Binoculars - Best for cruising?

[aprilivy]

Going to Alaska in July....last time we missed whale sightings from the ship as we were not among those with binoculars or even a decent camera zoom.

Anyone have a recommendation?

I want lightweight for portability, but want something decent at an affordable price....and, yes...I wear glasses, if I need to take that into consideration.

Edited June 23, 2013 by aprilivy

[FireEater]

I too have been in the market for a good pair that are stronger, yet workable and reasonably price.

 

I have 10x50 Tasco brand now that I have had for many years. Works great for my current needs, but am not sure if they will do on the ship for our Alaska cruise next year either. BTW, 10 is the magnification...So I am looking for larger then 10 that I can use without using a tripod...

 

I found a few on line that are a tad stronger, but am not sure if it would be worth it although my wife needs a pair so we have 2 to use.

 

I see something on line that interests me, then I go see the reviews on them....Most reviews have caused me to move on to find another model...LOL

 

I am one that wants to test them out too, so buying on line will be my backup if I can not find a store around here that sells.

 

I am thinking a sporting good store might have them for hunters.....and a good source to test them. All the brick and motor stores for stuff like that have vanished I think...

 

Good luck on your search...

 

I will be keeping an eye on this post to see what pops up...

[Keith1010]

One thing when you say the best is that just like a camera I think it is very important that you see them first hand. What is good for one person might not be good for you.

 

Go to a place that sells them so you can see them yourself.

 

Keith

[PeterTellus]

Any magnification greater than 10x will not work very well without a tripod. Any shaking gets magnified so much that you can't really see a nice image.

 

8x or 10x wide angle would be good. To check the angle look for the field of view at at 1000yards or 1000 meters. That is the width of the field of view for something 1000yards away. Anything around 300ft/1000yards or 100m/1000m will be standard field of view, something larger will give a wider field of view but still magnify a good amount with stability.

 

Look for waterproof and/or antifog.

 

For use with glasses you may want to read this:

http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/long-eye-relief-binoculars.php

 

I recently bought a pair of these (8x42) when there was a $25 rebate but the rebate has ended.

http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Waterproof-Fogproof-Prism-Binocular/dp/B006U0Z3BA/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371999892&sr=8-4&keywords=bushnell+binoculars

 

They have a long close focus (they can't focus on anything closer than 18 feet) but have a nice wide field of view (410ft at 1000 yards).

[pdmlynek]

This thread comes up every couple of weeks. While I have variety of binoculars to chose from at home, for my trip to AK I took 8×22 Steiners, which weigh 117 g (about 4 oz). Each of our kids will had similar type of binoculars.

 

To us, it is important that the binoculars are light weight and compact. Firstly, they are easier to hold for a long time: yes, a person can hold 2 pound binoculars for a long time, but the person wont be able to hold the heavier binoculars as steady as lighter ones. We spent a long time peering at a particular spot in the water to see a whale or a seal or some other creature. Secondly, when we were in an area where there is something to see, the binoculars were always with us around our necks, and were ubiquitous to us in wilderness as cell phones are most times; there was no reason not to have them readily accessible. Thirdly, they are light and easy to pack, taking up a small fraction of space in my carryon of large ones.

 

The disadvantage is that the small objective wont gather as much light as a larger objective. Such compact binoculars are designed for daylight use. No advanced coating in the world will magically gather more light to brighten the view. Luckily the days in AK are long during the summers, so there was no reason to drag binoculars with larger objectives.

 

To me, large bulky binoculars (say with 50 mm objective and up) do not say that they are “real” binoculars while those with small objective are “play” binoculars. Small object binoculars to me are better than large objective binoculars. For a cruise in Alaska, there is simply no advantage of using 10 × 70 over 10 × 30; that extra 4 mm in the diameter in the eyepiece (i.e., the 10×70 binoculars have a 7 mm eyepiece, and the 10×30 have a 3 mm eyepiece) are not needed in the daytime, because your pupils will be only about 3 mm. However, the small objective binoculars are next to useless when it come to use in astronomy.

 

Whichever binoculars you chose, familiarize yourself with them prior to going on the trip. Go for a walk in the countryside around where you live, and get used to them. See how fast you can bring up your binoculars to see a bird in a distance.

