Let's shop for binoculars...

[Jennie@ifish]

At Nikon!
OK, I'm looking for some good birding binocs to use, mostly sitting at my kitchen table and looking out.
However, I also need some for the boat, so I can see what color kwikfish the boat over there is using, and also, what kind of scent he is pouring on that herring.

:smile:

Help? I know nothing!

Jen

[ 06-05-2003, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

[duckcall]

Their is a lot to choose from, both in quality and price. We own several in various power configurations. My wife has a pair of Bausch & Lomb Discoverer 10x42 that are really top quality and a pleasure to use with or without glasses. I have several compacts and none compare to her full size B&L's. In binocs you get what you pay for. Buy a good pair to begin with and you won't regret it. Good luck!

[Pete]

I have the Mountaineers, which are nice because they are compact, the rubber coating makes them nice to handle, they are nitrogen filled which prevents fogging and helps brighten the view and they are waterproof so I don't worry about taking them fishing.


But, for birding, I might choose the Sportster 10x36 because they allow you to focus as near as 10 feet, the relatively wide angle would let you quickly locate moving objects (like birds) and they are not so large that they would be cumbersome or heavy after using them for a while.

[Firedog]

All depends on how much you want to spend. I bought a pair of Leupold Wind River 8X42 last fall for hunting and really like them. Best price I found was at Archers afield.com I don't like the compact style as they are a lot harder to look through and the field of vision is limited.

[Rocky]

We Tried the ones from radio shack that (I think) were 8 x 22. My wife wanted them for birdwatching and taking their pictures. Well the binoc part worked great but the picture quality was so bad that we took them back, so don't go that route. Still looking for a pair for her bird thing but in the meantime she is using a pair
that we got for the boat from meade, $50.00 at Fry's and they are 7x21 x 50 but are not waterproof. work good for the boat and she says just ok for birds as it takes her too long to focus them, so I dont know if thats her or the binoculars. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL YOU MOMS

[Straydog]

Originally posted by Jennie@ifish:


Help? I know nothing!

Jen

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Some basic info:

Know that when looking for binocs the numbers are important. Most will have a description such as 7X35 8x20, 10x50 or something like that.
The first number is the power or magnification quantity of the glas. 7, 8 and 10 power or times magnification in the examples here.

The second number is the diameter of the objective or front lense of the glass. This is important because it has to do with light gathering capability and field of vision. (many glasses will have small print that says something like 637' at 1,000 yds. or something similar) This means that if you are looking at or for something at 1,000 yards your field of view through the binos will be 637 ft. This example came off a pair of 10x50's. Also, the larger the objective lens, the more light they will be able to gather.

Since you noted you would be using them at home or in the boat, size and weight are not a big issue as they would be if you were planning on hiking into Elk country with them.

My suggestion is to go with a larger pair and get as much light gathering capabilty as possible since you probably often fish at first and last light. It will be easier to spy at dusk with more light gathering!

Nikon, Leupold, Bushnell and Bausch and Lomb all make good binos at comparable price points.

Given you live where you do and plan on using these in the boat, I would recommend paying a little extra to get a truly water proof pair rather than a water "resistant" pair.

Good luck and Happy Mothers Day!!

[ 05-11-2003, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

[blacktail]

Jen,

Depends on how much you want to spend.

Nikon Monarchs are great for the money.

You can spend anywhere from $15.00 for the compact cheapies to $1,500 for top of the line.

Mike

[Catch 22]

I finally went out and bought a decent pair last year. I got the Nikon Action series Lookout IV model in the 10X50 size. They were on sale for $100. They are full size and let in alot of light. VERY important for viewing at dawn and dusk. They are not waterproof though. My father has the comperable Nikons in the waterproofs and they ran over $300.

[fishwhenican]

If you are going to buy Nikons, either don't get them wet or get waterproof ones. I have a pair of mountaineers and a pair of the lookouts both are very nice.
A friend had a pair of Lookouts that got water inside from glassing hillsides in the rain, Nikon said too bad,no warranty, not waterproof

[Bait O' Eggs]

Love my 10x50 Swarovskis (check out moniker) but they are very expensive.

Most will say they are too heavy, but the view is worth the weight. :grin: I will pack them to the top of the hill just so I can look thru some of the best glass available.

Nikon has a fine line of binos also. I would recommend waterproof. I doesnt rain in Oregon and you will never find yourself wishing you didnt have waterproof binos as they get rained on.

Get the biggest front lense you can, more light means easier to see.

[ 05-12-2003, 11:21 AM: Message edited by: Bait O' Eggs ]

[Jennie@ifish]

I FOUND THEM!

I love them! ... and there is no hiding your secret bait or lure from me, now!

Jen

[Silver Hilton]

Before you buy, check out Sierra trading post and see what they have. They often have closeouts at great prices. I got a pair of Steiner 8x50's for about half normal retail(in Cabela's). This the upper end of performance, obviously, but they have similar deals on the types you are looking for.

[crabbait]

In my line of work we spend hours every day peering through binoculars. For boating, birdwatching and airplane finding, get away from the center-focus glasses. It takes too long to focus every time you pick up the glasses, especially when you do not have much background for reference (looking into the sky or across water).

Binocs with individual eye focus allow you to focus once for your particular vision, then ignore the focus for the rest of the day. The glasses are good from fairly close (depends on the model) to infinity and your eyes do the focus work. When birding of looking for game through layers of brush, you can focus on each layer and then the next using the normal focus mechanism in your eye without ever adjusting the glasses.

You will notice that most "marine" glasses are this type. Many name brands are available including Stiener, Fujinon, Zeiss, etc. I am thinking of a pair of 7X50 or 10X50 Stiener Mariners with the build in compass for the new boat. Fujinons are used in the tower (cheaper). They are good you will notice that they are not in focus all the way to the edge of the circle (a good test for any optics) and do become two monoculars when dropped.

Unless you intend to hike with the glasses, bigger is usually better, especially in the objective lens area. Bigger objective lenses (the big end) mean much more light gathering and less eye strain.

With optics, more dollars means better optics but there is a point of diminishing return. You get what you pay for, right Roy?

[Trophy]

Is "phase-coated" a gimmick or a real thing? This used to be exclusive to the high-end glasses, but it appears more and more mid-priced binos feature this.