8x20 or 10x25?
Derk
I would like to hear your opinion about what would be better for
birdwatching in a delta area: a pair of 8x20 or 10x25 binoculars?
I'm very familiar with binoculars for astronomy, but I want to buy a pair of
Ultravids that I can put in my pocket when I go cycling, so that I always
have a pair of binoculars ready for use.
Is there a good reason not to get the 10x25? I mostly watch white egrets,
spoonbills, storks and other smeller birds you find in wetlands.
TIA, Derk
Derk
> and other smeller birds
That should be "smaller" of course.
Rick
--
Rick Holbrook
Fargo, ND
N 46°53'07"
W 096°48'18"
or
46.887527N
-96.805079W
Remember the USS Liberty
http://www.ussliberty.org/
Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net
Derk
> I use 10x42 and my wife uses 10x30 so 10x25 would be my first choice.
I also have a preference for 10x25, but the drawbacks are:
-8x20 nearest focus 3m, 10x25 6m (but when do you use bincoculars for birds
that close by?)
-Bigger package? No idea. Can anyone say anything about folded size?
- 10x25 have a narrower field of view.
I have a pair of 9.5x42 binoculars that I can hold steady, so I guess 10x
shouldb't be a huge problem either.
Derk
Larry Sheldon
My personal experience shows that the higher the magnification, the more
inherent my twitchiness makes it impossible to see small objects at a
distance, so that is a waste.
On the other hand, being able to see in dim light is a boon. So for
me, the biggest front windows I can support steadily are what I want.
(I have some x80's that need a tripod, but are a delight for peering
into the gloom of the twilight woods from the house.)
The tiebreaker is the ability to focus on close-in objects (does that
bird at ten feet have the white eye-ring?).
Having said all that, the ones I usually have close at hand are Bushnell
7-15x25's. I rarely crank them up to the higher magnification.
So I would go with the10x25's of the two offered.
The optical rules for birds are very similar to the ones for celestial
stuff. (I've done a little of each.)
--
Superfluity does not vitiate
California Civil Code quote-#3537
http://lwolt.wordpress.com/
http://tinyurl.com/269dspw # <-- Where I live
3
Larry Sheldon
I speak (read, and of course write) typo.
Larry Sheldon
> Rick wrote:
>
>> I use 10x42 and my wife uses 10x30 so 10x25 would be my first choice.
> I also have a preference for 10x25, but the drawbacks are:
>
> -8x20 nearest focus 3m, 10x25 6m (but when do you use bincoculars for birds
> that close by?)
Speaking for myself only--when looking for field marks originally
documented with a dead bird in hand. Also in twilight conditions, or
when using eyes that are developing an amioderone haze.
> -Bigger package? No idea. Can anyone say anything about folded size?
> - 10x25 have a narrower field of view.
The Busnell glasses 7-15x25s in their pouch will just fit in a large
jacket pocket. (5½ x 5½ x 2 pouch with a belt loop.)
Larry Sheldon
> On 3/16/2011 12:40 PM, Derk wrote:
>> Rick wrote:
>>
>>> I use 10x42 and my wife uses 10x30 so 10x25 would be my first choice.
>> I also have a preference for 10x25, but the drawbacks are:
>>
>> -8x20 nearest focus 3m, 10x25 6m (but when do you use bincoculars for
>> birds
>> that close by?)
>
> Speaking for myself only--when looking for field marks originally
> documented with a dead bird in hand. Also in twilight conditions, or
> when using eyes that are developing an amioderone haze.
>
>> -Bigger package? No idea. Can anyone say anything about folded size?
>> - 10x25 have a narrower field of view.
>
> The Busnell glasses 7-15x25s in their pouch will just fit in a large
> jacket pocket. (5½ x 5½ x 2 pouch with a belt loop.)
Rick
and dragonflies.
maryann
I just looked at my Zeiss binoculars to see which they are and they
are not marked! I don't remember which size I ended up buying but I
do know that I did a lot of research before I bought them. I have a
bit of palsy in my hands so that was a big factor. There are several
sites that compare various sizes and brands. I think Bird Watches
Digest did a series of articles on the this and I would think that
they would still be available. At any rate no matter what size you
end up buying, buy the best ones that you can afford. I think optics
are one field where you actually get what you pay for.
Larry Sheldon
> I just looked at my Zeiss binoculars to see which they are and they
> are not marked!
That's odd. Most of mine are marked on the end of the center hinge, One
may be around the perimeter of the big lens.
Derk
> At any rate no matter what size you
> end up buying, buy the best ones that you can afford. I think optics
> are one field where you actually get what you pay for.
I agree with you. I only have Swarovski and Zeiss optics. The ones I own are
for astronomical observing, though, like the Zeiss Nightowl binoculars.
What I'm specifizally looking for now is binoculars of the highest quality,
but small enough to be useful for the observation of birds. I ride my racing
bike for 2 hours/day and I live in a delta area with lots of birds.
Sometimes I see birds I'd like to identify, but they're too far away for the
naked eye, so I need something I always have in my back pocket of a cycling
jersey. It should be water resistant, of the highest optical quality and
have big enough optics to be useful. I'm thinking ultravid 8x20 or 10x25. I
tend to buy the 10x25, but have no idea how big they are when folded up.
I do have a paur of 8x30 Swarovski's , but these are still too big to take
with me on the bike every day.
Derk
Derk
Howard Lester
> I would like to hear your opinion about what would be better for
> birdwatching in a delta area: a pair of 8x20 or 10x25 binoculars?
When you say "delta," I envision wanting to see birds at a fair distance. If
that's the case, I'd easily opt for the 10x25. I have 9x25 Nikon Travelite
V's that I like a lot, and use them to view across a large farm field out my
bedroom window. The field of view isn't wide enough to my liking -- only 5.6
degrees -- but I'm sure there are 10's that are at least that wide.
If you want to drive yourself crazy, go to www.birdforum.net and look at the
binocular sub-forum. Your question has been asked before, and it's induced a
myriad of answers.
Derk
> When you say "delta," I envision wanting to see birds at a fair distance.
Most of the time, yes.
> If that's the case, I'd easily opt for the 10x25.
I tend to agree with you. I should have a look at these binoculars and see
if these 10x25 easily fit in the pocket my cycling jersey. Another factor
is closest focus.
> I have 9x25 Nikon
> Travelite V's that I like a lot, and use them to view across a large farm
> field out my bedroom window. The field of view isn't wide enough to my
> liking -- only 5.6 degrees -- but I'm sure there are 10's that are at
> least that wide.
I looked at the data on teh Leica website, but I only found a brochure for
the 10x25, not for the 8x20 .
> If you want to drive yourself crazy, go to www.birdforum.net and look at
> the binocular sub-forum. Your question has been asked before, and it's
> induced a myriad of answers.
Thanks, I'll do that! :-)
Derk