Binoculars recommendations, anyone?

Now that I've lost my wonderful pair of Swarovskis(which were a gift), I'm looking for a replacement. Since I'm more of a 400mm than a 10X50 or whatever it is, I need some recommendations.

It'll have marine use most times so waterproof would be nice. I don't need superb clarity as I'll be using it for spotting only not birding or anything that precise.

I've been checking online and while the IS/VR binos look nice, I'd rather go buy another L lens than pay $1600 for a pair of binos. So anything under $500 is good. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Check these out. TASCO

It won't be the end of the world in they went for a swim.

for under 500 i doubt you will get great Magnification and Waterproofing and IS

however there are some good deals for just over 500 ..

http://www.opticsplanet.net/canon-12x36-is.html weather proof like ya 1d and IS and pretty strong .. ok they dont look cool .. but the IS has to be the same as the canon camera lenses right ? i don't know. Those haven't used I have just seen them

http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-binoc...w-image-pf.html

the IS on these guys works really well on boats .. they look like a pair i tried last year ... and they dont look cool at all ...

I have also had my hands on a very cool spotting scope or monoscope .. looked really cool had awesome range and IS .. was weatherproof too .. i can't find it right now .. but they are worth checking out ... some are seriously good.

Hey, finally a topic I know a little about. I'm a birder and boater and work as a guide. I value sharpness, color, light gathering I've owned two pairs of the Pentax 8X42 DCF WP roof prisms. I've really liked them. I also have some swarovski 8X30s and I like the Pentax better because they gather a little more light and they fit my hands a little better than the swaros. I've compared them side by side with other binos including leica, zeiss, and swaro and I feel the Pentax's hold up real well. They are waterproof/nitrogen filled. They are also made in a 10X, but I prefer the 8X because I find 10X is usually more than my caffeine-laced fingers can hold steady. I have read good reviews about the Eagle Optics Platinum Rangers. http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4599. I noticed on the Eagle Optics website that they also have Minox binos; they are also nice glasses, I owned a pair of 8X Minox's and loved them, wound up giving them to my sister. Everything I've listed is in the $300-500 price range.

I'm about to get some binos for an upcoming safari so this is an important topic for me too. Of course, for all my other activities I need waterproof binos.

Here's a link to the Pentax binos that Hawkfish referred to (I think):

http://www.opticsplanet.net/62196.html

Cheers

James

All my boatites suggest a 7x50. The main use I'll need it for is during the twilight hours of dawn and alittle after that so a 50+mm would be best. 7x because on a boat, anything more without IS will make me go green in the face. That also means it's going to be at least 2.5lbs.

I also want a very wide angle FOV so I've narrowed it down to:

Steiner Commander V 7X50

Nikon Sport & Marine 7X50

Steiner Observer 7x50

IS models look cool but I'm worried about durability. Anyone have the Canon or Nikon IS/VR binocs? Are they worth it or just gimmicks?

I've been happy so far with my inexpensive, waterproof, lightweight, multicoated 10X42 Minox roof prism binocs. Not IS/VR, of course, at this weight (under 700g) and price (under $400).

Chris in Red Stick

Drew; I had 7X50 porro prism binos on my boat for a while and eventually the salt air intruded and caused corrosion and flaking of the interior, which of course fell on the lenses, which seriously degraded the view. I hear you on the low-light abilities of a 50mm objective but would say that my 42mm Pentax's do well in low light and with their waterproofing have been really great to have in a salt water environment. An unappreciated facet of waterproofing is the ability to run a little tap water on the lenses to gently get rid of any grit that has accumulated.

I also have a pair of 8X30 IS Canon binos that I bought specifically for birding out a sea because I was frustrated at not being able to see pelagic birds well when I was out fishing. They are ok, the IS works, but it is an incremental improvement, not a quantum leap. That combined with their lack of waterproofness and need for batteries make me feel that the Pentax's win out for someone who is going to have one pair of binos. I remember seeing birds in the deep twilight of the rain forest in Central America for the first time with the Pentax's and thinking "wow, so thats what that bird really looks like"; meaning that the Pentax's really brought out the subtleties of the plumage.

Porro-prism binos are harder to waterproof than roof prism binos, and roof prism binos are harder to make with a quality image than porros. I think, and you can check the web, that Swift may offer a waterproof porro-prism bino with a 50mm objective.

Hawkfish, thanks so much for your insights. Binoc lingo is similar yet different. The porros I'm looking at are all waterproofed and come with 25-30 year warranties, esp the Nikon with a $10 replacement/repair no matter what happens to it. I'm going to a shop to try them out.

