binocular buying advice

tom_tarbucket

Hello

Dont know if this is the correct forum but will give it a go.
Looking to buy a pair of binoculars.
Budget is about 50 Euro.
The use may be a bit strange but there you go.
its just for me parents really, they are farmers and have cattle in fields behind the house - sometimes up to 1.5 km away

They sometimes need to count the cattle from the house or check on them to see if they are all ok or any of them lame etc

Can anyone recommend a simple set where you dont have to move 5 dials to get focused, ideally id like just one dial to twist to get focus or is that even possible any more

endacl

Keep an eye on lidl. Every few months they stock Bresser 10x50s. Good brand, straightforward to use, perfect for what you describe, and generally on sale for €20.

Desmo

good suggestion from endacl. 10x50 means 10 times magnification and 50mm lenses at the front. That is a standard size for strong bins.
8x40 are not as strong but are easier to hold steady and are worth considering. 50€ will not get you much but those from LIDL sound ok!


DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING ZOOM BINOCULARS. Sorry for shouting.

tom_tarbucket

Desmo wrote: »

good suggestion from endacl. 10x50 means 10 times magnification and 50mm lenses at the front. That is a standard size for strong bins.
8x40 are not as strong but are easier to hold steady and are worth considering. 50€ will not get you much but those from LIDL sound ok!


DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING ZOOM BINOCULARS. Sorry for shouting.

based on my limited research, I think 8 x 40 would be ok for the intended use.

high level, I **think** an 10x50 is more expensive than a 8x40 and based on this I think I should stick with the 8x40 - or maybe im totally wrong.

I thought all binoculars had a zoom

endacl

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

based on my limited research, I think 8 x 40 would be ok for the intended use.

high level, I **think** an 10x50 is more expensive than a 8x40 and based on this I think I should stick with the 8x40 - or maybe im totally wrong.

I thought all binoculars had a zoom

The field of vision from 8x40 would be noticeably smaller. For something like counting livestock, depending on the numbers, the 10x50 would make the job a little easier. Where are you based? I have several pairs of those lidl ones. You'd be welcome to borrow a set to try them out.

Desmo

actually 8x40 usually have a wider field of view than 10x50 depending on how they are configured? The other reason for using 8x40s is that they are easier to hold steady. You get almost no hand shake at 8x but can get lots at 10x.

tom_tarbucket

endacl wrote: »

The field of vision from 8x40 would be noticeably smaller. For something like counting livestock, depending on the numbers, the 10x50 would make the job a little easier. Where are you based? I have several pairs of those lidl ones. You'd be welcome to borrow a set to try them out.

Hi. Thanks for reply.

I'm based in Dublin.

endacl

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Hi. Thanks for reply.

I'm based in Dublin.

Me too. PM me if you want to take a lend.

bernard0368

I got these for the grandson, they are hard to beat for the price.

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-10x42-waterproof-fogproof-binoculars

tom_tarbucket

bernard0368 wrote: »

I got these for the grandson, they are hard to beat for the price.

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-10x42-waterproof-fogproof-binoculars

Is "7dayshop" an actual brand of binoculars or just the name of the on-line shop thrown on to the generic binoculars ?

tom_tarbucket

Actually, any thoughts on these :

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Meade-8x42-Wilderness-Binoculars-Waterproof-Multicoated-lenses-Rubber-Armor-Bak4-/131219266136?pt=UK_Photography_Binoculars_Monoculars&hash=item1e8d471a58

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Actually, any thoughts on these :

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Meade-8x42-Wilderness-Binoculars-Waterproof-Multicoated-lenses-Rubber-Armor-Bak4-/131219266136?pt=UK_Photography_Binoculars_Monoculars&hash=item1e8d471a58

They are roof prism binoculars which are never as good at the same price point as porro prism binoculars. For example if you buy a pair of 40 euro porro prism binoculars then you will need to spend over 100 euro or more to get a roof prism pair with the same quality. The offset of this is that the roof prism is more compact and generally more durable to bumps and knocks etc.

I would recommend a porro prism set for your purposes without doubt. Furthermore if the primary use of the binoculars is going to be observing cattle that are a few hundred yards away then I would suggest getting a fixed focus set. This basically means that they have no focus wheel and are set at infinity so this translates to looking in the binoculars and seeing distant objects instantly clear and in focus. No need for any fiddling at all. This is perfect for distant objects but not if you are observing things at closer range.

