Type of binoculars for an Alaskan cruise

Despite the mixed reviews on Bushnell's...

 

We have one set of Bushnell Extra High Power 10x 32mm compacts. Not water resistant, as far as I can tell.

 

There are 2 of us, but a tight budget.

 

Should we buy another inexpensive pair, maybe less mag, but a waterproof pair so we have at least one that can go out if it's pouring?

 

Or should we just stick with these and put the money toward other trip items...we have cheap ponchos but not waterproof jackets...and all I own are sandals :eek:, so obviously need some sneakers, at least.

I would go for a waterproof set of reverse-porro 8x32's. They are really not very expensive, bright, and very compact.

Try here for a wide selection of budget waterproof 8X binoculars:

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars?waterproof=yes&magnification_min=8.0&magnification_max=9.0&sort=price&price_max=200

What is your budget, if you don't mind?

For binoculars or Alaska? =) Binoculars, I'd say $50 and under, so very few options...none gonna be amazing, but we'll be back someday when we've got a better income and more time to spend using such things as really good binoculars.

For Alaska, a tad bit more than $50 :D, but we're trying to keep all shore excursions combined as close to $400 as possible, so it's certainly not a luxury trip. We're low maintenance (Days Inn is nice) type people, though. DH is still in school and we've got 3 little ones.

We bought a pair of 10x42 Zen-Ray VISTA binoculars for our daughter for the upcoming July cruise. There was a coupon available (SAVE15) that helped us save $15. Not sure if it is expired.

My DH used his expensive Swarovski birding binoculars for all of our travel. But I found it sufficient to use less expensive binoculars ($100-$300). I just won't allow him to spend another $2000 on a pair of binoculars.

For binoculars or Alaska? =) Binoculars, I'd say $50 and under, so very few options...none gonna be amazing, but we'll be back someday when we've got a better income and more time to spend using such things as really good binoculars.

 

For Alaska, a tad bit more than $50 :D, but we're trying to keep all shore excursions combined as close to $400 as possible, so it's certainly not a luxury trip. We're low maintenance (Days Inn is nice) type people, though. DH is still in school and we've got 3 little ones.

I want to pass on something I've learned after buying many pairs of binoculars over the years, each time trying to keep to an economical maximum:

If I'd saved enough for one good pair instead of all the lesser one's that I'd gotten, I would have spent less than I spent for all the crappy binoculars. So my advice is to buy a decent pair now and save money in the long run. There are many places to buy good quality used ones: eBay or Cameraland Nikon Demos.

The best bang for your buck is a porro-prism but they tend to not be waterproof and don't have a reputation to stay in focus or survive harsh treatment. The second you can try is a low-end roof prism (like the Nikon Demo I linked you to above): roofs tend to be waterproof (for not much more than non-waterproof), more durable, and more compact (again the Nikon 10x25 Demo I pointed you to for <$70). But remember too: generally, the higher the magnification, the shakier the image and the darker (less light) it will be.

For beginners and and all around binocular, I would recommend an 8x42 roof prism.

I would suggest generally staying with better known brands (e.g. Nikon, Vortex, Leupold) with good lifetime warranties. In optics, you really do get what you pay for, where they won't survive a knock or a bounce off the deck. But here again, look to the warranty to help.

And please read my post about buying optics in general for cruising or other uses.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me for more information, and let us know what you decide! :)

I want to pass on something I've learned after buying many pairs of binoculars over the years, each time trying to keep to an economical maximum:

 

 

 

If I'd saved enough for one good pair instead of all the lesser one's that I'd gotten, I would have spent less than I spent for all the crappy binoculars. So my advice is to buy a decent pair now and save money in the long run. There are many places to buy good quality used ones: eBay or Cameraland Nikon Demos.

 

 

 

The best bang for your buck is a porro-prism but they tend to not be waterproof and don't have a reputation to stay in focus or survive harsh treatment. The second you can try is a low-end roof prism (like the Nikon Demo I linked you to above): roofs tend to be waterproof (for not much more than non-waterproof), more durable, and more compact (again the Nikon 10x25 Demo I pointed you to for <$70). But remember too: generally, the higher the magnification, the shakier the image and the darker (less light) it will be.

 

 

 

For beginners and and all around binocular, I would recommend an 8x42 roof prism.

 

 

 

I would suggest generally staying with better known brands (e.g. Nikon, Vortex, Leupold) with good lifetime warranties. In optics, you really do get what you pay for, where they won't survive a knock or a bounce off the deck. But here again, look to the warranty to help.

 

 

 

And please read my post about buying optics in general for cruising or other uses.

 

 

 

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me for more information, and let us know what you decide! :)

Love my 15yr old Leupolds10x42. Amazing optics. A little heavier than the newer generation but they have become like an appendage--not willing to give them up, they've served me so well. also, Leupold will fix whatever happens for whatever reason at no charge. Wonderful service!

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Try to get one pair for each person so you don't have to fight for it during the whale sighting. We got inexpensive ones for kids (less than $150) and upgraded ours to $250 range. It is a must. I am glad that I convinced DH to invest on those pairs before the trip. Leupold, Zen-Ray, Nikon are all good brands to look into.