looking for some binoculars under £30 for my sister, who’s off to the Scilly Isles and hoping to see some wildlife. I know zilch about binoculars but I’m sure you get what you pay for. it would be nice to get something that’s good for the money, and also compact. any suggestions?

These are cheap, but not so good

she won’t tell the difference 🙂

Frankly, for £30, whatever you get is going to be pretty average, so whoever makes them is largely irrelevant.
To get something that’s worth having, that will let you really see things clearly, you have to get up around the £100 mark, although my Avian Trekker 8×32’s cost me £89, and I love them, proper roof prism, nitrogen filled and waterproof. Cheaper, and they’ll likely be fixed focus.
http://www.avianoptics.co.uk/products/avian-trekker-dcf.php
Someone’s got a new pair on fleabay for £80;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avian-8-x-32-Binoculars-/130820019999

These are probably about as cheap as you’ll get, and have some sort of quality. Practika are alright, and she’ll probably be chuffed to bits with them;
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/accessories/binoculars/praktica-zoom-9-40-x-22-porro-prism-binoculars-00734568-pdt.html
At this price, these are a steal;
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/accessories/binoculars/bushnell-excursion-ex-8-x-36-roof-prism-binoculars-02806470-pdt.html
Bushnell are good glasses, and for £60, I don’t think you’ll do better.

Try these, went up in price over the last few years due to popularity, think I paid £20 but still worth the extra money.

http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-binoculars-10×42-waterproof-fogproof-binoculars-with-shoulder-case

Plenty of good reviews online (google 7dayshop binoculars), probablly best value binos you can buy, ideal for wildlife being 10×42 and perfom much better than the price would suggest.

Good shout, I’d completely forgotten the 7dayshop binocs, they always get good reviews, as pointed out.

Cheers for the suggestions,I realise they won’t be amazing. Might check out the 7day ones and failing that will head to currys!

Cheers
Pete

Hey, you’re welcome. 😀 The 7dayshop glasses always get good reviews, so difficult to imagine any issues, but you can at least try the ones in Curry’s.