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desdemona
05-21-2008, 23:52
Anyone have compact binoculars or could recommend a brand. I was thinking of one of those "auto focus' types: i.e. http://www.binoculars.com/search/index.cfm?Ntt=bushnell%20compact&Ntk=all&N=7953+7954&recat=7954,7955,7956,7957&source=googleaw&kwid=bushnell%20compact%20binoculars&tid=Exact0


I'd be particularly interested in something that could double for star/planet/star cluster gazing


--des
desdemona's building a rocket ship

mudhead
05-22-2008, 08:51
Focus/zoom is nice.

Be sure to try before you buy. I have some 10x25, nice but I have a hard time holding them steady enough. They spend alot of time under the seat of the truck.

rgarling
05-22-2008, 08:56
expand your search to include nikon. Their travelite series have a bright & clear image.

take-a-knee
05-22-2008, 09:08
Sierra Trading often has some 8X25's made by Steiner. I have a pair and they are very clear. A friend of mine has a similar bino made by Leica and they are truly amazing but they cost over $500. Be advised that even high dollar compact binos won't gather much light at dawn and dusk due to the small objective lens size, it's just physics.

burger
05-22-2008, 09:17
Whatever you do, don't get "auto focus" binoculars. They don't really autofocus--they just have a fixed focus, and that limits their usefulness. There are plenty of cheap, lightweight bins that have an actual focus and will be much better for any use you want to put them to.

take-a-knee
05-22-2008, 09:22
Whatever you do, don't get "auto focus" binoculars. They don't really autofocus--they just have a fixed focus, and that limits their usefulness. There are plenty of cheap, lightweight bins that have an actual focus and will be much better for any use you want to put them to.

I agree.

Mercy
05-22-2008, 14:04
My entire career was at sea.

The benefit of a full focus bino is that you can clearly see everything (except close in) in focus. It is great for looking for objects when you're not sure of the distance (looking for an old building, wreckage on the side of a mountain, SAR situation) They are also great for your eyes picking up movement anywhere in your field of vision.

Having said that, if you are into bird watching, you can aim and focus when you know where the object is.

I like full focus, because I like to look around at the big picture. Their are a lot cheaper, though.

FWIW

Mercy

flemdawg1
05-22-2008, 14:59
Auto focus is not good for astronomy either.

take-a-knee
05-22-2008, 16:05
My entire career was at sea.

The benefit of a full focus bino is that you can clearly see everything (except close in) in focus. It is great for looking for objects when you're not sure of the distance (looking for an old building, wreckage on the side of a mountain, SAR situation) They are also great for your eyes picking up movement anywhere in your field of vision.

Having said that, if you are into bird watching, you can aim and focus when you know where the object is.

I like full focus, because I like to look around at the big picture. Their are a lot cheaper, though.

FWIW

Mercy

By Full Focus do mean like the porro-prism Steiners?

Mercy
05-22-2008, 17:25
Take-a-knee,

I google-ed that, and I guess that's what I'm talking about.

That pair is listed as 18oz (my shipboard pair is 56oz, but I don't hike with them!)

Now, if anybody can find a full-focus, nitrogen filled, good optics, inexpensive, lighterweight pair, I'm interested!:D Unfortunately, that's a hard combination to find!

To me, binoculars are kinda like backpacks, you've got to try them to know if you like them!

Mercy

burger
05-22-2008, 23:25
Now, if anybody can find a full-focus, nitrogen filled, good optics, inexpensive, lighterweight pair, I'm interested!:D Unfortunately, that's a hard combination to find!
I'm pretty sure that that combination doesn't exist. If you're willing to fork over a few bucks, though, there are a lot of options. I carried a nice little pair of Zeiss (Diafun 8x30's, I think) on one of my long sections--16 oz, waterproof, great optics for the price and size. But I paid something like $250 for those. There are plenty of cheaper models, but optics-wise, you get what you pay for in my experience.

One option may be monoculars. I haven't picked one out yet, but I'm thinking about getting a monocular for my PCT hike next year. You can find decent ones that weigh as little as 2 oz!

