Should I get zoom binoculars?
My wife and I will be hiking in the Canadian Rockies this summer. We'd each like to carry a pair of compact binoculars for birding and the occasional vast vista that we might come upon. Without breaking the bank (we don't need waterproofed and rubber-armored), what would you recommend? As far as magnification goes, should we consider buying zoom binoculars or stick with a basic model? Also, how important is it to have the widest field of view possible? Byron Phoenix, Arizona
Of course, not all glasses with the raw same numbers ARE the same. Glass quality, coatings, construction - all those combine to give you a wide range of prices and sharpness. Still, for under $100 you can get a pretty good pair of binocs, such as Pentax's 8X24 UCF WR. These in fact ARE armored and water-resistant, so you can have your cake and eat it, too. They're about $85, street price. I also like Minolta's 8X25 Activa binoculars, which go for right around $100 and are basically same design as the Pentax's. You'd want to heft a pair of each and look at something with the glasses side by side to figure out what seems best.
There are some bargains on high-end glasses to be found, too. Sierra Trading Post, for example, has several Steiner binoculars on closeout. These include the beautifully made 8X24 Rocky binoculars for $260, and slightly lesser 8X22 Compact Safari glasses for $99. I got a pair of the Compact Safari glasses not long ago for backpacking and like them very much
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