On 12/23/2014 12:54 PM, Bob Whitmire wrote:
Looking for smallish but sensibly powerful field glasses for UK trip
in May. Hardly know where to start. General purpose. Excellent clarity
a must. Stabilization desirable, depending on price.
These are what I carry in my camera bag.
<http://www.amazon.com/Pentax-10x-25mm-Dcf-Binoculrs/dp/B0014PYBJQ>
Yes, they look rather like endless cheap, crummy binoculars sold
everywhere. Yes they are inexpensive.
BUT, BUT, I say, they are really first class optics - in a tiny, light,
under $100 package. I spent endless hours of research and miles of
driving to try out binoculars years ago, and ended up with a pair of B&H
8x42 Waterproof Elites. They are spectacularly good binoculars, as
proved for me in extremely difficult birding situations, for a fair
amount of dosh.
But in decent light, these little Pentaxes are within a fine
hairsbreadth of as good. Phase coated prisms, excellent eye relief,
twist up eye cups, nitrogen purged waterproof, small, light and a really
clear, crisp view. As the light gets dim, they do fall behind the much
larger, heavier 8x42s, but that's not as yet bothered me.
They perform WAY above their size, weight and class. There appear to be
a couple of competitors from Nikon, but neither have phase coated
prisms. The difference is subtle, but makes all the difference is seeing
detail and minimizing eye fatigue. I have a pair of their Travelites (or
did I gift them?), and they aren't in the same league.
On another angle. I believe that any more than 7-9 x is wasted on almost
all users. Holding higher mags steady is tiring to hands and eyes and
doesn't yield any more actual information. I see Pentax makes a 9x28 in
the same series. For me, the size, weight and cost difference isn't
worth it. One really doesn't see any more and the eye relief is less.
Then get Joan a pair of Pentax Papilio 6.1x21s. :-) As Dean said, like
having a stereo microscope you can use in the field. Amazing close-up
views and decent at a distance. Focus down to 1.6 ft.
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10376568&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi>
Moose D'Opinion