Harry Krause wrote:

I dunno. I can't use my 7x50 Fujis on my 25' Parker. I can use a pair of
8x30 Steiner Navigators, though. There's too much motion usually for me
to use the 7x50s.

It's a bit weird - maybe the Navigators are lighter and better balanced
than the Fujis or something?

Risto

Wayne.B wrote:
On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 12:43:32 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

I'd prefer gyro to wet bag stabilization - personal preference.

The IS Fujinons use piezo cyrstals to create an electronic gyro that
drives minature servo operated prisms. Very fast and accurate, best
technology available from what I've read.

They're selling a set of Fujis for 56 eurobucks on ebay :-) I wonder if
all the Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS 1440 are built with the gyros or was
there multiple generations of the model?

Risto

Varis wrote:
Harry Krause wrote:

It's your semi-socialist economy. You have a growing middle class. We
have a shrinking one.

Could be, but I don't have enough expertise to really answer that. :-)
In the last decade or so, it seems we've been experiencing some new
stratification in the middle class too, some people can buy company
shares while others are happy if their boss extends their contract by
another month...

Risto

I can not figure out why your lack of expertise or knowledge on a
subject should stop your from taking a firm stand on an issue. Some of
our most prolific regulars have no idea what they are talking about and
it doesn't stop them from responding to each and every topic.

Ernest Scribbler wrote:
"Varis" wrote
I need binoculars for my little boat.

Sounds like you need a bigger boat ...

Definitely! Everybody knows the length of the average boat is 5 feet
too little, and my boat is smaller than the average

The point is, binoculars are cheaper than the boat! But, eventually,
maybe I'll upgrade to a 30 feet plus sailing yacht or something...

Risto

Varis wrote:
I need binoculars for my little boat. I have been told the Steiner
Commander V model is excellent, and it costs about 700 eurobucks. For
example it would have these features:

My recommendation: try both binoculars, at best at twilight. It is not
only a question of facts, but also of the subjective preference.
I decided to buy a Commander III a couple of years ago, but I also
thought about buying a Fujinon. After testing both, I decided to take
the Steiner (which was much more expensive). However, it is a lifetime
investment.

The quality of Steiner is excellent. But I also know people who are
very happy with the quality of Fujinon and made very good experiences
with them.

Peter
--
http://www.skipperguide.com

"Varis" wrote
Everybody knows the length of the average boat is 5 feet
too little, and my boat is smaller than the average

The point is, binoculars are cheaper than the boat! But, eventually,
maybe I'll upgrade to a 30 feet plus sailing yacht or something...

I was just making light of the way your opening statement was phrased, not
knocking little boats. My personal theory on recreational boating is
E/F=1/LOA. (The amount of enjoyment versus frustration you get out of a boat
is inversely proportional to its size.)

"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:18:08 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


Amen! I see no reason to scrimp if you can afford the good stuff. Of
course, you'll catch some heat for having something worthwhile. But,
jealously has reared its ugly head with you many times anyway!
--

John

Ease up John. It's Sunday after all. Maybe JimH was just joking with NOYB.

Chuck Gould wrote:

I can't image why the typical boater would really need something beyond
this medium price range. I'd get some good quality, genuine marine
binoculars and not worry about stepping up to the diamond studded
stuff.

Binoculars are mostly needed in bad visibility conditions - in moist
weather (with risk of fogging for binoculars) or at night/twilight.
They aid in safe navigation as one wouldn't be able to pick up all
navigation buyos in those conditions. I figure eventually I might be
boating a lot during night or in rainy conditions, too.

Very good optics mean you will enjoy using the binocs more, and so you
will end up with more and better hours with the binocs, so you get more
from your investment. The Steiners are said to have optics that make
the $500 difference in price seem small, a really worthwhile investment
for a regular boater.

If the nitrogen leaks out, the binoculars won't really be so useful any
more. If you drop the cheaper binoculars and they break, you have just
wasted $200. This consideration really makes the markup seem less.

But well, maybe you can get these features with the $200 Fujinons? This
is the original question of this thread :-) And if you invest well the
$500 saved you could get any semi-reasonably priced binoculars in a few
years...

I agree with most of Harry's binocular comments, particularly
including the fact that the range finder is a PITA to use and for most
of us not really necessary. My binocs have a range finder, and I don't
think I've used it 3 times.

Isn't the range finding just simple maths? Not even trigonometrics
involved. The real problem I would suppose is knowing how high a
particular object is, but probably one knows the approximate measures
of different boat models, islands can be pre-measured and other objects
you might find lengths for from internet sources for example... Well of
course there is the movement of the boat too, so aiming the reticle
could be a bit of a challenge - were you referring to this?

Anyway range finding is more in the category of a cool toy than
essential tool, though any extra information to navigation can be a
help. Wouldn't it be just cool to say: "Captain, according to my
measurements we are approximately 10.56 miles from that tower over
there..."

Risto

Don White wrote:
"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:18:08 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


Amen! I see no reason to scrimp if you can afford the good stuff. Of
course, you'll catch some heat for having something worthwhile. But,
jealously has reared its ugly head with you many times anyway!
--

John

Ease up John. It's Sunday after all. Maybe JimH was just joking with NOYB.

Everyone but John knows I was kidding with NOYB.

It is strange that I have been the subject to all of Herrings posts
today. Maybe John will find peace within himself sometime in 2007. I
will keep him in my prayers in hopes that happens.

On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 14:44:34 GMT, "Don White"
wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:18:08 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


Amen! I see no reason to scrimp if you can afford the good stuff. Of
course, you'll catch some heat for having something worthwhile. But,
jealously has reared its ugly head with you many times anyway!
--

John

Ease up John. It's Sunday after all. Maybe JimH was just joking with NOYB.


I have no idea what JimH said about anything. What's more, I don't give a
rat's ass.
--

John