Best binoculars for Alaska?

Can anyone tell me the best binoculars to get for Alaska? Especially for whale and wildlife watching? Hubby want the permafocus kind and I am worried about weight and size.

Any recommendations? Thx

Can anyone tell me the best binoculars to get for Alaska? Especially for whale and wildlife watching? Hubby want the permafocus kind and I am worried about weight and size.

 

Any recommendations? Thx

If you are restricting your binocular options to the permanent focus types, you have already eliminated all of the best binocular choices. Read "permanent focus" to mean in focus at only one point and out of focus everywhere else.

Try doing a search in this board on "binoculars. You will see 492 hits. There is also lots of really good information on the WEB.

DON

I have just purchased Nikon Aculon T51 binoculars 8 x24 weigh less than 400 gms and highly recommended by Which Magazine as a best buy for wild life viewing, I. Am no expert but understand 8 magnification can be better than 10 on a ship as you can get nauseous watching whilst ship is moving. They were £140 on Amazon and they are great for me. Weight Size, clarity being most important.

Not sure how much you want to spend, but I splurged and purchased a pair of Canon Image Stabilizer 10x30 binoculars a couple of years ago. Focus is easy ... and then you hold down a button on top and the image "locks" into place. You get none of the shaky images you sometimes get when handholding other binoculars. Never been disappointed I spent the $$$. Looking forward to taking them on our first Alaska cruise this summer.

I also have Nikon 8x40 that I bought for my first AK cruise in 2002. They are relatively lightweight and work good for most all of our wildlife viewing needs. I still have them, they go both camping and cruising with me.:D

We went to our local sporting goods store and asked advice and then the salesman took us out to the parking lot with three different models and had us look at objects that were about the same distance that we would normally experience in both the wild and on ship. We picked the Nikon because it was the best compromise for weight, price and optics.

Binocular Review Site

A good resource is in the link above. Has a buyers guide, reviews, comparisons, and annual award winners.

We will be talking 2 sets (his/hers - slightly different goals to expand viewing options). Both will be from Celestron's products lines. One is already purchased and is the Outland X 10x42 - surprisingly nice for a low price point. The second will possibly be the Nature DX 8x32 or the Outland X 8x25 (still considering these - want to try them first).

Cost is a consideration for us as we don't use binoculars that often. We want the best optics on a low budget (tough - because in binoculars, usually more expense models have higher quality optics). Having used Celestron telescopes for years, I know they make quality optics. They focus on it even in their lower cost lines and don't rely on the gimmicks to sell cheap binoculars.

There are a lot of good options out there, so best to research and then go try options to find what works best for you and your budget.

Good luck.

I also have Nikon 8x40 that I bought for my first AK cruise in 2002. They are relatively lightweight and work good for most all of our wildlife viewing needs. I still have them, they go both camping and cruising with me.:D

 

We went to our local sporting goods store and asked advice and then the salesman took us out to the parking lot with three different models and had us look at objects that were about the same distance that we would normally experience in both the wild and on ship. We picked the Nikon because it was the best compromise for weight, price and optics.

You bought binocs in just the right way. Too many people go out and buy them on the internet w/o even trying them. Even with good expensive binoculars and I have tried but did not buy $2000 binoculars (they were worth the money but not the divorce so I bought $500 ones), some work better for you than others.

DON

DH and I used 10x42 Summit waterproof binoculars for our Alaska trip. We didn't want to spend thousands of dollars for binos, like what our birding friends did. But those binoculars work very well for us over the last few trips.

Not sure how much you want to spend, but I splurged and purchased a pair of Canon Image Stabilizer 10x30 binoculars a couple of years ago. Focus is easy ... and then you hold down a button on top and the image "locks" into place. You get none of the shaky images you sometimes get when handholding other binoculars. Never been disappointed I spent the $$$. Looking forward to taking them on our first Alaska cruise this summer.

we brought dh's Canon IS binocs on our first cruise to Alaska. They were awesome. Everyone was wanting to borrow them. I'm bringing our granddaughter this year and those image stabilizing binoculars are going to be the first thing packed in my carry-on.

I prefer a 400mm lens on my camera w/autofocus. I get a great view through my view finder and I get the picture.

