Binoculars & motion sickness

[2hapas]

I have a problem with using binoculars and getting motion sickness. Is there a type of binocular that would aleviate this? I'm wondering if binoculars with a greater field of vision would lessen this feeling since I wouldn't have to move them around so much???:confused: :eek:

[whale-watcher]

Wider field of view, lower magnification (8x), and higher quality optics that are bright and sharp are all features that will help.

[gazingm42]

DS gets sick with binoculars. But we purchased a monocular and he

doesn't have a issue at all.

[Putterdude]

You can also go to something like 7X50 which is a marine binocular and takes a lot of the motion out to the lenses.

[qiangf2]

It could aggravate the motion sickness when using binoculars, especially when the sea is rough and the binoculars quality is poor. I once bought a pair of old binoculars for collection purpose. It has pretty bad barrel distortion. I felt dizzy when I scan with it even on the ground.

 

You definitely want to invest a pair of good binoculars, with 8x or 10x power. Take frequent mini-breaks between use and avoid using it if you have already experienced motion-sickness.

[2hapas]

Thanks for all the advice. My sister has a pair of the Zen-Ray 10x Summit binoculars that she will let me borrow. I think I will do a "trial run" with these on a catamaran trip here to see how I feel. I'm also going to the local stores to check out the monocular and marine binoculars. I never knew about monoculars before this! Thanks!:o

[knorrisb07]

Thanks for all the advice. My sister has a pair of the Zen-Ray 10x Summit binoculars that she will let me borrow. I think I will do a "trial run" with these on a catamaran trip here to see how I feel. I'm also going to the local stores to check out the monocular and marine binoculars. I never knew about monoculars before this! Thanks!:o

 

My experience is to not use too high power binoculars. I was not comfortable when I tried a pair of 16x binoculars. I found I like the 8x42 the best.

[plenox]

There are several threads that have excellent discussion on binoculars.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=578690

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=550923

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=626538

[knittingGal]

There are several threads that have excellent discussion on binoculars.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=578690

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=550923

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=626538

 

Thanks for the links. My neighbor who is going with us this year tends to get motion sickness easy. Since many people prefer 8x or 10x binoculars. We want to know which one will be better for her. Thanks a lot for the help.

[whale-watcher]

Thanks for the links. My neighbor who is going with us this year tends to get motion sickness easy. Since many people prefer 8x or 10x binoculars. We want to know which one will be better for her. Thanks a lot for the help.

remember that binoculars magnify not only the object you are watching, but also the the motion of the boat. I personally find that 8x or lower power bins give me a better view than 10x from a rocking boat.

 

Another factor to consider...look for a pair of binoculars with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness (this is more important for those prone to migraines or motion sickness)...that way you can scan for wildlife without things coming in and out of focus at the edge of the field of view (rapidly producung nausea or headaches). I find this feature to be much more important to me than the actual angle of view, but unfortunately usually means spending considerably more on a pair of bins. You can easily test for this by scanning horizontally and watching the edges of the field.

[knittingGal]

whale, thank you so much for the explanation. It seems 8x is more suited for us. We finally decided to order two pairs of vista 8x42 They just arrived this morning. It looks good so far. We cannot wait to try them out and practice a little bit before the trip.

[2hapas]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I ended up buying a pair of 7 x 35 binoculars which has a wider field of vision. It still gives me a good amount of magnification with a lot less of the movement that gives me that queasy feeling. :rolleyes:

[knittingGal]

I didn't get any motion sickness while using binoculars, either on the cruiseship or on the small whale watching boat. The suggestion of using lower power 8x really works. I found myself always with a pair of 8x42throughout the trip. Thanks everyone for your suggestion.

[Putterdude]

I didn't get any motion sickness while using binoculars, either on the cruiseship or on the small whale watching boat. The suggestion of using lower power 8x really works. I found myself always with a pair of 8x42throughout the trip. Thanks everyone for your suggestion.

