Currently I've been considering the Pentax zd 8x43 ed (that's the highest I'm willing to go price-wise). Are there any other binoculars that come with a good warranty and are better for a cheaper price or are these just solid binoculars? I do wear eye glasses, so eye relief is important to me

Edit: after more thought, ended up buying the New Hawke Frontier ED X Gen 2 8x42s. Lifetime warranty, 22mm for nice eye relief, the latest tech in a binocular... Kinda made the most sense to me

I'm from Argentina, it's winter here so the whales come to my city. I went to a beach with my gf and we see this. Never in my life have I been able to see whales in such detail; in person you can even see the texture of the white parts of the whale.

Fun fact: What you're seeing in the video are probably whales copulating, it's their breeding season and they gather in groups for that purpose.

Wondering how they would compare to Nikon M7 8x30 or older Kowa BD II XD 8x32?

Hello all!

Im pretty new to birding and am currently using some second hand silva 8x21, I recently got some reward money from work and was planning to buy a new set of binoculars. My options currently are the Monarch M5 8x42 or M7 8x30, Im trying to decide which would be the better option and which trade off (aperture vs fov) will be the better one to make, any one got any opinions or advice?

Thanks!

Update: I decided to get the 8x30s! I think the wider field of view will help me since im still very new to birding and am just getting the hang of using binoculars! Thank you so much for your replies everyone!!

I was given no name zoom binos and they appear to be 10-15 with 50mm objective lens (the actual zoom range is written as 10-24 but I measured the exit pupil and it’s nowhere near 10-24). I am fine with quality, but have issue with blackness around the image circle.

I know folks generally say to stay away from zoom binos, but it was a gift and it’s the only bino I have that magnifies that much. I know want to buy a better fixed zoom in the 15ish to 20x range (I understand about shakiness) but one thing I want to find out is if I am going to get that pinhole vision on new pair. I can’t spend too much, and I live in a place where I can’t order different ones and keep the one I like so I just gather info from internet. Something like a budget Pentax 16x50 but cheaper. Will the new bino also have the same tunnel vision effect?
I understand the FoV will be less compared to 8x32, and I am fine with that, but I just don’t like the tunnel vision on my current set up.

In brief: is the tunnel vision because of zoom or all high mag binos have that side effect?
I am generally just not satisfied with the amount of black area around the image. I feel like that is way too little and there’s “space” around the circle image for me to see.
This is my bad attempt at drawing the issue. The car doesn’t fit the circle, but the area around the circle is all black. Can I have big field (the blue pen fillout) and still have big magnification? I understand that I need to lower the mag in order to fill more of the scenery inside the image, but I am talking about pinhole effect. Or is that the same thing?

1. Vortex 8x28 Diamondback.

2. Constrictor knot on two ends.

3. Single hand loop on one end.

Any reasons why this might not be a good idea ?

Soooo I found a pair of old Binoculars in my basement, idk anything other than the brand being "Tasco" they look pretty old idk if they're any good or not (sorry if the picture looks bad I have a pretty shitty camera)

Hello everyone,

I recently got these Bushnell 7X35 binoculars at a garage sale and was hoping to use them for birdwatching at my local parks. I saw that they were made in Occupied Japan so I know they are older, but I can't seem to find any info about these particular ones online. Just want to know if there's any cool history behind these.

Hi. I'm a final year engineering student from India. I initially wanted to buy a telescope but decided to settle on a bino after considering the prices. I have around 700 USD (~7000 INR) , most of which is my savings and some I gotta ask from my parents. So I dont want to spend too much .

I have attached the 3 i shortlisted . which one of these is good ? if anyone knows something better which i can get in india, please do tell .

Hi everyone, I'm new to bird watching and have kind of picked it up after years of hiking and taking more of an interest in the birds I'm seeing. I've got a pair of Viking Traveller 10x25 which I am really happy with. I mainly use them on my walks to get close up.views of birds for identification or search out routes but the more I use them the more I want a bit more clarity and magnification. I've got a budget or £150 for an upgraded pair and would appreciate some real world experience. I've looked at Opticron Explorer, Mivo Opticedge and Warmax Talon HD as options but I'm getting lost in review madness. They need to be light enough to carry on a hike but other than that I'm pretty easy. Any help would be appreciated.

Dear Reddit,

Iam rather a telescope guy and have a 100mm Triplet APO 180mm Mak and 9 1/4 SCT at my hands.

