[arpanjha]

Hi fellow Bhpians. I have been wanting to buy a binocular for a long time since I was a kid, but was never able to. Recently on a trip to China I got attracted to some good powerful Bushnell ones but was afraid they would get stuck at customs so dropped the idea. Now after a long time I have finally decided to get one. Need help from you guys for just a few selections I have made.
Main viewing will be airplanes, I stay near the airport, just 1.5kms from the end of the runway, so want to spot some reg nos. of a few private planes and spotting some cruising at high altitude around 40,000 ft and higher. Secondly, want to see birds, animals on short trips etc. I am not really interested in planetary gazing but once in a while a full moon attracts.
I have shortlisted a Celestron Skymaster 15-35x zoom binocular, Nikon Aculon A211 10-23x50 zoom. Zoom binocular is what has caught my attention because I want to spot something then zoom in. Catching zoomed view to final magnification is something difficult I feel, want suggestions from advanced users. If going for a fixed magnification Celestron 71008 has caught my attention. Can anyone suggest a similar magnification on a smaller body? I am not particularly interested in small and light, but I want to check if anything similar is available maybe for few grands more. How about this: Nikon Sportstar 8-24 seems compact as well as decent zoom.
Another thing, anyone here knows if electronic zoom cameras are good? Found this on Amazon : Olympus tracker 10-30

Eagerly waiting for suggestions.

[Aiel]

Originally Posted by arpanjha

Main viewing will be airplanes, I stay near the airport, just 1.5kms from the end of the runway, so want to spot some reg nos. of a few private planes and spotting some cruising at high altitude around 40,000 ft and higher.
Eagerly waiting for suggestions.

I do not have too much experience with binoculars and telescopes, but have extensive experience with plane spotting.

A binocular/telescope will not help you in seeing the registrations of aircraft. The aircraft typically move too fast for seeing the registrations. The only way that will work is if you use an app such as FlightRadar24 (for checking the registrations in parallel with looking at them through the binoculars/telescope).

[arpanjha]

Originally Posted by Aiel

I do not have too much experience with binoculars and telescopes, but have extensive experience with plane spotting.

A binocular/telescope will not help you in seeing the registrations of aircraft. The aircraft typically move too fast for seeing the registrations. The only way that will work is if you use an app such as FlightRadar24 (for checking the registrations in parallel with looking at them through the binoculars/telescope).

Yes I understand. My apartment falls just parallel to the runway about a km and a half beyond the start/end of the runway. So usually when an aircraft lands I get to see the entire left side with all windows and tail clearly and while landing it is not that fast so I don’t know if I will be successful or not, but have a feeling I can see them clearly. Flightradar24 is good just for general commercial airliners which are not what I am looking for, I want to see nicely the smaller private planes and the military planes which do not appear on Flightradar24.
Also, being close to the airport, we have got less of tall buildings here giving me ample scope of spotting birds.

[mobike008]

What a coincidence. I didn’t even search for this thread and it just popped in front of me today

I was given a few options to choose as a “ gift” for completing 5 years in my company. There were a few headphones options but, I have a 3-4 expensive headphones so i decided to go for this one





Today my mom checked out the first snowfall of the season from balcony and she was overjoyed to see the details ( snowflakes on leaves etc)

The optics and experience of using a bino is surreal ( this being my first ever experience with a high end binoculars) 😊

[subhraDS]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

What I wanted to check is, do people with glasses use binoculars with glasses on or off. I normally adjust the viewer by taking my glasses off. This is for the snug fit that the eye sockets offer.

I absolutely agree with the fact that the experience of viewing with eyecups cannot be compared without those. But it depends on the object. For people with specs, it is a lot easier and convenient to view with the glasses on and eyecups rolled/twisted down when the object is small and moving, I will state my experience here on the same.

For me, binoculars work best if I spot the object with my eyes first, fix the gaze, then put the binoculars on. The object will always be either spot on or inside the objective lens view, again depending on the size of the object. For small birds, it is very difficult to track with the binoculars on, as they tend to change position very frequently. so it is always on and off condition.
Now along with it if one has to fiddle with the eyeglasses then sighting something small and fast is a sure shot miss.

for viewing nature, landscape, static or slow/non-moving objects watching with the eyecups will surely give a better experience due to the snug fit as well as preventing lights on the viewing side.

