Binoculars

From: Trish Culpepper [mailto:trishkcully"at"earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 11:21 AM
Subject: Help With Binoculars ?

Trish Culpepper, Frankston, TX

I have a pair of binoculars which is my first and only pair (purchased for use at concerts)...and I know very little about the quality of binoculars. Mine are Bushnell 7-15x35. Often when I focus in on a bird on a highline wire, I will get a purple or green outline around the bird. It's very difficult to tell what kind of bird it is and very frustrating. I may have a great pair of binoculars and just don't know how to adjust them. Unfortunately, I didn't leave the instruction manual in the case, so I cannot find it at the moment. Can someone give me some information about binoculars? 

From: Stephen Hewlett [mailto:shewlett"at"earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: Help With Binoculars ?

The 7-15 is the power rating (magnification) and the 35 is the aperature size in millimeters. Binoculars, except for the very cheapest, need to be adjusted for the viewer's eye strength for optimum results. Most binoculars have a white dot or some other marking on one of the eyepieces. This is for what is called the diopter setting. The following link is to Bushnell's instructions for adjusting binoculars:

http://www.bushnell.com/customer_service/manuals/binoculars/EddieBauer_Binoc.pdf

Unless your binoculars have plastic lenses they should be okay for casual bird watching. Generally, a larger aperature size is better because it lets in more light which gives better definition at a given power.

Steve Hewlett
Framingham, MA

From: Trish Culpepper [mailto:trishkcully"at"earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 12:56 PM
Subject: Binoculars with Digital Camera

Trish - Frankston, TX

Does anyone have any experience with the binoculars with built-in digital cameras?  Can you give some advice on brands, specifications, etc. ?

Hi Trish and all,

I have a Simmons 8x42 2.0D CaptureView Binocular and Dital Camera. I must admit I haven't used them a lot. They are heavy, so carrying them around is a chore. I had a Great Blue Heron in my backyard pond and actually the pictures I took with my digital camera on optical zoom were as good as the pictures taken with the binoculars. I will try to take more comparisons in the future. They are fun and at least if you are looking through the binoculars, you can take pictures or short videos without switching to a camera.

Mary Roen, River Falls, Wi

I have had two binoculars with digital cameras.
The one I have right now is a Galileo. So far it has done a good job. The only thing is you have to put it on something so it will not move. I can not hold it free hand and take photos. My hands move too much and if the camera move it will be a bad photos. I enjoy taking photos but am not good at it.

Maynard Sumner
Flint, MI

From: Tina Wertz [mailto:tinawertz"at"bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 4:56 PM
Subject: RE: Binoculars with Digital Camera

SDRAM is synchronous dynamic random access memory.  What this type of memory does is it allows itself to sync with the CPU bus of the computer giving it the capability to run at higher clock speeds.  In doing so it is much faster than conventional RAM.  It is very popular with the consumer who is wanting to use the PC for a gaming station.  The only reason I could possible see the binocular/camera needing SDRAM is if you were going to use the camera as a web camera for broadcasting video streams.  Most digital camera come with USB cables these days with the capability of using them as a web camera.

Tina Wertz, Woodstock, Ga.

From: RBALTRUNAS"at"cs.com [mailto:RBALTRUNAS"at"cs.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: Binoculars with Digital Camera

I just bought one from Brookstone, a mall chain. I have digital cameras that work with my computers, but this binocular/camera has very high system requirments which they did not put in the ad or even on the box. I don't have 128 MB SDRAM. It also requires Intel MMX whatever that is. So I will be returning it.

Does anyone know the difference between RAM and SDRAM? One of my computers has 128 RAM but not SDRAM.

So the first thing is to check the system requirement no matter where they hide it.

Ron
Brooksville, FL

Shortly after sunrise for an hour or so and shortly before sunset for an hour or so.

Steve Hewlett
Framingham, MA

From: John Schuster [mailto:wildwingco"at"earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: What Time of Day is Best for Birdwatching?

Dear Trish and friends,

Just about anytime up here, but the best time is from 6 AM to 9 AM then 4 PM to 7 PM....

BEST is from morning twilight, around 3:30 am at this time of year, until until an hour or two after sunrise.
The cacophony of birds calling and singing is a treat that's not to be missed. Male Purple Martins sing their 'Dawn Song' in chorus with other male birds calling or or singing to their mates. Not only are more birds singing more loudly, there's less background noise from roads, homes and farms.

Shy birds sneak onto or under feeders before the regular feeder birds arrive closer to daybreak. All the birds seem to be anxious for a hearty breakfast or to find breakfast for hatchlings. The larger, more aggressive, more obnoxious birds sleep in a bit longer, waiting until just after sunup.

Once the day heats up, you need to take a walk in the woods to seek out birds that retreated there or a good pair of binoculars to see the Martins high in the sky.