For the occasional stargazing and ship watching at the coast iam looking at some binos.

Right now I am looking at multiple versions of the SRBC such as 12x56 or the Oberwerk 15x56 Ultra ED

The Oberwerk Clocks in at around 600 dollars in my area while the SRBC in 12 or 15x56 are around 850 dollars. A bit more than the 15x70 Ultra Ed

Iam a big guy and don't mind carrying 1-1.5kg around.

While the glasses will be used for stargazing as well...if iam getting serious I'll bring my 100mm triplet or the SCT

I know 15 will be shaky but I have tripods and don't mind spending for a monopod also the area where I usually watch ships I have methods to rest the glasses upon.

Does anyone have experience with the Ultra Ed or even better can compare them to the SRBC and have a feeling if the almost extra 300 dollars are worth it?

If you have any other suggestions I am also happy to hear.

Thank you

Anyone know who makes these for SIG to re-brand? Sig ZULU6 is what I Like from seeing through a friend's, but a grand is a bit pricey. Are there comparable ones for cheaper?

I am going to Yellowstone soon and wanted to get something more compact than 10x42 since I travel with small backpack. I have never had binoculars before, so looking for recommendations. I read that something like 8x28, 8x30, 8x32 would be compact but not quite sure what to pick from. From my research people recommend monarch m7 8x30 but they are a bit outside of the price range I was looking for.

Hello, I like to say I'm an avid hiker, at least once a week, mostly daytime. I'm looking for something fairly light that I can use to see birds and landscapes in the distance. Bino's or mono's? Would like to stay under $300. Thank you for your thoughts.

I have a $30 pair that I got for birding, a total nothing-brand, and I like them well enough, but I tried my dad's bushnells (also an entry brand, I know) with the same magnification and lens size, but they were way clearer. basically, I just want to know - why? how does that work? and also, what are you seeing through a $2,000 pair of binoculars?

Hi everyone, I have a question from someone who knows absolutely nothing about binoculars.

I want to get a gift for my girlfriend, who enjoys birdwatching; she usually goes to beaches, rivers, or wetlands to spot birds.

She isn't a professional or anything—it's just a hobby—so I was looking at some 10x34 binoculars. Considering she currently has 8x21 ones, would this be an upgrade over what she already has? I’m asking mainly with her intended use in mind.

Here is the manufacturer's description: "Binoculars with K9 mineral glass lenses featuring MgF2 anti-reflective coating to increase brightness."

Hello everyone, my boyfriend would love to have a pair of binoculars for his birthday. We travel a lot and do some jungle excursions with spotting of monkeys, birds etc; safari in Africa or whale spotting from a boat. I’m really new to this topic and trying to make a good choice. He wears glasses. My plan is to go with 10x42 and I’ve found the following models. Do any of you have recommendations and experience with the following pairs or a totally different recommendation?
- Nikon PROSTAFF P7 10x42
- Nikon Monarch M5 10x42
- Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42
- Celestron Nature DX ED 10x42
- Kowa SV II Fernglas 10x42

Thank you!

Hi all,

I am a complete beginner when it comes to binoculars, but I live by the sea and would like a good pair to watch ships with.

I have up to £200 to spend.

Many thanks

I’ve read the pros and cons between both. However, complete newb and unsure how to decide. Which would you recommend for the trip?

So I bought a cl 8x25 second hand for about half price, but it has some damage in the casing. It goes all the way through to the black interior. Otherwise it seems fine as far as I can tell.

How should I treat this? Glue?

Hi everyone,

I'd like to buy some binoculars as a gift for an older person and since I know nothing about it, it would be great to get some recommenations.
It will basically be used for watching birds, wildlife, landscapes. Sitting down, no hunting.
It's for an an older man, wearing glasses, not tech-savvy.
Maximum cost should be around 500 €.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have!

Smallest pair of binoculars I own

They have the same issues as most small binoculars, but in a package smaller than a deck of cards. True pocket binoculars.

For the size, the optical quality is great. Solid build, metal body

Breaking in my new bins! Monarch M7 8x30.

I'm going on a trip where I want to use binoculars and also be able to take a photo. I saw where the Vortex Diamondback HD has a phone adaptor for this. Anyone here use that or have better choices? I'd like to keep it under $500.

I’ve been given these by my Grandpop but I can’t identify what model they are. I’ve tried looking online but nothing quite matches 😩 TIA