Ebay Binoculars for under £50 - which to choose
- Thread starter dylanwinter
- Start date
dylanwinter
Active member
amazon
good point
very good point
D
good point
very good point
D
planteater
New member
I bought a really good pair from 7dayshop a couple of years back but they don't have the same model any more.
These ones look interesting - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_8&products_id=109347
EDIT: My mistake - the ones I bought are still on sale - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_8&products_id=107160
I would highly recommend them at £20.
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dylanwinter
Active member
good price
these look good
I was going to invest two DVD sets in binocs
these ones will only cost me one DVD set
brilliant.
waterproof too
D
these look good
I was going to invest two DVD sets in binocs
these ones will only cost me one DVD set
brilliant.
waterproof too
D
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vyv_cox
Well-known member
I agree, they look very good. Although autofocus ones are fine for on board use we prefer to be able to focus manually for bird watching. Autofocus ones seem to commence focusing at too great a distance sometimes.
alahol2
Well-known member
Had the same problem when trying to take a close look at a fitting at the top of the mast. Had to borrow a friends. Later discovered that you can adjust both eye-pieces to allow close focus, only had them about 10 years before I found that out.
stav
Member
Please just buy a pair of these and can we see the photo of you wearing them entering harbour with chart in hand.....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OPTIVISOR-OPT...aultDomain_3&hash=item19befcc0ad#ht_956wt_906
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OPTIVISOR-OPT...aultDomain_3&hash=item19befcc0ad#ht_956wt_906
bob26
New member
Try them first
Many of the bins suggested above may be just what you need. Or they may be completely useless for you. Bins are a very personal matter.
So whatever you pay for bins, it is crucial that you try them first. You may find v expensive ones that are quite unsuitable or real cheapo ones that are just the job...or the other way round.
Few bird watchers on terra firma use 10x as they cannot be held steady enough. So 7x or 8x is ideal afloat. Few birdwatchers use above 42mm but in fact its the size of the eye piece that makes the real difference in eye comfort in my view. Small ones are like peering through a pinhole... larger eye pieces are like looking through a window and much more comfortable...especially for spectacle wearers.
The question of whether you want/need to look through them in spectacles or not tends to be ignored but if you are a specs wearer is one of the most important considerations in selecting bins that are comfortable to use. Its a real nuisance to have to take your glasses off in order to look...especially as you often have to peer over your bins to get on target.
I'm not brilliant on the optics but if I understand it, bins are usually designed to be held a certain distance from your eye. They may have eye cups to facilitate this. If your specs prevent you getting them close enough you have to remove you glasses to get the full picture. Better to buy a pair with a greater "eye comfort" (designed to be held a greater distance from the eye). Expensive ones give you a measurement for this eye comfort (above 14mm for spec wearers ISTR) ....but best way to find out if they work for you is to try them. Sensible to do this before you've paid even a small amount of money for them.
I wear specs and have found Nikon and Leica optics costing over £1,000 not at all user friendly (allbeit that they are allegedly optically superb). I found the £12 Lidl Bressers 10x50s quite comfortable to use .... provided you fold down the adjustable eyecups ....
Many of the bins suggested above may be just what you need. Or they may be completely useless for you. Bins are a very personal matter.
So whatever you pay for bins, it is crucial that you try them first. You may find v expensive ones that are quite unsuitable or real cheapo ones that are just the job...or the other way round.
Few bird watchers on terra firma use 10x as they cannot be held steady enough. So 7x or 8x is ideal afloat. Few birdwatchers use above 42mm but in fact its the size of the eye piece that makes the real difference in eye comfort in my view. Small ones are like peering through a pinhole... larger eye pieces are like looking through a window and much more comfortable...especially for spectacle wearers.
The question of whether you want/need to look through them in spectacles or not tends to be ignored but if you are a specs wearer is one of the most important considerations in selecting bins that are comfortable to use. Its a real nuisance to have to take your glasses off in order to look...especially as you often have to peer over your bins to get on target.
I'm not brilliant on the optics but if I understand it, bins are usually designed to be held a certain distance from your eye. They may have eye cups to facilitate this. If your specs prevent you getting them close enough you have to remove you glasses to get the full picture. Better to buy a pair with a greater "eye comfort" (designed to be held a greater distance from the eye). Expensive ones give you a measurement for this eye comfort (above 14mm for spec wearers ISTR) ....but best way to find out if they work for you is to try them. Sensible to do this before you've paid even a small amount of money for them.
I wear specs and have found Nikon and Leica optics costing over £1,000 not at all user friendly (allbeit that they are allegedly optically superb). I found the £12 Lidl Bressers 10x50s quite comfortable to use .... provided you fold down the adjustable eyecups ....
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Norman_E
Well-known member
I had forgotten that the Lidl Bressers binoculars have the very useful feature of long eye relief, making them useable whilst wearing glasses. My Steiner 7 X 50 pair are excellent, but only if I take my glasses off.
That 7 Day Shop site has an interesting floating 8 X 30 pair at £17.99. They are roof prism type and would probably go into a large jacket pocket.
EDIT. I just looked on Barska's US website, where the same item has a "sale" price of $40.58 so its a rare case of cheaper here than the USA.
That 7 Day Shop site has an interesting floating 8 X 30 pair at £17.99. They are roof prism type and would probably go into a large jacket pocket.
EDIT. I just looked on Barska's US website, where the same item has a "sale" price of $40.58 so its a rare case of cheaper here than the USA.
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Lakesailor
New member
I agree with those who warn against high magnification and the objective size is a bit of a red herring.
Someone has already mentioned that older people tend not to be able to accept all the image due to feeble old eyes.
Cheap bins with big lenses may deliver bright fuzzy images with chromatic fringing which will be tiring to use and hopeless for studying detail.
The better makes tend to use more complex lenses and coatings with better design so good binos may deliver slightly dimmer images, pin sharp and crystal clear which will be joy to use for long periods.
I have some Nikon Travelites which replaced some (pretty good) Practikas.
The Nikons are great. Those Pentax should be good. These people are top quality lens designers and make a very good product.
They also slip into your pocket.
Someone has already mentioned that older people tend not to be able to accept all the image due to feeble old eyes.
Cheap bins with big lenses may deliver bright fuzzy images with chromatic fringing which will be tiring to use and hopeless for studying detail.
The better makes tend to use more complex lenses and coatings with better design so good binos may deliver slightly dimmer images, pin sharp and crystal clear which will be joy to use for long periods.
I have some Nikon Travelites which replaced some (pretty good) Practikas.
The Nikons are great. Those Pentax should be good. These people are top quality lens designers and make a very good product.
They also slip into your pocket.
planteater
New member
Also avoid anything with red "ruby" lenses - that is a fad coating that looks cool but delivers nothing. The original red coating was developed by Steiner for forest hunters as it made the brown skin tones of deer stand out against green. Unfortunately, they appeared in some Hollywood films and then all the lesser manufacturers started incorporating "ruby" coatings.
In everyday use they just make colours look wrong.
In everyday use they just make colours look wrong.