I bought a set of these type of binoculars a few years back as I live by the sea and wanted to look at boats and sea birds on the water. For this they are perfect as I just pick up the binoculars and the birds and boats are instantly in focus and stay that way because they are in the distance. I'd recommend these. Cheap but surprisingly good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407411268&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+fixed+focus+binoculars

I have the 10x50 version of these that they don't seem to do anymore. But without doubt the quality is decent. Noticeably better than anything you get from Lidl and for a similar price. Can't recommend enough. They are also great for looking at the moon and stars because they are instantly in focus when you look through them too.

EDIT - I work in county Dublin. You are welcome to have a lend of them if you want.

tom_tarbucket

ThunderCat wrote: »

They are roof prism binoculars which are never as good at the same price point as porro prism binoculars. For example if you buy a pair of 40 euro porro prism binoculars then you will need to spend over 100 euro or more to get a roof prism pair with the same quality. The offset of this is that the roof prism is more compact and generally more durable to bumps and knocks etc.

I would recommend a porro prism set for your purposes without doubt. Furthermore if the primary use of the binoculars is going to be observing cattle that are a few hundred yards away then I would suggest getting a fixed focus set. This basically means that they have no focus wheel and are set at infinity so this translates to looking in the binoculars and seeing distant objects instantly clear and in focus. No need for any fiddling at all. This is perfect for distant objects but not if you are observing things at closer range.

I bought a set of these type of binoculars a few years back as I live by the sea and wanted to look at boats and sea birds on the water. For this they are perfect as I just pick up the binoculars and the birds and boats are instantly in focus and stay that way because they are in the distance. I'd recommend these. Cheap but surprisingly good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407411268&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+fixed+focus+binoculars

I have the 10x50 version of these that they don't seem to do anymore. But without doubt the quality is decent. Noticeably better than anything you get from Lidl and for a similar price. Can't recommend enough. They are also great for looking at the moon and stars because they are instantly in focus when you look through them too.

EDIT - I work in county Dublin. You are welcome to have a lend of them if you want.

Thanks, im looking for something that's not fiddly, like I said in the first post, where one dosent have to go changing 5 dials to get the right focus.

Regarding the fixed focus set, is there any kind of a zoom in / zoom out function at all with these ? Like even one dial to twist to focus in on stuff ?

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks, im looking for something that's not fiddly, like I said in the first post, where one dosent have to go changing 5 dials to get the right focus.

Regarding the fixed focus set, is there any kind of a zoom in / zoom out function at all with these ? Like even one dial to twist to focus in on stuff ?

No dials at all. You just pick them up and the distant objects are instantly clear and in focus and always will be but closer objects will be blurred and out of focus and always will be. So in other words you pick them up and without having to touch anything the cattle will be clear as a bell and in focus. But on the flip side the flowers down the end of the garden will always appear blurred. It depends what you want them for really. If the primary reason is observing things at a distance then there is nothing better. The quality of image and brightness is pretty good aswell.

And no they are not zoom. Zoom binoculars are advised against because they are designed to go from 8x zoom to 20x zoom for example. But the field of view is narrower that normal in them to begin with in order to encorporate this feature and the further in you zoom the darker the image gets and the poorer the quality gets aswell.

tom_tarbucket

ThunderCat wrote: »

No dials at all. You just pick them up and the distant objects are instantly clear and in focus and always will be but closer objects will be blurred and out of focus and always will be. So in other words you pick them up and without having to touch anything the cattle will be clear as a bell and in focus. But on the flip side the flowers down the end of the garden will always appear blurred. It depends what you want them for really. If the primary reason is observing things at a distance then there is nothing better. The quality of image and brightness is pretty good aswell.

And no they are not zoom. Zoom binoculars are advised against because they are designed to go from 8x zoom to 20x zoom for example. But the field of view is narrower that normal in them to begin with in order to encorporate this feature and the further in you zoom the darker the image gets and the poorer the quality gets aswell.

interesting. I think id nearly prefer one with some kind of a zoom function.

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

interesting. I think id nearly prefer one with some kind of a zoom function.

The zoom ones sound great in theory but in reality they never are. Narrow field of view combined with a steadily worsening image the further you zoom in with them. Also the image gets harder to keep steady the higher the magnification. You'd do well to find a single post on any birdwatching or astronomy forum that would recommend them.

