Which reminds me - I'm due to buy a new pair of bins any time now.  I seem to recall the Club recommending a place in Lancashire or Cheshire(?).  Can't remember whether it was InFocus or not.  I prefer 8x40/8x42 in the price range £150 -£250.  Current model is an Opticron Imagic which I loved.  For some reason I can't get on with roof prism bins (and yes, I know they're more expensive). Any advice/recommendations?
DaveH

it might be worth the short journey to in focus at denby dale to see what they have.there is nothing qite like the august bird fair at rutland for making comparisons.
stevec

I would agree that the bird fair is the best place to look at new models, and maybe some old ones as well. Don't try to get into the In Focus stand without an appointment and a credit card though. I doubt that you can get many bargains there either as most of the dealers are excluded from exhibiting - it's normally just the manufacturers and IF.

Sad to say that the internet still offers the best means of getting a bargain and, assuming that you've tried a pair previously, modern quality control should ensure that you do get what you expect when buying this way. This does tend to squeeze out the smaller shops, however, but such as penninonline seem to be managing OK.

One last point is to make sure that what you buy comes with a full UK warranty. In the past so-called grey imports would prove to have invalid warranties due to the way that they had been traded. This is not generally a problem with the reputable dealers however.

Slightly late with this but anyone wanting a pair of mid-price bins could do worse than look at the new Opticron HR WP porroprism series. Might sound a bit daft but I still think my battered old HR 8x42s are the sharpest pair I've ever owned, and that includes Swarovski ELs and Nikon HGs. There are downsides of course, but unlike the old ones at least the new HRs are waterproof. And they're less than £200!!

I believe the "top end" manufacturers are coming under severe pressure from lower priced models, and not before time.

As always it is important to try out a number of models before choosing and to remember that no expense can compensate for our own deficiencies, no matter what they might be.