 "have enough base layers at present " splutters! how can you possibly have enough base layers? you haven't any sub zero ones for a start. that will sort the base layers out for you....and then you look at the sub zero mid layers...and then the sub zero odds and sods...and call mr burley a git as he's got to be first in the line! now, repeat after me. i must not look at the sub zero gear, i must not look at the sub zero gear, i must look at the sub zero gear...
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Nothing to do with bins at all, but what is so special about Sub Zero??? Oh no - perhaps don't tell me - I've spent too much recently...
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 I think Benco is probably right, we need a thread for random gear discussions, what we like, what we are saving our pennies for at the moment etc. etc. That way people with specific questions won't have to watch their threads wander completely off course! Although on the topic of binoculars, Minox have always looked quite good to me, although I've never tried any out. Their prices don't bring on a cardiac arrest like the holy trinity though, so I could be tempted (if I were thinking of buying any of course which I absolutely AM NOT!*) * just yet...
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Great thread just in time before I got it wrong again lol. Anyway these are the three I have been recommend, could someone please advise if they are any good or what would you recommend my budget is around £100.
Opticron Compact Verano BGA PC £110
Nikon Travelite 9x25 EX £119
Olympus,8x25 PC I £69
Many Thanks Dean
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 You need to try them all just in case you have one eye where your ear should be.
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 Parky - lol - can't hang around - funnily enough I have an urgent desire to look at another site - (you know you're in trouble when you have an urgent desire - ahem).
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| Edited: 26/08/09 21:10 |
 Bumping this old thread for an update. After all the debate about high quality binos, I genuinely wondered what all the fuss was about. Last Autumn I found myself in Cardiff via a school reunion (that's a whole other thread) at Jessops. After a period of unemployment, the Government had graciously given me some of my own money back in the form of an income tax rebate so I spent a bit of it on a pair of Leica Trinovid 10x25s (well, if I hadn't, I would only have wasted the cash on the mortgage or food or something). Anyway, I now absolutely understand what the fuss was about. Compared to my trusty £25 Silva jobs, there really is no comparison. I think Parky summed it up - you look at things for longer because the image is so good. The Trinovids have fantastic clarity, definition and brightness and the Silvas are like looking through a dirty window when you put them side by side. Yet both binos have roughly the same weight and bulk. It does feel a bit odd backpacking, knowing that my most expensive bit of kit is something for making things seem a bit closer (as opposed to a tent or sleeping bag) but I'm sure I can get over that . Two last points: - what is the best way to keep the lenses clean?
- I keep the binos in an Aloksak when backpacking - is this OK?
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Jake - glad you've seen the light! A joy to use, aren't they. For cleaning, I use a clean hanky - obviously making sure it's not come from a pocket with sand or grit in the bottom. My expert friend told me that the coating on the Leicas I bought from him are really hard - they're fine, and about 12 years old, still with 18 years' guarantee left. I sometimes use running water to clean them - but make sure yours are waterproof as not all the top three brands' models are in these specs. I have a feeling that the cheaper Leicas are not - or it might be the Zeiss ones? Re backpacking, I prefer trousers with proper belts so I can carry bins/camera and perhaps a Leatherman (to keep weigh out of the pack) to hand. The bins I use for this are Swaro 10x25s (lovely!) The bins may be on their cord around my neck, or possibly in the chest pocket of a shirt (if not wearing a vest in chillier/wet times). For carrying in the pack, it depends so much on what they're going to be against etc - a steel flask might damage them if rammed against them? My Swaro case is quite light (and thus not very protective) but I treat accordingly.
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they are good aren't they!
i carry mine in the case they came with jake. they are either in there or around my neck. mm! £300 eh? i'll chuck 'em a placcy bag and hope for the best where they can keep my £300 camera company.
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they are good aren't they! i carry mine in the case they came with jake. they are either in there or around my neck. mm! £300 eh? i'll chuck 'em a placcy bag and hope for the best where they can keep my £300 camera company.
Sorry, Parky - are you saying that it's not a good idea to put them in an Aloksak?
The case seemed a bit bulky for backpacking, hence the placcy bag but it is a Gucci placcy bag and I use a separate one for my camera. It should keep the water out and prevent them getting scratched. They travel in either the lid pocket or on the hipbelt, not crammed in under the stove.
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Decent bins should be fairly tough, but there is a trade-off with weight, so they may not be as tough as they might be, as it were. I have a pair of real cheapies, which I used for several years - really quite good for £5 in a sale, but they must have been damaged in my care, as one barrel looks in a slightly different angle to the other - and it's horrid! Hence the Swaros...
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an aloksak wouldn't offer much in the way of oops! what's that hitting the floor protection. can you get an alosak with a belt attachment? (honest question) i use a simple loop of string to attach anything to the inside of the lid to stop it falling out and for small expensive also attach the case to my pack when it's carried inside. a bit excessive. but then i'm like where small expensive things concerned (the Angel excluded - he adds hastily)
you're likely to leave them in the aloksak which i would think may encourage mould growth if any wet gets inside.
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 I'd recommend using a proper lens cleaning cloth rather than a hanky or the bottom of your T-shirt. It will do a better job of lifting off grease and such, rather than just spreading it about. I'd also suggest keeping the cloth in a plastic bag so it doesn't pick up grit.
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The Trinovid is not waterproof.
Make some sort of effort to keep the rain off. When not in use, keep it under the jacket, or even just swung under your armpit. It's probably also worth taking anti-condensation steps - when moving from a cold place to a warm one, put it in a well sealed plastic bag until it's warmed up.
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After years of toting around cheap and cheerful binos (I recall a Boots pair that got wet and developed mildew inside!) I treated myself to a pair of Leica Ultravid BR 25s (10*25). As Jake says, there is no comparison with 'ordinary' binos and these are waterproof (filled with pressurised nitrogen) and probably bombproof too, as they carry a Leica lifetime guarantee. Not cheap at £450 though, but a constant companion for walking, birdwatching, etc.
If you can afford new binos of any sort, now's the time to buy before VAT goes up after the election!
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