Bushnell binoculars:aimco kolkata:r they worth the money

[brahmastra]

hi guys,
looking to buy bushnell binocular from aimco kolkata
my budget is a humble 3000/-(Rs.)
r they worth the money, i am looking for the models Bushnell falcon 7x35 and Bushnell Powerview 10x25.
i will use it for casual purpose
any suggestion would be helpful at this end.

[namcmd]

Try this link (ebay.in)
http://www.ebay.in/sch/Cameras-Optics-/ ... 581&_pgn=2

[mundaire]

I don't know what you mean by "worth the money" as I have no clue as to what they are selling. But if a Binoc retails for under US$ 150 (overseas undiscounted price) then they usually are not worth picking up. Fix a budget for yourself, then google some Binoc reviews and only after that zero in of what best you can afford. US$ 150-250 (without shipping) is usually a good price range within which to look for decent binocs. Anything over that, as a novice you probably won't notice the difference (as compared to the extra money you'll shell out) and anything below that (besides any exceptional discounted deals/ second hand purchase) it is probably not going to be worth the hassle.

I'd suggest buying from a trusted retailer/ manufacturer as the good ones usually come with a solid worldwide warranty. Even if they don't have a warranty centre here in India, simply the fact that they stand solidly behind their product means that the chances of landing with a lemon are much lesser. http://www.cameralandny.com usually has a lot of good Binocs at discounted prices and has a very good reputation. One of my friend's recently picked up a real bargain from him (a pair of Minox BL series - absolutely fab glass at a fab price)! Pl. note - I am in no way associated with cameraland and you deal with them at your own risk.

Binoculars are allowed for import and you can simply order one off the net and have it delivered home, so you truly are only limited by your budget and not your geographical location - make the best of it!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[hamiclar01]

Anything over that, as a novice you probably won't notice the difference (as compared to the extra money you'll shell out)

I would humbly disagree. There is a sea of difference between the views through a 200$ binocular and a $800 one.

I would suggest going for the BEST you can afford. As one progresses over the years, the false colours, chromatic aberration, poor collimation and hazy stars from a cheap first buy get more and more irritating. in contrast, the crisp views through good optics will be a joy to behold and will stay that way, unless you do stupid things to your binos

you also need to decide what you want to use the binos for. that will give you the aperture you want. you also need to stay away from zoom binos and higher mags unless accompanied by large apertures.

remember, with glass, you get what you pay for. and i'm not even referring to gizmos like shake compensations.

[winnie_the_pooh]

I would humbly disagree. There is a sea of difference between the views through a 200$ binocular and a $800 one.

These days you would be surprised by what you get for $150-200.Sure they will be Chinese made but the image will be better than what you would expect.A friend was kind enough to get me a Zen Ray VIsta 8x42.They replaced an old Zeiss Jenna that fogged up.During day time,the view is just as good.Sure could see better when it got darker with the old binos but the difference is not much.In optics,as things get more expensive the law of diminishing returns applies.

[hamiclar01]

During day time,the view is just as good.Sure could see better when it got darker with the old binos but the difference is not much..

I agree Chinese optics are much better than they once used to be. The guys are actually producing good apo and triplet lenses and at a fraction of the price.

The binos you refer to may be very good pieces. However, daytime is not when you would test/compare the quality of glass.

How old are the Zeiss, as the pre unification Jena was the eastern block clone of the Oberkochen. Being much inferior to the latter they do not command high prices. If they are indeed pre 1991 then I'm not surprised you found them equal or second best to the Chinese piece (I'm assuming the apertures/mag are same). Also, when were they last serviced?

[Priyan]

I heard binoculars and night vision devices are restricted in North East India due to terrorist problems. Is it true?
Also what about gas masks?

[mulki]

Check out this blog on optics:

http://opticsthoughts.com/index.php?opt ... 2&Itemid=5

Has some reviews and suggestions for Binocs at different price ranges. Also has scope reviews.

[brahmastra]

@ mundaire

by the term, "worth the money" i intend to convey that i don't want to spend on something trash. i want something decent for the price which will certainly not get me a hubble telescope of course, but will help me see things better at an amateur level. but again the info provided by u was very helpful.
thanks n regards

[mundaire]

@ hamiclar - Accepted that good glass is good glass! However, the point I was making was to do with most "bang for the buck". I still stand by what I said, most new users will not be able to appreciate what they are getting by paying 5-10 times more and would be very well served with $150-$250 binocs at which range they are (if they buy smart) most likely to get the most bang out of their money. At my own end - I too love quality, and who doesn't enjoy using the best, but eventually I buy what I can afford.


