Compact Binocular Recommendation $50-$125 range

[cchu518]

Hi Folks,
Does anyone have any experience with the REI brand and Nikon brand of compact binoculars, I'm looking to pick up a pair for my trip to Tulum, Mexico in two weeks. My wife and I our avid photographers of wildlife. We love seeking out and photographing wildlife in their undisturbed states.

Here's an example of an Argentinian B&W Blue Tegu.

I only jest about this one as he's our pet, but we've done photo safaris of animals almost everywhere we visit.

NJ Water Snake

Tagged Blue Grand Cayman Iguana at the Blue Iguana Recovery Program (they are saving Blue Iguana from Extinction in Grand Cayman)

Giant Grasshopper in the Everglades

Coral Snake, Osa Peninsula (Do not ever do what this snake guide did they are super venomous!)

Eyelash Viper (Arenal Volcano)

Anyway as you can see, we're in need of a good lightweight set of binoculars for spotting animals, we need it to have good optics and decent with pulling in light in shadowy areas.

 

[Bowman1911]

Steiner® 10x26 Safari Pro Compact Binoculars

I paid $99 for these at Basspro. They're nowhere near as nice as my marine glasses, but they fit in a shirt pocket & they're pretty nice for a set of field glasses!

 

[Brisket]

I've sold off most of my compact optics because I find the trade-off between size and performance over a midsize such as a 32mm objective does not lean in their favor. I wanted to like compacts and bought several that were recommended in optics forums, but I found that I needed to spend quite a bit more in a compact to get as good or better performance than a mid-size objective lens bino provided. That being said the Pentax Papilio is considered to be one of the best bang for the buck compacts out there. I gifted mine to my father and he has been thrilled with them. I kept a pair of Steiner Predator Pro 10x26 for myself which retail for more than what you have budgeted, but they are discounted heavily on some internet trading posts. I haven't tried the Safari Pro model that Bowman1911 suggested, but based upon my experience with Steiner I would image those would be a good option.

I also kept a Minox Macroscope 8x25 monocular which I can recommend as another compact solution. I you are considering monoculars as a compact option, the Vortex 8x36 is a pretty good option for about a hundred bucks.

 

[rick melear]

Not sure what camera you used that gave you that quality of image but I can't imagine a bino that could duplicate it in your price range. Big fan of Swarovski myself but some of the Chinese imports like Zen-Ray or Promaster are very good in the sub $500 range. Under $125 I can't imagine.

 

[severtecher]

I like my Nikons but went to an optics demo and was blown away by the Leicas. About $800 on up.

 

[ArchAngel]

I will second the Steiner compacts. I have a set of the 10X26 Predator Pros. Great little binocular for the price. They can be had for around 125.00 or so.

 

[Grease]

You might try for a monocular instead. I just picked up an Orion 10-25x 45mm for about $80, and it seems to be pretty quality. You can focus far or REALLY close (like, 2 feet) and the view is pretty clear and bright. I like it. Comes with a belt pouch too, even if it is just your basic mass produced thing

 

[cchu518]

I have a Canon T3i with a 300 macro zoom. Ended up with a Nikon 8X25 I liked the wider field of view that it offered.

 

[storyville]

Re original query: yes, I've handled the REI branded compacts and Nikon compacts (Trailblazer ATB) that REI carries, if that's what you're referring to. (I live near an REI.) Quality control for most compact bins in this range are not very consistent and, at best, their optics are not very good: blurring in the outer 1/3 of your f.o.v., relative dimness and little contrast even in daylight, very short eye relief (15-16mm minimum is essential if you wear eyeglasses), difficulty focusing at all if you're really unlucky, stiff or sticky focusing dials, etc. If you're OK with very basic optics, honestly I would not rate either any better than ~$30 pocket-carry Tascos or low-end Bushnells and I'd recommend them over either of the above-named compacts.

Maybe the best compact at the high end of your price range is the Vortex Vanquish 8x26. Optically very good bang for the buck, although size-wise they might stretch the definition of 'compact' for some. Just beyond your price range, some folks love the Minox BV II 8x25 compacts. Personally I'm not a big fan but, again, many are. (Actually, the compact with the biggest following of devotees is probably the Nikon Travelite. It is very good optically but I could never quite come around to find its narrow field of view 270' acceptable. 320' is about as narrow as I want to go, and I prefer 340' to 370' in a compact.) Very affordable and also very good are the Pentax 8x21 UCF R. Many find the design goofy but Pentax is sort of like the Spyderco of optics in this respect: their designs not only work but every seemingly quirky feature actually has a design purpose and isn't extraneous. If you don't need waterproofness -- and I generally find waterproofing unnecessary (are you really going to be glassing in the rain?) -- the Pentax UCF R is good to go.

Also, esp if you're not familiar with bins already, I would strongly recommend *against* 10x in compacts. They are so light in hand that it is extremely difficult to keep your hands steady; every slight bounce is amplified that much more. I actually prefer 7x myself in compacts (Bushnell 7x26 Custom) but 8x is acceptable. Indeed for many photographers who are also birders, the most favored compact is the Pentax Papilio 6.5x21, which is optically unsurpassed for bins under ~$150. But many are 'turned off' by the 6.5x magnification. (As with knives, for many, bigger = better.) 10x is probably OK if you're just occasionally and briefly spotting, but they are much more challenging to use than 8x if you're glassing carefully for detail (as your beautiful photos suggest), trying to follow a bird or other animal, or even spying the next range and plotting your course. Even more so in compacts: given the lesser amount of lighting that compacts can objectively take in, and the amount of compensation your eyes need to make for shakiness, relative lack of contrast and depth, and the like relative to mid-size (x32 objectives) or full-size (x42 or x44 objectives, etc.), I find the trade-offs not favoring the larger mag 10x. It takes a lot more effort to hold 10x steady, and you end up significantly sacrificing field of view and, usually, eye relief. That's true in mid- and full-size bins, and especially so in compacts.