pair of binocular. The image is bright and sharp. The contrast is also better than my Pentax PCF. My Pentax PCF is good, but the Fujinon is even better. The Fujinon's individual focus can be a bit annoying, but you will get used to it.

The disk of M31 is normally invisible from my light polluted suburban backyard, so you can imagine how surprised I was when it showed up in the Fujinon. It is true you get what you paid for, but there is a diminished return. The Fujinon costs 4x more than the Pentax, but the view is not 4x better, so you have to decide whether that few percent improvement is worth the significantly higher price tag

If your budget allows it, you can't go wrong with the Fuji.

[Markatw]

Keith

many thanks for the input - I think you've got a real point there - it depends just how important that final few 'perceived' percentage points of improved image are to you in relation to what might be massively increased costs.

As the binoculars are likely to be my main observing instrument for some time to come it feels quite important at the moment but I need to go and try some out to see.

thanks once again for your input

Mark

[Steve777]

With that budget, I'd be tempted to get a starter scope, plus good bins.

[E621Keith]

Keith

many thanks for the input - I think you've got a real point there - it depends just how important that final few 'perceived' percentage points of improved image are to you in relation to what might be massively increased costs.

As the binoculars are likely to be my main observing instrument for some time to come it feels quite important at the moment but I need to go and try some out to see.

thanks once again for your input

Mark

If you are going to use binocular as your main instrument, you can think about that pair of used Fujinon 16x70 on ABS? It will need to be mounted, but it's said to be one of the best astronomical binocular.

[Markatw]

Thanks Keith

I want to see just how much I can do with a good pair of binocs from my back garden - thanks for the input

[Capricorn]

It is I find very hard with binoculars, quite a lot goes by the name on them unfortunately. Several years ago I visited the Bird Watching event at Rutland water and tried out all the binoculars I could that were in the price range I was willing to pay. The time spent was enlightening. I eventually decided that the Bushnell Nature Views offered me the best for the cost, somewhat less then £600.

Will say that many at £300+ were no better then the Bushnells, many worse. Another point I realised is try what you can and buy the ones you like and get on with. I do not mean the same make+model but literally the ones you were looking through. There is variation within the same model.

So if you can locate a shop with several brands and models of binoculars get along and spend some time there.

[ollypenrice]

I went just over your budget for a pair of second hand Leica 8x42 Trinovids, 11 years old but quite literally as new, down to the unopened neck strap etc. To say that I'm pleased with them is an understatement. The optics are flawless, sharp to the edge. The field stop is crisp (something I'd never thought about but very much like) and the eye relief bang on, which is maybe why they are so relaxing to use for long spells. Colour is exquisite. By day they're stunning but by night they really show their class, the contrast being what renders faint things so visible. Another simple test of bins is Jupiter; do you get a clean round single disk? In these and in my birding 10x25 mini-Leicas I do, absolutely. (I'm not for a moment suggesting that you won't in others but in the cheaper ones we have here you certainly don't.)

So on your budget I'd consider looking for the absolute best but second hand, as I did. I buy this kind of gear from good dealers like the LCE network or Clifton Cameras (who, bizarrely, described the Leicas they sold me as being 'good for their age.' Talk about under-selling!)

I like good optics. I enjoy the sky more with their aid and went for the Leicas after a guest handed me his pair in the dark. I had no idea what they were and was staggered by the view literally the moment I held them up to the sky. I remember saying straight out and with a huge grin, 'OK, wise guy, what are these you've just given me?'

Olly

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

A lot of good advice here. Try before you buy is important. I tried some older Fujinon MT-SX 7x50, but the eye relief was way to short for me (even without glasses the field stop was hard to see). The image sharpness was excellent, however. I use my Helios Apollo 15x70 more than anything else for astronomy. The 10x50 are used far less. The Helios are individual focusing, which is ideal for astronomy: set once and enjoy! The 10x50 are centre focusing, which I find better for birding.

[Tinker1947]

I have a few pairs of binoculars (8X32,10X42m 10X50,20X50)and find the more powerful type to be hard to hold steady and the FOV leaves you wondering what you are looking at, my next set will be a 10X with a 60 or 70 lens the more light the better without a magnification that makes me wonder if i am pointing where i think i am.....

