Hello all bird lovers, my name is Gionny and I have started observing birds in the areas around my home. I would like to buy a professional binocular, which among these I found would you recommend me? Thanks!
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I need some advice (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gionnyb
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- binoculars
The Nikon MHG 8x42's I think would your best choice of those you have given. Also, look at the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x42. Good luck on your search!
Boogieshrew
Well-known member
I would also choose the MHG 8x42s.
But is there a reason you have limited your choice to those few? There are so many others available, brands and models.
The best first step in choosing is to decide how much money you are willing to spend. If you tell us that, I'm sure you will get a lot of help from people here.
But is there a reason you have limited your choice to those few? There are so many others available, brands and models.
The best first step in choosing is to decide how much money you are willing to spend. If you tell us that, I'm sure you will get a lot of help from people here.
Me too (if this is the selection to choose from).
Canip
The website used by the OP makes the following claim:
"We search and compare the top brands, products in thousands of categories from hundreds of retailers to give you reliable purchasing advice.
Our goal is to make it easy for you to pick the best product and price and be confident in your decision".
So perhaps the OP is simply relying on the website's choice of bino brand and is asking us to refine this choice down to the best model.
Lee
WJC
Well-known member
So many experts ... aren't!
lilcrazy2
Well-known member
Gionny
What price range did you have in mind to spend? You don't have to spend a lot to get very good binos. The list you posted is fairly useless in my mind since they were all Nikons and had very large and heavy porro prism binos not suited to birding.
@gionnyb Welcome to Birdforum. A someone has already mentioned, the selection you have linked is a bit awkward, even nonsensical, just look at the two most obvious parameters when searching for binoculars: magnification (the first number) and objective diameter in mm (the second number). Your list shows:
10x70 (these weight almost 2 kg! and don't have a focus wheel, they're designed for stationary observations, like astronomy)
8x42
16x50 (imposible to handhold, due to shake because of the high magnification, these need a tripod)
8x30
10x25
10-22x50 (these are zoom binoculars, not very nice as an allrounder, plus they're heavy and big)
As you can see, it makes little sense to compare a 25 mm objective to a 70 mm objective, or a 16x magnification to a 8x magnification. So, to give you an example is like if you had asked for a recommendation for a car including cars from 3 m to 6 m in length, from 2 to 9 seats, from heavy 4x4 to pick up, to convertible sport cars. Besides, even if your list only includes Nikon, as a matter of fact a brand like Nikon has very cheap binoculars costing less than 100 € to some of the best binoculars ever produced, that cost more than 6000 € (in your list the price varies from 100 to +1000 €). So it's a bit like if you compared a Skoda to a Porsche.
It makes little sense to make a list of such a wide variety of devices, it would be more interesting to compare binoculars that are more similar.
The most important thing is to ask yourself about your priorities. If you want an all-round birding binocular to begin, usually 8x magnifications is recommended (some people prefer 10x, although some others find that 10x has too much shake/vibration).
Then about the objectives, for many years, 42 mm has been the "birding standard", although (this could be a personal impression) 32 mm has gained a lot of ground and now many people consider them a very valid option as an alrounder.
The 8x42 has a little more ease of view, a little more light gathering capabilities at dusk, but the 8x32 are lighter, smaller and usually have a little more field of view. The choice would depend on how important any of these are for you: if you bird a lot in gloomy weather or very early/late (before daytime hours), then 8x42 could be your thing. If you are basically a daytime birder and like to walk/move a lot then 8x32 could be more than enough (it's always best to try for yourself, obviously). Very small objetives (like 25 mm) have the advantage of weight and size, they can be folded and carried easily, but the view is usually more compromised: the eye position is more finicky, probably not the best if you're just starting.
So, once you've decided what "format" you want, for example 8x32. Then you have to narrow down the price bracket of your choice. For example, you might say "200 €" is my limit. Or, "I don't mind going a little up, say up to 350-400 €", etc. This way you will be able to filter and narrow down your candidates. Then about brands, I don't know why you chose to look only in the Nikon range. Just like in cars, there are many brands that sell different products. Just like in cars, some of those brands sell very similar products, in fact, some actually buy from the same producers (a little bit like in cars, where Citroen/Peugeot share technology, and now have bought Opel, so that if you buy a Citroen Berlingo, a Peugeot Rifter or an Opel Combo, it's actually the same car with some persona tweaks of each brand). So my recommendation would be to open up to different brands.
You can find binoculars offering a good performance from a little over 100 €.
100 - 150 € In most cases, this low price usually has a compromise in size/weight, if you chose Porro prism binoculars (like the Aculon in your list, you can see that the tubes are not straight, but are like a Z). The 8x42 Aculon is nice, and in expensive. Then another compromise could be waterproofing/fogproofing, the Aculon are not fogproof. If you go from a very cold environment to a warm one (or viceversa) they will fog up, and you will have to wait to be able to use them.
The Kowa YF 8x30 are a compact Porro, waterproof and fogproof, they're very light and handy, and cost around 150 €
For around 200 - 250 € there are very nice devices from many brands, devices like the Vortex Diamondback HD 8x32 or the Hawke Endurance ED 8x32 are praised for their value for money, are compact and have many technologies from more expensive devices.
A king of compact/lightness has to be the 8x32 Opticron Discovery WA ED 8x32, at 390 g, also within the 250 € range.
