Mrstarskydean
Member
I've little doubt that binoculars with a compass in the £400 range are better, but my budget is more like £100, and there are plenty around that price. The question is, are they worth it?
Never did understand the desire for bins with a compass built in.
All you're ever likely to get with a mishmash like that is inferior performance from both.
Firstly you do not need the 'accuracy' you might imagine a compass in a binocular might provide. A hand bearing compass is perfectly adequate and it is likely that with much, even any movement of the boat the built-in compass would be hard to read, if readable at all.
I'd strongly suggest you spend as much as you can afford on a decent pair of bins with an objective lens of 40mm utter minimum, no more than 7x mag , plus a half decent hand bearing compass.
The combination is likely to seriously outperform any cobbled-together bundle that's neither fish nor fowl.
Used mine on my yacht master x marks the spot exercises and got within a couple of boat lengths every time. Excellent 7x50 bins and once you get used to it, very accurate bearings. Much better than ever required for visual bearing fixes.Never did understand the desire for bins with a compass built in.
All you're ever likely to get with a mishmash like that is inferior performance from both.
Firstly you do not need the 'accuracy' you might imagine a compass in a binocular might provide. A hand bearing compass is perfectly adequate and it is likely that with much, even any movement of the boat the built-in compass would be hard to read, if readable at all.
I'd strongly suggest you spend as much as you can afford on a decent pair of bins with an objective lens of 40mm utter minimum, no more than 7x mag , plus a half decent hand bearing compass.
The combination is likely to seriously outperform any cobbled-together bundle that's neither fish nor fowl.
I have a pair of the heavy rubberised ones that appear in various guises (mine are actually from Aldi about 12years ago) they are OK as simple bins and the bearing ability was very useful, but the compass no longer rotates. Also the rubber grip went sticky and had to be cleaned off with alcohol.
I'v also got a MINOX MD 7 x 42 C monocular but don't get on with it. The bins are much much better.Once again you chaps come up trumps with sound advice. I will give the Seago
Seago Waterproof Monocular With Built In Compass
.... a close look, otherwise taking my chances with the budget end. I note the there is thread on here regarding repairs to cheap bins, so perhaps this is not a bad option after all.....
They'll be fine. I went in the £400 plus direction, and have tried several of the cheaper ones, which definitely aren't four times worse.Once again you chaps come up trumps with sound advice. I will give the Seago
Seago Waterproof Monocular With Built In Compass
.... a close look, otherwise taking my chances with the budget end. I note the there is thread on here regarding repairs to cheap bins, so perhaps this is not a bad option after all.....
I have the Seago monocular with inbuilt compass. The monocular is handy to keep stuffed down your jacket on watch.
I'm with you, almost. I have the same monocular; the optics aren't up to my Zeiss monocular and the compass isn't as good as my Sowester, but the combination is unbeatable. Maybe that's what you were saying!I have the Seago monocular with inbuilt compass. The monocular is handy to keep stuffed down your jacket on watch. For taking a bearing, it's far superior to any compass I have ever used.