Marine binoculars with compass - which to buy??

In reply to the OP,I've got a pair of the the pentax (http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-pentax-7x50-dcf-hydro-orange-binoculars/p1522540?mkwid=sojbpwuv2_dc&pcrid=89741463059&kword=&match=&plid=&product=1522540&gclid=cna5z5rko9acfziagwod3focaa&awc=2298_1479642830_cbf5f5376f2334b4611f74130059cc26&utm_source=aw ) but in green and have been very happy with them. Nice and compact, well made, easy to focus, good optics and the compass is easy to read. A pair of stupid money Stieners are probably better but who leaves £1000 worth of bins rolling around on a boat? There are probably cheaper versions around that do the job just as well but the Pentax ones suit me fine.
 
I actually have a pair of 50 quid plastimos which are fixed focus but with eye compensation I think.ive had them since I started sailing over ten years ago and they're fine for buoy spotting and general boaty use although a built in compass would be handy. I've got some rspb ones for bird watching and a pair of pentax minis for cricket matches. Although the latter have gone a bit unbalanced.
Arcady said:
+1. I would go so far as to say this is a positive safety advantage. Having used all sorts over the years, I have come to love the fact that any crew member on our boat can pick up the fixed focus binos and use them immediately. Likewise I can grab them back and use them without faffing around adjusting them for optimal focus.

Bouncing around in a small boat where people don't have their own personal binos, that's a big plus.
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aslabend said:
In reply to the OP,I've got a pair of the the pentax (http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...bf5f5376f2334b4611f74130059cc26&utm_source=aw ) but in green and have been very happy with them. Nice and compact, well made, easy to focus, good optics and the compass is easy to read. A pair of stupid money Stieners are probably better but who leaves £1000 worth of bins rolling around on a boat? There are probably cheaper versions around that do the job just as well but the Pentax ones suit me fine.
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Reading the spec of the ones in your link, I am reminded of some oher considerations. When I bought mine, and went through several options before settling on them, I discovered the caveat about hemisphere location vis a vis the compass. Research said you need one for the correct area. This will also work for the next adjacent areas. However we live on the edge of the adjacent area to the ideal and one pair I tried were not good compass wise, The store were not even aware of the effect and it is only briefly mentioned in the small print of the leaflet posing as a manual. I am also reminded that in several cases the lens caps were easily knocked off, especially trying to put the binos back in a flimsy carry case that was not really big enough. The ones I finally bought ( West Marine branded but Made ( in China) by Fujinon have an excellent front opening semi rigid carry case, easy to use and protective lens caps that actually stay put when asked. Finally, checking the compass lighting works at night, because on 2 tried it did not. Minor details maybe but if you spend a lot it should all be perfect.
 
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OP, have you considered a monocular compass? I have one of these

30724_seago_monocular_2331_detail.jpg


and it works very well. I had a squint as a child and still find that it takes a while to merge images with binoculars, so using only one eye speeds things up a lot.
 
There are a number of earlier threads about binoculars that are worth reading. My thoughts-

a) Actionoptics of this parish is an expert in this area but, modestly, does not refer to that in his post. Go to his website etc.

b) I had very decent binoculars with compass from Monk Optics bought, perhaps, 20 years ago. However, on passage with the boat moving around, I was unable to identify marks sufficiently well because of the movement of the boat which I could not overcome by bracing etc - they just jiggle around. This is likely to be when you NEED them rather when it is nice to look through them. The answer is image stabilisation binoculars.

c) I got hold of a second hand pair of Fujinon image stabilising binoculars. They are fantastic in every respect* and you can see what you want to see clearly. The high magnifiction is not an issue since the IS allows it to be used.
* it is a tiny bit of a faff to get hold of them in the correct way and then turn them on and wait. Feels easier to pick up and use others - until you look through them. You tend to regard them as more delicate even if they are not.

d) I got hold of a fairly battered set of Steiner Commander (the best that Steiner do). The pair I have are, as said, battered on the outside and have one or two internal marks. I have spent some time comparing the clarity and light transmission of the Steiner and the Fujinon - in the middle of the night up an unlit Suffolk river. There is no doubt that between the two pairs I have that the Fujinons are both sharper and let in far more light (which was contrary to my expectations having read about the qualities of the Steiners). Looking at a distant image in the 'dark' was far clearer, brighter and sharper with the Fujinons than the Steiners - with or without IS turned on.

So, my advice - bearing in mind the budget - would be to find a good, working, second-hand pair of IS binoculars - ideally Fujinon IMHE but a mate has Canon and speaks well of them. At least try a pair of IS to see what you think.