[TanTien]

The best all around binoculars will depend on your needs, your age, budget and your tolerance for optical imperfections. I'm primarily a birder but cruise frequently, wear glasses, and handle a 10x42 well, which is perfect for whale-watching and wildlife viewing where objects are farther away. However, the tradeoff is that they are larger and heavier than I prefer--especially when packing and traveling.

 

So recently I started looking for a compact pair that would give me great optics, high versatility, compact size and last me for a long time. That pair is a Vortex Viper HD 8x32.

I could have gone for the 10x32's but I sacrifice the field of view that is many times what may be needed when you are scanning for wildlife. So it's a trade-off. Either money, or weight, or size, or the use will cause you to compromise at some point.

 

As for age: recognize that a larger objective lens (the 20/32/42/50 that people use) is the light gathering part of the equation, in general, bigger is brighter and better. BUT, as you age, your eyes will not be able to use the full light provided to your eyes (the "Exit pupil"). So, in short, you might find that the more compact 32 models will be just as bright to your eyes as the larger 42 models, and so you save on weight, and even expense.

 

Look for a good amount of eye relief for glasses: you will find this listed for nearly every pair of binoculars as a millimeter number. Try for something above 16 mm (17-18 would be better) to accommodate your glasses.

 

Here's a guide that speaks to birding, but could just as well speak to your needs as well. http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/explore/optics/optics-buyers-guide.php

 

But, as well-stated above, there's nothing like looking first and comparing binos directly if you can. Oh: Look for a long/lifetime warranty and don't cheap out--get the most expensive glass you can afford if you can because these will be a long term investment in your eyes and enjoyment. Cheaper pairs will not always hold up over the years, and when things start to fail, you want to know that the company behind it will be hassle free. Vortex is one of those companies that I tend to go to again and again because of their service, affordability and wide range of choice.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited June 24, 2013 by TanTien

[TanTien]

In general they are short term junk except for any name brands like Nikons (where you will pay over $290 for a decent pair).

 

And if you go Nikons from the ship, you may not find that they are that much of a bargain, nor the best choice for you because of the limited selection. Do your homework first for best results.

 

Your mileage may vary. :D

[Budget Queen]

Going to Alaska in July....last time we missed whale sightings from the ship as we were not among those with binoculars or even a decent camera zoom.

Anyone have a recommendation?

I want lightweight for portability, but want something decent at an affordable price....and, yes...I wear glasses, if I need to take that into consideration.

 

In my opinion, I would never consider any that weren't wide angle. With a narrow field of view, like you would get with a camera, misses plenty. :(

[Budget Queen]

I too have been in the market for a good pair that are stronger, yet workable and reasonably price.

 

I have 10x50 Tasco brand now that I have had for many years. Works great for my current needs, but am not sure if they will do on the ship for our Alaska cruise next year either. BTW, 10 is the magnification...So I am looking for larger then 10 that I can use without using a tripod...

 

I found a few on line that are a tad stronger, but am not sure if it would be worth it although my wife needs a pair so we have 2 to use.

 

I see something on line that interests me, then I go see the reviews on them....Most reviews have caused me to move on to find another model...LOL

 

I am one that wants to test them out too, so buying on line will be my backup if I can not find a store around here that sells.

 

I am thinking a sporting good store might have them for hunters.....and a good source to test them. All the brick and motor stores for stuff like that have vanished I think...

 

Good luck on your search...

 

I will be keeping an eye on this post to see what pops up...

 

Actually those are an excellent choice of binocular, with just about ideal magnification and most important- wide angle.

 

These will do very well on both land and sea.

[pdmlynek]

As for age: recognize that a larger objective lens (the 20/32/42/50 that people use) is the light gathering part of the equation, in general, bigger is brighter and better. BUT, as you age, your eyes will not be able to use the full light provided to your eyes (the "Exit pupil"). So, in short, you might find that the more compact 32 models will be just as bright to your eyes as the larger 42 models, and so you save on weight, and even expense.

..

 

I think that Tan’ makes a very important point.

 

When I read the discussion about binoculars that pops up here every few weeks, it seems to me that most people are interested in high quality binoculars, and consider big binoculars to be of higher quality simply because they are larger. Although it does make sense for people to obtain high quality gear (including binoculars), I do not think that big binoculars are higher quality, nor something that most people need.

