O/T Help please - Binoculars

Goldstone1976 said:

We're off to Ardnamurchan in a few weeks for a week away from it all. Apparently, there are ... various sea creatures that are worth seeing. It would seem that a pair of binoculars would be a good idea.

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Tom Hark said:

Depends on the size of the sea creatures shirley?

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AmexRuislip said:

Bought my wife a pair from Claus Ohlson.
Not spectacular, but do the job.

http://m.clasohlson.com/uk/b/Leisure/Camping-&-Outdoors/Binoculars

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Rugrat said:

I bought a pair of these off Amazon on the recommendation of a friend who knows about this stuff. We're by the sea in Canaries and Mrs loves them for watching Dolphins and they're good for Night Sky stuff too

http://www.allbinos.com/286-binoculars_review-Nikon_ACULON_A211_10x50.html

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zxtwinturbo said:

Im an aircraft enthusiast and i use Nikon 10 to 22 zoom by 50 and am quite happy with these.The larger the 2nd size the more light you get in.Dont know a great deal about wildlife binoculars but im guessing these would be good for that as well
£150 should get you a decent pair

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Shy Talk said:

For viewing birds of prey, a pair of 10x50s would be good, especially if you don't have a 'scope. If you can afford a pair with ED glass, try them out although it's unlikely you'll get a pair for £150. A pair of 8x magnification will be lighter, but with a smaller image.

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Seagull over Canaryland said:

Worth looking at the Nikon 'Monarch' range.

Had a pair for several years - compact, lightweight, durable with decent lenses / spec and there is a reasonable range to suit different budgets, especially if you look for a deal. From a practical 'point of view' they're not heavy for wearing around the neck or for prolonged in hand use. Handy for tucking 'out of sight' in the car.

Like DSLR cameras 'the sky's the limit' with bino's when it comes to 'up-specing' and price. You could easily pay 3-4 times for similar 'spec' Leica binos or scope plus tripod.

Good luck.

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Goldstone1976 said:

At the risk of de-railing my own thread...I preferred your original response! I've often wondered about the attraction of mermaids (I assume that they were what you were referencing?). I mean, the logistics of taking advantage seem somewhat tricky - what them having only a tail and a fin, and all...

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Seagull over Canaryland said:

Worth looking at the Nikon 'Monarch' range.

Had a pair for several years - compact, lightweight, durable with decent lenses / spec and there is a reasonable range to suit different budgets, especially if you look for a deal. From a practical 'point of view' they're not heavy for wearing around the neck or for prolonged in hand use. Handy for tucking 'out of sight' in the car.

Like DSLR cameras 'the sky's the limit' with bino's when it comes to 'up-specing' and price. You could easily pay 3-4 times for similar 'spec' Leica binos or scope plus tripod.

Good luck.

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zxtwinturbo said:

Weight would be a big consideration for me with bins, and you want to get onto the subject straight away esp with wildlife.Scopes can be difficult to get onto a subject quickly.

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Goldstone1976 said:

We're off to Ardnamurchan in a few weeks for a week away from it all. Apparently, there are loads of Golden Eagles and various sea creatures that are worth seeing. It would seem that a pair of binoculars would be a good idea. I know very little about them - ideas welcome from NSC twitchers or animal watchers. I'm unlikely to use them very often, so budget is not going to be high - say up to £150, though if I can get a half decent pair for a lot less, I'll choose that option. What sort of magnification would be best? Brands to look for/avoid?

Thanks in advance for any help...


Edit: btw, wiki tells me that "One of Ardnamurchan's most famous sons is the button box accordion player, Fergie MacDonald". And I'm not even joking...

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