Binoculars recommendation - aka What Brand is good? (Eco mode)

[Joshelerry]

Well, recently I find that during my photography trips somehow I do really need a binoculars on hand... and so went to read up on bino.
My understanding is and some conclusion are these,
1) Magnification: 10x to 12x; 40 or bigger lens for better light in
2) Waterproof maybe good but entirely necessary ... cos I'm not in the water when I use and when in water I do not need to use
3) Good brands like Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss... yes I know really good to grap one in my hands but rather put the resources in camera stuffs!
4) And alas... this come to the most important point... which brand (Eco) are good value? ...

Nikon, Vanguard, Tasco etc... budget $200 or less.... maybe looking at 12x50... roof will be prefered but read that porro at these prices have better optics than roof... zoom not necessary as it degrades optical performance..

Any guru to advise?

 

[ed9119]

at 50x its extremely hard to hold it still with bare hands unless you mounting it on a tripod or resting it on a sandbag

10x to 15x is about max for handholding for most people

go check the bino thread in Kopitiam ...

 

[jim_mcgill]

Hi TS,

Just read this thread.

As to which one is suitable, it depends on what you actually want to do with the binoculars. If you travel a lot and a binocular is not the "main course", then it would be good and practical to have a light and compact one with you.

A waterproof model is not just being safe when submerged in water, it also means that the overall quality of the binocular will be much better than a normal one. But a trade-off will be extra weight, although there are roof prism models which are both light and waterproof, like the one below:
http://store.mcgill.com.sg/index.php?id_product=14&controller=product

Try not to go for 12x50mm as anything more than 10x would probably offer unstable views if not mounted to a tripod. Also such models may not be very attractive when it comes to good quality and durability.

We supply binoculars to the local birdwatching and stargazing community. Feel free to check with us.

Cheers!