cheap Binoculars

[Hedgeland]

I know the topic title will get some critism as i know you get what you pay for with Binoculars but i need to find some cheap (ish) binoculars.

I need to get a pair for general wildlife use but dont want to spend much. Found Olympus 8x42 EXWP for £130. But was wondering if anyone had used Olympus 8x42 EXWP binoculars or if anyone with a little more knowledge thinks this a reasonable pair for price?

Or if anyone could advise a good pair for under £150.

Cheers and thanks in advance

[derelict]

Originally Posted by Hedgeland

I know the topic title will get some critism as i know you get what you pay for with Binoculars.

I need to get a pair for general wildlife use but dont want to spend much. Found Olympus 8x42 EXWP for £130. But was wondering if anyone had used Olympus 8x42 EXWP binoculars or if anyone with a little more knowledge thinks this a reasonable pair for price?

Or if anyone could advise a good pair for under £150.

Cheers and thanks in advance

I got recommended to try out Bresser's 10x50 binoculars when they were being sold at a knockdown price by Lidl of all places. So I trotted along and tried some pairs (be warned - I think quality control is a bit of an issue so don't buy these online!) and bought the best 2 pairs because at their price I could I could afford to lose them several times over (something I'm good at!) and because I'd be carrying them around a lot on public transport.

They're big and clunky and perform well enough in daylight but I was amazed by their performance in low light. They've added a whole new dimension to early-morning/ evening viewing for me and broadened the window of useful observation I could do considerably. By coincidence at the same time I'd ordered a night vision scope from the USA - but these binoculars mean that the NV only comes out in real low light conditions and only 10 days ago I had an incident when the bins picked up a red stag blocking my intended path that the infra-red NV could only pick up the eye reflections of... I'm told that the optics are made by Meade but someone else should confirm this for you.

Almost certainly not waterproof (WP) though!

[sleipnerofasgard]

I bought a pair of Bushnells 10x42 several weeks ago, very comfortable to hold, waterproof, rugged (tried dropping them still working ok) got them for under £100 from Wilkinsons, worth looking at

Frank

[Blackbrook Eye]

I've had a pair of 'Tasco 10X50 wide angles' for longer than I care to remember, they cost a few quid from a charity shop and I have never found the nead to replace them.

Keith

[Lancashire Lad]

Just to throw fuel onto the fire, I would suggest that there is far too much codswallop talked about what is and is not a "good pair" of binoculars. (Or camera, or spotting scope, or whatever - come to that).

I've got a pair of Leica 8 x 25 binocs that cost several hundred pounds, and very good they are too.

I've also got a pair of chinese 10 x 25 binocs that cost £12 from a local photography shop.

I keep these in the car, and they have seen an amazing amount of use on occasions when I haven't intentionally gone out wildlife spotting.

OK they are not as good as the Leica's, but they are very usable in every sense of the word, and when I do use them I'm quite happy with what they can do.

To be perfectly honest, in a test situation, where they did not know the price tag, I'm sure that a lot of people would find the £12 binoculars perfectly adequate for most circumstances.

Just try a few pairs out. (No dealer I've ever bought from has ever refused a hands on test outside the shop door). Buy within your budget, choose a pair that you like the look of, that "fit your hands", and be happy with them.

Yes, ultimate quality costs money, but, if you're not bothered about what other people might think of your gear, perfectly adequate quality can be had for surprisingly little outlay.

In fact you can be quite smug, knowing that you can see that Peregrine (or whatever) for a few pounds, when others might possibly have paid thousands for the same experience.

Regards
Mike.

[Hobjob]

A very experienced birder friend won a pair of Hawks in a cometition the other day - he has taken to using them instead of his Leicas !!!

Not sure which model though.

[Morph]

Personally I'd go for the Optricon Range, for straight forward honest binos I don't think they can be beaten. I tested a few makes at the bird fair and they came out tops in all price ranges for me. ("Discovery" very sharp, neat, lightweight and compact for 8x42 & 10x42 in your price bracket)
All the fuss about Swarovski and Leica is just Kings new clothes clap trap. Before the new ranges were trotted out both of them claimed the best possible light and colour transfer on the market. Then all of a sudden they both bang £500 on top and claim a better bino by sticky a trendy HD after the name, makes my blood boil.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by derelict

I got recommended to try out Bresser's 10x50 binoculars when they were being sold at a knockdown price by Lidl of all places.

Astonishing value - I've also got a pair I keep in the car. IIRC they were about a tenner. The O.P. could buy 15 pairs for his target price!

Jim

[Hedgeland]

thanks for all the responses.

I'll be going into town to try out what i can at the weekend after payday

Thanks again
H

[diggleken]

H,
just have a think about what you want them for and where you might use them - because close focus(around 12 ft ) for example is crucial in a wood for birds and so is wide angle -and the bigger the mag, the harder it is to lock on and focus quickly.
8 x 42 is a great compromise for this in my view and I can highly recopmmend Bushnell Natureviews at that size - good optics, easy to use and do all I mention above very well.
Do you wear specs too? If so these are good there too.
But try and test, the likes of Focus optics and rspb sites will let you do so.
Dont be rushed either, just make sure theyre comfy and not too heavy so you can use them all day.
Good luck.
Ken