Binoculars ......advice On Buying

[taxexile]

i would like to buy a pair of average to good quality binoculars.

they will be used for looking out to sea , cloudwatching , wildlife watching , looking at the road 120 feet below and 150 yards away , and possibly on occasions by any pevy visitors to taxexile towers who may wish to look into any uncurtained lighted windows at night.

what do all the numbers such as 8x20 , 12x40 etc. mean

are the cheapo binoculars sold on market stalls everywhere worth considering , or are their optics so bad as to be not even worth bothering with.

some have orange or green coatings on the lenses , useful ? or just a gimmick.

any help gratefully received.

thanks.

Edited November 9, 2005 by taxexile

[Tywais]

The first number is the magnification power (8x would be 8 times closer then with the naked eye). The 2nd number is the lens diameter in mm. The larger the 2nd number the more light gathering you will have. If you can get a zoom binocular for better flexibility. Also anything over 10X may have problem keeping the image stable, that is it will be more sensitive to hand shake.

For bird watching a value of 8x42 is about optimum. It will give you a reasonable field of view and depth of field.

The lens coatings (colors you mentioned) are for anti-reflection and some have UV filters on them. The colors are not too meaningful, just look at the manual to find what filtering the binoc has. http://www.jollyoptics.com/coating.html

[cdnvic]

Many of the lens coatings you get here are worthless. So are the words "night vision".

Put the binoculars on something solid and focus on a newspaper across the room. If the two lenses don't come into focus at exactly the same time, ditch 'em. Make certain you aren't getting plastic lenses, and remember that you get what you pay for.

cv

[lopburi3]

Are you sure a telescope on a mount would not better serve you? The only mention of (possible) outside use was "wildlife watching" and not sure but that might be from tower to tower also. You could even say it was for stargazing if asked.

[Jai Dee]

Are you sure a telescope on a mount would not better serve you?  The only mention of (possible) outside use was "wildlife watching" and not sure but that might be from tower to tower also.  You could even say it was for stargazing if asked.

I can just imagine taxexile squatting in his camoflaged "hide" on his 120' high balcony squinting into his telescope at the "wildlife"...

Can you get those things to operate using only one hand?

[SiamOne]

The first number is the magnification power (8x would be 8 times closer then with the naked eye).  The 2nd number is the lens diameter in mm. The larger the 2nd number the more light gathering you will have.  If you can get a zoom binocular for better flexibility.  Also anything over 10X may have problem keeping the image stable, that is it will be more sensitive to hand shake.

For bird watching a value of 8x42 is about optimum.  It will give you a reasonable field of view and depth of field.

yes, mind the hands shaking

[bino]

I once had a great pair of 7 x 50 binoculars by Bushnell which had their "Perma Focus" feature. This was truly amazing. There was no focus knob- they just magically provided a sharp view at any distance, and worked for people with corrective lenses (glasses) also. Not having to focus made them ideal for watching moving targets such as motor races, etc, or from a moving platform like a boat. If you can find a dealer that sells these- give them a "look".

I dropped them over the side of a boat... almost cried. So, if you do get a decent pair of binoculars, take my advice and always use the neckstrap!

Are you sure a telescope on a mount would not better serve you?  The only mention of (possible) outside use was "wildlife watching" and not sure but that might be from tower to tower also.  You could even say it was for stargazing if asked.

I've got a spotting telescope on a tripod now... 15-45 (zoom) X 50 by Tasco. It is excellent... able to read licence numbers on cars when I lived on the 22nd floor. It performs well at night too- can see what people in nearby buildings are watching on television!

Edited November 9, 2005 by bino

[p_brownstone]

As already explained the first figure (a) is the magnification, the second ( is the diameter of the Objective lens – the large, light gathering, front lens.

As a general “rule of thumb” for daylight use try to find a pair where ( divided by (a) gives a result of 5 or more (i.e. 8 x 40 or 10 x 50). “Binoculars” such as 8 x 32 or 6 x 25 etc. are only suitable as Opera Glasses and pretty useless in any outdoor application. Low Light, sometimes called Naval Binoculars (NOT Night Vision Binoculars) are usually something like 7 x 50.

Also unless you have 20 / 20 vision look for binoculars which have a diopter adjustment in one eyepiece, this will enable you to equalize the focus in both eyepieces to match your own eyesight. If you normally wear spectacles look for models with a soft fold down cup on the eyepieces so you can hold them directly against the lenses of your spectacles.

Finally try to get a pair which use a ”straight through” or Roof Prism system rather than the more traditional looking “shouldered” or Porro Prisms to convey the image from the front lens to the eyepieces – the “shouldered” type are significantly heavier and thus more difficult to hold steady for any length of time.

As is true of most things in life, you get what you pay for – I am a fairly serious Natural History hobbyist here in Thailand and have used a pair of Carl Zeiss 8 x 40’s for over 20 years …….. at a cost of over US 450.- when new, although prices have now come down somewhat.

Patrick

Edited November 9, 2005 by p_brownstone

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I don't understand people who waste good money on binoculars.

Why not simply stand closer to the object you wish to see?

[Noel]

I don't understand people who waste good money on binoculars. 

Why not simply stand closer to the object you wish to see?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Something along the lines of a bar serving drinks/a fully stocked booze fridge at 4.00 am?

[KhunPadThai]

Or consider the Canon Image Stabilize binoculars with gyroscopes that stabilize the image even with high magnification. I have a pair of 15 x 50 IS that are really excellent. When you press the button the "shake" in the image disappears. Heavy to hold though.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controlle...fcategoryid=107

[astral]

I've got a spotting telescope on a tripod now...  15-45 (zoom) X 50 by Tasco. It is excellent... able to read licence numbers on cars when I lived on the 22nd floor. It performs well at night too- can see what people in nearby buildings are watching on television! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have cars on the 22nd floor of you building?????????

[bino]

You have cars on the 22nd floor of you building?????????

Smartar$e!

I wouldn't be using a telescope if that was the case!