@ Brahmastra, glad I could be of any assistance. Do proper R & D on what's available out there (within your budget), plenty of reputed websites offer good bargains and are happy to accept Indian credit cards as well as ship items to India. All the best in your search and do let us know what you finally pick up, as well as your field report on it's performance (if possible). Doesn't need to be "technical", just your own honest impressions would be good - who knows how many others you'd help out by posting your own experiences!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[hamiclar01]

OK, let me rephrase my stance.

Do your research thoroughly and do not disregard "high end" binoculars.

Because:
i. Certain binoculars have legendary reputations, but falling prices as makers discontinue them for newer models.
ii. If you are prepared to wait, there is always a great deal coming up somewhere. Either a store closing, or simply someone selling off because they have lost their job. It will take time, but will be well worth the effort.

I have tried it, and it works. Believe me, there were moments I felt I was robbing a child

[Biren]

First write down the purpose you want Bino for, then go around searching.. the one you will end up buying might exceed your budget but it will be worthwhile. Speak to people who are using. Let me explain.

when i bought pupose was bird watching, checked the reviews from other users, expectations like bit of rough handling, since i have sweaty palms went for rubber coated, light weighted since holding kg binos while watching birds is pain, forgetfull so went from bright orange color, wear specks so eye cups to accomodate so on & so forth.

Binos are made to suit different purposes & Chinease optics are good & if you looking in low to medium range budget do check chinease bino.

And donnt forget to speak to friends already using...

Cheers
Biren

[winnie_the_pooh]

If you buy cheap,do not go in for a higher magnification.Will only magnify any flaws.

What you need to consider

1.IPD - Inter Pupillary Distance

2. Use

3.Fogproof and dustproof

4.BAK 4 prism and phase coated

5.Eye relief.Very important if you wear prescription glasses

6.Budget

A good place to get information is this site http://www.birdforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=112

[brahmastra]

thanks guys for all the info.
i found basically two types of binos. 1 roof prism system 2 porro prism system
what is the difference between the two ?n which one is better?
i will use the bino. for : mainly watching cricket in a stadium !, will also use it at my shooting range to see if i am hitting my targets
so what kind of magnification i should go for. n which brand should i look for ? a few bushnell binoc r available at aimco kokata.

http://www.aimco.co.in/category/60-bush ... ageindex=1

it would be nice if u can go through these models n comment on it. aimco is a reliable shop n they sell genuine products.
also what do u guys think of these models:
1 celestron UpClose 10x50/20x50/30x50 - Porro Binocular (bak7 prism, close focus 24 feets, eye relief 11mm)
2 Bushnell falcon 7x35--porro
3 Bushnell falcon 10x50--porro

[brahmastra]

hi guys thanks for yur support it helped me buying my binocs.
i ultimately opted for the celestron UpClose 10-30x50 - Porro zoom binocs (4508/-)
i found that these binocs have good optics for the money and it really suits my needs even though it is based on
bk7 prism. the overall build quality is above average, optics is also very good without errors .but the neck strap is very narrow for such a heavy binoc. i got myself a good neck strap at 150 bucks not a big deal.
now i would really recommend these binocs to any casual user. optics r good without any errors.
according to my opinion don't buy optics from flipkart(flipkart sells these binocs for 4400/-).they will give u free ship (crap ship) but there is high chance that the optics will get messed up during transit. i know many people who got messed up binocs. delivered at their door step.
celestron is a reputed brand which will give u good binocs without burning yur pocket. perfect for casual users.
i would recommend either 10x50mm porro or the UpClose 10-30x50 - Porro zoom binocs don't go for the 20x50mm ones.
20x magnification reduces the field view drastically n u r stuck with it. if u can spend a little bit more go for the UpClose 10-30x50 - Porro zoom binocs these r really awesome.the best magnification and field ratio is achieved at 22x. 30x is also awesome when u want to spot something particular.but u need steady hands at high magnification.images r crisp n clear.my untrained eyes found no errors.there will be no problem for specs. users (like me) since it has an eye relief of 14mm. the zoom lever is of good quality but don't rotate it beyond its limit otherwise u will break it. many of my friends did break it because they were careless.
i will recomend to get yur binocs from:

http://spacearcade.in/index.html
http://spacearcade.in/index.html

they r genuine dealers of celestron, nikon n steiner binocs. i personally went to their science city kolkata outlet to pick my binocs
the good thing is that u will be able to check the optics personally for errors, n they r exclusive dealers for telescopes and binocs with good support facility.
but if u r a professional (professional bird watchers n sky watchers) go for high end binocs
hope that this information will help many to choose their binocs.