Binoculars recommendation

[Kate-in-Canada]

So I have read celebrity does provided binoculars, but they aren’t good quality.

 

anyone have a recommendation for a good lightweight, qood quality but reasonably priced ones for alaska?

[don't-use-real-name]

Go to a store selling photo gear and binoculars and test for functional use.

There are small opera type glasses (really not much of use except in a theatre)

Folding compact type nice for hiking and not taking up a lot of space

And the conventional field optics - heavy bulky but best suited for rugged use

on board a ship or hiking in the field - looking for Alaska animals.

 

You would want something with at least 7 power and not more than 10

7 easy to hold steady when viewing - more than 10 will need a tripod to

stabilize.

That other number 20-thru 50 or more is a factor in viewing in low light.

The bigger the number the better to see things especially at night.

There are standard and w-i-d-e angle types - standard you are viewing thru

two round tubes - w-i-d-e- angle expands the viewing to see more but for

some folks may cause eye trouble.

 

So go to a photo shop or a sporting goods store and test the merchandise

see what is functional for your purpose and of course budget.

 

Caution the cheap knock-offs from Asia may be OK for the price and use

 

Also one last thing - make sure your binocs have a shoulder/neck strap and

use it when viewing over the rail or other places - a sudden bump and ooops

there goes the optics to the deep blue - the fish and Nemo don't need any more. 

[Kate-in-Canada]

1 hour ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Go to a store selling photo gear and binoculars and test for functional use.

 

Yeah, small town northern Alberta, no photo gears stores without a 5 hour drive. 
 

 I’ll continue to browse Amazon, but maybe sone of the other info will come in handy checking descriptions. 

[don't-use-real-name]

Well I suppose that even in the outskirts of Alberta a Wal*Mart hasn't taken place YET !

Amazon would not be all that bad with at least a return policy - but the shipping/handling

is or maybe a less than desirable factor

 

Yet if arriving a day or two before your cruise should be a source nearby - if sailing out

of Seattle REI Co-op would be an excellent place - Vancouver may have a similar store

 

Caution about waiting to purchase on board the cruise ship - maybe badly overpriced or

cheaply priced junk - - - 

 

[shuyak]

I was not allowed to try in store due to padamic; bought Nikon Prostaff 3S 8x42 for its long eye relief (good for glass wearer), light weight, good reviews, and good value.  Served this first time user's need.  There appear to have some good package deals online now.  

 

There are older threads in this board with many suggestions that (helped me) may help you to decide. 

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, Kate-in-Canada said:

So I have read celebrity does provided binoculars, but they aren’t good quality.

 

anyone have a recommendation for a good lightweight, qood quality but reasonably priced ones for alaska?

 

With a quick search you will find a number of other threads discussing binoculars.

 

The binoculars used on most ship's bridges have 7 or 8 magnification, which is the first number. As ships are constantly moving and vibrating, this is considered a happy medium between bringing objects in close and avoiding vibration. The 2nd number is the light gathering capability, with a bigger number being generally better in low light.

 

Personally, having used binoculars for many years, my preference is 10 x 50, with the 10-magnification working well on most cruise ships.

 

Another feature I have grown to like is the "Perma Focus" option. When viewing wildlife, you don't want to be messing with getting them focussed. The perma focus provides a focus from a few feet to infinity.

 

In addition to perma focus, another key specification is field of view. The wider field of view assists in spotting wildlife quickly, without having to scan.

 

My preference, over many years of use, is the Bushnell 10x50 Perma Focus. They are reasonably priced, so if they get damaged during travel, I have no problem throwing them away and buying replacement. With perma focus and a large field of view it helps spotting wildlife.

 

Cons - they are a fair size, which is necessary for the included features.

[MBP&O2/O]

The ones P&O supplied for bridge officers werre in chocolate fireguard territory. I bought my own.... a pair of Nikon 7 x 50. It was a while ago ... so long I hate to remember .... but they are still going strong. At the same time I bought my own sextant which came with a 7 x 50 monocular which was / is very handy as a small spotting scope.

