Confused-Binocular Question

We are going to Alaska in June. I want to get a pair of binoculars, I have read all the topics on this board pertaining to binoculars. I do not want to spend a lot of money on them because they will not be used much after this cruise (my son might use them for his Boy Scout camp outs). What Im confused about is: which is better 8x32, 8x42, 10x32 or 10x42?

Thank You!!!!!!

GM

We are going to Alaska in June. I want to get a pair of binoculars, I have read all the topics on this board pertaining to binoculars. I do not want to spend a lot of money on them because they will not be used much after this cruise (my son might use them for his Boy Scout camp outs). What Im confused about is: which is better 8x32, 8x42, 10x32 or 10x42?

 

 

Thank You!!!!!!

GM

The 8X42 would be excellent. They will offer plenty of light in what could be cloudy dark days, early in the morning or late evening. 8X will provide all of the power you will need and allow for easier finding of the subject (moose, bear, birds & etc.). The 10x42 would be the next choice but they will be bigger, harder to find the subject in a smaller field of view and may be more costly. If you can afford water and fog proof with the amount of money you want to spend get it! You could be touring in rain/drizzle and the binocs may fog up so bad they become useless.:)

The 8X42 would be excellent. They will offer plenty of light in what could be cloudy dark days, early in the morning or late evening. 8X will provide all of the power you will need and allow for easier finding of the subject (moose, bear, birds & etc.).

I agree. both 8x42 and 10x42 offer the best combination for power and weight. Typically, 8x has wider field of view and is easier to use. But 10x is better suited for Alaska because everything is pretty far.

The 10x42 would be the next choice but they will be bigger, harder to find the subject in a smaller field of view and may be more costly. If you can afford water and fog proof with the amount of money you want to spend get it! You could be touring in rain/drizzle and the binocs may fog up so bad they become useless.:)

Actually, the only difference between 10x and 8x is the design of eyepiece. In many cases, you will find 10x model is few grams lighter than 8x equivalent for the same model. As WilCruise said, a waterproof is important, mainly to prevent moisture getting into the body and causing internal fogging.

I am thinking about buying the Zen-Ray Vista, the 8x42 and the 10x42 are the same price. I cant afford the summits. I was at Cabelas checking out there binoculars and it did seem to me that the 8x42 were easier for me to focus but if the 10x42 are better and there the same price wouldn't it be wise to go with the 10x42? Am I putting to much thought into this? :-)

Thank You!!!!!!

GM

I am thinking about buying the Zen-Ray Vista, the 8x42 and the 10x42 are the same price. I cant afford the summits. I was at Cabelas checking out there binoculars and it did seem to me that the 8x42 were easier for me to focus but if the 10x42 are better and there the same price wouldn't it be wise to go with the 10x42? Am I putting to much thought into this? :-)

 

Thank You!!!!!!

GM

I have a pair of VISTA 8x42 and think the optics quality is excellent for its price. 10x is not necessarily better, it only brings the object a little closer at the cost of field of view. You don't get more from 10x for your buck than from 8x, contrary to what many people believe (or manufacturers try to make people believe). Instead, they are just different. In fact, a lot of birders like 8x over 10x for its easy use. For me, I took 10x with me because I like the extra strength of 2x in Alaska.

GM, if you feel comfortable with 8x42 than 10x42, then you should go with 8x42. But I am pretty sure you can handle 10x42 as well.

BTW, to answer your original question. 10x32 uses smaller objective lens, 32mm. Its brightness will be 30% less than 10x42. It is ok to use under brightly lit area. But it will be a little dim for twilight time. If you have to get 32mm for its light weight, I will suggest to get 8x32. Remember the exit pupil rule? 4mm and above. :) Hope this helps

I agree about the 8x vs. 10x binoculars. 10x bins will offer increased magnification, but also produce a slightly less bright image, and can magnify any underlying tremor or hand motion you might have.

In general, the larger the second number (the objective diameter) the brighter the image, but a very high quality 8x32 pair of bins will actually have a sharper and brighter image than less expensive bins with larger objective lenses. Many of the top birders are now using 8x32 Zeiss FL, Leica Ultravid, or Swarovski EL binoculars that much smaller and lighter, and have better powers of resolution than older style 10x binoculars (but also cost upwards of $1500/pair!!!)

I use a pair of 10x42 bins for hawk watching from a stable surface, but prefer my 8.5x42 for more closed in conditions, as well as for moving boats....I just picked up a pair of 8x32's on e-bay, however, and they are rapidly becoming my new favorites...so much so, that I will leave the larger pairs at home when we go to Hawaii in January....(in addition to my ultra compact 8x20's that I carry with me EVERYWHERE...even on formal night!)

the bottom line...I agree with qiangf2 -- it all boils down to personal preference. Try out as many pairs as you can to see what size and magnification is comfortable for YOU.

