Economy Birding Services - Optics

Broad-billed Hummer

Harris's Sparrow

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Birding Optics

One of my hobbies over the years has been to buy, try and sell binoculars in the hope of finding the
perfect pair for birding. I believe that "trying them on" at birding or optic events has value, but until you
take them into the field, see how they fit and feel, see how heavy they get at the end of the day, evaluate
different lighting conditions and note how they weather the elements, its really rather hard to judge how
effective your decision was.

I am not sponsored by any optics manufacturer. I wish I was, but I'm not. Anything you read herein is
personal opinion gathered from years of use. Take it for what its worth. Do your own research
because it's the only thing that works. This is also not an exhaustive scientific dissection.

In general, I have found two facts to be true. One, quality is directly proportional to price. Save your
money and spend the maximum amount you can afford (but buy the selected model at the cheapest
price, of course!). And, two, it's hard to distinguish subtle optical differences between the rather
numerous models in the same price ranges for most people (including myself).

The Swarovski Years

I bought my first pair of professional binoculars when I got to Tucson in 1992. After some research, I
ended up with Swarovski 7 x 42's, a heavy set of early green barrel superior optics that wowed me for
their brightness and durability. The armoring was staunch, the view was incredible and I was happy for
about 12 years. Then my eyesight started to go and I made the mistake of looking through someone's
10 power binoculars and I realized that 7 power was wholly inadequate for gleaning details on birds
that were even modest distances away. After 12 years, the only sign of wear on these binoculars were
a slight rubbing of the Swarovksi emblem. There wasn't a scratch on the lens, not a nick in the
armoring, nothing. I will always remember fondly for their durability and optical quality.

The only negative I can assign to the Swarovski's (besides being heavy) was the stiff focusing
mechanism. It was stiff when I bought them and it was stiff 12 years later when I sold them. And, of
course, now they seem to be a status symbol in the field...

The Passers Through

My next pair of field glasses were the new Zeiss Victory 10 x 42's, the successor to the wildly popular 10
x 40B Classics coveted by so many veteran birders. I have since read many reviews that suggest the
image these binoculars deliver is the clear winner among and across all categories. I cannot argue
with this. Raising a pair of Zeiss binoculars to your eyes is like seeing a Scarlet Tanager for the first
time in bright sunlight. It's an experience you'll never forget.

I had these binoculars in the field for several months and loved them save for two oddities. While
armoring on some binoculars feels like an optical system embedded in a block of solid rubber, The
Zeiss armoring on this model feels like a thin layer of skin with some give and play to it. It's soft and I
didn't like the way it felt in the hands. In addition, this soft armoring attracted all kinds of grit and dust,
requiring a cleaning after almost every use. The twist up eye cups also captured a lot of dirt on their
barrels and when twisted down, emitted a nasty gritty sound that was hard to clean away.

After the Zeiss Victory's I tried a pair of Brunton Epoch 10.5 x 43's to see what the fuss was about. I
liked these mid-sized beauties a lot. In fact, these may be among the most stylish binoculars
available, with gorgeous raised and lowered silver and black dots and a black dotted silver gnarled
focus knob. I found that the extra half power often allowed identification at distances that friends next to
me with 10 power just couldn't quite draw. The images were clear and bright and the weight was
exceptionally light. In the end, the Brunton's suffered from one intangible flaw for me. They just didn't
feel right in my big set of paws. I just couldn't ever get comfortable with this pair of binoculars. I
suspect they may have mass appeal among those with smaller hands.

So, I gave Zeiss another try purchasing a pair of 8 x 50 Conquests at a low price online. Again, I was
blown away by the shear brightness of the image, the light weight and the quick focusing. However, I
was once again reminded that anything under 10 power is wholly inadequate for detailed birding. The
armoring suffered the same flaws that the earlier more expensive Victory model did.

The First Keeper

I was tiring of the "parade of binoculars" and next sprung for an new pair of Leica 10 x 42 BN's. These
are the older style with heavy ribbed armoring (the green pairs are affectionately called "twin pickles" by
their fans). These are sturdy binoculars with superior optical qualities and the armoring is second to
none, easily shedding dirt and dust. The detail, brightness and color of delivered images is superb.
These older style binoculars are getting harder to find online but will always be a favorite of mine and
will remain a part of my permanent collection until their demise. When this pair of binoculars has seen
their last Elegant Trogon, I will likely replace them with Leica's latest design Ultravids, Supervids,
Hypervids or whatever they may be called. I am certain it will be a while, however, as the BN's give
every indication of lasting for a long, long time.

