binoculars

[Rustang]

Asking for a friend who is looking to buy a pair for his partners birthday. All I know is that they will mainly be used for bird watching in the garden and some out and about use. So I wanted to ask on his behalf what criteria to look out for or would be best and or certain pairs people who recommend. Not sure on budget I'm afraid but would imagine he would like a pair of good quality.

I'm guessing multi coated/low dispersion glass to stop chromatic aberration? Is there a decent set magnification that would be suited for the intended (bird watching) purpose?

I imagine this kind of question could be a mind field, having been a wedding photographer and occasionally being asked "what camera would be best to buy my partner" is not a straight forward question to answer but any info would be apricated. 

Edited July 19, 2022 by Rustang

[DaveL59]

probably best asked in the equipment - binoculars section.

Most these days would opt for a roof bino, perhaps 8x42 as a good balance between weight and usability but can she manage to hold a 10x pair steady to get a stable view as those would have a little more reach when out and about. Specific brands is a personal preference tho and costs can be a surprise. They'll all be MC these days tho some ranges also have oil/water resistance coatings too.

RSPB range IIRC Viking are reputedly good then there's the high end Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica if you want to go that far. Defo worth looking thru before deciding on the best pick for your use case tho as the ergonomics and image need to suit the main user.

Edited July 19, 2022 by DaveL59

[Floater]

8x or 10x is a good magnification for birdwatching and about 30mm aperture. I have a couple of Nikons and find the optics good and they are pleasantly lightweight. I always carry them in my hand when walking ‘cos I don’t like things hanging round my neck and bumping on my chest.

I also have a pair of image stabilising bins with a mag of 12x and they are a godsend for any protracted observing even if you have steady hands (which I don’t). I wouldn’t go above 12x for birdwatching as the higher the magnification the more difficult it is to get ‘on’ the target.

Of course, if budget is not a consideration then recommend Swarovski!

EDIT: Dave beat me to it.

p.s. I’d avoid the zoom variants - especially the cheaper models.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Floater

[Rustang]

9 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

probably best asked in the equipment - binoculars section.

Most these days would opt for a roof bino, perhaps 8x42 as a good balance between weight and usability but can she manage to hold a 10x pair steady to get a stable view as those would have a little more reach when out and about. Specific brands is a personal preference tho and costs can be a surprise. They'll all be MC these days tho some ranges also have oil/water resistance coatings too.

RSPB range IIRC Viking are reputedly good then there's the high end Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica if you want to go that far. Defo worth looking thru before deciding on the best pick for your use case tho as the ergonomics and image need to suit the main user.

Thanks and apologies, I didnt realise there was a section for bino's!

[DaveL59]

9 minutes ago, Rustang said:

Thanks and apologies, I didnt realise there was a section for bino's!

no worries, just ask the mods to relocate it I'm sure there'll be others with useful info too 🙂

[apaulo]

i have a pair of nikon  prostaff 10x42 binos that i use for both astro and everyday uses. not too expensive, good optics, not heavy and waterproof.  you could do worse. hope this helps.

[Rustang]

Thanks everyone, il pass on the info

-mods if you can, please move to the appropriate bino forum section 😊

[LukeSkywatcher]

I was going to suggest a 10x50 bins, but for birdwatching in the garden, you don't need that much aperture. 8,10x30 will be plenty.

Edited July 19, 2022 by LukeSkywatcher

[Gfamily]

9 hours ago, Rustang said:

Asking for a friend who is looking to buy a pair for his partners birthday. All I know is that they will mainly be used for bird watching in the garden and some out and about use. So I wanted to ask on his behalf what criteria to look out for or would be best and or certain pairs people who recommend. Not sure on budget I'm afraid but would imagine he would like a pair of good quality.

I'm guessing multi coated/low dispersion glass to stop chromatic aberration? Is there a decent set magnification that would be suited for the intended (bird watching) purpose?

I imagine this kind of question could be a mind field, having been a wedding photographer and occasionally being asked "what camera would be best to buy my partner" is not a straight forward question to answer but any info would be apricated. 

A perfectly novel idea is the Pentax Papillio binocular design.  These are pretty compact, with the unique ability to focus to less than a metre - so they can be used for very close up work  as well as distant. It's named as a suggestion that they can be used for seeing butterflies close up - though they often move off too quickly, but they are great for looking at flowers close up.  

I have also found them very useful in museums, as you can get very close up to exhibits in their display cases - one review (properly) described them as much a long distance microscope as a short focus binoculars. 

There are 2 versions, I have the 8.5x21mm, and there is also a 6.5x21mm. 

As mentioned, they are by Pentax, so optically they're very good - the only possible caveat is that the design makes it impossible to make them Water Resistant, but they are very compact so easy to put away if it starts to rain. 

Review here

https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/Pentax-Papilio-II-85x21-Binoculars-Review-286.htm

Edited July 19, 2022 by Gfamily
change from 'very compact' to 'pretty compact'

[ollypenrice]

8x is the most popular magnification in the birding community though some go for 10x. I'm one of those who prefers 8X. Although not as 'close,' the extra image stability makes up for it. If quality is a priority then buying second hand has a lot going for it. That's how I got hold of my Leica 8x42. They were about 60% of the new price (so still expensive!) and indistinguishable from new. Clifton Cameras and London Camera Exchange give honest descriptions of item quality. I'd say they even tend to be pessimistic.

Olly