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Old 19-12-2010, 08:10 PM
Mousehound
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3
Excellent initial research. I am a "birder" who is just starting to get into astronomy. Therefore I may have it wrong but these are some observations having reviewed and owned many pairs of bins over the years.
As stated already: big magnification is rarely the thing to go for. I use my bins to get an general view and a scope to get in close if needed. Light gathering capabilities are very important and lower power seem clearer. A wide exit lens is usually a good sign. Make sure you know the proper way to focus bins - look it up. If you think you know or didn't know that there is a correct way then you are most likely not doing it right. Ensure that the lenses can be brought together so that they form a single clear circular view. Generally the more you pay the better but I have had great results with a pair of Pentax 8X45 ($140 on ebay) and Nikon Monarch 10 X 40 (the latter are possibly the best value on the market at about $300). I have also had some nice Olympus and Bushnell (Elite) over the years but have not beeen so impresssed with Steiner. Zeiss and leitz are out of my league although I do have quite a nice Swarovski scope.

If, like me, you might like to use your bins for things diurnal then I wouldn't go past the 10X whatever the brand.

The link below gives a reall good summary of "in the field" use.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publica...Age_Binos.html
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