Good luck
 
Pleased to see that although a fuller description Poecheng also supports the stabilisation of canon . Clearly they have increased in price since I bought mine but still cheaper than the Steiners so maybe the extra 100 is worth a look ? To take a phrase buying a pair of binoculars is not like buying a baguette and if you have for 20 years the on cost for stabilised pair might be worth investigating . Personally I have found once at sea it's worth the extra £ but each to their own . I guess my question is why not buy a pair with stabilisation ?
 
ashtead said:
Pleased to see that although a fuller description Poecheng also supports the stabilisation of canon . Clearly they have increased in price since I bought mine but still cheaper than the Steiners so maybe the extra 100 is worth a look ? To take a phrase buying a pair of binoculars is not like buying a baguette and if you have for 20 years the on cost for stabilised pair might be worth investigating . Personally I have found once at sea it's worth the extra £ but each to their own . I guess my question is why not buy a pair with stabilisation ?
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The question of stabilisation is probably separate to that of compass binoculars, since I don't think the two are combined. Personally, I have scarcely ever felt the need for compass binoculars, except for the rare occasion when I might wish to look for a ship or mark whose bearing is known from GPS, but some sailors seem to desire them. Stabilisation can make a stunning difference, and with my Canon 10x40s (16yrs old) I can often clearly read the name of a distant ship which I can scarcely make out without. They are not weatherproof though, so it is just a case of getting what suits you best.

The Canon stabilisation only works horizontally, whereas the more expensive and bulky Fujinon I believe will cope with 5 degrees of tilt. I have only tried the Fujinons on land, when I found the stabilisation weird and almost gave me mal de mer, though maybe they are good in practice.
 
MartynG said:
Are these any good?
http://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk/en...ing-Waterproof-Binoculars-wCompass/m-511.aspx

.
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Great value for money. As far as I can tell these are the same as lots of other similar ones at higher prices.
Certainly identical to the ones bought from Piplers of Poole previously.

The optical quality of both seemed fine for general nautical use (mainly spotting dolphins and eagles rather than nav marks in our case :-). Ditto compass fine.
Longevity less clear cut. First set had a lot of abuse, but finally succumbed to being dropped from a height onto hard surface and then immediately being stood upon, when user slipped! Survived unbroken except compass dial slipped slightly.
Gael Force replacements proved cheaper than a repair. But now one of the eye pieces of these has come loose and needs reglueing
 
My Question is.How is the lenses set up for people with glasses, my bins were brought when I was forty now 72 and wear glasses.Does this limit most of the bins that have been discussed, what bins would you recommend for eye glass wearers.
What I'm doing is securing my glasses which hang on my chest while using my bins,it's something you get used to and would allow the purchase of either type..
 
All, I like the idea of the IS bino's but a quick look on Ebay suggests way out of my price guide?
Not happy about spending £200 + on a set of second hand ones with no warrantee or history of usage.

I'm leaning towards the Bynolyt Searanger 3's at £195 and a 25 year warranty.

The Monocular is a good idea, but I am used to using binoculars, would it be difficult to adapt to using a single eye?
 
Binman said:
My Question is.How is the lenses set up for people with glasses, my bins were brought when I was forty now 72 and wear glasses.Does this limit most of the bins that have been discussed, what bins would you recommend for eye glass wearers.
What I'm doing is securing my glasses which hang on my chest while using my bins,it's something you get used to and would allow the purchase of either type..
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As I mentioned in a previous post, eye relief is the figure you need to check if you wear specs when viewing. I have astigmatism which means I can't view without my glasses. The longer the eye relief the better. When I was looking, 30+ years ago, the binoculars with the longest eye relief in my price bracket were the Fujinons with 18mm.
Many of the cheaper binoculars have eye relief figures of 13/14 mm which makes them much more difficult, if not impossible, to use with specs.
 
Binman said:
My Question is.How is the lenses set up for people with glasses, my bins were brought when I was forty now 72 and wear glasses.Does this limit most of the bins that have been discussed, what bins would you recommend for eye glass wearers.
What I'm doing is securing my glasses which hang on my chest while using my bins,it's something you get used to and would allow the purchase of either type..
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The usual way is to fold down the rubber eye cups to compensate for the extra distance from your specs to eyeball.
 
I bought a pair of Minox with digital compass.

They are super clear. I an issue with one of the rubber eye-pieces but they sorted it. The digital compass is great. My AIS detects a boat miles away, I then look through the compass at the appropriate heading and there is the ferry heading towards me!

I would not get them in white as they get dirty quickly.

TS
 
as well as the fujinon's we carry opticron 8x32's because that's what we use for walking/wildlife -so when looking for approaches to places we can have a set each!!! think they were about 70 quid
 
Scomber said:
as well as the fujinon's we carry opticron 8x32's because that's what we use for walking/wildlife -so when looking for approaches to places we can have a set each!!! think they were about 70 quid
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You don't even need them that big in summer light. We have two pairs of Fumoto 8x24s which we originally bought for a holiday in Africa. They were quite pricy at the time but have given good service and are brilliant if you want to travel light. I use them often when out on walks.
 
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