Hi
I have been looking into purchasing a good quality pair of binoculors for birding not just in woodland but around the coastline and across fields I was looking at swaro els but unsure on the swaro vision as Ide heard bad reports of the rolling ball effect , the other ones I looked at were Leica ultra vids which I actually quite like due to the size and the fact that they are black . Whilst deciding which ones to go for I was told to look at the new hawk apo binoculors , does anyone own these binoculors ? How do they stack up ? Another thing I’m struggling with is do I go for 8 x or 10 x .
Hope someone can advise .
I'll echo Whistling Joes advice, optics are very much an individual thing, just the same as clothing and footwear (something I learned through 40 or so years as a hill and moorland walker plus camping, clothing, footwear and associated gear is very much a personal thing) with a small plus.
A lot will depend on your budget and how big or small you want to go.
There are RSPB reserves which have optic weekends where you can try before you buy and they have staff able to advise you around your needs and budget. Also many Wildlife Trusts have optic weekends, so if there isn't an RSPB one nearby, check them out.
Personally, I use Nikon Travelite 10x25 binoculars, nice, light and small, and are comparable to the lens I use on my camera, but probably more important, they're weatherproof, which as a former (grounded no thanks to an inconsiderate motorist running a red light) hill and moorland walker, was invaluable.
The Travelite's were retired after almost 30 years service, and all that is wrong is the eyecups have become loose, but still usable and enjoying an easy life at home for the garden.
The replacement pair now have to endure the elements.
But the important thing is, if you can, try before you buy.
One bit of advice from me is set yourself a budget, it is really no good looking at two grand binoculars if all you can afford is one grand. There is a massive selection of decent bins in the mid range names worth looking at Opticron, Hawke and Celestron among others. Of course if you can afford it go for the big names, have fun trying them out and enjoy your choice
Go onto the web pages of both Birdwatch and Birdwatching magazines they have copies of past tests. Another source of info is the Bird Forum optics section and don't forget to look at Seymours threads on tthis forum he has offered loads of good advice on here over the years.