I have been trying to take pictures through the binoculars with my phones with some success. But it is a pain to align them together. Can someone recommend a setup so the camera is always aiming at the binoculars' eyepiece?

Hi, have a pair of Nashkelvinter my dad got back in 1942, they are better than the ones today. Always take them with me when going to Alaska.

I have been trying to take pictures through the binoculars with my phones with some success. But it is a pain to align them together. Can someone recommend a setup so the camera is always aiming at the binoculars' eyepiece?

We bought this for our next trip.

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/smartphone-adapter-s.html

It works really well. Took me less than 1min to set it up.

thank you. I will give it a try.

Whatever you do be sure to try them for yourself like you would a camera to make sure they feel comfortable to you.

Keith

Binoculars with the stabilizer feature are the best for viewing wildlife. There really is no comparison. We have five pairs of binoculars, all high quality brand name well-reviewed. One is stabilized. The stabilized binoculars are the only ones we use for wildlife. There's a big difference. If you are trying and testing binoculars, don't just focus on distance and sharpness. Focus on a bird or moving object in order to do the best comparison shopping. Being able to focus on, and watch, bears in Alaska and wolves in Yellowstone - the stabilized binoculars have made the experience.

i wanted compact, waterproof, fogproof, so this is what i bought (on amazon)

we were very happy with them and they are indeed very light and compact...

and they're also very inexpensive so i bought one for each of us.... :)

one thing you don't want to have to share, binoculars!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JNWCDE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages03

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In preparation for our first trip to Alaska, 2 1/2 years ago, after much research, we bought ourselves each a pair of very good binoculars. Each having your own binoculars, is the BEST tip I can give you. I can guarantee you, you will not regret it. Sitting on the deck or balcony and "taking in" as much of Alaska as we could, is an excursion in itself. 👀 👀

we took 8x42 to use on the ship and 10x42 for the land portion of the trip

We bought this for our next trip.

 

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/smartphone-adapter-s.html

 

It works really well. Took me less than 1min to set it up.

The one we ordered just arrived. It seems well built. We will take it for weekend bird watching trip to practice a little bit before our trip. Thank you

i wanted compact, waterproof, fogproof, so this is what i bought (on amazon)

 

we were very happy with them and they are indeed very light and compact...

and they're also very inexpensive so i bought one for each of us.... :)

one thing you don't want to have to share, binoculars!!!

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JNWCDE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages03

 

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We have a pair of these (as well as some 8x42 Bushnell H2Os). How did they work for you when on the ship? We use them primarily for backyard bird viewing --they are a lovely weight and size for my hands.

We bought this for our next trip.

 

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/smartphone-adapter-s.html

 

It works really well. Took me less than 1min to set it up.

Great. We already have a Zen-Ray VISTA 8x42 binoculars. This should come handy for us. We were debating whether to bring a superzoom dSLR or just our iPhone. This adapter shall solve our dilemma of taking zoom picture with iPhone. Thank you

We bought this for our next trip.

 

http://www.zen-ray.com/shop/smartphone-adapter-s.html

 

It works really well. Took me less than 1min to set it up.

How secure is the phone in the adapter? I am interested in getting these for my kids (early 20s) for our Alaska trip, but I have visions of their iPhones ending up in the water!

Maggie

Binoculars with the stabilizer feature are the best for viewing wildlife. There really is no comparison. We have five pairs of binoculars, all high quality brand name well-reviewed. One is stabilized. The stabilized binoculars are the only ones we use for wildlife. There's a big difference. If you are trying and testing binoculars, don't just focus on distance and sharpness. Focus on a bird or moving object in order to do the best comparison shopping. Being able to focus on, and watch, bears in Alaska and wolves in Yellowstone - the stabilized binoculars have made the experience.

Which IS Binoculars do you use? Can you give any suggestions as to which lower priced IS Binoculars to consider. Total newbie here - I see the Canon 8/25 is lower priced. But read that they are not as good as others like the Canon 10 power?

How secure is the phone in the adapter? I am interested in getting these for my kids (early 20s) for our Alaska trip, but I have visions of their iPhones ending up in the water!

 

Maggie

The one I got is very secure. It uses a screw to set the tension on the camera holder. Even with some force, I cannot take the phone out of holder without loosing the screw first. The whole thing is made of aluminum, which seems well made.