I'm looking for help with buying new bins -- What and Where. This isn't a plea to know "which are the best bins" as I know I need to handle a few and make my own decision.

I've been a walker who likes to "bird" casually for a long while, but I've recently agreed to a little challenge (most UK species in 2010) with an old friend who got me interested in birds in the first place, and it's re-awakened my interest in birding.

My Opticron HR 8x42s (Porro) are at least 15-years-old, and while they are still in excellent nick optically, I've come to realise that they don't suit my eyes -- I have a narrow IPD at 54-55mm -- and I constantly have them on the move trying to hit a "sweet spot". This is tiring and unsatisfactory.

I'd like to replace them. I know that 8x40 are going to be the best compromise for me -- I don't have steady enough hands for 10x, plus I want low weight and bulk. I tend be be looking at birds on cliffs and shores, and at wetland/small lake reserves.

I'm fortunate to be able to afford a decent high-end pair. So Ultravid HD or Victory FL are not out of the question. In fact, from my researches on the 'net, it does seem as though the only type I'm likely to find that suit my narrow IPD are Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski roof prisms.

In case I've missed something, I am seeking other suggestions or observations that more experienced users may have.

The other thing is that I struggle with is that while optical dealers like LCE in Salisbury and Ace in Bath carry a good range of glasses, they are city-centre based and so it's hard to get a feel for how anything I'm looking through might perform in the field. When I lived in Eastern England, there seemed a few rural or reserve-based dealers, but I haven't been able to locate any down in my neck of the woods.

So, anyone know of similarly located dealers down in Dorset/Wilts/Somerset?
And how do other people go about picking between bins (which might be costing a month's salary) if they can't get them out into a more realistic environment than a city street?

Thanks in advance for any help.