So, @lies, I finally decided to upgrade my binoculars. (Well, actually, my father got me a better pair for my birthday. Thanks, Dad!) Both @llamapunk and another of our coworkers have the Nikon 8×42 ProStaff 3S Binoculars, and so I was able to try them out before deciding to get them. They were highly rated by the Audubon Society, and, though still in the budget category, they are decidedly better than the ones I’ve been using.
The eyepieces can be adjusted close enough together for my narrow-set eyes. However, the radius of the eyepieces is larger than that on my 10×25 pair, so my slightly wide nose bridge gets a little in the way. Still, the view is substantially better because so much more light gets in–and I frequently birdwatch in the very late afternoon.
They do weigh more than my tiny binoculars, of course, but I got a sort of harness thing to use instead of a neck-strap, and that definitely helps.
So far I have only gone birdwatching with them once, but it was good and I’m looking forward to many happy birdwatching expeditions! [Plus I used them to identify the Bewick’s wren in the bushes outside my window yesterday!]
Excellent! Binoculars are by far the most important piece of birdwatching gear, since you use them pretty much all the time. Other stuff (books and apps, spotting scope, camera) are nice and can make a difference, but the bins are key. So glad to hear you’ve stepped up to a nicer pair!
The harness is really nice, too. It requires (in my case) overcoming a little bit of self-consciousness to use it, because it’s more obviously proclaiming to the world that I’m all-in on my nerdy obsession. But that’s mostly my inner self-conscious teenager talking. At 59 I think I’ve reached the point where I can successfully ignore him, at least on this particular point. And the harness is much more comfortable, especially for longer sessions.
Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/674456663037804544.
