Binoculars - worth it?

[SpikyPhasmid]

Hi,

I've been trying to take up birdwatching, and I'm finding myself using my little digital camera's zoom as pseudo-binoculars. Is it worth getting a pair? If so, how much can I expect to pay for basic ones, and is there a good source in London?

Thanks!

[Fieldfare95]

Hi,
yes its definitely worth getting some binoculars, they make it much easier to learn how to recognize different birds and you'll probably view them as a necessity when you start using them. As for prices you can pay a fortune for a really good pair but have a look around first, I got mine for a fiver in aldi 2 years ago and they are brilliant

[SpikyPhasmid]

Oh my god, I think I can afford a fiver. That's fantastic, I hope I can find that sort of deal.

[Fieldfare95]

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Fieldfare95

I got mine for a fiver in aldi 2 years ago and they are brilliant

Aldi sell Bresser 10x50s from time to time for around £10 and they're outstanding value. If you can't wait until Aldi have them in agian, 7dayshop have a range of cheap bino's:

7dayshop.com - Online Store

Jim

[SpikyPhasmid]

Some of these are seriously cheap. Out of these three, which would you guys recommend?

7dayshop.com - Online Store

7dayshop.com - Online Store

7dayshop.com - Online Store

[gaz2195]

I bought a pair of the 8x40 from 7dayshop. Apart from them being a bit 'plastic', they are half decent and are comparable to my more expensive ones

[SpikyPhasmid]

These ones?

7dayshop.com - Online Store

[Tringa]

Apologies if you already know this SpikyP.

Binoculars are described as 7x40, 10x50, 12x50 etc. The first number is the magnification, the second is the diameter of the big lenses.

There is a temptation to have a really big magnification, eg 16. Depends how steady a hand you have but I find 10x magnification the limit of what I can hold and I use a pair of 7x50 now as my regular ones; 16 would be useless for me.

Dividing the second number by the first gives the exit pupil. This is the diameter of the cone of light leaving the binoculars and entering the eye. The bigger the exit pupil the brighter the image will be. In bright conditions this doesn't matter much, but when the light is not so good - evening or in a wood - it can make a difference.

So any binoculars are a balance between the magnification and the brightness of the image - 7x50, 8x40 and 10x42 seem to be popular ones.

In general, the more you pay the better binoculars you get, but unfortunately the relationship is not linear and there are dome cheap binoculars that work well.

Oh, in answer to your question. It is definitely worth getting a pair - have a look at the moon or stars.

Dave

[tcvarlh]

Concur with Tringa the Mag is best at 7-10 but the lens dia is always worth being as big a poss. More light gets to your eyes. I have an old Austrian Navy pair (WWI) with 10x70 and I can use them in almost starlight (not quite but a little hyperbole is allowed)
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