Probably a tall order, but perhaps this site will help:

http://www.thebinocularsite.com/consumer/best-binoculars-under-100-dollars.html

Any of the image stabilized Canons are fabulous and worth every single penny of their high prices!

May I ask why you aren't taking the "great pair" of binos from your last trip? If you felt the cost was high, using them again will make them more cost effective.

sdb2 and cokesmith---appreciate your comments/suggestions!

TC: Oh, but I am going to use the great pair I already have (and so looking forward to it)! The ones I want to purchase now will be a birthday gift for my son's partner, who will be joining me and my son on the Tanzanian leg of a trip this October (Lucky me--I get to continue on to Rwanda).

The $$ seems to be going out so fast now (just paid for 3 airline tickets, trip insurance and a deposit on the trip)that I felt I had to limit the birthday gift expenditure. I was hoping for a decent pair of binocs for under $100. Must be something out there!!!

Under $100 - tough one. Take a trip to a local sports store like "Big 5" or something like that and you may find something. But for that price the optics, sharpness and focus mechanics won't be that good, but it all depends on what you are looking for and at...

Ah ha.....that is so sweet. Try this. We bought our great binoculars at Cabelas "Bargain Cave" . It is offered on-line, but go to a store if there is one near you. We bought our (two pair) Leupold Acadia 8x42s for $99 each. I love them. The best we've ever had. I tried out a lot in the Cabela store-- high to low end, and these were the best.

There is a pair up for auction on EBay right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leupold-Acadia-8x42-Binocular-/260978681303?pt=Binocular&hash=item3cc38aa5d7

Another good source is Adorama. Very reputable. DH buys camera gear from them all the time.
http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Binoculars%20%26%20Telescopes&cat2=Binoculars%20and%20Accessories&cat3=Binoculars

Also saw www.binoculars.com you might have a look there.

Good luck.

live_aloha, mind if I ask what were the great ones you got the first time?

Mahalo TC and cokesmith--appreciate your comments, suggestions and recommendations!

Jane62-- this is the pair I purchased as recommended by TigerPhotog from the thread I posted (check it out--"camera and binocular recommendations for the amateur") before my trip to Kenya 2010:
My Nikon Action EX ATB 8 x 50 binocs are awesome. Sell for $140 or so...great optics for the $$$

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7245-Extreme-Terrain-Binoculars/dp/B0001HKIK4

TigerPhotog on Jul 15, 10 at 3:39pm Sorry.. 10 x 50

It was a great posting, with lots of passionate and insightful responses! Just takes awhile to wade through all the comments.....good luck, and let me know what you end up with.

Where's atravellyn and so many of the other people who commented in the past???

Aloha, The 10x50 Nikon Action binoculars (doesn't say "Extreme") are $99 at www.binoculars.com (see link) Not sure what the "Extreme" adds, but might these do? In Stock+Free Shipping.

http://www.binoculars.com/binoculars/bird-watching-binoculars/10x50nikonaction.cfm?TID=NIKO067&source=channel_intelligence_pricegrabber_binoculars&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=27-103426855-2

I feel binocs depend on the user. Different binocs just work different for different people. Personally, I find all of them awkward to us and don't use them.

As too where all the veteran posters are, some still here, some moved on to other adventures, some got tired of same old same old chat. Try Safari Talk forum - http://safaritalk.net/ . Lot of "diehards" there.

regards - tom

hi

i recommend Nikon 8X40
e.g.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/219815-USA/Nikon_7216_8x40_Action_VII_Binocular.html

i must say, as a Zeiss binoculars owner, that i'm quite content with the quality of Nikon 8X40
the institute i teach at, has these Nikon binoculars for students'birdwatching excursions. they're good.

aby

Tom
i was quite surprised to read your (serious safari-goer) remark:
"Different binocs just work different for different people. Personally, I find all of them awkward to us and don't use them."
can't imagine myself on a safari without a pair...
my experience shows that many binocular owners do not know how to adjust them correctly (esp' the +/- difference between eyes).
some people have somewhat harder time like girls with very long eyelashes need a bit of practice but they succeed...

i've shown many hundreds of people how to use binoculars
and think it is possible for anybody to use binocs

aby

PS "üs" means that your SO or another family member feels the same about binocs? if so, it makes me even more puzzled ?)

