. Best of Luck, let us know what you decide. (And take up Birdwatching...if you're going to spend a fortune on binos, you might as well make them "multi-purpose"...)I’m one more person that doesn’t live close enough to stores to check out lots of binoculars in person. I’m not a birdwatcher but this seems to be the best forum for binoculars. Since I haven’t seen this question yet, maybe it will help some birdwatchers too. I need binoculars for search and rescue; my search dog may alert on something or I may see something move that I need to check it out.
The general recommendation seems to be to spend as much as you can afford. In the $300 to $500 range, more money either buys “better quality” or a larger objective lenses. So, is it better to get a “better” 8 x 20, say a Zeiss Victory Compact or a Nikon Premier LXL or to get a “lesser quality” binocular with a larger objective lenses, say a Zeiss Conquest 8 X 30 or 10 x 25, a Minox BD BR 8 x 32 or a Leupold Katmai 6/8 x 32. (Actually, the Zeiss above $450 are probably too much for my budget, but they are a good comparison.) If I need binoculars in the late afternoon or dusk, should I automatically go with the larger objective lenses, or does the higher quality offset that to some extent. Weight and size are important, too. I don’t want to go much beyond a pound, so 8 x 32’s at 18-19 oz are tops on weight. I don’t have to have binoculars less than 10 oz, though it sounds nice. May be the Vortex Fury 8 x 28, at 12 oz would be a good compromise at less money. Or maybe a reverse porro would be sufficient? Thanks for your insights.
It's up to you and depends on your priorities, really. 8x20 top-end bins (Leica Ultravid, Nikon LXL) have superb optics, fit neatly in the pocket, weight negligible. Eye placement is more critical. Field of View is considerably narrower. (This might be important for Search and Rescue?). Darker at dusk. Some reverse-porro compacts have great optics too, and cost one-fifth of the price, but are slightly bulkier. Opticron Taigas and Nikon Travelite get great reviews. If you go for 8x32, you get much wider Field of View, much more comfortable as regards eye-placement and much brighter at dusk, but you pay more for really good ones and they're not pocketable. They're not particularly heavy, though....most good ones are 600-700 grams. Although as regards cost, try Nikon LXL 8x32, they're excellent value and have superb optics. They cost about the same as Leica 8x20 Ultravids here. I think if someone were trying to Search-for and Rescue me, I'd rather they had a good pair of 8x32's...... Best of Luck, let us know what you decide. (And take up Birdwatching...if you're going to spend a fortune on binos, you might as well make them "multi-purpose"...)
Any quality 8x32 is going to better for you than an 8x20. 8x20's are a pain compared to 8x32's take my word for it because I have had the Leica Ultravids, Trinovids, and the Nikons. I SOLD all of them and bought a Zeiss Conquest 8x32 and let me tell you there is no comparison in any area you want to compare except they will not fit in your pocket. They are under $550.00 if you look around. Of course the 8x32 Zeiss FL or Leica Trinovids would be a little better because of their larger FOV but then you are are getting into more money. 8x20's are NOT for search and rescue they are more pocket size novelties for somebody that already has a normal 8x32 or 8x42 pair of binoculars.
Dennis