Binoculars

Any recommendation for a good binoculars I am going on a safari soon

Thanks

Canon Image stabilised binoculars. Steady view when stabilised. Need a small 123 type battery.
--
Planter

I would recomend either Leica or Swarovski.

http://www.swarovskioptik.at/

http://www.leica-camera.co.uk/nature_observation/

These are probably (my opinion) among the best in the world that you can get, however they are very expensive - they are worth it though.

If you buy one of these you should never need to buy binocluars again, they will pretty much last for life.

I have a pair of Leica Ultravid 10 x 50 they are superb, and also lightweight. The image is very bright and very detailed. They are very well suited for dim scenes, and are also fully waterproof.

The problem is the price, however the first time I tried a pair out in a shop I was stunned at the image quality, and decided that I had to get a pair. The image was very clear, bright with a very 3 dimensional quality. It took me several years before I actually did get a pair though. It was a trip to Yellowstone that spurred me on.

If these are too pricey for you, then try and find a good binocular shop and try several pairs out. However if you try Leica or Swarovski then most others will feel poor in comparison.

However there are lots of other good makes out there. Nikon, Canon with IS, Zeiss etc.

Go for at least 10x50.

Weight can be an issue if you are going to be holding them all day, but if you are on a safari landrover, then this probably won't be an issue.

Try to get a pair with multi-coated lenses. The coating helps to reduce reflections and will give a brighter image.

Avoid cheap (sub $100/£50 ) pairs. They are really only toys.

Best of luck, and try before you buy
----
Conan
http://www.conanbutcher.com

conan:

Is this what you are talkning about

Thanks

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=297731&is=USA&addedTroughType=search

Here are two good sites for getting up to date on quality binoculars.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/LivingBird/winter2005/Age_Binos.html

http://www.betterviewdesired.com/

The Zeiss Victory FLT 8 x 42 (the new flouride ones) are as good as binoculars get.

I tried Leica and Swarovski, the other two top brands and the Zeiss were clearly superior in definition, speed of focus, close focusing ability, night viewing, feel and overall quality.

price was not an issue, I wanted the best and got the best

you will not be disapponted with the Zeiss

top of the Cornell labs tree

look here

http://binoculars.org/birding/Reviews/Zeiss/VictoryFLT8x42.html

That's a difficult question to answer without a price range. I prefer swarovski for several reasons. I like the armour coating better than some of the other brands. They claim better water resistance and they have worked well for me in some very difficult enviornments. If you are going on game drives you may be out at night so be sure to consider the diameter as well as the power carefully. Every ones face/vision and taste is different. The most important advice I can give is to find a sporting goods stote with the models/brands you like that will take you outside to look through them. Try to do this as it's getting dark if you can. Viewing glass inside a store is of little value IMO. I have both 8.5x42 EL's and 7x30 SLC's. The SLC's are 1/2 the price and an excellent buy. They do not transmitt as mich light as a 42mm lens but they are a fraction of the size and weight as well. I could easily make this the only pair of Binos I use. Don't cheat your self on good glass. Best of luck and enjoy Africa.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=328257&is=USA&addedTroughType=search

Is this the one

... will be the most useful at high power from a moving vehicle! There is now one model with an "L" designation!

I also have Fujinon 16 x 70's ... which need support (tripod, etc.), but are relatively cheap for big glass.
KP
--



http://www.ahomls.com/photo.htm
http://www.phillipsphotographer.com
Voted Best of the City 2004 by Cincinnati Magazine

I don't believe in fate, but I do believe in f/8! And while you're at it, don't be afraid to vote Libertarian, for REAL freedom!

I use Steiner which are excellent in low light and are extremely strudy

Swarovski EL 8x32 binoculars are simply fabulous, but are not cheap. I never thought I would spend that much on binoculars, because I am primarily a bird photographer and I spend my money on camera gear. However, I have no regrets whatsoever about my Swarovski purchase. The 8.5x42 pair lets in substantially more light, but they are heavy.

Lets face it, without a support the binos are just like a long tele lens and most of the quality is lost in movement.

Get yourself a set of Canon image stabilised binos and you will be able to see the detail. Are the lenses as good as ziess etc?? don't know but like movie cameras real live view is much more foregiving that still cameras and the IS makes all the difference in the world(just like IS lenses on a camera.)
--
'You Know You Are Getting Old When The
Candles Cost More Than The Cake'

Wow, those are nice.

