Looking for Binoculars
Feb 24, 2017 09:35:05 #
WessoJPEG wrote:
Swarovski are the very best, none even come close. 
😆
😆I've owned Swarovski binos also and yes they are the best . Their customer service is also the best.
I've heard Vortex also has phenomenal customer service but The optical quality doesn't compare. They have gotten better over the years. The first time I looked through the Vortex binos they were dark and resolution was poor compared to the Swarovski. But Vortex has gotten much better since then. Nikon has upped their game of late also. But Nikon binos have always sucked except an old porro prism design they used to carry many years ago. They were as good as Swarovski but I think they don't make these anymore.
The Swarovski porro prism binos give an awesome 3D effect you cannot get with the roof prism. And they let in a ton of light.
You may want to look into Fujion binos. Fuji makes some of the best glass in the world. But I've never looked through there binos
Feb 24, 2017 09:37:01 #
rob7789 wrote:
I would highly recommend that you call Eagle Optics. They can give you great advice on what would suit you best. They won't oversell you and they have a fantastic return policy. I've used them many times.
I concur Eagle optics staff is great.
Feb 24, 2017 09:39:14 #
Feb 24, 2017 13:06:48 #
Feb 24, 2017 17:33:10 #
8x42 Monarch 5 good for birding. 10 power is too much magnification for me. High quality, good for low light
Feb 24, 2017 17:41:11 #
Tracht3 wrote:
8x42 Monarch 5 good for birding. 10 power is too much magnification for me. High quality, good for low light
10 power is too much because it is hard to hold steady. Get one is the models with image stabilization and even 15 power is usable.
Feb 24, 2017 18:54:11 #
Marine supply stores usually have a great supply... Look at the west marine catalog on line....
Feb 24, 2017 23:14:37 #
When someone asks this forum for suggestions on what the best camera/lens is for them, the most frequent (and best) response is to ask them what they want to use it for. It may seem odd, but that's the answer here as well--how do you want to use the binoculars? Using them to spot game while hunting is very different than using them at sea, or birding, or spying on the neighbors...(oops! scratch that!!) The point being, the combination of magnification, field-of-view, coatings for low-light vision, weight, size, cost, etc. really require you to think critically about what you want to use them for. (A saving grace to the question may be the response 'I just want them for all-round use dammit'...that is actually a category of binoculars)
A really good place to start is the Audubon web site. Their 'focus' is on bird watching, but they do a good job of explaining what their criteria are. Good luck!
A really good place to start is the Audubon web site. Their 'focus' is on bird watching, but they do a good job of explaining what their criteria are. Good luck!
Feb 28, 2017 20:47:41 #
I don't think you have to worry about binos lasting, I have a pair of $100 Nikon 7x35 binos that I got in 2002 and are as good as the day I got them.
Another poster mentioned the intended use. Weight is also a consideration. And hand shake. Generally binos with more than 8x power are harder to hold steady because of the longer focal length. My 7x binos are about equivalent to a 200mm lens on my Nikon D7000. Another consideration is weight. Bird watchers often use the 8x25 binos because they are small and light weight, and easier to hold for longer periods. But the trade off is less light gathering ability, which may make them less useful in twilight or as sunset approaches. The biggest lenses have the most light gathering ability, like a fast f2 camera lens compaed to a slower f4 lens.
My 7x35 Nikon binos are about equivalent to a 200mm lens on my Nikon D7000, and give a very sharp clear image that's easy to hold still. But it's a very flat image (as opposed to 3D image) that is less pleasing than my 20 year old Sears 8x40 binos. At a concert, the Sears binos give a larger and more pleasing image.
Another poster mentioned the intended use. Weight is also a consideration. And hand shake. Generally binos with more than 8x power are harder to hold steady because of the longer focal length. My 7x binos are about equivalent to a 200mm lens on my Nikon D7000. Another consideration is weight. Bird watchers often use the 8x25 binos because they are small and light weight, and easier to hold for longer periods. But the trade off is less light gathering ability, which may make them less useful in twilight or as sunset approaches. The biggest lenses have the most light gathering ability, like a fast f2 camera lens compaed to a slower f4 lens.
My 7x35 Nikon binos are about equivalent to a 200mm lens on my Nikon D7000, and give a very sharp clear image that's easy to hold still. But it's a very flat image (as opposed to 3D image) that is less pleasing than my 20 year old Sears 8x40 binos. At a concert, the Sears binos give a larger and more pleasing image.
Mar 5, 2017 12:52:36 #
I have used the Canon image stabilizer binocs on safari. Can't beat them. They are 15-50 wide view. Actually shot photo thru one lens of a 20 ft croc.. Switch to turn off image stabilization. Makes a big difference.
Mar 5, 2017 16:23:11 #
Look at the Leica 10 X 20 or 10 X 30.
Very compact. Perfect parallax. Excellent contrast, especially in low light.
Very compact. Perfect parallax. Excellent contrast, especially in low light.
Dec 1, 2017 11:23:16 #
EDH1943
Loc: Wilmington, NC
For the money, you can't beat Steiner Marine 7x50s for around $300. from B&H. They are tough as nails, wont fog and once you set the focus, they are set for life! I have had binoculars that were priced up to $1200. that offered nothing more than these.
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