Hello,

We have a pair of Bausch & Laumb Legacy Binoculars

the numbers read 8 - 24 X 50 4.7 (something or other could it be degree) @ 8x

There is a lever on the left eyepiece that moves from 8 to 24.

Husband likes to use them to watch the wildlife in our yard (we are on 5 acres) his bird and deer feeders are not that far from the house - approx. 40 feet to the bird feederand perhaps 60 feet for the deer. Believe I bought them him for a birthday present some years back.

I find these harder to view through then the 2 pairs he has from his youth.

He and his dad had matching binoculars for when they went to baseball games.

These are Deltrintem 8x30 with a Carl Zeiss lens.

With the two older binoculars I find that what I am seeing is brighter in color. With the newer B&L what I see appears to be a bit cloudy. I must admit I have a hard time fiddling with the adjustment levers so it may just be me.

Our daughter has asked what she sould buy her dad for Christmas - water proof and anti fog sound like they will be needed for our Alaska cruise in August. My friend who lives in Anchorage advised me that Aug. is a rainy month.

Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated.

I agree that zoom binoculars are generally of very poor optical quality (with the exception of Leica Duovids, and these cost close to $2000!!!).

I would buy fixed power binoculars, between 8-10x magnification....8x32, 8x42, and 10x42 are all good choices (choose smaller magnification if you have any hand tremor).

There are many brands to choose from. I personally prefer the German/Austrian brands (Leica, Zeiss, and Swarovski) but also have had good luck with Nikon and Bausch and Lomb. Many, many people on this forum have purchased Zen-ray binoculars, which are much more reasonably priced than the brands I mentioned above, and seem to be very happy with their bins.

Hello,

 

We have a pair of Bausch & Laumb Legacy Binoculars

the numbers read 8 - 24 X 50 4.7 (something or other could it be degree) @ 8x

There is a lever on the left eyepiece that moves from 8 to 24.

 

Husband likes to use them to watch the wildlife in our yard (we are on 5 acres) his bird and deer feeders are not that far from the house - approx. 40 feet to the bird feederand perhaps 60 feet for the deer. Believe I bought them him for a birthday present some years back.

 

I find these harder to view through then the 2 pairs he has from his youth.

He and his dad had matching binoculars for when they went to baseball games.

These are Deltrintem 8x30 with a Carl Zeiss lens.

 

With the two older binoculars I find that what I am seeing is brighter in color. With the newer B&L what I see appears to be a bit cloudy. I must admit I have a hard time fiddling with the adjustment levers so it may just be me.

 

Our daughter has asked what she sould buy her dad for Christmas - water proof and anti fog sound like they will be needed for our Alaska cruise in August. My friend who lives in Anchorage advised me that Aug. is a rainy month.

 

Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated.

I too haven't found a quality zoom binoculars with reasonable price. In addition to Leica Duovids mentioned by whale-watcher, another decent one is Leupold Goldring 10/17x42. Again, the latter one costs more than $1300.

You will be better off using fixed 8x or 10x binoculars. I have seen the steady improvement of optics coating and build quality over the last many years. It is not a surprise to an old pair of Zeiss glasses cannot compare with some less expensive ones.

Yes, waterproof feature is very important. When you look for waterproof binoculars, make sure it is o-ring sealed with N2 purged. Watch out for some binoculars that are cleverly labeled as "water-resistant". It simply means "No, it is not waterproof".

I agree that zoom binoculars are generally of very poor optical quality (with the exception of Leica Duovids, and these cost close to $2000!!!).

$2000! Do people actually spend that much for this? :eek:

I had similar question before. It seems zoom binocular is not a good choice according to everybody.

Thank you all so much for help. I ordered the Zen-Ray 8x42 Vista. I thought they would be easier for my son to use when he goes to his Boy Scout campouts.

GM

$2000! Do people actually spend that much for this? :eek: ...

Thank you all so much for help. I ordered the Zen-Ray 8x42 Vista. I thought they would be easier for my son to use when he goes to his Boy Scout campouts.

 

GM

Congratulations! Yes, I think 8x42 is probably more suitable to begin with. Your son will love it.

OK - we'll leave the bulky zoom binoculars at home - take a pair of the older ones and most likely buy a pair of waterproof Zen Ray's as the price on their web site is pretty decent.

Many thanks for all the replies.

My binoculars come with rainguard that covers the glasses towards eyes (what do you call that?) There is a hole on the left hand side so I can run strap through it. But the right hand hole has slit cut through it. Is this normal? (I hope I explained my situation clear here. :o )

My binoculars come with rainguard that covers the glasses towards eyes (what do you call that?) There is a hole on the left hand side so I can run strap through it. But the right hand hole has slit cut through it. Is this normal? (I hope I explained my situation clear here. :o )

Many regular binocular users (myself included) find that the rainguards covering the ocular lenses (the lens closer to the eye) can be cumbersome...but they are very useful for keeping water and debris from the lens itself. The slit will allow you to keep the rainguard in place when the binoculars are just hanging around your neck, and to easily flip the rainguard out of the way when you are looking through the binoculars. This is a good design.