SunnyWalker
05-22-2008, 23:36
Is waterproof a issue? I looked at these and they are not waterproof. I am sure i will purchase a pair but for AT and other I think waterproofing would be a must.

Bob S
05-22-2008, 23:50
I have several sets of binoculars, (7x35, 7x50 8x40, and 10x50) 8 x 40 seem to be the ones I like the most. They seem to me to have the best balance of power, light gathering ability and ability to be held steady.

I also have a monocular that is 10 power and it’s surprisingly useful when I don’t want to pack a full weight set of binoculars. I bought the monocular at a Meijer store for $18.00 about 10-years ago, it’s made by Tasco and is still working great. When not camping it’s always in the glove compartment of my van. It seems to handle the freezing temps along with the hot summer temps great.

Another thing I use is a 6 to 24 power rifle scope, it’s nice to have the ability to go from a wide view (6-power) to really zooming in close (24-power) and I can actually see better at night with it then without it (up to about 16-power) It has great light gathering ability. But it’s big, 2 ½ inches round and just over a foot long.

Bob S
05-22-2008, 23:59
I don’t know if any of my binoculars are waterproof, I know the rifle scope is. But it cost a lot more so it should be.


I would make a guess that Steiner binoculars are waterproof. But they are also more expensive.

take-a-knee
05-23-2008, 00:26
I don’t know if any of my binoculars are waterproof, I know the rifle scope is. But it cost a lot more so it should be.


I would make a guess that Steiner binoculars are waterproof. But they are also more expensive.

We had 7x50 Steiners in the Army and they never fogged. I have a pair of 8x30 Steiners that got drenched when a canoe flipped and they fogged. I dried them off in the sun and sat them on a towel, intending to mail them to Steiner. When I finally got around to boxing them up weeks later, they were clear, whatever moisture had gotten inside found its way out. Those 8x30's cost about a third as much as the army binos, with optics, you get what you pay for. People who really need good optics will shell out the money for Zeiss and Leica glass. The highest grades in Nikon and Pentax's lines are nearly as good.

desdemona
05-23-2008, 00:42
For me waterproof would not be a requirement. I hadn't thought about the idea that auto focus wouldn't be good for astronomy. But now that I do think about it.... I also see a point of looking around and scanning.

I look for birds and anything else that might interest me. So many interests so short time...

I have two monoculars which I have taken with me. One is an Orion that is kind of neat as it has a "microscope" on the other end. So you can see up close stuff. The trouble with them is that they are hard to find things with. If you do find them they aren't quite as much magnification as I want. Not sure what they are exactly as I think that they aren't made anymore.

Lightweight is important. I'm not sure how touchy I am about optics but I would recognize better if I saw it I think. There is supposedly a telescope store around. Perhaps I might go visit.


--des

rickb
05-23-2008, 20:28
I have a full size pair, and these:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=nikon-trailblazer-all-terrain-binoculars-green&categoryId=47522&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=501753&cat4=504292&shop_method=pp&feat=501753-tn&np=Y

Seem OK to me.

SunnyWalker
05-23-2008, 20:39
Those look good rickb.

desdemona
05-24-2008, 01:36
I have a full size pair, and these:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=nikon-trailblazer-all-terrain-binoculars-green&categoryId=47522&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=501753&cat4=504292&shop_method=pp&feat=501753-tn&np=Y

Seem OK to me.


OOH looks good! They also have an 8X25 one (and others).

--des

mudhead
05-24-2008, 03:42
Is waterproof a issue? I looked at these and they are not waterproof. I am sure i will purchase a pair but for AT and other I think waterproofing would be a must.

That was an issue for me.

Go visit that telescope store. Get one of those Mad Max scopes!

You may need more magnification out west.

desdemona
05-24-2008, 15:30
That was an issue for me.

Go visit that telescope store. Get one of those Mad Max scopes!

You may need more magnification out west.

Mad max scopes? Is this a gun scope?


--des