Binoculars for wildlife

dysfunction

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I'm going to South Africa next year and would like to get some Binoculars to see birds and wildlife. (I don't mean the human kind :eek7: )

I have no idea which sort to get as there are so many to choose from.

I have been looking at these:
Pentax 12X50 XCF Binoculars With Case: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

They seem quite reasonable and get good reviews...
Although after reading this: Binoculars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia i'm not so sure about the 50 for the diameter of the objective lens.

In daytime use the human pupil is typically dilated about 3 mm, which is about the exit pupil of a 7x21 binocular. A much larger 7x50 binocular will produce a cone of light bigger than the pupil it is entering, and this light will, in the day, be wasted. It is therefore seemingly pointless to carry around a larger instrument.

Its all very confusing.

Can anyone recommend some?
I really don't want to spend much more that £100 or is that a bit unrealistic?
 

Raven

Happy Shopper Ray Mears
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I have a pair off old Pentax binoculars, around 15 years old or so that were left to me by my Granddad amongst boxes and boxes of photography/optical kit. They are pretty decent as a brand I would say. They do exactly what they say on the tin.

No idea about the different lens sizes though, I suppose a larger lens is better suited for night time use as your eyes are more dilated.
 

Tom

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I know little about binoculars, but may I suggest you also buy a monopod - binoculars are heavy after only a minute or so.
 

old.user4556

Has a sexy sister. I am also a Bodhi wannabee.
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I don't know much about binoculars, but when I was at The Open in Turnberry, Nikon had a stand that had their latest binoculars to try (and also rent for the day) along with a DSLR Camera stand (with a bunch of amateurs with their Coolpix masturbating each other to the tune of 'ZOMG D3x pr0 b0dy owns j00').

Tbh, I thought the optics in the Nikon binoculars were ropey. My suggestion would be to go to a large Jessops and try some out and see what they are like? My eldest sister has a pair of image stabilised binoculars and she absolutely swears by them - they might be quite expensive though.
 

rynnor

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For bird watching I'd say the lightest pair of 8x50s/8x30s you could find would be about right - that will show a large enough area - anything with higher magnification becomes increasingly more difficult to actually find the thing in the binoculars field of vision which kinda renders them useless :)
 

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