FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] binocular information

["Kistlers" <kistlers@xxxxxxxxx>]

wow ! what a great bunch of people we have. last week i posted a request for 
information and opinions vis a vis buying new binoculars. i was swamped with 
answers, all of them useful. 
most who answered said : 1. the more you spend the better you'll like the 
product. "spend as much as you can" was one i got several times.  2. most 
people preferred 8 power to 10 power, although some of our state's top birders 
use 10's. 3. i received url's for several internet sites giving information for 
buyers, comparison charts, and the like. naturally i'll share those with anyone 
who's interested.
of interest to me was an article by a man who had tested different size 
binoculars at different distances and in different light conditions. his 
conclusion was that the differences were almost indiscernible (not among 
different price ranges, but different sizes.. 8 x 32, 8 x 40,  etc.) and it 
basically boils down to what feels good in your hands. so i've decided to suck 
it up and order a pair that looks good, with the resolution to pay the shipping 
and return them if they're not what i want.
so for this weekend's spring count i plan to sport a pair of minux bd 8.5 x 42 
br's. minox is a leica company with a good reputation but without the high end 
price tag.
thanks to all you who love birds and birding enough to share your experience. 
it was really helpful, and fun, to hear from everyone.
steve kistler
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