However there is an alternative to this - a spotting scope or small telescope that allow for interchangeable eyepieces could be just what you are after.

tom_tarbucket

ThunderCat wrote: »

The zoom ones sound great in theory but in reality they never are. Narrow field of view combined with a steadily worsening image the further you zoom in with them. Also the image gets harder to keep steady the higher the magnification. You'd do well to find a single post on any birdwatching or astronomy forum that would recommend them.

However there is an alternative to this - a spotting scope or small telescope that allow for interchangeable eyepieces could be just what you are after.

Thanks for the advice and patience again.

Jaysus, I dunno, this is getting very complicated

endacl

Not really. Tbh, whatever ones you buy will do the job you described!

Desmo

Just buy a pair of cheap 8x40 or 10x50 binoculars from e.g. Lidl as suggested.
Do not get Zoom; The best ones I have used were utter rubbish and barely usable.
The worst ones were much worse than that.

tom_tarbucket

Desmo wrote: »

Just buy a pair of cheap 8x40 or 10x50 binoculars from e.g. Lidl as suggested.
Do not get Zoom; The best ones I have used were utter rubbish and barely usable.
The worst ones were much worse than that.

if I was to search for these non zoom binoculars on ebay, is there a certain phrase I need to search for , would I simply search for

"binoculars non zoom"

my3cents

Another suggestion with the cheap 10 x 50's would be to have a table and chair where the binoculars are going to be used so you can sight and count cattle with your elbows on the table, that would make them a lot easier to use.

Avoid also the Lidl and Aldi spotting scopes they are good value for money but are much to fiddly to use.

my3cents

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

if I was to search for these non zoom binoculars on ebay, is there a certain phrase I need to search for , would I simply search for

"binoculars non zoom"

Try also Amazon.co.uk anything over €20 sold by amazon themselves will be free delivery.

I'd say have a look at these 8 x 40's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-8-40-DPSI-Binocular/dp/B0001M3612.

and these 10 x 50's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-Upclose-Porro-Bino-10X50/dp/B006ZN4TZS.

tom_tarbucket

my3cents wrote: »

Try also Amazon.co.uk anything over €20 sold by amazon themselves will be free delivery.

I'd say have a look at these 8 x 40's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-8-40-DPSI-Binocular/dp/B0001M3612.

and these 10 x 50's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-Upclose-Porro-Bino-10X50/dp/B006ZN4TZS.

Thanks, are these zoom or non zoom ?

my3cents

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks, are these zoom or non zoom ?

No zoom, the main choice is over the magnification x 8 you don't see quite as much but should be enough and the greater magnification x 10 which might be more difficult to hold steady while you count.

When it comes to poor light like dawn and dusk the bigger x 50 lens might (only might at this price level) be better than the x 40 but I doubt you'd notice any difference between them.

Desmo

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

if I was to search for these non zoom binoculars on ebay, is there a certain phrase I need to search for , would I simply search for

"binoculars non zoom"

Most binoculars have no zoom; if it does not say zoom, there is none.

tom_tarbucket

ThunderCat wrote: »

No dials at all. You just pick them up and the distant objects are instantly clear and in focus and always will be but closer objects will be blurred and out of focus and always will be. So in other words you pick them up and without having to touch anything the cattle will be clear as a bell and in focus. But on the flip side the flowers down the end of the garden will always appear blurred. It depends what you want them for really. If the primary reason is observing things at a distance then there is nothing better. The quality of image and brightness is pretty good aswell.

And no they are not zoom. Zoom binoculars are advised against because they are designed to go from 8x zoom to 20x zoom for example. But the field of view is narrower that normal in them to begin with in order to encorporate this feature and the further in you zoom the darker the image gets and the poorer the quality gets aswell.

Just on this again.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407411268&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+fixed+focus+binoculars



so maybe im getting mixed up with zoom and focus, but from what your saying the one from above has neither. you just pick them up, look through them, end of.

Now just another stupid question, these may be fine for something 800 metres away, but for something 200 metres away will it just all be blurred - as its not far enough away ?

Desmo

Would not touch them with a bargepole; they look really dire.
Zoom is bad, always.
Zoom is not common; most have no zoom.
Focus is different.
Almost all (>>99%) binoculars have focus.
Focus is normally good. I cannot imagine using binoculars with no focus.

To repeat, just buy a pair of 8x40 (my choice) or 10x50 from Lidl as suggested.

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Just on this again.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407411268&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+fixed+focus+binoculars



so maybe im getting mixed up with zoom and focus, but from what your saying the one from above has neither. you just pick them up, look through them, end of.

