Which binoculars?

[ozburt]

I am weighing up which binoculars to buy and have narrowed it down to a choice between two.

They are:

1) Nikon 10x25 Sportlite

Great general purpose roof prism binoculars that are designed to give strong performance within a lightweight compact design. Great for hiking and sports, the long eye relief aids comfortable viewing while the Eco-glass optics are free of both lead and arsenic.

Additional Specifications

•Field of View: 5° (50° apparent), or 87m @1000m
•Exit Pupil Diameter: 2.5mm
•Eye Relief: 13mm
•Close Focus: 3m
•Interpupillary Distance: 56-72mm
•Dimensions (L x W): 122 x 115mm
•Weight: 270g

2) Bushnell 10x42 H2O Roof Prism Waterproof binoculars

H2O binoculars are completely o-ring sealed for waterproof protection and nitrogen-purged for fogproof viewing in any weather. Features include durable rubber armouring, centre focus and fully-coated optics for durability and clarity.

•Field of View: 102m @1000m
•Exit Pupil Diameter: 4.2mm
•Eye Relief: 17mm
•Close Focus: 3.6m
•Weight: 708.5g

BaK-4 prisms for bright, clear, crisp viewing


Which of the two would you recommend and why?

Thanks.

[JB9302]

Well keeping it simple , they are 2 different types you have highlighted , the Nikons are a good lightweight pair for easy access where the Bushnells have a larger dia lens which lets in more light and would be more suitable for say bird watching .
The Bushnells are much heavier and I imagine not as compact to carry as the Nikons , to me they are hard to compare for these reasons.

Julian

[nigel_b]

I use a compact pair like the Nikons when we are walking as they'll just slip into a jacket pocket. They're useful from that point of view as you'll always have them with you.

The Bushnell's would probably be better all round binoculars given the larger objective lens assuming the optics are similar quality in terms of resolution etc.

Do you really want 10x magnification? Personally I can see more detail through 8x as I can't hold 10x still enough. You need to try them both.

The two you've quoted are a bit chalk and cheese to be honest.

[nigel_b]

I use a compact pair like the Nikons when we are walking as they'll just slip into a jacket pocket. They're useful from that point of view as you'll always have them with you.

The Bushnell's would probably be better all round binoculars given the larger objective lens assuming the optics are similar quality in terms of resolution etc.

Do you really want 10x magnification? Personally I can see more detail through 8x as I can't hold 10x still enough. You need to try them both.

The two you've quoted are a bit chalk and cheese to be honest.

[Hobjob]

Have you actually held them in your hands?

This will decide you I reckon, 'cos as said above they are chalk and cheese.

I would also add that I find I can see more through x8 than x10, as I can hold them steadier. x8 is by far the commonest choice amongst birders for this reason. When testing hold then free-hand, not resting on something.

There are many threads on buying bins.

[darrenm]

10x brings things slightly closer but they have a have a narrow field of view compared to 8x and the 10x can be affected by shake thats why i would go for 8x every time for birdwatching. The last pair i bought were 8x42 but 8x32 do the trick well enough

You normally pay for what you get quality wise and would go for the ones your budget can stretch to rather than one of the vast array of low priced bins out there which are normally a false investment long term and can let you down when you least want it.

[david156]

Hi.

Sorry can't help with the comparison but have just a quick thing to add.
I use to have a pair of 10 x 50 which were a bit heavy. Now I use a pair of leica 7 x 42 and to be honest the I haven't noticed the lower magnification, but using the lighter pair is much easier.


Cheers David

[rogpow]

I bought a pair of the Nikon 10x25 Sportlites last week.
Needed a lightweight pocketable pair of bins as I found my 8x42s too heavy and bulky when I'm also carrying a Canon XL2 camcorder, plus heavy video tripod and accessory lenses.
So far, I've been very pleased with them. I think they would struggle a bit in low light but for general use they're great. Easy to hold and focus and no problem holding steady.