Binoculars

[Zodiak]

Can anybody recommend a decent set of binoculars for around £70 please?

No fancy gimicks or electronics please :-)

[Beer Monster]

Not quite £70 but you can get Nikon Sporter 8x36 DCF for £99 at www.warehouseexpress.com ........ that’s them at half price ..... normally £199. They are outstandingly good value for money. I tried (extensively) both Leica and Swarovski before settling on the Nikons, to tell you the truth (with my untrained eye) I couldn't tell the difference in optical quality and the Nikons are about 1/5 or 1/7 the price! They have very good light gathering capabilities and the image is pin sharp …….. it honestly took my breath away when I tried them …… couldn’t believe they were only £99!

They are well built and have survived many trips to Africa on safari and been dropped off the top of Landrovers, soaked in the rain, dropped in streams, covered in dust and they just keep on trucking. I'm actually considering buying another pair and keeping them in storage just in case I loose this pair.

My only slight niggle is the eye cups, the “locking open” mechanism feels a bit “fragile” ….. mine is still working A ok and that’s after (as I mentioned above) I dropped them off the landie and they landed on the eye cups ….. not even a scratch.

Just my 2pence. I suspect that the other types of Nikons are just a good …… I heard good things about the Nikon Actions …… and they are a bit cheaper.

[AJB]

Hi,

Not really pertinent but I just bought a little pair of Bushnells from Costco for £8! Very impressed.

AJB

[Zodiak]

Not quite £70 but you can get Nikon Sporter 8x36 DCF for £99 at www.warehouseexpress.com ........ that’s them at half price ..... normally £199. They are outstandingly good value for money.

I hope so, I have just ordered them

[ol smokey]

Try the Bushnell Excursion 8x28 At £300 Just for fun at your camera or binocular shop. You just wont believe your eyes. I found that they beat Nikon or Opticon or many of the other leading makes. They are also quite small and compact but possibly not as neat as yours. I am not intending to detract from your forum message, but I am so chuffed with the bigger Bushnell even at that price that I thought it worth passing on my enthusiasm for any of you who are serious birders or shooters.

[Beer Monster]

Try the Bushnell Excursion 8x28 At £300 Just for fun at your camera or binocular shop. You just wont believe your eyes. I found that they beat Nikon or Opticon or many of the other leading makes. They are also quite small and compact but possibly not as neat as yours. I am not intending to detract from your forum message, but I am so chuffed with the bigger Bushnell even at that price that I thought it worth passing on my enthusiasm for any of you who are serious birders or shooters.

Hi Ol' Smokey. Think you may have a bit of typo there, or wires crossed somewhere. Bushnell Excursion 8x28 are only about £80 ?? They are a lot smaller than the Nikons I was talking about below and a lot lighter?? However this comes at a price as they have a smaller objective lens and hence smaller exit pupil meaning that they won't gather as much light and shouldn’t perform well in low light conditions and day time images won't be as bright when compared to the Nikons below? Did you mean a different variety of Bushnell bins? Bushnell do make some great binoculars but not sure the ones below compare with the Sporters.

I hope so, I have just ordered them

You definitely won't be disappointed! They have been my constant companion for the last 2 years and haven't let me down yet. Even if they did then they have a decent guarantee (life time I think? … or maybe 25 years) . Give them a whirl and if you don't like them you could always send them back .

Warehouse Express also have a very speedy delivery. The bins come with a soft case (which normally lives in the car!) and hard eyecup cover that attaches to the strap and slides down to cover the eyecups when slung around you're neck.

I find the best way to wear them is loosened off as much as they will go and then slung round under my arm bandolier style. This way they don't bounce off your chest which can be a bit irritating or interfere with rucksack straps etc.

[Marts]

I agree - tried Leica myself but settled on Nikon monarch 10x42s and I love 'em

[Zodiak]

You definitely won't be disappointed! They have been my constant companion for the last 2 years and haven't let me down yet. Even if they did then they have a decent guarantee (life time I think? … or maybe 25 years) . Give them a whirl and if you don't like them you could always send them back .

Thanks, they are actually a leaveing present (to me) from work. They wanted to buy me a PDA but I pointed out that (a) I have one (b) they don't last (c) I don't need one in the woods So they asked what i wanted and said these

[tecNik]

Someone, just before Christmas, gave us a heads-up on a 10x50 Meade/Bresser pair from Lidel for just £10. I was a bit wearey at first but for just a tenner I figured what the hell and got them and I must say I have been more than impressed. Not the best pair in the world by a long shot but you get more that you £10's worth.
....errm this is kinda pointless because I don't think Lidel stock them now and you have already ordered a better pair so I will shut up.

[Zodiak]

They are back again next Monday, and not just in Wales!

[Barn Owl]

Can anybody recommend a decent set of binoculars for around £70 please?

No fancy gimicks or electronics please :-)

You won't go wrong with the sporters, they're a steal at that price.
Good close focus , compact and (i think) waterproof.
Plenty of seasoned birders using them as main or second binocular.

Cheers, Tom.

[Zodiak]

Thanks to eveybody who contributed to this thread, I have had them a week now and they really are the dogs dooh-dahs .

So far I have sat watching the birds on teh bird table in far more deatil than expected, big boats on the river close enough to read the lettering on the containers, and on a clear day I can see straight across both the Medway and Thames estuary to see Southend! (I recognise the hospital )

Superb, thanks

[Beer Monster]

Thanks to eveybody who contributed to this thread, I have had them a week now and they really are the dogs dooh-dahs .

So far I have sat watching the birds on teh bird table in far more deatil than expected, big boats on the river close enough to read the lettering on the containers, and on a clear day I can see straight across both the Medway and Thames estuary to see Southend! (I recognise the hospital )

Superb, thanks

Glad you like them! As Barn Owl mentioned they also have a very good close focus. In recent months I've almost been using them as much for insect and fish (yup fish! Sticklebacks are fascinating!) watching as I have viewing our feathered or furred friends. It really is fascinating ........ great close up views without the little bug flying away so you get see some fantastic behavior you might not normally see.