The Champion

Still enamored with the brightness of the Zeiss line, I finally decided to go for broke and see what all of
the buzz was about regarding the old Classic line. I saved my money and kept searching online until I
found a pair of new, old, unopened 10 x 40B T*P*'s in Canada which I claimed for a little over $900.00.
After several months with these old lead glass binoculars, I finally understand all of the fuss. I would
easily pay twice what these cost me for the opportunity to own what is clearly one of the best binoculars
ever built.

The military grade armoring on these beauties is sturdy, it cleans easily and repels everything. The
eyepiece exit pupil diameter is amazing. The brightness and clarity of images edge to edge are
unmatched. The weight is superbly light. The focusing is strong and quick and the diopter adjustment
easy and fast. What else can I say? These are my favorites and I highly recommend them to anyone.
There are a few new or lightly used pairs out there to be had...try and get one if you can.

The Surprise

I grew up with Bushnell binoculars. They were cheap, took a beating and were fairly reliable. Bushnell
was always looking for design angles with gimicks such as fast focus (an odd triangular focus knob
that just wobbled back and forth through the focus range), fixed focus binoculars and the like.

So, it was with some recent curiosity that I purchased a pair of 10 x 50 Bushnell Elite's, a new mid-price
range magnesium shell offering from the company of yore. I was attracted to the price, stylish design
and weight of the 10 x 50's compared to higher end binoculars costing hundreds more. My first
impression was WOW! The view is astoundingly bright, the colors are true and vivid and the weight is
amazing, even with 50 mm lenses. They are comfortable in the hand, with a well-designed thumb rest
under each barrel, the armoring feels durable and the focusing is easy (though it takes a while to get
used to a longer spin). And Bushnell finally got a case right...a hard shell design with soft accents and
actually LARGE enough to fit the binoculars comfortably without the need to use your foot to cram them
into their case!

One potential area for future worry. Bushnell has employed the best quick snap strap engineering I've
seen in a while. However, the tab and mechanism on the strap that attach to the metal hole in the body
are made of plastic and I wonder if they might not snap off after years of use. Only time will tell, and I
will apparently have the time, because I plan to keep these as spare binoculars.

Overall, I am very impressed by these binoculars which perform better or at least on par with higher
priced competitors. I suspect if others tried them, they'd be glad they saved $1000+ over the higher
priced models. I would recommend these to anyone as a first foray into upper end glasses or as a
backup set. They are actually quite "handsome" as well, and I expect them to draw a few nods for style.

Kowa Genesis 10.5 x 44

Over the holidays, I sold the Bushnells and snagged a pair of Kowa's new top-of-the-line beauties, the
Genesis 10.5 x 44's. I had been wanting to try them for months and when the opportunity presented
itself, I caught a new pair on Ebay far below retail. As I had hoped, these are sturdy, exceptionally
bright, and their simple design is refreshing.

Though a bit heavy, these are VERY quickly becoming my favorite binoculars. The large exit pupils and
44 mm objective lenses deliver a sharp, crisp image and focusing is a breeze via a large ribbed knob.
I wish Kowa had advertised themselves a little more with a prominent logo. My only fault with this
model, so far, is the inter-pupil distance adjustment is hard to get right. Also, the twist up eye cups
have several positions and I find myself "bumping" one eye or the other into a lower position.

Despite these minor inconveniences, I find myself overly satisfied with the Genesis's performance and
superior clarity. The extra half power is even noticeable for certain bird details. I will be keeping the
Kowa, the Leica and the Zeiss Classic binoculars as my three stable ponies for now.

On Deck

I would be up for trying a new pair of Swarovski's or the new Nikon EDG binoculars, but frankly I don't
have the cash on hand for these expensive, high-end competitors.

If either company cares to sponsor me in exchange for a free and unbiased review, I'd be open for
negotiations!!!

Scopes

Based on my experience with binoculars, my choice of scopes was quick and easy with a Leica 77 MM
APO straight scope. I personally don't like angled scopes and I don't know why. It probably goes back
to my astronomy days of trying to locate an object through a straight viewfinder and the frustration of
trying to capture it in an angled, off-axis eyepiece. I know it's more convenient for guests, but the skill
seems to evade me.

The Zeiss scopes had just come out at the time I purchased the Leica (about 10 years ago, I think) but
were fetching a premium price at the time.

I use a Bogen-Manfrotto heavy duty tripod which is admittedly quite heavy, but no one has ever
complained about my scope shaking in the wind! Also, I don't carry it for extended periods of time for
this very reason!

Empire Gulch