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Blogs

  • The Frank Perspective: A quick guide to the best of the Binoculars under £500
    August 15, 2024

    Hawke Frontier vs Opticron DBA VHD - Great Value Under £500: The Frank Perspective

    Last week, my wife and I were out and about in the South Hams in Devon, near where I live and where South West Optics is based. While we were driving down a country lane towards a friends farm, we spotted a juvenile buzzard on a telegraph pole. We stopped the car and popped out my trusty pair of Opticron Veranos 10x42 (excellent bino’s for the price) and watched for a while as it sat looking for things to pounce on for dinner.
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  • Exclusive Interview: Rob Laughton from Opticron
    June 27, 2024

    Exclusive Interview: Rob Laughton from Opticron

    In this exclusive interview, Rob Laughton from Opticron sits down with Russell Welton to delve into the world of binocular quality and optics craftsmanship. Rob shares insights on Opticron's dedication to Japanese-made products, emphasizing their superior build quality and innovative features like...

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  • Applications of Thermal Optics for Nature Observation: How Can Thermal Optics Transform Your Nature Observations?
    May 16, 2024

    Applications of Thermal Optics for Nature Observation: How Can Thermal Optics Transform Your Nature Observations?

    Once reserved exclusively for the military, thermal optics have soon found their way into the hands of birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. While traditional binoculars and spotting scopes have long been the tools of choice for birders and nature enthusiasts, the advent of thermal monoculars and binoculars has opened up new possibilities for exploring the natural world and our local ecosystems. So, how do they work?
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  • HikMicro Habrok 4k at £1199.95: Is This the Best Product to Enter the Birdwatching and Nature Market in 10 Years?
    May 9, 2024

    HikMicro Habrok 4k Binoculars at £1199.95: Is This the Best Product to Enter the Birdwatching and Nature Market in 10 Years?

    Has the birdwatching and nature observation market changed forever? That’s the question we are now asking ourselves at South West Optics. The May 2024 release of the HikMicro Habrok 4k HE25L thermal and digital binocular is at a crazy aggressive retail price of £1199.95 which has never been seen by any thermal binocular. Come with us as we take a closer look at the HikMicro Habrok 4k, answering queries like: what are its key features? How much does a Habrok 4k cost? What are the technical specifications? And what is the impact on birdwatching and nature observation?
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  • Birding with a Novice Part 2: Not Quite Ready to Fall Off the Perch
    February 13, 2024

    Birding with a Novice Part 2: Not Quite Ready to Fall Off the Perch

    Last week at work, we were chatting over where I am with my desire to go birding and what my next step should be. Having had a couple of weeks entertaining a new strain of covid, I had time to consider lashing out my hard earned cash on a pair of binoculars of my own. We were discussing the options within my price range when my boss (40 years younger than me) suggested that I get a move on as starting a new hobby at my age (70) doesn’t leave me much time. Now, I'm sure it was said in jest but it got me thinking...

     

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  • A review of Leica Binoculars - The Frank Perspective
    January 23, 2024

    A review of Leica Binoculars - The Frank Perspective

    One of my passions is photography- landscape and portrait, mostly. I'm a great fan of Leica cameras, they are beautifully engineered and their lenses are crystal clear and sharp. The same can be said for their binoculars. On a nice cold but sunny day in the new year, I was able to roam freely in the Devonshire countryside with a couple of different Leica models to see what I thought. 
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  • Birding with a Novice- South West Optics
    October 22, 2023

    Birding with a Novice: Join Me as I Stumble My Way into Birding for the First Time

    I’ve always had an interest in nature and wildlife in general. I was born in Paignton, Devon, but spent my early years living in the Essex countryside. Where we lived, there were no real made up roads and very few neighbours so consequently I spent a lot of my childhood roaming the fields alone looking for things to do (or mischief as my grandparents called it).
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