[mozfoz]

Take a look at what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K8W68BX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

[NavyCruiser]

Saw this sale:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083P68GRW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2IM4FDC244LTR&psc=1&tag=tbpre-20&ascsubtag=061VP01QuTYovEOeFcCOUSu

 

Amazon has the Baigish 20x50 FMC BAK4 Binoculars for a low $29.70 Free Shipping after Clip Coupon and Coupon Code: "60NCLHBW" (Exp 6/12). This normally sells for $99, so you save 70% off retail price.

• 20X power magnification
• Objective lens diameter: 50mm
• Eyepiece diameter: 20mm
• BAK-4 Prism and Multi-coated optics provide clear images
• Waterproof & fogproof, non-slip

[llkoolj40]

I used these for Alaska and they work great.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/671412-REG/Nikon_7277_Travelite_VI_8x25_Binocular.html

and these:

https://www.leupold.com/bx-1-rogue-8x25mm-compact-binocular

They are both perfect size and magnification for viewing longer.

 

[cabland]

We bought these:

 

Celestron 8X42

 

They have definitely gone up in price since we got them in 2018, but I have to admit when we got them I was like "Oh, THIS is what binoculars are SUPPOSED to be like!"  I realized I had never really looked through quality binoculars.  We liked them so much we bought the smaller 8X32 model as well before our Alaskan cruise and my wife and I both enjoyed having our own pair as we scanned for whales.  A luxury for sure (especially since they look to have increased about $60+ since we bought them).  Still...no regrets.

[DougH]

When I bought mine years ago I did a lot of online research, bird watching and boating sites had some good suggestions. Try to get some actual test looks at local sporting good stores etc as I noticed a vast difference between the, and was not always impressed by the more expensive ones

[MBP&O2/O]

Rule of thumb ...divide the larger number by the small one and the larger the answer the better.

 

8 x 32 = 4 ... 10 x 32 = 3.2 ... 7 x 50 = 7

 

The more light in the better the end product.

[don't-use-real-name]

10 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Saw this sale:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083P68GRW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2IM4FDC244LTR&psc=1&tag=tbpre-20&ascsubtag=061VP01QuTYovEOeFcCOUSu

 

Amazon has the Baigish 20x50 FMC BAK4 Binoculars for a low $29.70 Free Shipping after Clip Coupon and Coupon Code: "60NCLHBW" (Exp 6/12). This normally sells for $99, so you save 70% off retail price.

• 20X power magnification
• Objective lens diameter: 50mm
• Eyepiece diameter: 20mm
• BAK-4 Prism and Multi-coated optics provide clear images
• Waterproof & fogproof, non-slip

TOO much power - may need a tripod mount --- suggest trying before buying

[Heidi13]

17 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Saw this sale:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083P68GRW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2IM4FDC244LTR&psc=1&tag=tbpre-20&ascsubtag=061VP01QuTYovEOeFcCOUSu

 

Amazon has the Baigish 20x50 FMC BAK4 Binoculars for a low $29.70 Free Shipping after Clip Coupon and Coupon Code: "60NCLHBW" (Exp 6/12). This normally sells for $99, so you save 70% off retail price.

• 20X power magnification
• Objective lens diameter: 50mm
• Eyepiece diameter: 20mm
• BAK-4 Prism and Multi-coated optics provide clear images
• Waterproof & fogproof, non-slip

 

One of our local vendors provided a pair of 20x Swarovski binoculars to trial, when I researched a new fleet standard binocular. Excellent quality, but due to the high magnification it was too difficult to get a clear picture when the ship was moving.

 

The Bak 4 is superior to the cheaper Bak 7, but the 20x is still too powerful for everyday use on a ship.

[NavyCruiser]

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

...but the 20x is still too powerful for everyday use on a ship.

 

Had plenty of practice....

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, NavyCruiser said:

 

Had plenty of practice....

 

 

Hardly comparable to a pax on a cruise ship, which is more consistent with my experience, handholding them on the Bridge.

[strickerj]

We got the Nikon ProStaff 3S 10x42

(same as @shuyak mentioned but the 10x magnification version), and I was impressed, but my wife couldn't use them because of the shape of her face. (Somehow she was unable to find a position through which both lenses were visible simultaneously.)

