which binoculars?

[petemurphy]

Hi,

10 yr old daughter wants some binoculars for christmas to start bird watching.

any thoughts which ones? thinking light small ones and under £100 preferably nearer 50.

not sure how into it she will be so good enough to get her interested but not expensive enough to be an outright waste if she is not!

thanks

edited to say a quick google suggests these - any views?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CHOFT7Q/ref=as_li_s...

or:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Viking-RSPB-8X32-Puffin-B...

Edited by petemurphy on Saturday 7th November 07:45

Edited by petemurphy on Saturday 7th November 07:48

[merlin75]

hi
small and light will give poor image quality, which might lead to her getting frustrated at not being able to clearly see what she wants.
it might be an idea to look for a used pair as these will offer much better value, ideally avoid zoom and try for 8x40, these will give a good range without being to heavy.
just a warning though, if she does enjoy it, it will be a slippy slope to a brilliant hobby.
any help i can give just shout.

[David_M]

petemurphy said:

Hi,

10 yr old daughter wants some binoculars for christmas to start bird watching.

any thoughts which ones? thinking light small ones and under £100 preferably nearer 50.

not sure how into it she will be so good enough to get her interested but not expensive enough to be an outright waste if she is not!

thanks

edited to say a quick google suggests these - any views?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CHOFT7Q/ref=as_li_s...

or:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Viking-RSPB-8X32-Puffin-B...

Edited by petemurphy on Saturday 7th November 07:45

Edited by petemurphy on Saturday 7th November 07:48

I bought the Nikon A30 in your first link a couple of years ago. I am a very casual user of them, but they are miles better than the cheapo pair that I wasted years persevering with. I suggest that they are more than good enough as a "starter" and that she might never outgrow them. (If she does then they can be yours)

[petemurphy]

thanks chaps appreciated

[Simpo Two]

Whilst not a binocular expert, I do keep a pair on the boat and they are the Nikon ones above. Like the OP I didn't want to spend much as they're only for occasional use. I find the image a bit small and wobbly, but maybe that's just the magnification. The image quality is fine.

By contrast I was out walking one day and got chatting to a bird watcher. He had Swarovskis and I had a look. Pow, amazing! But at that price they should be.

[magpie215]

Id suggest 8x30s ideally 8x40s

The 40 objective lens will gather more light if its dull/overcast.

Also great at dawn and dusk.

8X is ideal for handheld viewing not too much shake.

[C n C]

I have a pair of Nikon Aculon W10 10x21 (£69) and also Barr and Stroud 8x42 Savannah (£140).

The Nikons are very small and lightweight so carrying them in your pocket is no problem, however, they are difficult to use - 10x magnification and a small field of view makes it difficult to pick up objects easily, hard to hold them still and generally a bit of a pain to use. You also need to position your eyes in exactly the right place relative to the binos to be able to see through them and image is also fairly dim. They are better than nothing and can come in handy, but if I'm going somewhere that I'm very likely to use them (out for a walk and likely to see birds, or going to a cricket match), then I always take the 8x42s.

I've had the B&S for 6 or 7 years and they perform very well - clear bright image and a surprisingly wide field of view which makes it a lot easier to pick up your "target", and also to track birds in flight.

They are definitely heavier (which also makes them more stable), but if looking at something for a while, it's good to lean your elbows on a branch/wall etc.. which means your arms don't get tired, but also the image is more stable.

They do a couple of other 8x42 options:
B&S 8x42 Sahara for £99
B&S 8x42 Series 4 for £143

There are a few others too.

Generally prices increase with phase coated optics, extra low dispersion glass etc..


Note - I'm aware that Barr and Stroud were a well respected British optics manufacturer, and that the company name has been since purchased by another company so their current lineup isn't from the original B&S company, but I'm judging them purely on how they perform and am not putting any store by the name.


ETA - in terms of your original question, of the 2 you posted links to, the Viking 8x32s should be brighter and better to use than the Nikon 10x25s.

Edited by C n C on Saturday 7th November 13:35

[petemurphy]

thanks - have plumped for the vikings for the technical reason of they have a picture of a bird on them that my daughter liked! comes with rspb book etc too so seems quite good. thanks for all your help