Greg:

This is one of my favorite topics.  Your timing is particularly good for two
reasons:

1)  Black Swamp Bird Observatory will be presenting an array of optics at
the Biggest Week in Birding in May.  You have time to do your homework then
go there to enjoy the migrants and take time to actually look through the
many quality optics on display.

2)  Bird Watchers Digest (BWD) just evaluated the mid-priced binoculars in
January 2012 and the high-end binoculars this month.  The Porter's from Iowa
have an excellent reputation for putting the binoculars "through their
paces" and provide you with lots of valuable comparison information.

I am a mid-priced guy and after much research and comparison I chose the
Vortex Viper 8 x 42 in March, 2010.  I remain delighted with my choice.  AT
$550 they were within my price range.  BWD listed them as a "Best Buy" and I
agreed after looking through much more expensive binocs.  And the Vortex
warranty is hard to beat - they fix or replace your binocs for free if you
damage them.  Finally, they were the brightest binocs in my price range.  I
remember looking in a dark corner between buildings when comparing.  In
bright light all the binocs I looked through were great but this test helped
me decide.

I purchased them at Time & Optics in Millersburg, OH.  They have an
excellent selection and Robert Hershberger and his mother are very
knowledgeable.  You can also buy their products at BSBO and I believe a
portion of the purchase price is donated to the BSBO.

I know 50mm lenses can let in more light than 42mm but there are trade-offs
with everything.  Read the BWD comparisons for the best information.

Happy Migration,

Matt Valencic
Chagrin Falls, OH

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Bennett, Gregory
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 8:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Optics

I would appreciate any input as I attempt to "buy the best binoculars I can
afford." I don't really like the idea of buying Chinese so these are the
contenders from least to most expensive:

Zeiss Conquest 8x30 B T* (demo)
- big gap-
Minox HG 8x33 (argon purged)
Leupold Golden Ring HD 8x42 (made in US-- IF I can find them)
Zeiss Conquest 8x40 B T* (Abbé-Konig prisms, demo)
Nikon Premier 8x42 (refurbished)

Close focus and weight are not of particular concern. What I really need to
improve is brightness.

Thanks,
Gregory Bennett
Akron OH

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Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
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