When I work day shift, I have to get up at 3:30 to get ready for work. On days off, I still sometimes get up just to enjoy the bird show that too few others ever see or hear. Now it's time to go out and enjoy!

Take care,

R J 'Tree' Greenwood
Catlett VA

From: EHDerry"at"aol.com [mailto:EHDerry"at"aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 8:13 AM
Subject: OT - Binoculars

A friend is looking for a pair of birding binoculars for her husband. She does not want to pay more than $200. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good pair in that price range? He is a casual birdwatcher. Thanks for your help.

Judy Derry
New York State (Western)

From: Tree Greenwood
Sent: May 26, 2005
RE: OT-Binoculars

Hi, Judy,

In my opinion, there is no simple answer to your simple question. Too many variables. Your friend needs to provide more information and then do some research to decide what might be right for her husband. What to look for is at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/GearGuide/
where she'll find a good tutorial on birding optics. Have your friend do a Google search on 'birding binoculars ratings review' and she'll find lots of information.

The biggest problem with buying binoculars for someone else is 'feel.' Anyone shopping for binoculars for birding should try out anything made by Swarovski. When the owner places them in your hands, you'll say, "Wow, they feel just right." Put them up to your eyes, even with eyeglasses, and you'll say, "Wow!" again.
Everything is perfect; what you were looking at with the naked eye is right there in the view, the focus lever is in the right place, holding them steady is easy, focusing is easy without passing the perfect focus point, the view is crisp and sharp. The difference between a cheap pair and the Swarovski's is huge. No, I don't own a pair. Maybe when my kids finish college... because Swarovski optics cost from about $1,000 on up to... well, a lot more than I will ever spend. But anytime you get an opportunity, ask for a look. You'll have a standard of comparison. I never held a pair of Swarovski's that didn't have the right 'feel.' But I have a $20 pair of binoculars that also feel right when I hold them.

What does 'casual birdwatcher' mean? Is his birdwatching confined to home and his immediate area or does he go on birding trips to wildlife sanctuaries and other birding sites? Watching birds around his feeders means he'll probably want high power and will accept heavier weight and a larger body. Bushnell or Celestron 10x50s may be right for $100 or so. If he goes out on trails on birding trips, those would be too awkward and heavy. Eagle Optics Ranger 8x32's for about $120 are rated higher than similar binoculars that cost twice as much.

Eyeglasses? Some binoculars work well for those of us who must wear corrective eyeglasses but some high quality and very expensive binoculars just don't. If he wears eyeglasses, Nikon Naturalist 7x35 would better and still within her budget. I've seen no ratings, but I like Meade 8x42's (sorry, I don't know the model) that cost under $100 when I bought them on sale. If he wears glasses, look for eye relief of 5mm or more in the specifications.

I own lots of optics, accumulated over my 50+ years of life. If you care for them, even inexpensive binoculars and scopes will last for generations. I like and still use all of my binoculars but in different places and times.
I own one really good pair of binoculars, Nikon Venturers, but...

My 'good' binoculars spend most of their time on a shelf, protected from theft, loss, bumps and knocks, and the elements. What I use most are inexpensive pairs. Bushnell 10x50s sit on the sun porch for watching birds at the feeders.
I think they cost $50 when we bought them 20+ years ago. Meade 8x21's that cost less than $20 at Best Buy are in the car so I have them when we're out. I don't have to grumble, "Oh, I wish I had my binoculars" when an unusual or beautiful bird appears while we're out. A pair of Gordon 10x25's on sale for $10 from Harbor Freight hang in the gardening shed to watch the birds attracted to my organic veggie garden.
Our old, reliable Bushnell 7x35's are by the window... Well, you get the idea.

I might describe myself best as an opportunistic birder. I've never made or planned a trip to 'go birding' but I never pass up an opportunity to look at birds. For example, a daughter's sporting event took us to Chincoteague VA so we spent the next day at Azzzteague Island National Seashore (while the daughter went to the beach).
Most of my bird watching is at home, keeping track of feeder birds in winter, nesting birds in summer and lots of birds during migrations.

A final question and comment about your friend's
husband: What birding optics does he already own? If none, the $200 budget might be better spent on a combo. An ideal gift package might be something like inexpensive compact binoculars ($20-$50, 7x20 to 10x32), a large objective binocular ($50-$90, 8x42 to 10x50) _AND_ a zoom spotting scope (15-45x50 or 20-60x60, $60-$90).

In my experience, there's seldom anything wrong with a pair of Bushnell's from Wal-Mart, Meade's from Best Buy or Gordon's from Harbor Freight or Bausch & Lombs from a camera shop. There's very little difference in what you can see between a $60 pair and a $200 pair. They're all in the 'budget' category and if you check ratings and reviews, some less expensive binoculars were rated higher that the more expensive. Price is NOT a good indicator of quality in the $200-and- under range. You'll see noticeable improvement in 'seeing' when you get to the $300-600 range, another jump at the $800-1,000 range, and a HUGE difference from inexpensive when you get to the $1000-and-up range.