Now just another stupid question, these may be fine for something 800 metres away, but for something 200 metres away will it just all be blurred - as its not far enough away ?

Exactly. The way they work is that they will have a distance, usually specified on the box, from where they are effective from and from that distance to infinity is in focus as soon as you pick up the binoculars. On the ones I have which is the 10x50 of the ones above, that distance is probobly 150 meters or so, not sure exactly, but everthing from 150 meters and beyond nomatter how far away it is is in focus as soon as I pick up the binoculars and without having to touch a thing

ThunderCat

Forgot to mention that the figure of 150 metres above would be lower again on the 8x40 so it may be something like 100metres to infinity meaning more things would be in focus.

Edit - the exact figure for the set in the link I sent you is 128 metres, so everything from 128 metres to infinity is in focus as soon as you look through them.

my3cents

OP Take a look here at http://www.opticsplanet.net/how-to-buy-binoculars.html it explains most of what you need to know.

tom_tarbucket

Thanks again.

So from what has been said , I think I'm going to go for an 8x42.

And I think porro prism.

Only thing in confused about now is whether to get one with or without a zoom / focus.

I know I want something simple and don't want 5 dials to adjust but I think I'd like just 1 dial to adjust the focus.

endacl

Feck it. Go large!

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks again.

So from what has been said , I think I'm going to go for an 8x42.

And I think porro prism.

Only thing in confused about now is whether to get one with or without a zoom / focus.

I know I want something simple and don't want 5 dials to adjust but I think I'd like just 1 dial to adjust the focus.

Thank god you aint looking to buy a car. These are a cheap set of binoculars we are talking about here

Desmo

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks again.

So from what has been said , I think I'm going to go for an 8x42.

And I think porro prism.

Only thing in confused about now is whether to get one with or without a zoom / focus.

I know I want something simple and don't want 5 dials to adjust but I think I'd like just 1 dial to adjust the focus.

it depends on whether the things you are looking at are FAR AWAY or SMALL.

Alun

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

I know I want something simple and don't want 5 dials to adjust but I think I'd like just 1 dial to adjust the focus.

Seriously, where are you getting all this '5 dials' nonsense from??? All binoculars have 1 dial to adjust the focus, that's it! It's a pair of binoculars we're talking about here, not the Hubble Space Telescope!

tom_tarbucket

Alun wrote: »

Seriously, where are you getting all this '5 dials' nonsense from??? !

A friend had a set before, just a cheap set - with a thing to twist in the middle, then each eye had a thing to twist and then you had a lever to push up an down.

Alun wrote: »

All binoculars have 1 dial to adjust the focus, that's it! It's a pair of binoculars we're talking about here, not the Hubble Space Telescope!

Not according to thundercat

"No dials at all. You just pick them up and the distant objects are instantly clear and in focus and always will be but closer objects will be blurred and out of focus and always will be. So in other words you pick them up and without having to touch anything the cattle will be clear as a bell and in focus. But on the flip side the flowers down the end of the garden will always appear blurred. It depends what you want them for really. If the primary reason is observing things at a distance then there is nothing better. The quality of image and brightness is pretty good aswell."

Alun

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

A friend had a set before, just a cheap set - with a thing to twist in the middle, then each eye had a thing to twist and then you had a lever to push up an down.

Most have an adjustment on one eyepiece to correct for differences in vision between one eye and the other. Usually you'll just set this once, or if your eyesight is perfectly symmetrical just set it to zero, and leave well alone after that. Not exactly a big problem.

Some have eye cups that are adjustable, and you rotate them to move them in and out. Again, not rocket science.

Not according to thundercat

These are very much the exception rather than the rule. 99.9% of binoculars on the market will be focusable.

You're really making this more complicated than it really is.

tom_tarbucket

Alun wrote: »

Most have an adjustment on one eyepiece to correct for differences in vision between one eye and the other. Usually you'll just set this once, or if your eyesight is perfectly symmetrical just set it to zero, and leave well alone after that. Not exactly a big problem.

Some have eye cups that are adjustable, and you rotate them to move them in and out. Again, not rocket science.

These are very much the exception rather than the rule. 99.9% of binoculars on the market will be focusable.

You're really making this more complicated than it really is.

I know your right, im way too pedantic. but I just want to get the parents the binoculars that will suit them most

ThunderCat

Alun wrote: »

Most have an adjustment on one eyepiece to correct for differences in vision between one eye and the other. Usually you'll just set this once, or if your eyesight is perfectly symmetrical just set it to zero, and leave well alone after that. Not exactly a big problem.

