which binoculars would you buy from these 3 choices only?

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Sailingsaves

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The prices stated are what I can purchase the bins for, not what the websites advertise them for.

Your opinions much appreciated.

(1) Gael Force at £66 delivered.

http://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk/45131/Gael-Force-7x50-Floating-Waterproof-Binoculars-w-Compass.html

or from here:

http://www.actionoptics.co.uk/Waterproof Binoculars.htm

(2) Helios OCEANMASTER RC £90 +£10 postage
Heavy duty, nitrogen filled, waterproof. Superior BAK 4
prisms, individual eyepiece focus & robust rubber covers.
Internal compass with illuminator and rangefinder scale.
Significantly better than the £80 plastic alternatives.


(3) or N750C-E £60 +£10 p&p for:

http://www.yachtmailchandlery.com/n...line-7x50-waterproof-binoculars-with-compass/

Waterproof, floating, 7x50 with digital compass
and range finder reticle.
Centre focus for ease of use with one hand.
Non-slip rubber covered.
6.6 degree angle of view, 116m / 348 ft at 1000.
Long eye relief, 24.5 mm, for sun glasses etc.
Minimum focus 6 m.
BaK4 prisms. Fully Multi coated lenses.
>5.5" centre.
Carry case, bino strap, captive but removable front caps,
rain guard cap for eyepieces.
Back light for compass uses two LR43 batteries
 
Can't reconcile the links - the GaelForce binos to which the link goes are £90 and the focus free ones £35.
The action optics ones all have too small a field to be any use as a marine bino.
The yachtmail ones are plastic - claim to be waterproof but are hardly splash proof.
Mine are focus free Monk's to DefStan - slightly more expensive but infinitely more useable - the least undesirable are probably the £35 GaelForce ones.
To be honest I'd save my money and look for rather higher quality optics.
 
charles_reed said:
Can't reconcile the links - the GaelForce binos to which the link goes are £90 and the focus free ones £35.
The action optics ones all have too small a field to be any use as a marine bino.
The yachtmail ones are plastic - claim to be waterproof but are hardly splash proof.
Mine are focus free Monk's to DefStan - slightly more expensive but infinitely more useable - the least undesirable are probably the £35 GaelForce ones.
To be honest I'd save my money and look for rather higher quality optics.
Click to expand...

The website links are to give info on the bins.
Edit, just realised that I explained the above sentence in my OP.

I have been offered Gael Force 7x50 with compass for £66 from a third party.

Action Optics sell Helios OCEANMASTER RC with compass , 7x50 for £100

Action also sells N750C-E with compass 7x50 for £70

Thanks for advice. I did not know Gael Force were shorter; there is very little info on the web and I did not buy the Summer PBO mag.

Edit, just realise that I explained my
 
I have just been buying a new pair of sailing binoculars in the last couple of weeks; I didn't choose any from your list but that was my choice. I was impressed by what I read of the Gael Force but I'm not keen on store branded goods. I would probably go with the Helios because they sound the most robust package which seems to me to be more important than weight for sailing binos.
 
I don't think I would ever buy binos without handling them first to see if they were comfortable in use, optically satisfactory and had the right eye relief for ease of use.
 
Sailingsaves said:
You have better skills than I.

I cannot determine the length of images on the internet with no point of reference.

So again, thanks for telling me.
Click to expand...

I hope we both have reasonable eyesight. Isn't it fairly clear that one binocular is shorter than the other?

gael-force-binoc_pbo1.jpg
oceanmaster.jpg
 
The decent ones there may well be all much of the same. About twelve years ago or so I bought cheap but very handsome Binocom Compass binoculars that some in here derided (Steiners or nothing, or words to that effect).

Well, they were a good buy, good lenses, but, despite that, over the years the battery terminals corroded (my fault for nor removing and old battery) and the nitrogen seal has been broken, but I'm still using them, and, heck, at something like £99 a shot, it would take several more replacements than my lifetime will allow to ever match the cost of a single pair of Steiners (which I am certain are excellent).

BTW, unless things have radically changed in recent years, I would tend to avoid "focus free".
 
After reading various threads I bought the Helios binoculars as above this summer (untried I must say).

Don't think they are as nice as my old Tasco (c1989) bins were when new.

Moral (as said repeatedly on these fora) - try before you buy. What suits one person does not suit another.
 
The ones I have are like the Gael Force and they have collected a bubble in the compass and the eye cups have cracked on the folds. The ones below the Helios OCEANMASTER have a digital compass
ACTION OPTICS N750C-E
Waterproof, floating, 7x50 with digital compass
so they would be my choice.
 
pvb said:
The Gael Force at £66. They're lighter, and shorter (which I find easier to handle). "Focus free" is a benefit.
Click to expand...

Focus free might be a benefit to you, but I can't use them, never met a pair that would focus with my ancient eyes.....

The other factor that occasionally matters is a nice close near focus point: if you are looking at the spreader shroud attachments or a puffin swimming nearby, ones that won't focus close are useless.
 
Sgeir said:
The decent ones there may well be all much of the same. About twelve years ago or so I bought cheap but very handsome Binocom Compass binoculars that some in here derided (Steiners or nothing, or words to that effect).

Well, they were a good buy, good lenses, but, despite that, over the years the battery terminals corroded (my fault for nor removing and old battery) and the nitrogen seal has been broken, but I'm still using them, and, heck, at something like £99 a shot, it would take several more replacements than my lifetime will allow to ever match the cost of a single pair of Steiners (which I am certain are excellent).

BTW, unless things have radically changed in recent years, I would tend to avoid "focus free".
Click to expand...

I bought my Steiners at the boat show something like £300, they are not focus free. I had a pair of the ubiquitous Plastimo, which we dropped and broke. I bought a pair of Nikons with compass, the worst built binoculars I have ever owned, I used to sell these and they were fantastic so maybe I bought a pair made on a Friday, but Nikon would not honour their warranty so I will never buy anything Nikon again. The Steiners are fine but they don't have an elevation scale except on their top of the range models whereas the Nikons did. I have got used tot he Steiners now and they are built like a tank and doubt I will every buy another pair.
 
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