binoculars (1 Viewer)

darklord

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I noticed today that the binoculars that i have, are a bit naff, I think they were free with something. Ive decided to buy another more powerfull pair, but how powerfull is powerfull?
Bearing in mind i wear reading glasses, and would like a fairly powerfull pair to see a good distance, how is that measured, i dont understand the 30/60 stuff.
 

paulmold

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Have a look at this Which article, should help you decide.

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aba

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I noticed today that the binoculars that i have, are a bit naff, I think they were free with something. Ive decided to buy another more powerfull pair, but how powerfull is powerfull?
Bearing in mind i wear reading glasses, and would like a fairly powerfull pair to see a good distance, how is that measured, i dont understand the 30/60 stuff.

i think it relates to 30x magnification 60mm lens.
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pappajohn

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10x50 binoculars.

the first number is the magnification.....an object appears 10 times larger/closer than the human eye see's it at the same distance.

the second number is the lens diameter which also dictates the overall size of the binoculars.

so 10 times magnification with a 50mm objective lens.

a larger lens will allow more light to enter so the image will be brighter and clearer

a smaller lens will be darker and not as clear.

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scotjimland

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the first number is the magnification, the second the diameter of the front lens in mm .. so

10 x 50 .. = 10 magnification with a 50mm lens

The bigger the lens the better the light gathering properties, so better in poor light, but it makes them heavier.

For general use either 8x30 or 10x50

A decent place to try out different sizes and makes is at an RSPB bird sanctuary .. they also sell them and are more than happy to explain .. that's where I bought my 10 x 50s.. but they are quite heavy, if you plan on walking with them perhaps a lighter pair of 8x30 would suit better .. for sitting in the van the big ones are ace

edit .. snap John .. just beat me ..
 
Jun 2, 2010
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Can you see the moon? if answer is yes why do you need binoculars, I mean the moon is 240,000 miles away, how far do you want to see?:Doh:
 
Jul 1, 2010
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Don't fall for the advertising craap 30x are impossible to use it'd be like looking down a couple of thin tubes and you'd never be able to stop shake unless used on a tripod.

As a simple rule the magnification divided into the objective lens diameter gives the light gathering power, 30x by 50(mm dia of objective lens) 50 divided by 30 is less than 2 so unless sun is shining they'd be rubbish.

Go for modern lightweights of either 10 x 42's or 8 x 40's or even 8 x 32's lots of light gathering, reasonably lightweight and will not suffer from shake or strain your eyeballs.

I've been a serious birder for 50 years and have owned lots of bino's my current models are 10 x 42 for main use, 8 x 42;s for woodland and low light situations and a pair of 8 x 32;s for light weight and close focus (butterflies, dragonflies etc)

Stewart
 

JeanLuc

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I agree with Stewart. For general use, choose a magnification of 8 or 10. Mainly for birdwatching (and general use) my wife and I have 8 x 42. For long range I use a large spotting scope on a tripod - it's impossible to hand-hold high magnification optics.
All our gear is Opticron - not the best (Leica, Swarovski etc.) but good value and good quality - and certainly not the cheapest.

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Swifty_Morgan

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I noticed today that the binoculars that i have, are a bit naff, I think they were free with something. Ive decided to buy another more powerful pair, but how powerful is powerful?
Bearing in mind i wear reading glasses, and would like a fairly powerful pair to see a good distance, how is that measured, i don't understand the 30/60 stuff.

The more "powerful" your binoculars, the more they will shake the image in your eyes (unless you have a tripod or similar). anything more than 10 x 50 and you'll likely need support.

The thing to look for is a larger object (front) lens, good coatings and an adjustment to compensate for differences between your eyes.

Hope this helps
 

beachcaster

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One of the problems with large magnification bins..is that you cant hold them still.
x8 are mostly very steady and x 10 are on the limit for most people anything larger without a tripod are a waste of time.

Most serious birdwatchers use x8.sometimes x10.......cheap ones are not really worth it.........I like nikons.......little travelites to put in your pocket
the larger ones are all ok .......if you ever get the chance to look through a pair of Superior E's they are astounding.

Sometimes you can buy an old Russian pair on the bay........

like this

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they can be great value for money.....but dont buy bigger than x10


barry
 
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darklord

darklord

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Thanks for the advice, i,m looking on eblag as we speak, 8x40 or 10x 50 it will be.....some Praktica items on there look good.
I quite fancied the monowtsits, but non are powerfull enough.

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Feb 4, 2010
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Most serious birdwatchers use x8.sometimes x10.......cheap ones are not really worth it.........I like nikons.......little travelites to put in your pocket
the larger ones are all ok .......if you ever get the chance to look through a pair of Superior E's they are astounding.

I was at Symonds Yat Rock last weekend and the RSPB expert was there with a group of watchers and their advice was the same - start with a pair of good binoculars (8x or 10x) and for a set price go for a 2nd-hand quality brand (e.g. Nikon) rather than a brand new average one.

My 25+ year old 10x50s, of questionable quality, allowed me to follow a peregrine and goshawk and, with some help, find the former perched on a tree in the gorge. But they are quite heavy and I definitely knew they were in my rucksack with some camera gear after lugging it around for several miles!
 

jonandshell

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Don't forget that for a given budget, secondhand quality binos are a much better buy than most of the Chinese-produced crap that frequent the marketplace these days!

I would rather have an old set of Zeiss or Zomz binos than modern Chinese made ones.:thumb:

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Jun 2, 2010
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Don't forget that for a given budget, secondhand quality binos are a much better buy than most of the Chinese-produced crap that frequent the marketplace these days!

I would rather have an old set of Zeiss or Zomz binos than modern Chinese made ones.:thumb:

Is it true the chinese ones are designed for and perform better if you have slanty eyes?
 
S

stagman

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I noticed today that the binoculars that i have, are a bit naff, I think they were free with something. Ive decided to buy another more powerfull pair, but how powerfull is powerfull?
Bearing in mind i wear reading glasses, and would like a fairly powerfull pair to see a good distance, how is that measured, i dont understand the 30/60 stuff.

Olympus do a good quality bino at reasonable prices . There is a light factor to consider which is 7 . whatever magnification you divide into your lense diameter should equal 7 as the human cannot gather any more than this e.g 7x42 = 7 one of the most popular rifle scopes on the market 8x56 = 7 another popular size and so on :thumb:

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stagman

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Don't forget that for a given budget, secondhand quality binos are a much better buy than most of the Chinese-produced crap that frequent the marketplace these days!

I would rather have an old set of Zeiss or Zomz binos than modern Chinese made ones.:thumb:

Sadly most of the top makers now manufactue their lenses in China , and the Chinese will make them to the quality that is wanted yes there are the cheap ones but there are many good ones but some of todays best lenses come from Japan and Checklosvakia:thumb:
 
May 21, 2008
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I was going to get

some of these - Olympus DPS I Binoculars 8-16 x 40 - zoom - porro, off Amazon see [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-DPS-Binoculars-8-16-40/dp/B0000YVEG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331506163&sr=1-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-DPS-Binoculars-8-16-40/dp/B0000YVEG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331506163&sr=1-1[/ame]What does anyone think??
 

injebreck99

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I have a pair of Viking 8x45's for my birdwatching, my wife has a pair of Hawke 10x42 which are slightly heavier, but obviously bring things in a bit closer, both excellent value and peform well.
 

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