Which Binoculars?

[just eric]

My wife is having a birthday in a couple months and I want to get her a nice set of binoculars for use on the road and when we are camping. She is very into nature so I'd like to get her something nice that wont break the bank. I was thinking in the $1000 range. I have always heard about swarovski and Zeiss but I don't know enough to justify the money they cost. I came across these http://www.opticsplanet.net/steiner-binoculars-8x42-peregrine.html but again, I'm not sure of their quality and durability.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[msontag03]

Can't go wrong with the Steiners. Another worthy brand is Kahles.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/kahles-binoculars.html

 

[SunTzuNephew]

Practical Sailor (kind of like consumer reports, for boaters) did a survey...the West Marine brand scored quite highly. I have a pair of 7x50 in my truck, and they're as good as my Steiner 7x50s, but lighter (and a lot less expensive).

Or, Swarovski, Kahles, Leopold, are good brands.

 

[Colorado David]

I have Leica 7x42 binoculars that I bought about ten years ago. They are very good. I have had Swarovski 8.5x42ELs for the last four years and I didn't think there was any way a binocular could get any better. I was wrong. Swarovski has just introduced a new EL with a field flattening lens that is just phenomenal. They are expensive, but once you look through them, you'll be ruined for life.

 

[just eric]

So do I want to purchase an 8 x 4x or a 10 x 4x...? Which is better for what?

 

[Mamontof]

I will go with classics low budget Buscnell http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=1010&N=4294541827+4291573991&Ns=p_PRICE_2|1

or Best military Steiner http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=1010&N=4294541827+4291573991+4291202801&Ns=p_PRICE_2|1

 

[haven]

If you go to the local Boone and Crocket Club meeting, everybody uses Steiner.
If you go to the Audubon Society bird walk, almost nobody uses Steiner.

I think people buy based on the recommendations of others involved in the
same activity. Steiner is a favorite of ex-military folks. Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon are favorites of the granola crowd.

Just eric, when you say your wife is very into nature, what activities does she enjoy participating in? Here are a couple of examples:

-- butterfly and flower viewing. You'll want close focus of 4 to 6 feet to view what's happening near your feet.

-- hawk watching. You'll be standing on a ridge top, scanning the horizon. So a magnification around 10 is commonly used.

-- birding in a forest. It's likely that you won't need to view anything farther away than 150 feet. A magnification of 8 is plenty. A wider field of view is valuable, say 450 feet at 1000 yards.

-- nature viewing in early morning or evening. Here you need larger objective lens, to pull in as much light as possible. 40 or 42 mm is typical.

Other factors: Does your wife wear glasses? What is the distance between her eyes (some binoculars don't fit close set eyes). How strong is she (wearing a heavy pair of binoculars around your neck all day is very tiring)? Does she want something she can carry in her purse, or is she willing to lug around a pair in its own case?

Binoculars are like golf clubs. Different designs have different functions. Tell us more so we can help you choose the right "club."

Chip Haven

 

[motochain]

Check out some Nikon Monarchs!

 

[obscurotron]

First, go look through everything on your short list. See if the shop will let you drop a driver's license or major credit card on the counter and go for a walk with the optics. You'll see the justification for the cost pretty quickly.

You can get a decent, serviceable optic from Steiner or Bushnell or Leupold, but in this world, you do get what you pay for. My dad bought a set of Zeiss 8x30's and a pair of Leica's in something else (Zeiss for deer, Leicas for ducks) in the late 70's. He still has them, still uses them and they still serve him well some 30+ years later. And believe me, they've been put through the wringer. I fully expect to hand them down to my kid some day.

My wife is having a birthday in a couple months and I want to get her a nice set of binoculars for use on the road and when we are camping. She is very into nature so I'd like to get her something nice that wont break the bank. I was thinking in the $1000 range. I have always heard about swarovski and Zeiss but I don't know enough to justify the money they cost. I came across these http://www.opticsplanet.net/steiner-binoculars-8x42-peregrine.html but again, I'm not sure of their quality and durability.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[just eric]

If you go to the local Boone and Crocket Club meeting, everybody uses Steiner.
If you go to the Audubon Society bird walk, almost nobody uses Steiner.

