NormanS
Well-Known Member
7 x 50 and rubber coated.
Binoculars
- Thread starter Cardo
- Start date
prv
Well-Known Member
Often in mine, particularly at night.
Although in theory with GPS you don't need them, I make extensive use of buoys and other lights whenever they're available. So at night I'm often wanting to find the next (or any given) light. Easily done - I drop the Yeoman pointer over the mark on the chart I want, a bearing appears on the screen, I step up onto the bottom step of the companionway (putting my head above deck) and rotate the binos onto that bearing. Unless I'm being optimistic with distances, the buoy is right there in the picture, count the flashes to check, then ask the helmsman to steer to it.
Maybe not how everyone likes to work, but it suits me very well.
As for Cardo - don't ponder, get. Every yacht needs a pair of binos
Pete
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
I happen to like 10x50. I keep a pair of Nikon on board.
Nikons good old standard. I also have bushnell pair not as good.
I have to agree with the Steiner comment. The best I have used Stiener Commanader V. kind of pricy though.
Never used intergal compass pair. could be usfull.
A realy good place to try binnoculars is an RSPB center. gives you the oppertunity to try several in oppen viewing something.
The first No is the Magnification the second is the diamater of the lense.
The bigger the lense the more light.
the more light the better the image.
The more magnification the more light you need.
The quality of the glass also makes a big difference.
Nikons good old standard. I also have bushnell pair not as good.
I have to agree with the Steiner comment. The best I have used Stiener Commanader V. kind of pricy though.
Never used intergal compass pair. could be usfull.
A realy good place to try binnoculars is an RSPB center. gives you the oppertunity to try several in oppen viewing something.
The first No is the Magnification the second is the diamater of the lense.
The bigger the lense the more light.
the more light the better the image.
The more magnification the more light you need.
The quality of the glass also makes a big difference.
alant
Well-Known Member
Relax
Well-Known Member
I have quite a few binoculars - Canon, Bushnell (x2), Opticron, Boots(!) and Swarovski SLC. I usually have two on board - the Bushnell 7x50 and the Opticron 7x42. I use these for both sailing and stalking deer.
It's not totally true to say that the bigger the objective lens the more (useable) light you have admitted. The important number is the product of the objective lens diameter divided by the power - this gives you the exit pupil diameter in mm. e.g. 7x50 = exit pupil diamter of 7.1mm. Smaller objective lens smaller exit pupil and vice versa. BUT the human eye only opens to about 7mm - and only then between the ages of about 15 and 30. Older than that astigmatism reduces the pupil diameter slowly so that age 70 it will only open to about 4mm. So for many of us (most ??) the extra 10mm is totally wasted.
One result of this is that the great majority of deer stalkers (particularly professionals) who use bins almost continuously will go for 7x42. My Opticron and Swarovski are both 7x42. Another point is that, since I assume its difficult for manufacturers to sell less power and smaller lenses, 7x42's are only made by (as far as I know - may be others) Opticron, Ziess, Swarovski and Lieca - expensive, professional quality kit for professional use. 7x42 are about half the weight and bulk of 7x50.
Quality makes as big, if not bigger difference, to objective lens diameter.
If you can get second hand ones they can often be good value - have a look at R McLeod in Tain - they often have second hand optics - but I'm sure there are manu others.
In truth though on a boat you usually do not need the 'see in the dark' quality of optics you need in a dark wood at last light. Will I be taking my brand new Swarovski SLC's sailing - no way!!
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
some like the image stabilised type but I find mine difficult to use at sea as they can't remove the large movements and the 10x power means they wobble a lot. Some like them, maybe they have large heavy boats with a slow motion but I would say for a lightweight boat they are nothing like as good as a pair of old-fashioned 7x50.
Steiner are top quality and I was lucky enough to win a pair of Commander V, retailing at £600 at the time but even they have awkward little quirks e.g. the compass is hard to see.
Steiner are top quality and I was lucky enough to win a pair of Commander V, retailing at £600 at the time but even they have awkward little quirks e.g. the compass is hard to see.
rosewood
Well-Known Member
I've had a pair of steiner 7+30 commander for my 50th birthday. They are beautiful and I even like the posh wooden box they come in
alant
Well-Known Member
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Often in mine, particularly at night.
Although in theory with GPS you don't need them, I make extensive use of buoys and other lights whenever they're available. So at night I'm often wanting to find the next (or any given) light. Easily done - I drop the Yeoman pointer over the mark on the chart I want, a bearing appears on the screen, I step up onto the bottom step of the companionway (putting my head above deck) and rotate the binos onto that bearing. Unless I'm being optimistic with distances, the buoy is right there in the picture, count the flashes to check, then ask the helmsman to steer to it.
Maybe not how everyone likes to work, but it suits me very well.
As for Cardo - don't ponder, get. Every yacht needs a pair of binos
Pete
Interesting to read how others do it. For myself I plot a course using waypoints and when on passage the autopilot does the helming. I use cross track error or CMG/ BRG comparison to adjust the autopilot.
To identify a bouy I take a rough bearing from the main compass and compare that with the chart data on the same bearing - thats always been accurate enough to establish what buoy is where. So the only time I use a handbearing compass is to check collision courses with big ships ( no AIS) or when terminally bored to practise fixes of various sorts. And then I use an autohelm electronic compass since that gives me the option of averaging half a dozen bearings to get a more accurate result.
