Binocular Help Required :)

Dear Friends,

Hope you all are very fine and enjoying wild life :).

I'm searching for binocular for the last few days and also browse the net for the binocular for bird watching and to chase action sequence...but end up with lots of confusion... :(

My requirement is binocular with good eye relief (no eye strain for long use), moderate size to handle very easily, in mid-range price (between 3-6 thousands)

At the end i select Olympus DPS l Series '8X40' and '8-16X40' zoom binocular... I've read in some websites that fogs/mist sometimes creates problem in non-waterproof binocular. Is there any way to stop/get rid off this problem in these binocular as i found waterproof binoculars are very expensive and out of my budget. :?

Moreover Zoom binocular looks good & attractive, but is it really good option to choose for long usage? is there any problem in focusing while using zoom or is it durable?

So what do you say? My selection is okay or i need to think about some other options too!!!

lots of questions for you :), but i think if you'll all help me than i can choose good binocular for my birding experience...

Your kind and informative reply and response be well appreciated...

with all best wishes & have beautiful life,

Cheers, Rahul

I'd say u go for a Nikon Action Series 10x50...
They cost arnd 7k...
The shake would be much higher at higher zooms...

I would go for Olympus. I've used the 8-16X a few times, it was quite impressive. The zoom really is useful. No focusing problems there. If you want to go for a fixed focal length, 8 X 40 is quite adequate, especially since you want to "chase action sequences". Though of course you get more reach with 10 x 40, these are significantly bulkier. I've had some friends telling me they made a mistake going for a 10x40 because of its greater weight. And of course Olympus is one of the leaders, like the "Canon" of the binocular market :D.Never tried Nikon. I expect they'll be good too. In my opinion, though, 10x50 that Bibhav mentioned would be too much for birdwatching...
Don't know much about prices, but my friend just bought a good Olympus 10X40 for 3000.
I've never experienced fog on the lens.

Ultimately it's up to you, you should try out all and see which you're most comfortable with.
Hope this was of some use, and hope you can make a good choice.

The plus of the 10x50 is the larger objective size ie 50. which means it performs better in low light even. A zoom version of that is also available. you can check in on that...
although this would be more expensive. :)

Thank you so much Bibhav and Abhishek for your lovely help :).

@ Bibhav: I hold 10X50 bin and its impressive but very heavy to handle/carry it properly for long day usage. It is a big boy...

@Abhishek Yes, I've checked 8-16X40 Olympus bin and found wonderful to hold/carry and to move around with it. But i afraid about the zoom lever mechanism. It looks so delicate compare to other zoom models. I feel its not built for rugged use...The price of Zoom Bin is Rs. 3,700 without bill :D. I'm thinking to go for fixed magnification...with 8X40 or 8X42 model...for birding and to capture rapid movements of birds :). I feel also relieved that you've not faced the problem of fog in your bin...mmmmm

Thanks once again friends...your info is quite helpful to reach to the final decision :)

All best wishes & Happy Birding,

Cheers, Rahul

Rahul,

10 x 50 is not heavt. I would recommend 10 x 50 for the same reasons suggested by Bibhav. If you can stretch your budget for a waterproof one, do so. Nikon has a nice one for about USD 100 on the B & H site.

Apana

Hi Apana,

Thank you so much for your kind help in selecting the bin. Yes, I'll increase my budget to have good pair of bin, but not enough for waterproof one :( I've checked Nikon 10X50 and its nearly 950gms. I think i also need to purchase harness to keep myself alive whole day ha!ha! (Actually i've weak Cervical spine & Sore neck & shoulder muscles to handle such heavy bin. Okay one secret revealed publicly for the first time :o)

This is the reason I've still not purchased bin for me...can anyone believe seven years in the field-work without bin!!! :eek:. So, I've only option to buy 8X40/8X42. This is also heavy bin for me...but i don't have any other option for quality bin in my budget & weight. Smaller bins are light weight but not good for birding. Bigger ones are heavy but good for birding....

This is the life and I'm happy with it :)

All best wishes,

Cheers, Rahul

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AB Apana

Rahul,

10 x 50 is not heavt. I would recommend 10 x 50 for the same reasons suggested by Bibhav. If you can stretch your budget for a waterproof one, do so. Nikon has a nice one for about USD 100 on the B & H site.

Apana

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Remember that grey market is cheaper than the official imports.

Apana

Dear Friends,

Hope you all are well :). I've finally purchased Celestron UpClose 10X50 porro binocular Whooo Hooo :). Birding will now really be full of fun... :cool:

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product....=20&ProdID=140

I'm really impressed with its performance. Lens is sharp, body is water resistance, Grip is fantastic, economical and with bill but...its heavy for my neck though nearly 850gms as normal 10X50 bins :).

Thank you Apana, Bibhav & Abhishek for your kind suggestions. Yes, 10X50 is more powerful for birding compare to 8X40. I still need to check in the low light at evening though...

All best wishes,

Cheers, Rahul

well so far u r looking for birding bins,i wud suggest some points b4 buying
1)dont go for zoom bins.they r significantly poor optically nd not recommended for birding
2)dont go beyond 8x.hand movement will leave u frustrated.moreover it will b difficult2 find small birds in bush as field of vision will b narrowed down.
3)if u r a regular spectacles wearer,go for roof prism bins which wil allow u2use bins even on spectacles with no loss of field of vision.eyerelief mustb 15mm or more
4)better2go 4 waterproof..just bcoz it protects ur bins from fungus
to summarise the whole idea,u just need a roof prism bins which almost always are waterproof,nitrogen purged,light weight with greater eye relief bt costly :( after trying olympus,celestron nd nikon i ended up to vanguard at cheapest with al those features.
"Vanguard Venture 8420B "this model will be found in flipcart@Rs7210 and i bought this in grey market in kolkata @Rs5500