I think people buy based on the recommendations of others involved in the
same activity. Steiner is a favorite of ex-military folks. Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon are favorites of the granola crowd.

Just eric, when you say your wife is very into nature, what activities does she enjoy participating in? Here are a couple of examples:

-- butterfly and flower viewing. You'll want close focus of 4 to 6 feet to view what's happening near your feet.

-- hawk watching. You'll be standing on a ridge top, scanning the horizon. So a magnification around 10 is commonly used.

-- birding in a forest. It's likely that you won't need to view anything farther away than 150 feet. A magnification of 8 is plenty. A wider field of view is valuable, say 450 feet at 1000 yards.

-- nature viewing in early morning or evening. Here you need larger objective lens, to pull in as much light as possible. 40 or 42 mm is typical.

Other factors: Does your wife wear glasses? What is the distance between her eyes (some binoculars don't fit close set eyes). How strong is she (wearing a heavy pair of binoculars around your neck all day is very tiring)? Does she want something she can carry in her purse, or is she willing to lug around a pair in its own case?

Binoculars are like golf clubs. Different designs have different functions. Tell us more so we can help you choose the right "club."

Chip Haven

Thanks for the input. She is a biologist who dabbles in entomology and ornithology, and just the general love of the outdoors. That being said, I'm guessing I need something that is good at everything and great at nothing. I think a medium sized bino will be best as she isn't prone to carrying a bag smaller than a backpack. Because the types of forests in the PNW tend to be a little thicker, I'm thinking a 8x42 or 44 would be appropriate.

 

[Mamontof]

If you go to the local Boone and Crocket Club meeting, everybody uses Steiner.
I Steiner is a favorite of ex-military folks. Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon are favorites of the granola crowd.

O bloody hell to my kidney , are you tray to wright civilians know more abaut quality of Good thinks


Binoculars are like golf clubs. Different designs have different functions. Tell us more so we can help you choose the right "club."

Well you sound like Steiner owner :wings:

 

[haven]

Uh, I'd respond to the above if I understood what was being communicated!

 

[IggyB]

+1 for Steiner.

great glasses

 

[just eric]

First, go look through everything on your short list. See if the shop will let you drop a driver's license or major credit card on the counter and go for a walk with the optics. You'll see the justification for the cost pretty quickly.

You can get a decent, serviceable optic from Steiner or Bushnell or Leupold, but in this world, you do get what you pay for. My dad bought a set of Zeiss 8x30's and a pair of Leica's in something else (Zeiss for deer, Leicas for ducks) in the late 70's. He still has them, still uses them and they still serve him well some 30+ years later. And believe me, they've been put through the wringer. I fully expect to hand them down to my kid some day.

I have noticed that a lot of things that were made 30+ years ago were made to a much higher standard than those manufactured today (Optima...) and so they last longer. Do the Leicas and Zeis' of today compare with those made in the past.

 

[haven]

"in this world, you do get what you pay for"

When speaking of binoculars, this is generally true. Prices for the finest
bins are quite high ($1500-$2500 in some cases), but that price is not
unreasonable for a world-class instrument that will last a lifetime.
My Zeiss Classic 10x40 bins have been serviced (at no charge to me) a
couple of times in the past 30 years (has it really been that long?), and
they still look and perform like new.

Regarding new vs old, the current models are better than ever. A couple
of choices of materials are raising eyebrows (Zeiss, for example, chose to
make the body of their latest Victory FL models of a polymer rather than
aluminum or magnesium. It's less sensitive to temperature variation, which
helps keep the optics in alignment. The polymer is lighter than the old aluminum
body. But some people are skeptical of a "plastic" body.) But overall
the new models are superior.

Chip Haven