Have ion the past tried bins with a built in compass but with a big head and eyes therefore far apart I find that most of them dont work well because they are at an angle to the horizontal with the bins opened out right to the stops.
Which really is the point. Where I mainly sail, Bristol channel to Falmouth, I am often faced with looking at a ship and trying to decide if its at anchor or just stemming the tide. Its a PITA because ships anchor balls often seem to be the same size as yacht ones so I need higher mag than 7 or 8. Thats where stabilisation comes into its own - you can use 10x on a smal boat is they are stabilised and that does give you a lot better long distance sight.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
We've been through this before in the forum. Last time, I posted a photo of my own 70+ yr old eye showing a pupil diameter of 6.5mm at least. I believe the data referred to was obtained a long time ago and may not apply to the current cohort of my age. I agree with the last comment, though I've never been deer-stalking.
rosewood
Well-Known Member
Bit further if I stand on itHow much can you see using the box?
Searush
Well-Known Member
Relax
Well-Known Member
I suppose any generalisation is dangerous - I still stick by my promotion of 7x42 as the better choice for the vast majority of situations. Mine are half the bulk and weight of my Bushnell 7x50. Everything else being equal (which as JA points out its not) a good quality 7x42 is the better choice.
(Did'nt mention before but Opticron offers excellent quality for the money - you can get from Pennine Camera. Think they also do compass models)
laffinskip
Well-Known Member
binoculars
For my 21stbirthday (over 50 yrs ago) my grandfather gave me a pair of carl zeiss 10x50s,they were well used when he gave me them,but have been used virtually daily ever since wouldnt change them for the world.
Now the old eyes are not as sharp as they used to be I find that when I am at sea I tend to use them more & more nowadays.
Both lenses are still in perfect condition & will no doubt be passed on to my son in due course.
I never had the chance to ask grandad where he got them from as he passed on a few weeks later.But he spent a lifetime as a skipper on trawlers out of Hull
good glasses were needed up there.Icebergs,growlers etc.
So I can definately say carl zeiss are worth buying if they are still around.
S
For my 21stbirthday (over 50 yrs ago) my grandfather gave me a pair of carl zeiss 10x50s,they were well used when he gave me them,but have been used virtually daily ever since wouldnt change them for the world.
Now the old eyes are not as sharp as they used to be I find that when I am at sea I tend to use them more & more nowadays.
Both lenses are still in perfect condition & will no doubt be passed on to my son in due course.
I never had the chance to ask grandad where he got them from as he passed on a few weeks later.But he spent a lifetime as a skipper on trawlers out of Hull
good glasses were needed up there.Icebergs,growlers etc.
So I can definately say carl zeiss are worth buying if they are still around.
S
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
I was also given a pair of carl Ziess 10 x 50 on my 21st by may dad.
They were great.
I particularly like a Carl Ziess Sextant.
At the time they were made in E Germany. I have lookec for Ziess in recent years and not found. I think Ziess is now part of bigger German firm.
They were great.
I particularly like a Carl Ziess Sextant.
At the time they were made in E Germany. I have lookec for Ziess in recent years and not found. I think Ziess is now part of bigger German firm.
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
laffinskip
Well-Known Member
binoculars
As I understand it carl zeiss were made in west germany & carl zeiss Jena
were made in east germany & were not up to the quality of the west german ones.
This info was given to me by the owner of a shop when I went to buy a new
strap,--still kept the old strap though.
But I stand to be corrected if this is not true.
As I understand it carl zeiss were made in west germany & carl zeiss Jena
were made in east germany & were not up to the quality of the west german ones.
This info was given to me by the owner of a shop when I went to buy a new
strap,--still kept the old strap though.
But I stand to be corrected if this is not true.
laffinskip
Well-Known Member
just checked my binoculars its Carl Zeiss, or do the E german make have a different spelling.?As I understand it carl zeiss were made in west germany & carl zeiss Jena
were made in east germany & were not up to the quality of the west german ones.
This info was given to me by the owner of a shop when I went to buy a new
strap,--still kept the old strap though.
But I stand to be corrected if this is not true.
PS
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
An old ships captain told my father to get a pair which he did . The captain had been on some sort of gunboat patrol up & down the east coast in the war based in the Humber. He said that binoculars were virtually glued to his face when on duty. So he knew what were good to look through. They were not as powerful as 10-50 because he felt that was too much of a strain on the eyes.For my 21stbirthday (over 50 yrs ago) my grandfather gave me a pair of carl zeiss 10x50s,they were well used when he gave me them,but have been used virtually daily ever since wouldnt change them for the world.
Now the old eyes are not as sharp as they used to be I find that when I am at sea I tend to use them more & more nowadays.
Both lenses are still in perfect condition & will no doubt be passed on to my son in due course.
I never had the chance to ask grandad where he got them from as he passed on a few weeks later.But he spent a lifetime as a skipper on trawlers out of Hull
good glasses were needed up there.Icebergs,growlers etc.
So I can definately say carl zeiss are worth buying if they are still around.
S
I have to say that they were absolutely first class. Unfortunately they were not passed down father to son
I do have a theodolite made by the same people & that outclassess some of the latest versions of surveying gear for optical clarity. Do not think the are still made though.
The same captain gave me his sextant when he retired. Anyone know where to get glass resilvered at a price that would not buy a new sextant?