Originally Posted by arpanjha

Eagerly waiting for suggestions.

No experience with zoom binoculars but my suggestion would be a fixed magnification one. Mainly because of the complex nature of the zoom ones, they might not work as expected and there are other technical issues.

1. The focus and the zoom will have to be in sync for the object to be crisp and clear, so it has to be a well-calibrated good pair.
2. Keeping the binoculars stable after a few seconds itself takes some effort. zooming in and out will add more effort to the stability and the viewing experience if the object is not static or the binocular is mounted to a tripod.
3. Generally the field of view is less and close focussing distance is higher on zoom binoculars.

If possible please rent one and try first as your requirement is somewhat unique, also please buy something with a bigger objective lens size, something >= 42mm (e.g - 8X42,10X50).

Originally Posted by mobike008

so I decided to go for this one

excellent choice sir, congratulations !! definitely, it will add a lot of value to the viewing experience.


Might help: adjusting and calibrating (adjusting the diopter knob first till the object is clear then adjusting the focussing knob) the right side keeping the left eye closed will yield a crisp view.

[RijuC]

I need to buy an entry level binocular within a budget of Rs. 10k. Purpose is to bring the far sights nearer (like mountain views), or watching animal movements, birds etc. (though the user is not into serious bird watching). Weather could be highly humid (light rain or snow), and dusty air.

I have seen many binoculars in Decathlon stores, some are very basic and entry level. Didn't like the image quality. Among Decathlon binoculars (though they are like toy binoculars) I found MH B560 model with 12x32 spec., no weather proofing/ weather sealing @ 3.5k. But with 12x magnification it's difficult to remain steady. Also the view is very narrow.

And another Decathlon model is Khaki 10x42, with weather proofing/ weather sealing and Nitrogen filled. Price is 7k. However, I could not get a hands on because this model is not available in GGN stores.

I understand all Decathlon binoculars are mass market products, China make and may not be sturdy or good quality product compared to pro level binoculars.

On the other hand, there are Nikon Aculon 10x50 Binocular available on Amazon for 7.8k. They do not have weather proofing/ weather sealing.

1. Can someone guide me which one would be better?

2. Or, is there any other alternative within this price range with weather proofing/ sealing? Though good quality may not be possible in this price range.

3. Is there any good offline store in Gurgaon?

[deathwalkr]

We just moved into a house and have been sighting a lot of birds. Couple of bird baths and worms from compost bins, and we have mynas, robins, treepies coming regularly along with sunbirds, bulbuls and what not.

Wife and son are fully enamored and thought i would get a basic binocular for them

How would this be?
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07NYS1F4G/

[RijuC]

Entry level binocular purchase feedback:
This afternoon I could find a retailer of nikon binocular "kumarjee" in the city centre Mall, MG road Gurgaon. First, went to Croma and Reliance digital stores in sector 29. Croma didn't have any. Reliance digital had their own products. However, it was very heavy and the view was not that good. Next, went to Decathlon cybercity. But she didn't like those toy type binoculars, not even the MH B560 (12x32, without any weather proofing).

Then we visited the Nikon store Kumarjee, MG road. They had both Aculon 211 8x42 and 10x50. However, 10x50 was heavier and bigger in size and could be difficult to handle in demanding situations. Also, somewhere in the Datasheet of Nikon I read that the brightness of 8x42 is marginally better than 10x50.

The user liked the size, grip and weight of the 8x42 binocular. And within a minute she loved the handling. The view through it was amazing. Decathlon binoculars, though good, were nowhere near the Nikon Aculon 8x42.

The Kumarjee store also had one Olympus 8x40 binocular. It was lighter than Aculon 8x40 to hold. The view was brighter. However I found concave type of view when I am seeing horizonal strips. She also tried and the result was same. Anyway, this was our personal experience. Olympus 8x40 is definitely a very capable binocular. Price was about 800 rupees less than Nikon. We rejected the Olympus.

Nikon Aculon 211 8x42 bill was 6000 rupees.

Reason behind our decision to buy this binocular are: good handling and good view, sturdy built, satisfactory brightness, good trusted brand, within our budget. However it is not weatherproof. We won't be using it during rain or snow. If it starts raining or snowing, we have to just wipe and put it into the case-just like what I do with my DSLR Nikon D5300 knowing its' (camera+basic lens) limitations in such weather conditions. There is risk of dust and moisture ingress. We have to take a good care and keep a silica gel bag in the case. Let's hope it lasts long.

