Howdy everyone- this forum has been so helpful. I'll be heading out to Arenal/Poas Volcano/Monteverde b/w August 17th-August 22nd. To all of you nature lovers I have a somewhat salient question. I'm looking for a fairly sturdy, inexpensive pair of binoculars for my vacation. Any suggestions?

I had the same dilema, so I bought 2 binocular. One is bushnell from costco, around 30-40, can't remember exactly how much...waterproof and fogproof...The other is Ebay bought olympus very small...both had about 10x mag...

As far as i can see at the moment, they are pretty much same..if you can focus them..pretty clear to see birds in my backyard...

I would definitely consider costco bushnell..you can always exchange/refund if they do not live upto it's function..I am a costco addict =)

Good luck~

The best binoculars are light-weight but good quality ones...hubby has a pair for about $400 or $500 but he needs them for his job as a biologist.

Inexpensive binoculars are usually heavier.

Spending 400-500 for 5/6 of animal watching seems a bit much for me. I'm looking for something feasible that I can probably use again in some future but that's appropriate for a vacation.

If you have a nearby hunting/fishing sportsman store, they normally have a pretty decent selections - from the least expensive to quite expensive.

We have a couple pairs of small, light Nikons (under $100). They've served us well over many years/trips till recently when we bought larger better Minoltas for about 2 or 3 times that. Still nice to have those little guys though -- because they'll fit in a purse, or jacket pocket, etc.

Check out the Eagle Optics website on the internet or, if you have a birding supplies store in your local area check with them. $50 binoculars are essentially junk. If you just want to view wildlife for a couple of days they will suffice, I suppose but the difference in image quality between various cheap and mid range bins can be huge, especially in low light conditions.

I suggest no more than 8 power bins for the forest /edge birding most people do in Costa Rica.

Jerry

Thanks so much everyone!

We purchased Swarovski for a trip to Africa. They are fabulous!! Our guide on our safari was impressed with them as well.

p.s They are not inexpensive

I went on an eco tour in the Pantanal a couple of years ago and never really used binoculars before. They were a requirement for that trip. The tour leader suggested some that were $1000-$1500. I told him that wasn't going to happen. So then he suggested some in the $500 price range. I told him that was still pricey. So he ended up suggesting some Bushnell 10x42 Legend Waterproof that ran about $260 from B&H and I have been very happy with them because they gather so much light and you can really see things well with them. I compared them to much more expensive ones and could not tell the difference. They are just right for birdwatching. And now I am taking them to Africa.

Fog free will help in the jungle. Water proof might be nice too. We have a great pair of Minolta 7*35 that were in the $100 range, and have been great for birding and such in those areas.

Pick a price range, and then see what you like. They just keep getting better, but are quite good by $75-100.