If possible, open the packaging of inexpensive binoculars and take a look while still in the store. I've only been burned once when buying inexpensive binoculars still in the package.
I got a pair that was out of collimation; that means that one barrel was out of alignment so it aimed at a different point than the other barrel. They were unusable as binoculars and there's no way to change them. 'Name brands'
like Bushnell or Meade should stand by their products and replace a pair that was out of collimation. I bought a no-name pair because the price was too good... and it was too good to be true.

Now that I've thoroughly confused things with my opinions, I hope I at least gave your friend some things to think about as she makes her gift selection.

Take care,

R J 'Tree' Greenwood
Catlett VA

From: John Schuster [mailto:wildwingco"at"earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: OT - Binoculars

Dear Judy,

The one thing about binoculars is that you should get a pair that are strong enough to bring birds in close for your enjoyment, but not so strong that you get eye fatigue or if you have shaky hands, you end up bobbling all over the place not being able to enjoy anything without the aid of a tripod.

Furthermore, cheap is as cheap gets, so don't skimp to much as optics is everything. You want to be able to use and enjoy your binoculars, not end up putting them off to the side wishing you had bought a better pair.

I like the 7 x 35, you can go with a higher powered pair of binoculars, but in my opinion the 7 x 35 is a solid performer.

I bought my Bushnell 7 x 35, back in 1973. At the time I wanted to buy of higher powered (10 x 50) pair of binoculars, but the owner of the sporting goods store where I purchased them was more knowledgeable and a family friend, so I went with the 7 x 35. To this day I've never regretted my decision. My Bushnell 7 x 35 have preformed brilliantly and I feel naked without them in the field.

Now there a loads of manufactures out there to choose from, but I'm a big fan of Bushnell and they really cater to bird watchers too.

Bushnell binoculars
http://www.bushnell.com/

Log onto the Bushnell web site, where you'll see a host of binoculars to pick from. After checking it out myself this morning, I found that the the old 7 x 35 is getting hard to find, so maybe a pair of binoculars in 8 x 42 would do the trick.

As far as where to buy? E-mail some questions to Bushnell, then go on line as there are plenty of venders that carry Bushnell and other manufactures of fine binoculars too (remember optics is everything.)

From: EHDerry"at"aol.com [mailto:EHDerry"at"aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 9:20 PM
Subject: OT - Binoculars

Thank you to all of you who wrote regarding choosing binoculars. Wow! What a lot of things to consider. I appreciate the assistance and the time you spend answering. A lot of thought was put into the emails I received. I have forwarded them to my friend, and now it will be up to her to decide how to choose the "perfect" binocular.

Judy Derry
New York State (Western)

I just paid $254 (Amazon.com) for a pair of Zeiss 8x30B Diafun binoculars that are AWESOME. So
bright and clear and just the right weight for me (sort of medium sized.) Easy to adjust. I use
them exclusively now. I did have a pair of zooming Nikons from LLBean that I liked, but they were
tricky to adjust, heavy and then my goats knocked them over and broke them... Nikon offers lifetime
repair but they are no longer the same.

I am thinking of getting some Nikon 8 x 42 ATB Binoculars they can be found for about $270 or so if you look around. i have read great things about them and hear they are a great value.

I saw this in Audubon magazine (great articles) -

If you're upgrading your binoculars and don't know what to do with the castoffs, you can donate them to The Birder's Exchange - they take new and gently used binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, cameras and other field equipment for researchers and educators working in bird conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean. This program of the American Birding Association has assisted more than 400 groups in 32 countries, including members of an Indian tribe in Panama monitoring harpy eagle nests and biologists in Costa Rica protecting the great green macaw. For more info, see americanbirding.org/bex

***

Bet from CT

Looking for a friend that needs this, we have searched the web and all we find is Wide Harness straps.

Anyone know a source on the Internet

Sheila

Not sure where you can go.

However, you could make one yourself and get the materials for the following

Tandy Leather and Crafts
http://www.tandyleather.com/

Tandy has local stores all of the country and they are very helpful.
They have leather in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, will even custom cut to length and they are not expensive. If you go with good quality leather strapping, it will out last the box that the binoculars came with.

The rivets might be the hardest part to this project, but try talking to the folks at ACE Hardware, they are very helpful there.

...

From: Sheila Rogers [mailto:sheilarogers"at"charter.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: Binocular Harness..thin strap

Thanks for all the suggestions and web sites...I found it:

http://tinyurl.com/oxlnu

Sheila Rogers
Redding, Ca

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