[Markatw]

Dear all thanks for the advice - I think I'm pretty much set on the 10x50 or similar.

I like the idea of a second hand high end set if I can find some. I used to live in the south west and know Clifton cameras well but it's a bit far from Newcastle to drop in and try.

Does anyone have any thoughts about suppliers who sell second hand high end binoculars nearer the north of the country?

thanks

[ollypenrice]

Dear all thanks for the advice - I think I'm pretty much set on the 10x50 or similar.

I like the idea of a second hand high end set if I can find some. I used to live in the south west and know Clifton cameras well but it's a bit far from Newcastle to drop in and try.

Does anyone have any thoughts about suppliers who sell second hand high end binoculars nearer the north of the country?

thanks

London Camera Exchange have lots of branches and are a professional setup in my experience. However, I think you'd need to be lucky to find a branch with what you're looking for near at hand. Maybe they'd pass something from one branch to another for you though, I don't know.

Olly

[BinocularSky]

Maybe they'd pass something from one branch to another for you though, I don't know.

My local one (Salisbury) has, on a couple of occasions, checked the stock at other sites and offered to get it for me.

Edit: Just done a binocular search and noticed that the Winchester branch has a Leica Trinovid 10x50 for 600 quid!

[Markatw]

Thanks Steve - really useful I'll take a look

[Markatw]

Hi - id be grateful for some advice please

what are the advantages or disadvantages of 12x50 over 10x50

on the plus side there is the extra magnification so you can see more detail?

on the minus side I've read that there are issues to do with image exit size being bigger than pupil size? Although I'm not sure what that means for viewing in reality ?

many thanks

mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

12x50 is harder to hold steady than 10x50, and the true field of view tends to be narrower at 12x. The exit pupil is smaller in 12x50, so no worries there. I can hold 15x70 reasonably well, so 12x50 would probably be OK for me. However, I know plenty of people who have difficulties holding a 10x50 (my missus, for one), so 8x40 or so is better for them. More important than magnification is optical quality, when it comes to showing detail.

[Markatw]

Thanks for the advice Michael - I'm trying out various models at the moment and will bear this in mind

best wishes Mark

[Lux1]

I recently brought a pair of BNU Tentos 10x50. They are a USSR clone of Carl Zeiss. I paid the princely sum of £5 for them as the shop owner dismissed all things Russian as rubbish. The binoculars are biult like a tank and give superb bright images. I always had to hold my former 10x 50's very steady to just see the Jovian moons. With these I can lift them up the the sky and Jupiter is a brilliant sharp disk and its moons are easily visible strung out on either side. It just shows you what can be had for almost next to nothing. They are better than my celestron 15 x 70s, and as you can gather I can't recommend them thoroughly enough. I'll post a picture later.

[Damo636]

I recently brought a pair of BNU Tentos 10x50. They are a USSR clone of Carl Zeiss. I paid the princely sum of £5 for them as the shop owner dismissed all things Russian as rubbish. The binoculars are biult like a tank and give superb bright images. I always had to hold my former 10x 50's very steady to just see the Jovian moons. With these I can lift them up the the sky and Jupiter is a brilliant sharp disk and its moons are easily visible strung out on either side. It just shows you what can be had for almost next to nothing. They are better than my celestron 15 x 70s, and as you can gather I can't recommend them thoroughly enough. I'll post a picture later.

Wow!! Now thats a bargain and a half! I paid more than that last night for a fish n chip :-)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I recently brought a pair of BNU Tentos 10x50. They are a USSR clone of Carl Zeiss. I paid the princely sum of £5 for them as the shop owner dismissed all things Russian as rubbish. The binoculars are biult like a tank and give superb bright images. I always had to hold my former 10x 50's very steady to just see the Jovian moons. With these I can lift them up the the sky and Jupiter is a brilliant sharp disk and its moons are easily visible strung out on either side. It just shows you what can be had for almost next to nothing. They are better than my celestron 15 x 70s, and as you can gather I can't recommend them thoroughly enough. I'll post a picture later.

Great bargain indeed.