For 300 - 400 € you can find even nicer optics, but then this is an endless game as you spend more and more money. If you have never bought a pair of binoculars, I think a pair costing 200 - 250 € can give you a lot of performance for a reasonable amount.
Anyway, it's always better if yo go to a store and try for yourself, what you like and what you don't, what kind of shape/weight you prefer, how do they fit your face, how comfortable you feel with the eyecups, etc. Even if you read the thousands and thousands of reviews online, you wouldn't be able to tell which binoculars are the ones that you will like, you have to try some and see. However (and this is the point) it is very interesting to narrow down your choices based on your preferences (weight can be important if you plan to walk with your binoculars, or irrelevant, if you plan to use them at home or always from a static position; waterproofing can be importan or irrelevant based on the intended use and weather conditions, etc.).
10x70 (these weight almost 2 kg! and don't have a focus wheel, they're designed for stationary observations, like astronomy)
8x42
16x50 (imposible to handhold, due to shake because of the high magnification, these need a tripod)
8x30
10x25
10-22x50 (these are zoom binoculars, not very nice as an allrounder, plus they're heavy and big)
As you can see, it makes little sense to compare a 25 mm objective to a 70 mm objective, or a 16x magnification to a 8x magnification. So, to give you an example is like if you had asked for a recommendation for a car including cars from 3 m to 6 m in length, from 2 to 9 seats, from heavy 4x4 to pick up, to convertible sport cars. Besides, even if your list only includes Nikon, as a matter of fact a brand like Nikon has very cheap binoculars costing less than 100 € to some of the best binoculars ever produced, that cost more than 6000 € (in your list the price varies from 100 to +1000 €). So it's a bit like if you compared a Skoda to a Porsche.
It makes little sense to make a list of such a wide variety of devices, it would be more interesting to compare binoculars that are more similar.
The most important thing is to ask yourself about your priorities. If you want an all-round birding binocular to begin, usually 8x magnifications is recommended (some people prefer 10x, although some others find that 10x has too much shake/vibration).
Then about the objectives, for many years, 42 mm has been the "birding standard", although (this could be a personal impression) 32 mm has gained a lot of ground and now many people consider them a very valid option as an alrounder.
The 8x42 has a little more ease of view, a little more light gathering capabilities at dusk, but the 8x32 are lighter, smaller and usually have a little more field of view. The choice would depend on how important any of these are for you: if you bird a lot in gloomy weather or very early/late (before daytime hours), then 8x42 could be your thing. If you are basically a daytime birder and like to walk/move a lot then 8x32 could be more than enough (it's always best to try for yourself, obviously). Very small objetives (like 25 mm) have the advantage of weight and size, they can be folded and carried easily, but the view is usually more compromised: the eye position is more finicky, probably not the best if you're just starting.
So, once you've decided what "format" you want, for example 8x32. Then you have to narrow down the price bracket of your choice. For example, you might say "200 €" is my limit. Or, "I don't mind going a little up, say up to 350-400 €", etc. This way you will be able to filter and narrow down your candidates. Then about brands, I don't know why you chose to look only in the Nikon range. Just like in cars, there are many brands that sell different products. Just like in cars, some of those brands sell very similar products, in fact, some actually buy from the same producers (a little bit like in cars, where Citroen/Peugeot share technology, and now have bought Opel, so that if you buy a Citroen Berlingo, a Peugeot Rifter or an Opel Combo, it's actually the same car with some persona tweaks of each brand). So my recommendation would be to open up to different brands.
You can find binoculars offering a good performance from a little over 100 €.
100 - 150 € In most cases, this low price usually has a compromise in size/weight, if you chose Porro prism binoculars (like the Aculon in your list, you can see that the tubes are not straight, but are like a Z). The 8x42 Aculon is nice, and in expensive. Then another compromise could be waterproofing/fogproofing, the Aculon are not fogproof. If you go from a very cold environment to a warm one (or viceversa) they will fog up, and you will have to wait to be able to use them.
The Kowa YF 8x30 are a compact Porro, waterproof and fogproof, they're very light and handy, and cost around 150 €
For around 200 - 250 € there are very nice devices from many brands, devices like the Vortex Diamondback HD 8x32 or the Hawke Endurance ED 8x32 are praised for their value for money, are compact and have many technologies from more expensive devices.
A king of compact/lightness has to be the 8x32 Opticron Discovery WA ED 8x32, at 390 g, also within the 250 € range.
For 300 - 400 € you can find even nicer optics, but then this is an endless game as you spend more and more money. If you have never bought a pair of binoculars, I think a pair costing 200 - 250 € can give you a lot of performance for a reasonable amount.
Anyway, it's always better if yo go to a store and try for yourself, what you like and what you don't, what kind of shape/weight you prefer, how do they fit your face, how comfortable you feel with the eyecups, etc. Even if you read the thousands and thousands of reviews online, you wouldn't be able to tell which binoculars are the ones that you will like, you have to try some and see. However (and this is the point) it is very interesting to narrow down your choices based on your preferences (weight can be important if you plan to walk with your binoculars, or irrelevant, if you plan to use them at home or always from a static position; waterproofing can be importan or irrelevant based on the intended use and weather conditions, etc.).
Last edited:
edwincjones
Well-known member
If at all possible go to a store that has a good selection and see which ones fit your eyes, your hands, your heart better
in your price range.
edj
in your price range.
edj