I just tried a 12x minox freehand and I had a headache (yes I'm prone to motion sickness). I definitely don't want anything more than 8x which is what my old pair was.

I'm not a birder but a spotter so I don't really care how well the color is renditioned so long as I can see there's something happening which is why I want the widest FOV possible. My old Swarovs are specced at 7.4° which was great for spotting for activity. I'll check out Swift.

I've been looking at/for binoc's for awhile now, and have just about decided on the Canon 12x36IS model ( http://www.opticsplanet.net/canon-12x36-is.html ). Although they're only water resistant, not water-proof, that should be plenty unless they actually get dropped in the drink.

On our Arctic polar bear trip (to Spitsbergen/Svalbard) last summer, we tried lots of binoculars people had, and those Canons really seemed like the best combination of size and functionality. Although somebody in this thread said the IS wasn't a big help on 8x binoc's, it was simply AMAZING on the 12x36 pair, essentially "freezing" a subject that was just a shaky blur far away. After we got home, we looked at lots of others, and we just can't find anything better, especially for that price (under $600). Haven't actually made the purchase yet, but plan to before our next trip.

As for not wanting binoc's that require batteries, I don't see that as a real issue, since lithiums don't weigh much, and a few pair should last an entire trip...

Thanks Bruce. However with your light situation, the small 36mm objective works well with the amount of light reflected from the snow, bear etc. Did you try it in twilight situations? I hate to say this but how is the low light performance? You may want to check out the Nikons... it has a much better warranty vs Canon's measly 3 yr deal.

I'm going to try the 15X50 and 10X42 tomorrow. And also the Nikon 14x40 VR. Damn I said I want to keep it under $500! Look what you all have done to me.

..Did you try it in twilight situations? . . .I'm going to try the 15X50 and 10X42 tomorrow. And also the Nikon 14x40 VR. Damn I said I want to keep it under $500! Look what you all have done to me.

No, I didn't try them in twilight; our excursions on zodiaks were all in daylight hours (you don't really want to be wandering around polar bear country at twilight...), so that might very well be a major consideration for you.

I guess it's just like camera lenses -- if size, weight and cost aren't an issue, you ALWAYS want more light-gathering capability! Hell, I use these Oberwerk binoculars (on a tripod) at my weekend place to be able to count feathers on eagles and other birds that tend to land on some nearby pilings, but they're obviously not for carrying around!

You've got to decide how you want to balance the relative importance/trade-offs of:

- Magnification (looks like you're looking at 10-15X)

- Light gathering ability, i.e., "bigger glass is generally better" (the three you're most interested in are 40-50mm)

- Size and weight (most directly related to light-gathering ability)

- Image Stabilization

- Cost

I tried the Nikon VR's and just didn't like them as well as the Canon IS...personal preference I guess. I also figured my wife would be using the binoc's more than I would, since I typically have my eye behind a camera viewfinder instead so size/weight was a definite consideration.

I'll trade a slight loss of light-gathering in the 12X36 to get the 12 vs 10X magnification, and I'll trade IS for the advantage of both magnification AND light in the 15X50. Bottom line: do just what you're planning to, which is TRY THEM OUT and see what seems most important to YOU. All of the ones you're looking at look like excellent binoc's to me, so I'm sure you'll be happy whichever way you go! Good luck!

The amount of light has everything to do with the magnification and the amount of mm's from the front lens (finally something metric :-). Differences between binoculars of the same "numbers" are related to coatings and other optical bits in the binoculars. If you wear glasses -> make sure the eyepoint is far away enough to support it.

I wouldnt recommend more then 10 times magnification for handholding, especially not with frontlenses that are not too big.

Although not a birdwatcher, you can learn a lot from them, because they know their binoculars. The 8x40 format is quite popular there. The 7x50 format is more popular by the yaughting people (because of the light input). I wouldnt want to trade light gathering in for more magnification.

I was gonna rave about my Minolta waterproofed 8x40, but it looks like minolta has discontinued those together with the camera line.

Gerard

...Although not a birdwatcher, you can learn a lot from them, because they know their binoculars...

I agree, Gerard. However, Drew said he's going to be using his binoculars primarily for marine use, which means he'll be on a moving platform, not able to brace himself against trees or rocks, so a birder's favorite binoc's might not be ideal for him. Personally, I think IS/VR will be much more valuable to him than it would be for your average birdwatcher.

Bottom line: it's a REAL challenge to find binoc's with really good glass, plenty of light-gathering ability, some kind of IS/VR, AND still a size/weight that makes them "handy" and easy to use...you've got to make tradeoffs on something, 'cause there's no "perfect" solution for everybody...

Well I went out to test some binocs.

