£500 Binoculars

[andybrock]

I've got a budget of around £500 for a pair of bino's, what would be the best make in this price range? They will be used for low light early morning / late evening spotting, something like 8x56 maybe?

 

I've been told Steiners are pretty good?

 

Or would I be better off looking for a good quality second hand pair?

 

Cheers Andy

[1967spud]

andy

 

have you considered sightron

 

http://www.1967spud.com/index.php/the-shop/74-optics/385-siiilr-8x42-binoculars.html

[Davy]

I use Steiners and they are superb. I have civvy and military versions and cannot fault them in any way.

[Danpd]

Another vote for steiners, if buying new. If buying second hand, then an older pair of Zeiss would be my choice.

[Offroad Gary]

You might get swarovski slc's s/h for that if you shop around, that would be my choice

[22/250 foxer]

Khales

[baldie]

Andy , there is a good shop near me at Denby Dale [of the pie fame ] called in-focus. he sells binos and spotting scopes. Has an upper floor with big open windows, and you can sit there all day , testing the stuff he has. Its a bird watchers shop really, but the range of products and advice is second to none. The wife bought me a pair of top end minox for my 40th , and these have been superb. not too far from you and worth a visit.

 

http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/shops.html

[Tuck]

Second hand lecias I think! There is some on The bay there now for £475 but be quick

[eldon]

Andy , there is a good shop near me at Denby Dale [of the pie fame ] called in-focus. he sells binos and spotting scopes. Has an upper floor with big open windows, and you can sit there all day , testing the stuff he has. Its a bird watchers shop really, but the range of products and advice is second to none. The wife bought me a pair of top end minox for my 40th , and these have been superb. not too far from you and worth a visit.

 

http://www.at-infocus.co.uk/shops.html

 

Yep used this shop and the people who work there are not salesmen. Actually to the contrary. When I bought my bins I was asking about steiners and they didn't seem very in favour with them despite selling them. He directed me to a pair of Opticron's and commented on the warranty and good after sales service. These were over £100 cheaper than the Steiners what I was going to buy.

Very happy with them and against the girlfriends Leica's the only difference is more chromatic abberation at distant horizon features (green edge haze).

 

Like a knob, I needed to test the after sales service when trying to carry too much stuff and dropped them, objective lens first onto the carpeted floor. Dinked the rim and appeared to chip the glass slightly. Rang them up, sent them direct to UK address and £38 later and about a week returned with warranty fully intact.

 

Opticron, good product, excellent after sales and would definitely buy again.

[andybrock]

Thanks for the replies chaps, plenty of options to ponder. With bins a lot of manufactures seem to offer 8x42 or 10x42 would these give the same performance as 8x56 or 10x56? With scopes we seem to always go for the larger objectives for low light does the same apply to bino's?

[Tuck]

I think the its the same as in bigger objective more light but dont forget the bigger the heavier! I have a pair of leica 10x50 if I could buy again I'd go for the 10x42 or 8x42 they would be lighter and they won't magnify haze as much as the bigger ones.

[David Hancock]

LeicaUK have an ex demo section on their website - check it out http://www.leica-select.co.uk/Search/Sport%20Optics