8-20×50 binoculars Vs 20×50 binoculars? Olympus Vs Nikon Vs Bushnell?
April 17, 2010 by
Filed under Bushnell Binoculars
I’m considering purchasing a binoculars. I generally see that binoculars with 8-20×50 are more costly than 20×50 binoculars. What is that the first binoculars can do that the second cant do?
Is it that with first binoculars I can adjust the magnification, where as with the second binoculars, the magnification is pre-adjusted?
Also can you please suggest which brand would be a good option to go for. I can choose between Olympus, Nikon, Bushnell.
The purpose of the binoculars is just for hobbie purpose, and more to be used when site seeing and traveling.
You would probably be better off with 8X40 binoculars. 20X is too much magnification to be useful handheld–you need a tripod. Zoom binoculars are often not great quality, although if it is Olympus or Nikon it probably is good quality. Bushnell tends to be so-so, the lower grade division of Bausch & Lomb.
Nikon makes a variety of models in a variety of prices. I have tried their relatively inexpensive 7X35. At that price image sharpness is very good in the center, but it gets blurry in the outer half of the field. Resistance to lens flare is very good.
The 8-20×50 binoculars you are describing are going to be rather large and heavy because of the large 50mm objective. I’d almost suggest that might be too big for travel/sight-seeing purposes. They are more costly specifically because they have a zoom (8x-20x) feature that makes them more complicated and expensive to manufacture.
I’ve never used Olympus binoculars but I have several binoculars of varying sizes from both Nikon and Bushnell binoculars. Both are excellent but, I prefer Bushnells Legend series to Nikon’s Monarch line. I am not a fan of the lens coatings used in either manufacturers cheaper product lines. The coatings, or lack thereof, in the cheaper lines leads to lots of internal reflections. The result is everything you see through them is dull and washed out…You can’t see any detail in distant objects which is the who point of using binoculars in the first place. Go to a reputable dealer for binoculars and/or riflescopes to compare models in person and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
When I’m traveling, I prefer not to make it obvious that I’m a tourist and a large pair of binoculars around your neck is pretty much a dead giveaway. Instead, I typically carry a compact pair of binoculars that fit in my messenger bag. My current set for travel is the Bushnell Legend 8×26mm. The set that stays in my vehicle is another model, the Legend Ultra 10×42mm.