Colin46 said:

The Zeiss Victory FLT 8 x 42 (the new flouride ones) are as good as
binoculars get.

I tried Leica and Swarovski, the other two top brands and the Zeiss
were clearly superior in definition, speed of focus, close focusing
ability, night viewing, feel and overall quality.

price was not an issue, I wanted the best and got the best

you will not be disapponted with the Zeiss

top of the Cornell labs tree

look here

http://binoculars.org/birding/Reviews/Zeiss/VictoryFLT8x42.html

Click to expand...

--
Chris, Broussard, LA

You need to test drive these. How they feel in your hand is very important (i.e. don't shop on-line till you've handled your choice). After that choose magnification (7,8,10x). Finally, and most importantly as already stated, you will only appreciate the difference between a $50 vs $1500 bino when comparing them in dim or hazy light. Shop in the evening if you can, point them into dark pockets of the store (rafters?) and try to pick out detail, or arrange to take them outside. Even a $50 bino looks okay in good light.

A dozen years ago when shopping good glass, I settled on Swarovski SLC (pre EL days) 10x42. If I were shopping today, I would my do my research all over again. So much has changed, including a nearly doubling of the prices.

Yes mine are like that, except they are Black in colour.

--
Conan
http://www.conanbutcher.com

Including Fujinons, Nikon "Superior E"'s, have had Steiners, ...the ones I grab most often are the Canon IS 10X30 . Canon also has a newer 12X42 ( I believe it is) that is waterproof -- the 10X30 is not. I plan to get this one because I am often out in the wet .

The Canon IS sizes larger than these do not have the same level of good user reports.

The IS makes the difference between just looking at something, and "studying" it!

Highly recommended!

Larry

Thareja said:

Any recommendation for a good binoculars I am going on a safari soon

Thanks

Click to expand...

I have a pair of the canon 10x40 "L" binoculars. They are the best pair of binocs that I've ever owned. I love the IS. However, they eat batteries like there's no tomorrow. Runs on a pair of AA cells and you get about an hours worth of run time out of an alkaline type battey.

There are a couple things I dont like about them:

1. the lens caps keep falling off. Canon really dropped the ball on the design of them.
2. the eyecups, where they meet your nose is a bit uncomfortable.

-dickm

I concur with those recommending the Canon's with IS.

I have Leica 10x50 BA's and Canon 12x36 IS 2's. I personally much prefer the Canon overall. They are much lighter and the IS is critical to stop the movement of the hands at magnifications over 8X for almost everyone, unless you've got rock steady hands. The IS is fantastic!

The Leica's are very sturdy and beautifully constructed, and have slightly better at resolution of fine detail, especially in twilight. So for birder's it may make a diference. But honestly, I just don't notice any loss of quality when the Canon's are in my hands.

In fact, I've been meaning to put the Leica's on ebay, because at 1/2 the price and 1/2 the weight, the Canon's with IS are the one's I choose to take with me 99% of the time.

I'm really curious. Why is there no review or mention of Canon binoculars with IS in either of these review sites? I have just taken out my Leica 10x50 BA's and Canon 12x36 IS 2's out for a head to head comparison out my window to confirm my earlier impressions I posted earlier (but further down) in this thread of these two binoculars which I happen to own. And the IS is indispensible to me. It removes all that eye strain and muscle tensing that occurs as you try to hold the image steady.

As someone else remarked, it allows you to truly study what you are looking at. Now that I own a pair with IS and can see the difference it makes, I would never buy binoculars again without it.

When I bought the Leica's 10 years ago, the salesman warned me about the "blur" caused by hand movements at magnifications over 8X. IS makes that a moot point at 12x. Truly impressive.

Which is why I find it really odd that these reviews totally ignore Canon binoculars with IS as if they didn't exist in their comparison of all the other brands, including the Nikon's.

I'll bet that Swarovski, Leica, and the rest of the high end binocular market are working on some type of image stabilization for their binoculars right now. Because this technology's use with them is the best advance in binoculars I've seen in a LONG time.

Anyway, back to cameras, I know this is all off topic here. But as lovers of optics, many here are probably interested in the subject, and may have contemplated getting a pair of binoculars at some point if they don't already own a pair.