Thanks all, Just requested the Bird Guides version
Geoff
Still waiting for delivery - a long time from the 23rd. RSPB said they only sent this Wed, a week after placing the order, and not here today despite £3 postage. grrrrr
I use bushnell trophy which i paid 30£ for on ebay brand new retail price is 112£ optically they are very good but they do feel quite heavy when lugging them round for 5 hours with scope and tripod.
Was just going to edit my previous post to add a bit of meat to the bones but for some reason it wont let me so I'll post again here. Hope people dont mind.
My main pair are a pair of Leica 10x42BA's which i purchased 11 or so years ago after having a pair of the Opticron BGA's for a short while, and prior to that so many 'bad bins' you wouldnt believe. I have a second pair of Nikon 8x32HG's as a spare/take anywhere pair. I use my bins a lot at work (and for looking at insects) and didnt want to carry my best around. The Nikons were a bargain special offer at the time, and the close focus is superb for dragonflies.
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
I use Opticron HR 10x42 porros, old but very good optically. I'm going to be buying the new Opticron Imagic 8x42 oasis next week They have all the modern features but the main thing the old HRs lack is close focus which i have become more and more frustrated with recently. I also have a pair of Samsung 7x25 compacts which go everywhere with me. They're not brilliant but the armouring on them means i can stick them in a pocket or bag without too much worry, if a dropped them they would bounce! My wife also uses Imagic 8x42.
My first bins where a pair of Tasco zooms 8-20x40 i think they where. Christmas present of my mum and dad, i used them for years and saw some great birds. It wasn't until i started looking at "proper" bins that i realised how awfull they where.
I use Nikon Sporter 10x36. Pretty cheap, but they are OK. Unfortunately, due to Nikon D70 and Tamron 200-500mm lens I can't really afford anything better. My girlfriend uses Opticron imagic 10x42. Again, fairly cheap. Her money was spent on a Leica APO 77.
Both of us would like better bins, but if we spent large amounts on better bins we wouldn't be able to afford our trips to Norfolk and Scotland!
ian i remember your admiralsthey looked like 2 black dustbins with rope on emand when you let me look through em everything looked further away than with my normal eyesalthough at the time i did lie and tell you they were belters as it made our day every time we saw em i now use lieca 8x42ba,and bauch and lomb 10x42 discovery,depending how i feel that day-better than my 1st ones which were 2x opera glasses
A well worn pair of Swarovski 8.5x42 EL's, my 9 year old son has a pair of 8x23 Opticron Savanna which come in handy for me from time to time and often find their way into the glove box of the car 'just in case'!
My first bins were Boots Admiral 10x50's, absolutely massive they were and so heavy I could only look at birds at my feet, well almost anyway I then progressed to a pair of Kowa 7X35's which my dad still uses to this day and they're still excellent both optically and ergonomically despite being 21 years old! My penultimate pair of bins though were the superb Zeiss 10x40BGAT that gave me superb service right until they fogged up at Porthgwarra one October and I knew they had to go, in the end I sold them to a guy who counted deer in Scotland for a very reasonable return.
This could be interesting To start the ball rolling then - My main pair are a pair of Leica 10x42BA's and I have a second pair of Nikon 8x32HG's as a spare/alternative pair.
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No one on their death bed ever said they wished they'd spent more time at work. http://bitsnbirds.blogspot.co.uk
I prefer the clips on the Birdguides set. The video is pretty good and many species are see in plumages that you don't see here in the UK. Details can be found on the Birdguides website. It costs £30, but seem to remember picking my copy up from Minsmere RSPB for £15 in a sale last year.
I have the Paul Doherty Birds of Britain and Europe DVD's, which are very comprehensive...
I have this one too, and it is very good, although I prefer the Birdguides set "DVD Video Guide to British Birds". This is 5 discs, covering 250 species and runs for 10 hours.
Thanks chaps. Will get it soon. Part/exc'd my imagic 10x50's yesterday for a pair of imagic BGA.PC.ASF.T oasis 8x42, so skint.
Really liked the 10x50's but got frustrated with the slow focus, and the 4.5m close focus. I love mounted bins. Two eyes are better than one Not stopped raining since. Hope to try them at Etherow tomorrow
spooky! i was flicking through that same dvd last night, brushing up before my norfolk trip. if you want a dvd to help you with i.d. you cant go wrong with this one mate
I have the Paul Doherty Birds of Britain and Europe DVD's, which are very comprehensive and act as a very good alternative guide, the images are superb and the comentary by Paul, typically instructive, no field guide can offer the moving pictures of DVD's and are great for watching bird behaviour etc, trouble is I don't watch them because I prefer books
hi geoff i got "life of birds "off ebay for £12 with david attenbrough 3 disc and lasts over 5 hrs viewing.the dvds were great to watch and well worth the money.ive watched a few of the rspb ones when theve had them on in the shops at leighton moss and conway and they also are very good quality.
so I'll post again here. Hope people dont mind.
