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Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast.
I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
In article ,
Mys Terry wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans" wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Fujinon makes 7x50 binocs with a rubberized skin, that are waterproof and nitrogen filled for under $100. They also re-label essentially the same ones for various retailers, such as Defender, and West Marine. For reading numbers off of navaids and such, they are fine. I would recommend not going any higher than 7 power, though. 7x50 is pretty much the standard for what you will be doing with them. I concur with one exception. I bought a pair of the Fujinon's after their great write up in one of the Practicals. For most usage they work great. However, based solely on observation, if you are going to be doing a lot of night cruising, I found the night (or rather dusk) vision not as good as some of those really pricey kinds. If you are doing that type of cruising, you might want to consider the pricey brands or a night vision system as a supplement. h -- To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"? |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Harlan Lachman wrote:
In article , Mys Terry wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans" wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Fujinon makes 7x50 binocs with a rubberized skin, that are waterproof and nitrogen filled for under $100. They also re-label essentially the same ones for various retailers, such as Defender, and West Marine. For reading numbers off of navaids and such, they are fine. I would recommend not going any higher than 7 power, though. 7x50 is pretty much the standard for what you will be doing with them. I concur with one exception. I bought a pair of the Fujinon's after their great write up in one of the Practicals. For most usage they work great. However, based solely on observation, if you are going to be doing a lot of night cruising, I found the night (or rather dusk) vision not as good as some of those really pricey kinds. If you are doing that type of cruising, you might want to consider the pricey brands or a night vision system as a supplement. h Can you share the model number and source of Fuji waterproof, 7x50 binoculars under $100? Thanks. Chuck ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
i did the ebay thing, sticking to
the brands that have served me well... nikon and pentax, i bought the best ones i could afford at the time...spent around 2-3 hundred...ended up w/a nice, heavy, rubber coated nikon...crystal clear optics, nice case, etc....i am sure you can find off brands at 50% less...i fig quality and brand name are important... i did the same w/camera gear.... Lester Evans wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Mys Terry wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:05:40 -0400, chuck wrote: Harlan Lachman wrote: In article , Mys Terry wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans" wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Fujinon makes 7x50 binocs with a rubberized skin, that are waterproof and nitrogen filled for under $100. They also re-label essentially the same ones for various retailers, such as Defender, and West Marine. For reading numbers off of navaids and such, they are fine. I would recommend not going any higher than 7 power, though. 7x50 is pretty much the standard for what you will be doing with them. I concur with one exception. I bought a pair of the Fujinon's after their great write up in one of the Practicals. For most usage they work great. However, based solely on observation, if you are going to be doing a lot of night cruising, I found the night (or rather dusk) vision not as good as some of those really pricey kinds. If you are doing that type of cruising, you might want to consider the pricey brands or a night vision system as a supplement. h Can you share the model number and source of Fuji waterproof, 7x50 binoculars under $100? Thanks. Chuck Defender has them for about $75 http://www.defender.com Thanks. Seems I misunderstood and thought real Fujis could be bought for under $100. Technically, these are Fujis because they are made by Fuji exclusively for Defender. It's anybody's guess whether they are identical to Fuji's branded binoculars. It's my guess they are not in the same league as Fuji's least-expensive binoculars. Which does not mean they should be avoided, maybe just approached with tempered expectations. Chuck ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