Some have eye cups that are adjustable, and you rotate them to move them in and out. Again, not rocket science.

These are very much the exception rather than the rule. 99.9% of binoculars on the market will be focusable.

You're really making this more complicated than it really is.

Very true. I actually ended up with mine by accident. Just like the OP I went on a forum and asked for advice on buying a pair and everyone said stay away from zoom. That was grand, but when I went on amazon I panicked and bought a pair with no focus rather than no zoom! Worked out well though because all I wanted them for was stargazing and looking out to sea.

Alun

I actually have a non-focus pair from Decathlon in my rucksack just for when I'm out hillwalking.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/6x25-binoculars-no-adjustment-id_8134003.html

They're pretty crap, but they're cheap, small, lightweight and rugged, and I won't mind too much if they get lost or broken.

Desmo

Standard ordinary default normal binoculars have 2 things that can be adjusted:
1) focus
2) separate focus (dioptre adjustment) to compensate for unequal eyes (as Alun described); you set this once and forget).

Then to use them you just have one thing to adjust: focus. That is it.
It is a big wheel in the middle and is easy to adjust. That is what 99% of binoculars have. Anything else is dodgy.

tom_tarbucket

Thanks all and sorry for all my stupid and pedantic questions

So after all the talk , can anyone recommend me a pair with a link to the exact binoculars

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks all and sorry for all my stupid and pedantic questions

So after all the talk , can anyone recommend me a pair with a link to the exact binoculars

my3cents picked out two good options for you yesterday - they are on page 2 of this thread. Either of them.

tom_tarbucket

ThunderCat wrote: »

my3cents picked out two good options for you yesterday - they are on page 2 of this thread. Either of them.

Thanks, in regard to this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407504464&sr=8-1&keywords=CELESTRON+BINOCULARS+8x40


Does this have any zoom / focus function at all ?

endacl

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

I know your right, im way too pedantic. but I just want to get the parents the binoculars that will suit them most

Honestly, any pair they can hold up and keep steady are the ones that will suit them! Any pair will do the job you describe. Even opera glasses! Replace your criteria with 'looky in bits to the rear, looky out bits to the front, less than 50 quid' and you'll have the binoculars you want.

Desmo

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks, in regard to this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-8x40-No-Focus-Binocular/dp/B003G0RXBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407504464&sr=8-1&keywords=CELESTRON+BINOCULARS+8x40


Does this have any zoom / focus function at all ?

hey have no zoom
they have no focus
they do have a very bad review

endacl

OP. How much do you want to spend? We'll just pick a pair for you!

tom_tarbucket

endacl wrote: »

OP. How much do you want to spend? We'll just pick a pair for you!

:pac:

50 quid only - may be difficult.


Edit : these maybe : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binoculars-Warranty-Magnification-Lightweight-8x40/dp/B008F4Q494/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

ThunderCat

Desmo wrote: »

hey have no zoom
they have no focus
they do have a very bad review

Yea I've seen fixed focus binoculars get bad reviews before. It's mainly because people buy them thinking they can focus with them and they complain everything is blurry as a result of not being able to focus. They buy them not knowing exactly what they do.

ThunderCat

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

:pac:

50 quid only - may be difficult.


Edit : these maybe : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binoculars-Warranty-Magnification-Lightweight-8x40/dp/B008F4Q494/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Pick one from the two that my3cents recommended for you would be my advice. They would be better than these.

my3cents

ThunderCat wrote: »

Pick one from the two that my3cents recommended for you would be my advice. They would be better than these.

Plus they are within your budget and both free postage if you choose that option. I considered the 8 x 40 olympus ones myself but needed something lighter to keep in a rucksack. The other ones just seemed the best offer price I could find with decent feedback in 10 x 50 to give you a second option.

The 8 x 40's are probably going to be the easiest ones to use taking into account weight for handling, size for storage (keeping them handy), ease of focusing, ease of spotting what you are looking and field of view and ease of following a moving target.

If they are going to be used by an older person thats not used to binoculars then again I'd go for the 8 x 40 olympus for most of the above reasons.

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Edit : these maybe : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binoculars-Warranty-Magnification-Lightweight-8x40/dp/B008F4Q494/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

They'll cost you another £10 in postage which you could put towards the olympus ones with free postage.