Teresa,

I second everything Bob said. BVD does independent testing by a guy who
really knows optics and he does it from the point of view of a birder, so
he looks at things like close focus and waterproofness that may not be
important to other users (eg. close focus would be of little value to a
nautical user). Captain's Nautical also has the most complete line of
equipment in the Seattle area so you can compare different models side by
side, which is really the only way to really see which instrument you like
best. Personally, I wasn't impressed with the image stabilizing Canons
that I looked at. Maybe down the road these may be the way to go.

As far as mail order goes, if everyone goes to their local merchant and
uses the merchant's time and their stock to make their decision and then
goes away and mail orders from the cheapest place they can find, well,
we'll end up with nothing except mail order and Costco. I think that if
people want local merchants that will have stock available and spend their
time with potential customers then we should be willing to pay a bit more
for that service. I have found that the markup on products varies from
brand to brand and my guess is that it has to do with the volume the
retailer does with particular manufacturers/distributors.

Personally, I use a Swift Audubon 10X50 and Swarovski SLC 7X42. I had the
Swifts first but found the 10X was hard to use in a boat, so went all out
for the Swarovskis. I have been very pleased with both, however feel that
the Swifts were a good bargin at 1/3 the cost of the Swarovskis.

Ed Schulz
Everett, WA
eschulz at eldec.com

-------------------------------------------------------------
>You sound like a good candidate for the web site for Better View Desired.
>You can click to it from the links page at the Tweeters web site. BVD
>has extensive and excellent reviews of all the better binoculars and
>scopes. These can be read online, downloaded, or you can refer to
>previous issues of BVD. The author is often quoted in ads in Wild
>Bird and other birder mags, and will even consult for you. Locally,
>there are the experts at Captains Nautical on 15 ave NW.

>Bob Mauritsen
>rhm at ms.washington.edu

---------------------------

>On Tue, 24 Dec 1996, Teresa Michelsen wrote:

>> Hi folks, for Christmas this year I have asked for just one thing - a
>> binocular upgrade. I have a very nice, small pair of Zeiss 8x25's, but it
>> is often a bit dark and I would like a pair with better light-gathering
>> capability. I have searched through the Tweeters archives and found
>> discussions on scopes and mid-range binoculars (under $300), but not what I
>> am looking for. I would like to ask your advice on a few things, since the
>> amount of information available is somewhat overwhelming and few stores have
>> a wide selection compared to what is available mail-order. We are looking
>> in the $700 - $1000 range. Here are my preferences:
>>
>> 1. Lightweight and streamlined (very important)
>> 2. Excellent quality optics with good light-gathering ability (have been
>> looking at 30-50's)
>> 3. Magnification 8-12
>> 4. Good near-field focus
>> 5. Weather-resistance and rubberized exterior
>>
>> I am very interested in the stabilized models. I have only seen one in a
>> store, priced about $1000 (7x35). The positive effect when I tried them out
>> was really significant and surprising. However, for that price, the optics
>> weren't quite as good as some of the others (e.g. 8x45's). There didn't
>> seem to be any models that combined the wider lenses with image
>> stabilization. The salesman ventured the thought that the image
>> stabilization made up for the difference, that most people can't make best
>> use of the optics in the high-priced models because they can't hold them
>> steady enough to see the details that you can see with a stabilized image.
>> I'm torn between the two. Any thoughts on 1) brands/models that meet the
>
>> above criteria, 2) better optics vs. image stabilization, and 3) mail-order
>> vs. what can be found at Tall's or other camera shops you know of in the
>> Seattle area?
>
>> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
>
>> Teresa Michelsen
>> tcmnem at halcyon.com
>