How useful are Binoculars ?

[Bouba]

I have a pair of West German Zeiss (there’s a “carbon date” for you) 7x50s that I bought in Hong Kong 37 years ago. They have been overhauled once. They are brilliant. My son has an East German Zeiss pair given to him by a friend and they are almost equally good.

However I found myself slipping the 6x40 monocular from my Plath sextant into my oilskin pocket as it is so quick and easy to use. Careful inspection showed it to be East German Zeiss, as once supplied to the former East German Army, but badged “C.Plath”, so I bought another one on ebay and put the sextant one back where it should be.

I had to look them up...expecting to find a monocular.....but they really are half a binocular

 

[dansaskip]

I think a good pair of binoculars are essential. But they do need to be good ones- don't buy cheap. Autofocus ones work best and are great for spectacles wearers like myself. Mine have suffered years of abuse and drops and are still fine. In case you are wondering they are Steiner Skipper 7x50

 

[michael_w]

I've got a pair of Plastimo ones that live in a box by the companionway and are used daily. Also, I inherited a pair of very posh Stieners. Their light gathering ability at twilight is nothing short of remarkable.

 

[johnalison]

I think a good pair of binoculars are essential. But they do need to be good ones- don't buy cheap. Autofocus ones work best and are great for spectacles wearers like myself. Mine have suffered years of abuse and drops and are still fine. In case you are wondering they are Steiner Skipper 7x50

I hate to disagree, actually I am delighted to, but before we go into the realms of fantasy, the OP is working to a budget so all this talk about stabilised binos (which I have) or ones costing £1000 is just wasting his time. As #25 says, even a dirt cheap pair can be useful, though they may not be robust, and probably won't be repairable if damaged. My personal inclination is to buy the best quality you can afford, but so long as the binoculars are comfortable to the user and optically sound they will still be a valuable asset on board.

 

[onesea]

I should start by saying I don't do much night sailing, however binoculars.
I have a reasonable pair bought for my 18th birthday.

I think other people have used them more than me.
Navigation wise before GPS yes I would want to know what the buoy/ light was. Now with GPS I am not so fussed, the loom of a light or buoy in the right place is good enough.
Yes they stay on board but not often used other than people with me wanting a closer look.
pIf lost would I replace? Yes but, it would not stop me sailing.

 

[Bouba]

I had (or maybe still have somewhere) night vision monocular with about a X4 magnification
I always found that the magnification was more trouble than it’s worth.....and so in my opinion...for night vision, don’t use any magnification

 

[jwilson]

Best value in binoculars ia always secondhand - but you ideally need to look though them before buying, Ebay etc can be OK if the adverts specifically states they are "in collimation", which means not giving double vision when you look with both eyes open. Too many for sale have this fault.

Look for Russian 7x50s ( heavy but good) or a known Japanese brand - Yashica/Nikon/Pentax/Greenkat etc. in 7x50, though personally I quite like 7x35s or 8x40s too as they are much lighter.

 

[doug748]

Further to the above, the old missus has a pair of these for looking at wildlife:

Vintage Opticron Imagic TGA 8 x 42 field 6.5* Binoculars Black | eBay

They are very good, in fact I like them better than my 7 * 50 of the same make. New price was c £200.


.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My own take on this is that binoculars are useless right up until they're the only tool for the job! I don't use them routinely, but I do have a pair handy for use. The ones I have are a cheap set bought at the Hong Kong Lady Market - but for all that, they're OK. I can't recall the make and you wouldn't see them here anyway. I also have a pair of Russian nightglasses, but generally, they're too big and unwieldy for routine use.

Anyone with vision that is normal or corrected to normal standards (the second is my situation) and has normal or better visual acuity will generally do better without magnification - the problems of steadying binoculars on a distant target on a moving boat should not be underestimated. My main use for them is to locate a buoy that I know should be there, but which is hidden against the background. Of course, those interested in birds will find them helpful for identifying the little brown thing that is hiding in the marsh vegetation! But I guess I bring them out at most every other outing.

 

[jamie N]

... the problems of steadying binoculars on a distant target on a moving boat should not be underestimated......

I find it far easier to keep my monocular steady than a pair of bino's.

 

[[70521]]

Binoculars are really useful. If you have a good camera/optical shop in town go and try some out. You will get a feel for what you like, what suits your face and the cost of different quality glass. Then you can make up your own mind what your budget is.

Depending on your on the water needs look at binoculars with a compass as they are really, really useful when working out if you are going to collide with another vessel.

 

[rotrax]

A PBO feature on Binoculars led me to Gosport High Street where I had seen a pair in a window. It was a strange shop, it cut keys, did shoe repairs and sold odd bits and pieces. Including binoculars! The pair I had seen were priced at £80.00. The day I went to buy, they were the last pair left and had been reduced to £40.00! I checked them, bought them and for the last 15 years they have been excellent. They passed all the PBO feature simple tests with flying colours. A senior JSASTC Skipper tried them and pronounced them first class.

Bargains CAN be had, but you must be in the right place at the right time.

 

[wombat88]

I have a pair that has been handed down through the family since the '60s. They are Zeiss 7x50B, big rubber covered things, seemingly indestructible and excellent in low light especially.
Only problem is that I can only use them for a few minutes, they weigh a ton.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I bought a pair of Canon stabilised binocs. I wouldn't be without them.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have a pair of Fumoto Horizon 7 x 50 that we bought at the London boat show 32 years ago. They seem to be discontinued, or I’d buy a second pair. They’re at home at the moment, I’d have a pair here and on board if I could.

 

[johnalison]

I have a 50 yr old pair of Yashica 7x50s, plus Canon 10x40 IS, a good quality pair of 8x25 which fit in a pocket, and a pair of cheap 7x50s that came with a liferaft purchase, that I have never used. All my good ones have their particular uses and I wouldn't be without them. The Yashica are just heavy enough to be easy to hold steady and are much better than my naked eyes ever were, even if far below the Canons.

When on someone else's boat and I have to use their pair I find that I can manage but few feel natural to me or comfortable, which is why several of us have given the advice to try first, but you will need to imagine yourself at sea because what looks amazing in the shop may feel less good at sea, or its superior optics may just not be necessary.

 

[Refueler]

One of the biggest mistakes is to go for too powerful .... with boat rocking and rolling - you will never get a good view ...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

One of the biggest mistakes is to go for too powerful .... with boat rocking and rolling - you will never get a good view ...

Big front element, low magnification is the golden rule.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I had to look them up...expecting to find a monocular.....but they really are half a binocular

I have a Russian 7x50 monocular which is exactly what you describe above.
Still quite good and enables a hand free to hang on when bouncing about in the cockpit. Quite heavy though.

 

[thinwater]

Larger boats, more magnification can help, but on smaller boats with more motion, lighter and lower magnification is better.

On my last boat I have 7x50s, like everyone else, but this (Corsair F-24 trimaran) time I went with 35 x 7 Nikon Aculons and am very pleased. Something I learned during the hunt was that older eyes don't dilate as far as younger eyes, so the 35s are just as bright, for me, in low light, and they are lighter and more compact.

How often are they used? Before GPS, every single day in unfamiliar waters, looking for landmarks and reading the numbers off markers. Now, mostly just curiosity about other boats and such. But still vital. For example, you are approaching an unknown entrance and you want a good look at the waves and breakers. GPS won't tell you that.