Binoculars - Which ones?

[Cheeky Girl]

Hi
Looking for a pair of Binoculars for the boat.

There seem to be loads of different ones on ebay soo much cheaper than anywhere else.
Anyone have any experience of these?
Regards
Graham

 

[AndyL]

Not a thing I would cut corners on. However I did find a very nice pair of Russian ones in Tynemouth market. Excellent clear optics, but not nitrogen filled & waterproof like the Searanger II.

 

[Goldie]

Not a thing I would cut corners on. However I did find a very nice pair of Russian ones in Tynemouth market. Excellent clear optics, but not nitrogen filled & waterproof like the Searanger II.

if it’s any help, I have a pair of Fujinon 7 x50 now surplus to requirements; nitrogen filled, with compass and night illumination. If you’re interested, feel free to drop me a PM.

 

[johnalison]

There is something to be said for having cheap binos on board. I have sailed with binos that are not waterproof for ore forty years and they are still serviceable. Cheap ones, providing they function as designed, will be optically adequate for cockpit use. They may not be repairable or adjustable but you get what you pay for.

 

[Refueler]

Not a thing I would cut corners on. However I did find a very nice pair of Russian ones in Tynemouth market. Excellent clear optics, but not nitrogen filled & waterproof like the Searanger II.

I have a pair of genuine Russian Tank Commanders Bino's ..... small, but excellent.

I also have a pair of Steiner Champ compact Prism binos ... that slip in the pocket nicely. 10x26

I have some Super Zenith 10x50 I bought in a chinese market in Singapore for about $20 ... and believe it or not - they are actually very good ...

Which do I prefer ? The Steiner because of the compactness ... and they were not as expensive as I thought would be.

(Post edited as I mistakenly said Zeis instead of Steiner ...)

Added : I would suggest you do not get over powerful binos ... all you get then is blurry vision as boat moves around ... 7x30 .. 7x50 in normal Bino's is more than enough .... even on a ships bridge you rarely see more than 7x50 / 8x50's ...

 

[Hoolie]

7x50 seem the best for boat use as the aperture to magnification ratio is large enough to usefully brighten the image. Anything more than 7 magnification gets difficult to hold still on a moving boat

 

[MapisM]

There is something to be said for having cheap binos on board.

I have a couple of binos, both rather expensive, just because I had a chance to grab both at somewhat reasonable prices:
a Steiner Navigator 7x30, and a stabilized Fujinon 14x40.
But I perfectly see your point, when it comes to non-stabilized binos.
My Steiner is definitely brighter and sharper than the previous cheap thing that I've used for years, but the difference is nowhere near enough to justify the much higher street price.
Otoh, with good stabilized binos, it's a totally different story.
I've been in situations where the Fujinon made the difference between viewing/understanding something, and not have a clue.
THAT is worth its cost, imho.

 

[langstonelayabout]

I have a pair of these Minox bins and love them: Nautik-Fernglas BN 7x50 DCM | MINOX

Not bargain basement, but certainly not Steiner or Zeiss price either. Well worth a look.

 

[KompetentKrew]

… nitrogen filled & waterproof like the Searanger II.

If you're patient you may be able to get a good deal on a pair of Searangers secondhand on eBay.

The word "Bynolyt" is very distinctive, so you can set a saved search which will email you only when new ones are listed. A couple of years ago they came up pretty regularly, every few weeks, and often in very good condition, selling for about £85. My pair still had the new rubber smell when I got them.

For a while they seemed to come up less often, but I note a pair recently sold for £70 (item number 153787164942).

The Searangers have won awards from yachting magazines, and friends have been very impressed by mine.

 

[jwilson]

I've had a pair of cheap 10x50s that were reasonably good, but I bought them in a shop and could try them first. I've seen other similar priced ones that were rubbish though. With new cheapos on Ebay you can't try them. Also the cheaper the new price the easier it is for a slight knock to upset the collimation - ie double images, and on cheap binos there is usually no way of adjusting this.

The Russian 7x50s can be very good indeed: I have a pair bought at a car boot sale for £10. They are however heavy. Used better quality Japanese ones can be good too: Yashica, Miranda, Greenkat etc. Canon and Nikon tend to be expensive. If buying used binos on Ebay, only buy where the seller specifically says the optics are clear, the mechanism is good AND that they are in collimation - ie sold by someone who knows what to look for.

At home as I look out over the harbour I have one pair of Olympus 10x50s (Xmas present) in one room, the £10 Russians in another, and a charity shop £5 pair of 8x30s in the car. I buy relatively cheap binos for the boat as I'm freqently not the one using them and inevitably they get rough treatment. On the boat I quite like 8x40s on board, as well as a pair of 7x50s - both currently are Ebay used purchases at about £25 each.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I've had a pair of cheap Plastimos since I started sailing £50 very good value and have lasted well although rodents have destroyed the case in the garage. They are 10x50 fixed focus which seems about ideal for boat bins. Obviously, built in compass and stabilisation would be beneficial but as a pair of basic robust ones they take some beating.

 

[Refueler]

I have been thinking about Compass Bino's for a few years but so far haven't found any I like.

I've used a lot brands expensive and cheap ... even ones that claim to give range finding. The problem for me is glasses are not good with them. I find I have to sight object then look down to compass - often losing object direction.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Hi
Looking for a pair of Binoculars for the boat.

There seem to be loads of different ones on ebay soo much cheaper than anywhere else.
Anyone have any experience of these?
Regards
Graham

Once you've tried image stabilized ones you won't want to go back to anything else. Canon ones can be bought for under £400.

 

[johnalison]

Once you've tried image stabilized ones you won't want to go back to anything else. Canon ones can be bought for under £400.

I have had my IS Canon for nearly twenty years and wouldn't be without them, but for many sailors they would be an expensive luxury. Oddly, some people don't 'get' the point when using them, even after pressing the button. Perhaps it is only on a moving boat or when trying to hold them on a windy day that the benefits become obvious.

I also have a perfectly good pair of 7x50s from 45 yrs ago, as well as two pairs of 8x24s ( one each) for taking on walks, as well as a cheapo 7x50 pair that came as a gift when buying a liferaft, though this stays at home.

 

[ashtead]

Canon stabilised or if feeling flush other makes exist but more pricey. I have the smaller pair on basis lighter to use . One day I might invest in a Steiner pair with a compass as they feel better in the hands but not certain I can justify the expense currently having the Canon.

 

[agroundagain]

My eyes are quite different strengths so monocular works best for me. I went the relatively cheap route and it led to this; it's done well over 6 years. Will replace like for like if I lose / break it.

Seago Monocular with Compass 8x42 Magnification

 

[johnalison]

My eyes are quite different strengths so monocular works best for me. I went the relatively cheap route and it led to this; it's done well over 6 years. Will replace like for like if I lose / break it.

Seago Monocular with Compass 8x42 Magnification

Normal focussing eyepieces should adjust for differing eyes within the normal range. Some people don't know how to do this but the trick is to cover the half with the movable eyepiece and focus the fixed eye with the central wheel or roller, then cover the fixed half and focus the focussing eyepiece, preferably on a distant object. This will be obvious to most people of course. On my 8x24s I then jam BluTack into the focussing eyepiece to stop it moving or anyone adjusting it.

 

[agroundagain]

I'm outside the normal range. Left eye very good, right eye very long sighted; I'm lucky it tracks with the right one.