Bincoculars with Compass

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Escudo

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I have just searched under 'binoculars' but could find no corresponding entries posted. Does anyone have binoculars with a built in compass and rangefinder? Steiner and Bushnell make similar models but at greatly differing prices. Any views would be appreciated before I put my hand in my pocket.
 
I have a binocular from "Compass" with build-in compass. Quality is good and the compass comes in handy, esp. as it is lighted at night. The Steiner is better, but the quality of the "Compass" binoculars is ok and the price great.
 
I recently bought some of Compass's own brand binos with compass. Havent used them much yet, particualrly in the dark, but they appear to be extremely clear and bright optics and the compass appears pretty steady and accurate when checked against my h/b compass. For £90 including floating strap they seem good value so far.
 
I bought a pair of Compass binocoms and was very happy with them until a small problem developed. Two polite letters to Compass asking them to fix the problem have been ignored, so I'm not very impressed with their after -sales service.
 
I am surprised

I have found Compasses after sales to be first class. I had some oilskins that became a bit damp and they replaced without question. Good company in my opinion.

Cameron
 
I've tried quite a few much to my anoyance. IMHO they are a waste of space! The compasses in many models are too unstable in anything above F3. A separate hand bearing compass remains best, unless you spend £700+ on the Steiner or KVH datascope (ie fluxgate compass)
 
Agree to a certain extent. My Compass binocoms are excellent day or night in calm water very accurate and easy to use , but in any sort of a sea the card is not damped enough and the Iris hand bearing compass gets used.

I wouldnt get rid of the binocoms but you definitely need a handbearing compass as well.
 
I've got a smashing pair by Fujinon, and an awful pair by Plastirubbish. The Fujis are no worse to use in weather than a hand-bearing jobby, IMHO. I can hardly ever see the compass card in the plastitat ones...

Monk optics

www.monkoptics.co.uk/

will sell you some groovy Fujis, or help put other problems right...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Joking aside[ QUOTE ]


Kim dear boy, I'm far too seasoned an old salt to be facetious for its own sake - you see, I joined up thinking that this forum was for serious sailors.

Now its my turn to be serious: IF you hold your h/b compass at the end of the string instead of against your nose you might find that any deviation is minimal.

That way we won't have to see if your specs and my teeth are interchangeable, thank God.

But there might be another problem: some of these swinging posters have studs in the most unusual places. Now that could be serious deviation . . .

Arms length young man, arms length.
 
Arms length is fine for compasses designed for it ,not all are.

Despite logic saying otherwise I find my metal specs dont deviate the Iris handbearing compass jammed against my nose. teeth are not an issue for me yet /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
 
Have to agree. I have Bushnells...great in all respects in flat water, but with any sea running the card moves too much and I switch to a hand bearing compass. Saw some really poor "unbranded" £99 models at the London Boat Show...compass cards sticking, etc. I walked away leaving the vendor with lots of opened boxes!!
 
When new to boat ownership and when it came to binoculars I always went for the cheap & cheerfull option. Result: new pair of binoculars every season.

The bought Steiners 8 years ago, and they're stil with me. As good as new.

Could give you plenty of examples, but sometimes it comes down to this: "Buy cheap, buy twice".
By this I don't mean you should pay to dollar for everything (those who know me, know that this is against my religion) but go for quality first, and then try to get it as cheap as possible!
 
I bought Compass bins with compass at LIBS 2000 and they have been great, very happy. But, at SIBS 2004 I bought a pair of Canon Image Stabilisation bins at about £250 (without compass) and they are the best thing since sliced bread. Not only are they better for the 'business' of sailing, they are great when it comes to bird watching, walks, looking around harbours to see if the shops are open, reading weather forecasts from several hundred metres, etc.

They actually increase our enjoyment of owning a boat, and not many boat products do that!

We seldom use the Compasses now, and I never used the internal compass much, a really good handheld is much better for the sort of things I want it for. After all, I never need to take bearings to triangulate my position, we have GPSs. Mostly I am looking for safe approach lines, collision avoidance, log entries passing fixed points, bearings to steer when sailing headland to headland, etc., all of which are easier with an ordinary HBC.
 
Agree, I have a Compass set which are fine in ripples, but in anything where the boat is moving the compass is almost useless. Much easier to use the hand Bearing jobbie. One thing I dont have is a problem with spectacle deviation. I use Titanium specs frames, so no magnetic disturbance.
 
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