can anybody recommend a good pair of binoculars for birdwatching ? for under £100. many thanks.
We use Bushnell 10x42s. They are good enough for casual watching and have good eye relief should you wear glasses as we do. BUT, there is no way that you should try just one pair or work on someone else's recommendation alone.
Go to an Optics shop and try several - look in birding mags for the adverts or google binocular shops in your area - tell the guys there what you are going to use them for and how you want to use them ie do they need to be waterproof, rubberised to take knocks, light to handle and dangle round your neck.
Gas filled give better images but are more expensive. They can be better in low light in particular, so with the woods behind your house, it might be better to go up the price range a bit for that capability alone, nothing worse than seeing "something" in my opinion.
All this is true for spotting scopes too, moreso perhaps because there is a lot oc cheap stuff around, but cheap stuff can become expensive mistakes.
RSPB gear is good but expensive if you are just starting out.
ok thank you yes i do wear glasses how much are they ?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bushnell-10-42-15-1042-Binoculars/dp/B0000A0AEK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1294062015&sr=8-9
This is an Amazon link but please note that we already had one pair and then bought a second pair by this route. Do try them first in a shop. I don't think you'll be disappointed but....
The porros on the link are cheaper but you may find them bulky to use
HI TONY WHAT DOES EYE RELIEF MEAN ON A PAIR OF BINOCULARS ?. is it where you can fold down the rubber eye caps ?. awaiting your reply many thanks.
http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars5_eyerelief.html
This explains all, and more, that you need to know. Essentially, if the binoculars have too little eye relief adjustment, then you may well see a black spot obscuring the image which makes it impossible to use the bins. This is really why you need to try them to check the amount of adjustment. It enables you to take your glasses off but use the binoculars perfectly well.
We have invested about £2.50 in some Specsaver glasses cords so we can just wip our specs off and not have to worry about putting them somewhere safe too.
cheers tony thanks for your help much appreiciated.
Hi cheeseycheesecakes,
There is some useful info on binoculars in our Gear Guide Forum, including discussions on budget bins.
Hope that helps!
Best wishes,Lucinda
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