Mike Baird wrote:

> I'd dearly appreciate some advice on chosing some better binoculars for
> birding please... I currently have an old Tasco Model No. 306 7x50 "field
> view" "light weight" "372 ft. at 1000 yards"  pair that seems to lack the
> magnification needed.  Any suggestions to me
> Mike Baird
> mike@[remove]mikebaird.com would be greatly appreciated
>

Mike,

In response to your question about binocs: magnification is not necessarily as important as 
quality of prism glass. You do get what you pay for. A lower powered pair of bins (7x) can be excellent 
if they are made by a high quality manufacturer. Before buying you
need to consider what type of birding you think you might prefer to do. This helped me to choose 
the power of my bins. Example; before I bought my new bins I decided that I preferred birding for 
passerines rather than looking out to see or at distant hawks. This
means I will be peering into shadows and in tree branches at smaller birds mainly. A pair of 
higher powered bins won't let as much light in as a medium to low powered pair. If I had purchased 10x 
instead of my 8x I might have problems when looking at warblers in
trees. But, a pair of 10x will bring those terns, gulls and shorebirds in at a distance on the 
beach where light is usually not a problem. It is definitely a compromise somewhere. You could 
certainly go up to 8x and not compromise light gathering ability. There
are many good quality bins out there, many in the 8x category that won't cost a fortune. Swift and 
Celestron make good ones. I paid a pretty penny for my Leica's (8x40 roof prism) that I don't 
regret buying but you don't necessarily need to spend that much. Zeiss
and Bausch & Lomb are also among the higher quality (read that expensive) bins on the market.

I would consider looking at Eagle Optics, Christopher's, and ABA Sales. You can find web sites to 
these suppliers and learn a little more about how to purchase binoculars in a way that works for 
you. I purchased mine from Eagle Optics and am happy I did. As a
rule, I would avoid buying them from a department store or sporting goods store. Stick with an 
optics, photography or birding supplier. Look through any bird watching magazines for ads from better 
suppliers. Also, when you are birding with others (join in on
hikes) ask to test their binoculars and get their opinions. I found this very helpful in 
ultimately making my decision. Good luck.

best,

Jamie Chavez
Santa Maria, CA