 

They're not dirt cheap but not high-end either; I got them from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1225884-REG/nikon_16031_10x42_prostaff_3s_binocular.html, where they came with a carrying case and harness. In the case, they're small and lightweight enough to fit in my camera backpack. Note that I also have a Sony a7 with a 24-105 mm lens and a lot of accessories, so I'm kind of used to carrying around a lot of weight and bulk. (I apologize in advance if you're ever behind me while boarding an airplane.)

 

FWIW, I came across this while reading a "10 best" kind of list (I forget where now, sorry), and only two were less than $500 (this Nikon and some Chinese brand I'd never heard of).

[Elaine5715]

Are any of you wearing glasses with these binoculars? 

[don't-use-real-name]

35 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Are any of you wearing glasses with these binoculars? 

YES the eye relief can be a real problem ! 

For best use and the full angle i.e. 350 meters at 1K meters viewing the eyes

need to be just about touching the binocular lens

One bothersome thing is the rubber eye cups smudging the glasses and losing

that full viewing backing the eye furdther away from the lens

I have to remove my prescription tri-focal glasses to use my binoculars -

Contact lens wearer should not experience problems but the total viewing area

maybe just a tad off.

 

Trial and Error fitting will tell you a lot about your purchase ! 

 

Some binoculars have individual focusing on each tube -

Others have just one eye that is focused and the center adjustment is used to focus the

other eye. This is fine for one user - for multiple users the adjustments may be different.

 

A while back there were camera binoculars - a memory card chip was inserted and in

using the binocular finding something photo worth click and take the photo - - - nice

but the primitive small mega pixel photo was not great - better to use your modern 

day multi-lens cell phone and a photo editor to enlarge the photo - much better resolution !

The Cam-Binoculars I believe the MP output was around 5 mp - useful for making icon

images --- cell phones are better with 16 mp and even better.

 

Try and keep your photo optical gear to a minimum - batteries for this batteries for that

connection jumper cords cables memory card memory card readers who needs that ? 

Personal comment - cell phones are now the way to go with minimum equipment.

[don't-use-real-name]

4 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

 

Had plenty of practice....

One if by land - two if by sea - did you get an eyeful of what you looking at ?

 

[shuyak]

15 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Are any of you wearing glasses with these binoculars? 

 

I did.  There are more long eye relief options @ 8X or less power that I can find. 

[donaldsc]

On 6/2/2022 at 12:52 PM, mozfoz said:

Take a look at what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K8W68BX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

I am going to answer posts # 8 and 9 in the same post. 

 

Post #8 - Any binocular at $25 is going to to 100% pure junk or even worse than that.  

Post #9 - try hand holding a pair of 20x binocs.  It will be impossible.  What you need is a set of 8x or 10x binocs.

 

When you buy binoculars you should not buy cheap but buy them as a lifetime purchase.  Also do not buy them w/o trying them.  Find a sporting goods store or a camera shop that has a good selection and try them all out.  This is especially important if you wear glasses or if you plan to also use them for bird watching where you need to focus on objects that are close up.

 

The last time I bought binoculars I spent several hours in the store trying them all out and I made a total pest of myself before I bought.  I got a good pair which were not cheap but were worth the money.

 

There are lots of good WEB sites w good binocular sites that make suggestions at different price points. Also there are references to binocular sites on the photo board on CC.  I know because I have submitted several of them.

 

DON

Edited June 4, 2022 by donaldsc

[dadof2brats]

This is my go to, when looking for recommendations on something, they have never steered me wrong. Although some of their recommendations have been a little higher priced than I am looking for.  The background and notes the fellow took on testing all the various pairs of binoculars, is good and informative.

 

I have the Athlon's on order for our upcoming Alaska cruise in a couple of weeks. I was going to purchase the Celestron's to save a couple $, but they ended up costing more.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-binoculars/

[cabland]

2 hours ago, dadof2brats said:

This is my go to, when looking for recommendations on something, they have never steered me wrong. Although some of their recommendations have been a little higher priced than I am looking for.  The background and notes the fellow took on testing all the various pairs of binoculars, is good and informative.

 

I have the Athlon's on order for our upcoming Alaska cruise in a couple of weeks. I was going to purchase the Celestron's to save a couple $, but they ended up costing more.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-binoculars/

LOL - yep.  That's the article that put us on onto buying the Celestrons (both pairs!).

Edited June 5, 2022 by cabland