UKC

Just gave my Viking budget binos (£100) to my dad, so I'm in the market for a good quality, or best that I can afford, generic brand of binoculars.

Any 10 x 40 recommendations would be gratefully appreciated for general spotting of feathered creatures and stuff.

Please don't suggest something at the top end of the market as I can't afford to spend £1,500+.

Cheers

In reply to The Lemming:

Not exactly what you asked for, but I have been using a pair of these for over a year now since my Leicas died:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-12X25-Travelite-Ex-Binoculars/dp/B000FFP15E/r...

So far I have been very impressed, not too bulky, reasonable low-light performance, slightly fiddly focusing (not surprising at x12) - recommended.


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd rather stick with 40mm-42mm diameter lenses. I've got some cheap small lenses but the extra light that the 40mm lens gives makes a world of difference.

Sadly my 20 x 80MM binoculars are a bit cumbersome for bird spotting.

However I shall be using them tonight to see Venus and Jupiter.

In reply to The Lemming:

I like Nikon bins ; these are good but can be a bit of a faf if you've got big hands but they are relatively compact & have typical quality Nikon finish .

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/76980/show.html

In reply to The Lemming:

I carry mine everywhere (along with all the other crap) so went for some smaller ones. The moons of Jupiter looked fine through them last night!


Chris

In reply to The Lemming:

Bushnell binos always get good reviews and are not stupidly priced:

http://www.binoculars-uk.co.uk/acatalog/Bushnell_Binoculars.html

In reply to The Lemming:

If you can stretch a little bit further, then the Opticron Verano are an amazing bino. They are about £300 and when I've compared them with bins of +£1k, there is not much difference. I've got the 8x42s. They've taken some hammer as well and are still performing amazingly!

The Opticron Countryman are (I think) pretty much the same as my old spec Verano (the pair I have) and are cheaper than the (new) Verano too.

In reply to brokenbanjo:

Stretching to £300 is way over what I'm prepared to spend. Sorry.

In reply to Chris Craggs:

I got a pair of these as a xmas pressie and have also been very impressed with them.

In reply to The Lemming:

Thanks for the replies chaps. I registered with a birdy forum and got a suggestion which I've just snapped up as they were the last pair in the shop.

Looking forward to my new toy.

In reply to The Lemming:
Out of interest, what did you end up with?

In reply to The Lemming: That's some serious perving you'll be doing!

In reply to Siward:

Some Viking ex-demo jobbies

http://shop.vikingoptical.co.uk/shop/viking-10x42-md-ex-demo/

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

How vary dare you, sir!

In reply to The Lemming:

If any birder's are in the room and are interested then my replacement binoculars have arrived and I love them. Yes, there is a little colour disfiguration on the tips of the rubber but I'm only talking a bout a few mills of colour change, which would have happened if I'd had them from new anyway.

So, a big thumbs up from me for saving one hundred and fifty notes on ex-demo binoculars.

If anybody is in the market for binoculars then I'm on my second pair of Vikings and its second-hand all the way for top notch quality.

Off out to see some tits.

http://shop.vikingoptical.co.uk/shop/category/ex-demo-binoculars/