"Lester Evans" wrote in message news:5wDhg.5163$LN1.5074@trndny01... For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Well I'd recommend you get genuine marine binoculars that are sealed and dry nitrogen filled otherwise you will eventually get moisture inside and corrosion/fogging. I believe in the past only bino's with individual focus eyepieces were constructed this way but now several manufacturers including Fujinon and Nikon offer center focus marine bino's. I think these are a bit more convenient to use, especially if several people with widely different eyes are going to be using the bino's. I would also suggest getting them with built-in compass as this lets you take bearings of distant objects. I have the Fujinon Mariner binoculars with compass and these seem to be fine. I paid $149US a couple of years ago. These have a polycarbonate body and are much lighter (and cheaper) than the MIL spec Fujinons that have alloy bodies. For daytime use I don't think the various claims about light gathering, coatings, etc. are all that important. Some binoculars, Steiner for example, have a larger compass which is easier to read and, I think, more stable. Fujinon has a digital compass in one of their models. Nikon also makes some nice marine bino's for around $250-300. Do a search on eBay for "compass binoculars". |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Lester Evans wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Hi: I made my living as an "observer" on most kinds of vessels both domestic and foriegn through the 80s. My job was to look for 8 + hours a day. got to use just about every type of opticals around. Even had soem of thoes $650 mil armored marine jobs hand polished by Carl Ziese himself (joke) What do I use know? I always buy two pairs of Bushnell 10x50 Insta Focus. Way cheep at maybe 30 bucks last I got a pair. They resonable optics. The best thing is that if I drop them overboard, get them ripped off its no big deal. I usually get about 5-8 years service per pair. Might even get longer life if I used their case. Some folks say never get biger than 7x35 or 8x50 at the most. Personally afer 1000s of hours staring through a pair i perfer 10x50. I can just see so much more. Movement was never a problem for me. Go cheep. Go 10x50. Get two. Bino Bob |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Lester Evans wrote:
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? I'll give a different point of view. The "common wisdom" is that proper marine binoculars must be 7x50. Certainly, this seems to be true for night sailing. However, for daytime use, you may find that smaller binoculars are more useful. I notice that West has a 7x25 with all the basic marine features for only $70. Although only a quarter of the light gathering, it has the same magnification and field of view of its big brothers, but at 9.8 oz's, its less than a third the weight. For my own use, I carry a Canon 10x30 Image Stabilizing at the helm - I like the magnification for spotting marks, etc. An older pair of waterproof 7x50 are backup. But the lightweight 8x30 Nikon that stays in my glove compartment probably gets used most of all. Its small enough to be stuffed in a jacket pocket, so it tends to get taken places when a 7x50 would be left behind. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:46:00 -0400, chuck wrote:
Seems I misunderstood and thought real Fujis could be bought for under $100. Technically, these are Fujis because they are made by Fuji exclusively for Defender. It's anybody's guess whether they are identical to Fuji's branded binoculars. It's my guess they are not in the same league as Fuji's least-expensive binoculars. Which does not mean they should be avoided, maybe just approached with tempered expectations. A reasonable approach. Personally, I feel that my 25 year old "real" Fujinons are the best purchase I ever made, though I really couldn't afford them at the time. I figured every boat needed one first class piece of gear aboard and that's the one I chose. They have saved my butt a number of times. Nowadays, most of my cruising time is on deliveries. The one item that *always* comes along is the Fujinons. Maybe it's just my security blanket, but when we're hitting an unfamiliar inlet after dusk because we're running behind, they seem to become *everyone's* security blanket. IMHO, an excellent pair of binoculars is one area where anyone who strays far from the marina can justify the cost. If you often have guests, buy that $100 pair as well and let them have fun looking around without risking the good stuff. Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless. However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't feel that flimsy. Any comments? __________________________________________________ __________ Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at world wide wiley dot com To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious. Take a look at cpRepeater, my NMEA data integrator, repeater, and logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/ |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Lester Evans wrote:
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, i had this same question, thanks for asking it! |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Lester Evans wrote:
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold. Looked a bit like these http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but still very good optics and excellent ergonomics. Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at night then the good 7x50's are overkill Evan Gatehouse |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
In article , ceilydhNO_SPAM@
3web.NOSPAM.net says... Lester Evans wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold. Looked a bit like these http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but still very good optics and excellent ergonomics. Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at night then the good 7x50's are overkill If you wear glasses (as I do) be sure to test the binoculars while wearing them. There can be a lot of variation in the field of view with the change in eye relief due to the spectacles. I like my Fujinon 7/50s because the field of view is good when I'm wearing my glasses. My wife likes her Nikon 8x40s even though they're not lightweights. But she wears contacts and eye relief is less of a problem. Mark Borgerson |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