Most importantly the user liked the unit handling, grip, weight and could set it quickly- overall, she is comfortable with this Nikon Aculon 211 binocular.

What I understood is- just like buying a camera, it is very important to get a hands on for buying a suitable binocular.

[Thilak29]

I am looking for something under/around 5k for my five year old who enjoys watching birds.

Any suggestions ? I could find these two but unsure if I should really pick them.

https://amzn.to/37sd8b2
https://amzn.to/3p0J5xc

[subhraDS]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

I am looking for something under/around 5k for my five year old who enjoys watching birds.

Any suggestions ? I could find these two but unsure if I should really pick them.

https://amzn.to/37sd8b2
https://amzn.to/3p0J5xc

Hello sir,
I would suggest going for ACULON A211 7X35
(1st preference) or ACULON A211 8X42 instead.
Reason being the objective lens diameter of 21 is too less for the view to be bright and the use will be strictly limited to a bright/sunny environment. That too with very less field of view.

The binoculars I mentioned are very compact and a bit more serious towards bird-watching, they will last longer and will be relevant even after a decade.

The only problem I see here is the weight, please visit a store if possible and check the binoculars physically or at least check few videos before buying. If the weight and compactness feel ok for junior, go ahead. If not, you can buy the 8X21 for now.
Nikon aculon is a good series, you can't go wrong with any of these.

Thanks,
Subhra

[Thilak29]

Originally Posted by subhraDS

Aculon

Thanks Subhra for your kind inputs. If I go for 10x42 , am I drifting too far ?

Interestingly this model is some 400gm lighter per Amazon listing compared to 7x35 variant.

[Avinash_R]

Want to buy an easy to use telescope for my 7 year old. Main requirement from her - to be able to see planets! I believe orion and celestron are the good brands but am confused w.r.t the aperture level that I should look to buy. Some say less than 70mm is not enough but some say 70mm is enough. She wants to be able to see Saturn rings clearly ( a favorite among kids for obvious reasons)

[subhraDS]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Thanks Subhra for your kind inputs. If I go for 10x42, am I drifting too far?

Interestingly this model is some 400gm lighter per Amazon listing compared to the 7x35 variant.

Apologies for the delayed response.

The weight of 8X42 and 10X42 are the same if we go by official specifications. (Aculon Porro prism binoculars)
Whereas the 7X35 is nearly 100gms lighter.

Though the weight difference is negligible, the problem with higher magnification is stability.
Keeping the binoculars stable after a while is a task if used for a prolonged time without a tripod. Believe me, it is tiring and frustrating as well if the bird is rare or elusive.
That is why I suggested a 7X or 8X magnification at max. There will be less fatigue and you will get more time to see the object, also tracking a subject with 10X magnification is difficult for beginners.

If at all you need to go for more magnification, I would suggest going with lighter and compact roof prism binoculars.
Apologies again if I am causing more confusion. If budget permits, the best option is an 8X42 roof prism binoculars with weather sealing.

Please try to stick with the known brands and check a few other stores(online/offline) too apart from Amazon.

Thanks,
Subhra

[abhi7013]

Originally Posted by Avinash_R

Want to buy an easy to use telescope for my 7 year old. Main requirement from her - to be able to see planets! I believe orion and celestron are the good brands but am confused w.r.t the aperture level that I should look to buy. Some say less than 70mm is not enough but some say 70mm is enough. She wants to be able to see Saturn rings clearly ( a favorite among kids for obvious reasons)

Hi.. Bumping up a year old post! Were you able to decide on which telescope to buy and did you buy one? If yes, could you please share the details? Of late, the clear skies in Bangalore is tempting me to get hold of one that's moderately powerful.

[Avinash_R]

Originally Posted by abhi7013

Hi.. Bumping up a year old post! Were you able to decide on which telescope to buy and did you buy one? If yes, could you please share the details? Of late, the clear skies in Bangalore is tempting me to get hold of one that's moderately powerful.

Hey, I didn't go ahead but I plan to in 2022 mid. You can try with Sushil of huligan.com for some suggestions. I've no affiliation with him just that he answered a lot of my questions and helped me so I will probably be reaching out to him in the future as well