 

Great, I am glad that it worked for you.:)

[Choozin Croozin]

Can anyone tell me how they think these would do? I cannot find a ratings website for binoculars anywhere. That is always how I usually buy a product. I where glasses. The reviews from this website seem favorable. I own 4 pairs of binoculars. None of them great, but never really have too much of a use for them except when we cruise, so don't want to invest more than a $100.:)

 

http://www.binoculars.com/binoculars/general-use-binoculars/7x50waterproofbinoculars.cfm#details

 

Or would I be better with the Zen-Rays that everyone here seems to recommend. http://www.zen-ray.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=206

 

 

 

Thanks for your help!!!

[plenox]

Can anyone tell me how they think these would do? I cannot find a ratings website for binoculars anywhere. That is always how I usually buy a product. I where glasses. The reviews from this website seem favorable. I own 4 pairs of binoculars. None of them great' date=' but never really have too much of a use for them except when we cruise, so don't want to invest more than a $100.:)

 

http://www.binoculars.com/binoculars/general-use-binoculars/7x50waterproofbinoculars.cfm#details

 

Or would I be better with the Zen-Rays that everyone here seems to recommend. http://www.zen-ray.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=206

 

Thanks for your help!!![/quote']

 

I will definitely recommend Zen-Ray too. We have used our binoculars almost everyday during our 7-day cruise on HAL this summer. It is very comfortable to use. We got a balcony room, I typically spent hours out there watching the passing scenery.

[Putterdude]

I do not know the Zhumell product at all but everyone seems to be happy with their Zen-Rays.

[Choozin Croozin]

Well, I just might have to get those then. I liked the fact that these were Marine binos and the eye exit(?) was 5.+. Wish someone knew this brand.

[whale-watcher]

I do not know the Zhumell product at all but everyone seems to be happy with their Zen-Rays.

I won a free pair of Zhumells in a bird watching competition a few years ago (I kid you not!)...the optics were good but not great (there are many other brands that are brighter and sharper). I ended up donating them to a charity auction.

[Choozin Croozin]

I won a free pair of Zhumells in a bird watching competition a few years ago (I kid you not!)...the optics were good but not great (there are many other brands that are brighter and sharper). I ended up donating them to a charity auction.

 

Thanks WW, I will scratch them off my list!!!

[knittingGal]

Great, I am glad that it worked for you.:)

 

Thank you so much for the suggestion for the low power binoculars. Many people found 10x are the best. To us, 8x seems to be enough. With wider range, it is easier for my 4-year old to take a peek too.

 

choozin' cruzin', I don't know anything about zhume, but we also use zenray binoculars. We don't want to spend too much on binoculars, so this works for us. The clarity is very good. DH said it was much better than what he expected.

[knorrisb07]

I for one, always believe 8x is better than 10x for overall quality. But several other experienced cruisers prefer 10x because of the long distance. If you use a high quality binoculars, there is really no worry about motion sickness.

[twcrew]

There were so many opinions between 7,8, and 10x, that we decided to get the zoom binoculars that go from 7 to 21: so 7-10 on the boat, and higher on land. I went with a 40mm lens due to cost, weight, and figured it was a good compromise between 50mm "marine" and the compact options. We found a great deal at the local sports and outdoors place (where we could actually take them out of the boxes and try them first!).

 

TWC

[time4cruise]

DH and I realized we can only handle 10x. We tried some higher power (16x) one and found we had to push our eyes against the glass to avoid seeing blackout. I cannot hold them steady at 16x either. If you don't have motion sickness, take 10x, otherwise, 7x or 8x will be good.

[dhmom99]

We got 10x summit and 8x VISTA for our previous trip after reading many reviews. We use 10x when we want to see things in distant and use 8x when we set out for whale watching tour. The best part is that we didn't have to fight over one pair since everyone gets their own. Their summit has a $35 off coupon (code: ZRS) right now. For its superior quality, it is really a good deal. We are considering ordering another pair for my in-laws who are coming with us next year.