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
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|