Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Binoculars for bird watching

the tidy gardenerthe tidy gardener Posts: 591
in Problem solving
Hi guys!
Not sure if this is the right place to post this? I'm looking for some binoculars to watch the birds in my garden.i have my dads but they are very heavy,from the 1970s and weirdly from the soviet union?! Anyone got any ideas?dont want to spend a fortune and I'd like them lightweight!

Posts

  • mikeymustardmikeymustard Posts: 495
    What's your budget? If you look for something around the 8x42 to 10x50 range you get a good combo of magnification and brightness. Frankly, anything's gonna seem light after your russian bins! 
    Before Japanese optics took over the world, a lot of reasonably priced bins and cameras came from the eastern bloc, I had a zenith slr camera which was the size of a small tank, but optically it was still infinitely better than a Kodak instamatic
  • mikeymustardmikeymustard Posts: 495
    I just checked the little ones we keep by the window (we've only got a little garden) and they're praktika12x25. They're ok but if I used them for anything else I'd prob want them to be brighter
  • the tidy gardenerthe tidy gardener Posts: 591
    Thanks!! Yes my dads are so heavy! And after a days gardening my hands are like mush and can barely lift them.ill check them out 
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    If you have a branch of Camera Exchange near you it's worth contacting them.  The two shops local to me seem to have more binoculars than cameras these days.  Staff are also very knowledgeable.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Or you can try the RSPB shops they have their own brand range plus others not cheap though!
    AB Still learning

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    If it's just to watch birds in the garden, I'd recomment Miranda. A friend bought me a pair for£5 at a car boot sale and they're ideal for the garden. 
    I'm sure folk who gad about the world looking at birds will turn their noses up at them, but I'm very happy with them

    Devon.
  • andrewnewtonandrewnewton Posts: 155
    It's very difficult to recommend specific binoculars as you really need to try a few pairs to see what suits you best. I can offer the following general information, which  may help. With binoculars there are 2 numbers in the description e.g. 8x42 or as posted above 12x25. The first number represents the amount of magnification compared to the naked eye so 8x gives a magnification value of 8. The second number is the diameter of the objective lens (the big end) in mm. The larger this number potentially the brighter the image

    You may at first think it best to go for the biggest magnification but the more you magnify the harder it becomes  to hold the bins steady so you will magnify any shake and you won't get a sharp image. Similarly you may be tempted to go for a large objective and whilst this may give a bright image you may find them heavy in use

    If you are near a binocular specialist or camera shop that has a good range I would suggest you consider pre owned to get best vfm
  • halenajulie42halenajulie42 Posts: 13
    Since I have low vision in my right eye thought why to carry around the extra lens. Started researching monoculars and binoculars a couple of years ago and bought a Specwell 10x20, and a Specwell 3x9 both very high-quality compacts especially made for low vision. These compacts have a very clear view with very little distortion, but a very small field of view as they don't follow the old 5 times power for diameter.

    I started watching for high-end vintage Zeiss/Hensoldt Dialyt monoculars on ebay and found a mint Hensoldt Dialyt 7x50 last summer and grabbed it. Full size is really the only way to go with optics in monoculars, still half the weight but with a limited field of view and light gathering capability size matters. The serial number on my old Hensoldt dates back to 1926 and although uncoated optics would stand with the finest Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, and Meopta glass made today. There are a lot of bird-watching monoculars, You can check the reviews from here.
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    This thread is two years old, probably @the tidy gardener has found a pair by now.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
Sign In or Register to comment.