The only waterproof rugged IS from Canon is the 10X42 L IS. Compared to the non-stabilized glass, the IS works but at the cost of light. The image is dim and contrast is pretty flat. For twilight/low light work, it's just a bit too dim for me. I liked the 15x50 but it isn't rugged at all and only water resistant.

The Nikon equivalent 14x40 VR Stabileyes is very rugged but again, pretty dark.

Both are pretty narrow view and don't fit my purpose but they are sweet. At $1200, they are the cost of an L lens that can take photos, so I'd rather buy a 100-400 again than spend that money on a pair of binocs which I use 1 month a year.

Discounting the VR/IS, I tried the Nikon Marine & Sport, Steiner Commander XP/Marine/Observer and the Fujinon, all 7X50.

For wide angle, the Nikon and Fujinon whipped the Steiners. The Steiner image was a bit better but also a smidgen darker. The steiners looked a lot tougher with the 11G protection. But I discounted them for narrow FOV.

So it's down to the Fujinon FTMRSX and Nikon M&S. Fujinon is better in everything ever so slightly but is also 12 oz heavier and $300 more. The Nikon comes with a 25 year warranty and a $10 repair/replacement guarantee no matter what happens and it comes with a floating strap and softcase while the Fujinon does not have a case. At $250, the Nikon is a great bargain for low light and weight.

I'm going to check out the Pentax 8x42 today and make my decision.

...At $1200, they are the cost of an L lens that can take photos, so I'd rather buy a 100-400 again than spend that money on a pair of binocs which I use 1 month a year...

I can't argue with your reasoning there! And it sounds like you've identified some excellent, reasonably priced binoc's!

Before you buy the 100-400 L lens, however, consider (if you don't already own it) the 70-200 and a teleconverter. Depending on what camera you have, you might be able to AF with a 2X TC on the 70-200 (at least with the 70-200 f/2.8...I'm not sure about the new 70-200 f/4), effectively producing 140-400 reach, and it will be faster focusing and have a turn-zoom rather than push-pull (the primary drawback to the 100-400). I find that the 70-200 + 2XTC has pretty much replaced my 100-400 for topside use, and I can always remove the TC and use it as a 70-200, too, so it's like having two different lenses. I know you didn't ask for advice about the 100-400; I just couldn't resist!

Bruce, funny you should mention that. I was also checking out the new 70-200 f4L. At 1/2 the weight of the 2.8L and 4th gen IS, it is actually sharper than my 2.8L. I hate wasting so I can't justify 2 70-200 lenses with 1 stop difference betw them. Plus with the f4L, I'd have to carry 67mm filters as well which is more crap to lug around.

As for the 2X TC, I have it and don't like the images from it. Too soft and all sorts of abberrations. I had the 100-400 but didn't like the dust problem from the pushpull design. The 100-400 I'm mentioning is hopefully coming soonish, weathersealed at last!

I also had the 120-300 Sigma, now that was great with the 1.4TC but it is really HEAVY! So I got rid of it.

Going back to binocs, I really did find gems in the Fujinon and Nikon. It was almost as good as my lost swaros (now probably being used by poachers in Mozambique, those rats!). But I'm over heavy toys and really at $250, I won't feel so bad for trashing it around, esp if I can get it repaired for $10.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I'll post once I decide on the binocs.

The 100-400 I'm mentioning is hopefully coming soonish, weathersealed at last!

I hadn't heard anything about that; I'd be interested, too!

I have not compared my 8X42 Pentax against 7X50, so I'll be interested to hear what you decide. What is "spotting" anyway?! I realize as I read the thread over that you'll be using them in low light, but not sure what application. It reminds me of a time when I was slowly making my way up a channel in the dark when birds calling directly in front of me told me that a dark area was not water, but rather wet land lol. The newest thing in commercial/rec marine sensors are infrared camera systems, but thats another unrequited gear lust topic.

Hawkfish, the Pentax I tried DCF SP 8x43 is nice. Compact, bright and sharp. Looks fantastic actually. What I don't like about it is the FOV is pretty average. The 7x50 Nikon is wide and the extra view plus bigger exit pupil is better for motion sickness people prone like me.

Spotting for me is launching the boat at dawn, and looking at the horizon for bird activity for baitball action. The birds are white but the contrast can be difficult even against dark skies. I also want to see dolphins and they are grey in a colorless sea at the twilight hours. Hence brighter is better.

Still I haven't discounted it yet. The extra 1lbs saving is quite a bit but that $10 Nikon replacement guarantee is tough to beat.

I have a video camera with IR capabilities. With an extended IR light, shooting 80 ft away isn't a problem. Great for night safaris.