I like the approach of cheaper marine binos, having had a pair bounce down
the companionway stairs and make rattling noises afterwards and having dropped roughly the volume of a dumpster of stuff into salt water. Then again, I tend to be frugal (if possible around a boat) as there are irritations like mortgage payments, car payments, expenses related to a wife and daughter, taxes and more taxes making vapire sucking noises on my checkbook. As part of this frugality, I have an old boat I own free and clear parked in the canal behind my house. I can afford this canal house because I don't have a big boat payment and don't buy expensive binoculars. MMC "Mys Terry" wrote in message ... On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:46:00 -0400, chuck wrote: Mys Terry wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:05:40 -0400, chuck wrote: Harlan Lachman wrote: In article , Mys Terry wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans" wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Fujinon makes 7x50 binocs with a rubberized skin, that are waterproof and nitrogen filled for under $100. They also re-label essentially the same ones for various retailers, such as Defender, and West Marine. For reading numbers off of navaids and such, they are fine. I would recommend not going any higher than 7 power, though. 7x50 is pretty much the standard for what you will be doing with them. I concur with one exception. I bought a pair of the Fujinon's after their great write up in one of the Practicals. For most usage they work great. However, based solely on observation, if you are going to be doing a lot of night cruising, I found the night (or rather dusk) vision not as good as some of those really pricey kinds. If you are doing that type of cruising, you might want to consider the pricey brands or a night vision system as a supplement. h Can you share the model number and source of Fuji waterproof, 7x50 binoculars under $100? Thanks. Chuck Defender has them for about $75 http://www.defender.com Thanks. Seems I misunderstood and thought real Fujis could be bought for under $100. Technically, these are Fujis because they are made by Fuji exclusively for Defender. It's anybody's guess whether they are identical to Fuji's branded binoculars. It's my guess they are not in the same league as Fuji's least-expensive binoculars. Which does not mean they should be avoided, maybe just approached with tempered expectations. Chuck The original poster recently posted questions about a GPS and indicated budget was a significant concern. I assume that is the case with his binocular search as well. The Binoculars I mentioned are quite adequate for a coastal sailor who may need to spot a number on a buoy or similar endeavors. I've used these binocs, and they are just fine. Obviously you can spend a lot more money for something that lets in more light, has more precise mechanisms, etc. For his use, as he has described it, these should be fine. The major factor for these over other sub- $100 binoculars is that they are waterproof and nitrogen filled. That's fairly uncommon at the lower end, but for marine use, it's very desirable. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Mark Borgerson wrote:
In article , ceilydhNO_SPAM@ 3web.NOSPAM.net says... Lester Evans wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold. Looked a bit like these http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but still very good optics and excellent ergonomics. Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at night then the good 7x50's are overkill If you wear glasses (as I do) be sure to test the binoculars while wearing them. There can be a lot of variation in the field of view with the change in eye relief due to the spectacles. I like my Fujinon 7/50s because the field of view is good when I'm wearing my glasses. My wife likes her Nikon 8x40s even though they're not lightweights. But she wears contacts and eye relief is less of a problem. Mark Borgerson I pop my eyeglasses off and adjust the binocular accordingly. Inconvenient but seems to work although I'm quite nearsighted. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:37:29 GMT, "Glen \"Wiley\" Wilson"
wrote: Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless. However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't feel that flimsy. Any comments? I have a pair of 7 x 50 Steiners that I like. They're about 2 years old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that time. Low light visibility is excellent at night, and the optics are crisp. I do try very hard to protect them from the elements and mechanical shock, something not always easy to do on a sailboat. I agree with the advice about keeping an inexpensive pair for the guests to knock around with. An additional advantage is that your "good" binoculars remain properly adjusted for *your* eyes, a big advantage when you need to see something quickly in low light conditions. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
damm, thats a lot of miles on a set...