Many regular binocular users (myself included) find that the rainguards covering the ocular lenses (the lens closer to the eye) can be cumbersome...but they are very useful for keeping water and debris from the lens itself. The slit will allow you to keep the rainguard in place when the binoculars are just hanging around your neck, and to easily flip the rainguard out of the way when you are looking through the binoculars. This is a good design.

Now, I finally figured out! I really appreciate your help. I only need to run the strap through one side so it can easily be moved out of way. I guess a lot of thoughts have been put into the design for those small details.

Hi,

I've seen many postings about which binoculars work best for the Alaskan cruise. I'm just curious to learn what percentage of adults take them on a cruise, and how many actually use them. Also wondering if the binoculars with digital picture taking capabilities are beneficial or is it just a gimick.

Thank you,

Bruce

Hi,

I've seen many postings about which binoculars work best for the Alaskan cruise. I'm just curious to learn what percentage of adults take them on a cruise, and how many actually use them. Also wondering if the binoculars with digital picture taking capabilities are beneficial or is it just a gimick.

Thank you,

Bruce

My opinion, you absolutely need binoculars in Alaska, mine are always around my neck, I took them to a cpts. cocktail party I went to this year and jumped up when we went though a humpback area. :)

For me, my priority is marine wildlife, wide angle are necessary for my preference. So I am very happy with 10x50's, with 50 being the "wide angle"- I'm told??

My opinion, you absolutely need binoculars in Alaska, mine are always around my neck, I took them to a cpts. cocktail party I went to this year and jumped up when we went though a humpback area. :)

 

For me, my priority is marine wildlife, wide angle are necessary for my preference. So I am very happy with 10x50's, with 50 being the "wide angle"- I'm told??

I agree with Budget Queen. Binoculars are a must for Alaska cruise. We took them wherever we go so we won't miss the opportunity. Yes, wide angle is needed for marine wildlife viewing. The wide angle refers to field of view, which is mainly driven by magnification power for the same model. Both 8x and 10x are very good with 8x being wider. 50mm just let in more light for brighter image, not more angle of view. :)

Also wondering if the binoculars with digital picture taking capabilities are beneficial or is it just a gimick

Bruce, it is just a gimick. In my experience, it is a combination of cheap binoculars with a bad camera. You will be better off to get them separately.

I just got my Dad a pair of HummVee binoculars at Big 5 Sporting goods store...They are 20X50 and very lightweight and weather proof..and they were only 25 bucks..:)Heres a link so you can see what they look like..

http://www.lapolicegear.com/hutabi20.html

Kelly

I just got my Dad a pair of HummVee binoculars at Big 5 Sporting goods store...They are 20X50 and very lightweight and weather proof..and they were only 25 bucks..:)Heres a link so you can see what they look like..

http://www.lapolicegear.com/hutabi20.html

 

Kelly

Make sure he takes along a pair of binoculars with a more normal magnification (somewhere around 7-10x). 20x binoculars can be difficult to hold steady enough to see anything. The 20x could be great with a monopod or tripod.

Make sure he takes along a pair of binoculars with a more normal magnification (somewhere around 7-10x). 20x binoculars can be difficult to hold steady enough to see anything. The 20x could be great with a monopod or tripod.

The 20 also are not going to be any good for marine wildlife. The field of view will be too narrow.

As I understand it, Greatmom was looking for a decent pair of binoculars to take to Alaska and then give to her son for Boy Scout camping. Sorry but I don't understand why folks are telling her about quite expensive (Zeiss, Leica, Steiner, etc.) binoculars. I have taken a pair of LL Bean 8x25 pocket size binoculars (made by Bushnell), which sell for $50, to Alaska and been very happy with them. And I am familiar with good binoculars having done ocean sailing for many years and using excellent 7x50 binoculars; those were considered part of our safety gear. But for a week or two in Alaska I just can't see spending big dollars; but of course to each his own.

I just got my Dad a pair of HummVee binoculars at Big 5 Sporting goods store...They are 20X50 and very lightweight and weather proof..and they were only 25 bucks..:)Heres a link so you can see what they look like..

http://www.lapolicegear.com/hutabi20.html

 

Kelly

That's very thoughtful of you! I do share the concerns of BQ and Pilotdane for too much handshake and narrow field of view. In addition, the brightness won't be good with exit pupil of 2.5mm and single-coated lens (according to the picture in the link). If possible, also take a pair of 10x42 or 10x50 and he might enjoy more.