Replacing binoculars

[Nick Payne <>]

When you are shopping for a pair, it would be worthwhile to check out a pair of image stabilized binoculars. Image stabilization is going to eventually change the whole binocular market in the same way that it has the camera market - the great majority of cameras sold these days have it. With IS you can see better detail due to the stability of the image.

Canon make a waterproof 10x42 IS, but it probably doesn't fit your criteria of light weight.

We have Zeiss 8x40 and Leica 8x42 in our household, both of which I can recommend. Neither are cheap. They're both waterproof - in fact the Leica's manual recommends rinsing the bins in a bowl of water if they get dirty. The Leica also has a coating on the lenses which does a pretty good job of eliminating fogging in wet or cold or foggy conditions.

Nick

On 07/08/10 10:05, Sue Beatty wrote:

Hi All,

 

Sadly, after 23 years, my faithful Condor bins (8x32, Gerber optical) finally gave out on the fabulous (but unseasonably wet for late July!) Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island a couple of weeks ago. As someone who only gets interested in technology at such times of crisis J I’d love to hear any advice or suggestions you could offer as to how to replace them. Like most of you, I need binoculars light enough not to drag when hanging around my neck for hours, that have a wide enough field of view to find the bird somewhere in the patch of tree I thought I saw it fly into, plus good light-gathering ability to help me see birds at dawn and dusk. After recent experience, I’d add good water-proofing. I understand that you get what you pay for – up to a point.

Can I buy them in Canberra these days, or do I need to go to Sydney?

 

Another thing, I’m so impressed by the quality of photos that some of you share on this list. Do you carry both camera and binoculars? Do you have binoculars that take photos?

 

Thanks,

Sue Beatty