Sorry if I offended you aby . Well, what can I say? It's true. Yes, I have tried those with +/- each eye adjustment. Carolyn (yes my SO) hardly ever uses them on safari. She has tried, but now she does not bother to take any. However, she will on occasion borrow the guide's Swarovskis!!! She's a lady with expensive tastes (not really). But - I do carry an expensive Nikon camera with a big lens, does that count any?

regards - tom

Oh, wait, I see you are a "twitcher". If I were, you bet I'd (have to) use binocs.

regards - tom

Dear Tom

judging from your trip reports, you've had some fabulous safaris which you've enjoyed greatly though 'binocsless'. (End of argument

better than binocs: the 15 or 20 MegaPix Camera can show amazing detail enlarged on screen after shot taken, but can't compete with binocs when a cheetah or leopard is hunting far away in tall grass, over a long time (examples only which i actually witnessed. some folks lacking the right optics were extremely frustrated...

Tom - do not read beyond this point!

Everybody else: do not give up easily on binocs!

aby

BTW

i ain't a twitcher
furthermore i cannot identify with a person interested just in 'collecting' or counting species (except on a biodiversity survey for conservation or scientific purposes)

Even more:
i wish people stop using the term "big 5" as a goal of a safari
it's another aspect of this species-busines, IMHO an outcome of brainwash by the 'índustry' which might lead some to superficial Safari (Species-"hunting")

Safari njema

aby

Thanks aby LOL, you're good sport . (I'm an old grouch!!!).
I don't discourage using binocs, some of my best friends do . Just that I would recommend actually trying them before buying. That's why I hesitate recommending them as a gift, unless of course it's those Swarovski !!!!

regards - tom

TC: Great suggestion on the Nikon 10x50 Action binocs---I ordered a pair online last night. Of course they will arrive after his birthday, but oh well,,,at least it's before our trip!

aby: thanks for your suggestion as well. I checked out the Nikon 8x40 Action binocs at a sporting good store yesterday, and really liked them. I found the 10x50 online for the same price, so decided to go with those.
BTW, with regards to your comment: i've shown many hundreds of people how to use binoculars and think it is possible for anybody to use binocs

----do you have any "pearls" to share on teaching someone how to use them correctly? Don't want to miss anything,,,,,,
To both you and tom---enjoyed reading your back and forth comments---quite entertaining and reminiscent of the conversations on my similar posting in 2010 (camera and binocular recommendations for the amateur).

Thanks to all of you for sharing......

Big 5. Got those, but I'm still looking for 2 of the "little 5". Missing 2 of them. Since little 5, maybe I should search with binocs backwards???

regards - tom

Aloha, So happy to have been able to help. Hope he loves them and sees many amazing things.

live_aloha here's the secret: to save time i've chosen a text from a random site + i've added some remarks in red

Adjusting binoculars
http://www.edenwebshops.co.uk/en/ct/adjusting-binoculars.htm

Many people have difficulty in looking through binoculars. They may see black edges or they cannot focus them or they may encounter other problems.

This is quite understandable because you need to adjust the binoculars before you can use them effectively. To do this, follow the steps below:



1 Adjust the eye cups. Do you wear glasses or not?

Binoculars nearly always come equipped with eye cups which you can either turn inwards or outwards or fold down. These eye cups ensure that the distance between your eyes and the binoculars is correct. This is important because otherwise you would not be able to see a complete image and the image would not be bright and clear.
If you wear glasses, you should turn the eye cups inwards or fold them in. If you do not wear glasses, you need to turn the eye cups outwards or fold them out.



2 Adjusting the interpupillary distance

It is important to adjust the width of the binoculars (more specifically, the distance between the ocular lenses) to the distance between your eyes. To adjust this interpupillary distance, simply turn the two halves of the binoculars inwards or outwards until you can see a single perfect circle with both eyes separately. You can check this by closing first your right eye and then your left eye without adjusting the binoculars.



3 Adjusting dioptric correction this is the real adjustment

The dioptric adjustment setting allows you to compensate for the differences in strength between your right eye and your left eye. The adjustment setting is usually located on the right ocular lens but sometimes also behind the centre focusing wheel and sometimes you can adjust the dioptre by pulling out the centre focus knob.
To adjust the dioptre, first choose an object that is a reasonable distance away from you. not at the nearest or farthest focal point! (e.g. some text you can't read without binocs) Close your right eye wrong! cover the objective lens with a lens cap or your palm. keep both eyes open and use the centre focusing wheel to bring the object into sharp focus. Now with your left eye closed, same as last comment use the dioptre adjustment setting only (do not adjust the centre focusing wheel) to bring your right eye into sharp focus.



4 Focusing your binoculars

The only thing you still have to do is focus on the object you would like to see.by using the central focusing wheel only. Do this in a way that you can see clearly at once. If anything is slightly off centre, your eyes will attempt to compensate this and even though you may sometimes see clearly, you will find that it causes eye fatigue.

here's a good explanation + an illustration

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/gear/hunting-gear/2009/04/adjust-diopter-and-make-world-clearer

Here is a very good explanation
[well, it includes my remarks ]