"They're about 2 years old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that time." Wayne.B wrote: On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:37:29 GMT, "Glen \"Wiley\" Wilson" wrote: Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless. However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't feel that flimsy. Any comments? I have a pair of 7 x 50 Steiners that I like. They're about 2 years old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that time. Low light visibility is excellent at night, and the optics are crisp. I do try very hard to protect them from the elements and mechanical shock, something not always easy to do on a sailboat. I agree with the advice about keeping an inexpensive pair for the guests to knock around with. An additional advantage is that your "good" binoculars remain properly adjusted for *your* eyes, a big advantage when you need to see something quickly in low light conditions. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
~^ beancounter ~^ wrote:
damm, thats a lot of miles on a set... "They're about 2 years old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that time." That *is* impressive. I've seen binocs that had a compass built into them, for taking bearings, but I've never heard of a set that had a knot log built into them ;) DSK |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On 2006-06-07 18:21:14 -0400, "Bob" said:
Some folks say never get biger than 7x35 or 8x50 at the most. Personally afer 1000s of hours staring through a pair i perfer 10x50. I can just see so much more. Movement was never a problem for me. 10x50's are fine for daytime use, but are a bit hard to stabilize on a small sailboat. 7x50's have a much larger aperture, 7mm vs. 5mm and much more low-light capability, and are easier to hold stable. For daytime use, I do carry a pair of Steiner 8x30s, which are considerably smaller than the 7x50s I use at night. Also, the 7x50s have an integrated compass, which is nice for taking bearings. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:38:40 -0400, DSK wrote:
That *is* impressive. I've seen binocs that had a compass built into them, for taking bearings, but I've never heard of a set that had a knot log built into them ;) Knot log is a good idea since you have to change the binocular oil every 1500 miles or so. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Wayne.B wrote: On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:38:40 -0400, DSK wrote: Knot log is a good idea since you have to change the binocular oil every 1500 miles or so. Hello Wayne: I've been wondering for years what that oil was? Where do you get the stuff. Do you think Wes Marine carries it? Would I just ask for binocular oil? I was thinking of getting a pint so I I would have some spare on the boat in case I lose a little and a bubble forms. I would really hate not having my binos at 100% when I need them most. What do you recomend? Bob |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On 12 Jun 2006 18:25:01 -0700, "Bob" wrote:
I've been wondering for years what that oil was? Where do you get the stuff. Do you think Wes Marine carries it? Would I just ask for binocular oil? I was thinking of getting a pint so I I would have some spare on the boat in case I lose a little and a bubble forms. I would really hate not having my binos at 100% when I need them most. What do you recomend? Something like Beefeater's Dry Gin has a lot to recommend it. The binoculars will be much happier although perhaps with some double vision. You'll be happier also just knowing it's there for emergency libations if needed. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
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Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
so, Lester,,,,what do you think you are going to do about
the binoculars? from all the great info posted...i myself, would try out a few different pairs and features...the gimbal/oil floating movement dampner and compass sounds interesting...what about night time vision and range finder "options", i may see if any of that is on the market...and set a budget for $...in the meantime, i would pick up the "expendable" pair now and use them till i got the "real pair" i was looking for.........i like that idea....keep us posted... Lester Evans wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans"
wrote: For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast. I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking. What do you experienced cruisers use? Thanks,, I just received my new Nikon OceanPro 7x50 Waterproof Binoculars with Compass and they are great. 25 year warranty and crystal clear optics. Amazon has them, but they were out of stock, so I had to order through one of the 3rd party vendors Amazon deals with. They cost $230 + $12 shipping - $40 rebate for a total of $204, and the vender sent it via 3 day (17th Street Photo). There is also the version without compass for $200 + free shipping - $30 mail-in rebate for a total of $170, but it's been out of stock for at least a couple of weeks from what I've seen. The rebates are goo to the end of this month. -- BRENT - The Usenet typo king. :) |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
Mark Borgerson wrote: Dunno----but if the binoculars have a built-in compass, be sure to apply a dab of relative bearing grease! Mark Borgerson Okay, now I am really confused. I always heard that "true' bearing grease was preferd to either apparent or relative grease. And then there is that dialectic stuff. Would that be alright considering I use binoculars and not dianoculars???? Please help. Bob |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
On 16 Jun 2006 11:54:46 -0700, "Bob" wrote:
Okay, now I am really confused. I always heard that "true' bearing grease was preferd to either apparent or relative grease. And then there is that dialectic stuff. Would that be alright considering I use binoculars and not dianoculars???? Please help. As Einstein said, "It's all relative". Grease is messy, use dry gin instead and drink the left overs. |
Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
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