 

For using binoculars in low light conditions, such as at dusk or for astronomy, it is necessary to have the objective lenses on the binoculars as big as possible. Greater the objectives, more light it gathers. But of course, greater the objective, higher the cost (ceteris paribus), greater the weight of the binoculars (thus a person gets tired quicker), and greater the bulk of the binoculars (thus it takes up more luggage space, and is more likely not to be dragged around all the time).

 

The objective diameter divided by the magnification gives you the eyepiece diameter. For example binoculars with a 8×42 designation mean that the eyepiece diameter is about 42 mm / 8 = 5.25 mm.

 

During the daylight, the diameter of a pupil is supposedly 3 to 5 mm. At night, the diameter of the pupil may be up to 7, 8, or even 9 mm.

 

When people travel up to Alaska on a cruiseship, it is during the summer, when days are very long. For example today, June 24, prime cruising season in Alaska, the sun rises around 4 am (4:06 in Ketchikan, 3:43 in Skagway, 4:22 in Anchorage), and sets around 10 pm (21:32 in Ketchikan, 22:23 in Skagway, 23:42 in Anchorage). Unless a person is going to be trying to observe wildlife at between 10 pm and 4 am, daylight binoculars are appropriate.

 

There may be few times during the cruise when you would like to observe wildlife at night, but these are rare. Notable one is the early morning passage through the Johnstone Straight, where supposedly lots of orcas are to be found, that a lot of ships out of Vancouver go through. I was on the bow deck at 3:00 am to 6:00 am, but I was the only one there the entire time.

 

Thus, from my point of view, it makes sense for an Alaska cruise passenger to take binoculars that have a 7× to 10× magnification, at around 30 to 40 mm objective, and where the eyepiece size is around 3 or 4 mm diameter. Smaller than 25 mm objective may be too small (resulting in either too small of an eyepiece or magnification), and greater than about 50 mm may be unnecessarily too big (resulting in too much bulk, weight, strain, without an improvement of the sight).

[TanTien]

I think that Tan’ makes a very important point.

.

.

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Thus, from my point of view, it makes sense for an Alaska cruise passenger to take binoculars that have a 7× to 10× magnification, at around 30 to 40 mm objective, and where the eyepiece size is around 3 or 4 mm diameter. Smaller than 25 mm objective may be too small (resulting in either too small of an eyepiece or magnification), and greater than about 50 mm may be unnecessarily too big (resulting in too much bulk, weight, strain, without an improvement of the sight).

 

Thanks pdmlynek for the validation! And for those of you who get it with pictures, here's and example of two binoculars showing their different sized exit pupils where the pair on top is a 10x32 and the ones on the bottom are 8x42.

 

As you can see, the ones on the bottom will generally appear brighter to your eye and generally be less eye placement "fussy" when you are trying to look through them.

 

 

So if in doubt, try them out first if you can at all. What sounds good on paper (like 10X sounds better than 8X) may not work for you in practice if you cannot get a comfortable view.

[aprilivy]

OH MY! I thought I was asking a simple question!

[TanTien]

OH MY! I thought I was asking a simple question!

 

;) Yes. It appeared so, but buy smart and your eyes (and neck and shoulders) will thank you for many years!

 

Let us know what you decided and how they worked out for you.

[whale-watcher]

I actually bring two pairs of binoculars for cruising: a larger pair that I use when I am on wildlife viewing excursions or on the deck or balcony scanning for wildlife, and a compact pair that I keep with me at all other times, even in the dining room on formal night (you never know...).

 

I personally feel that you should buy the best quality bins that you can afford. High-end 8x32 binoculars can offer superior clarity and brightness and better sharpness as resolotion than larger but lower quality optics, but are much ligher and more comfortable to use. For compact binoculars (8x20) this is even more important (I prefer the compact Leica ultravids).

 

Exit pupil size can be important for twilight or dense shade situations, but for most wildlife viewing on the open ocean a larger exit pupil does not always translate into superior image. Lens and coating quality is just as important (if not more so).

 

I have done a lot of pelagic birding, and prefer 8x bins to 10x bins for wildlife viewing from a moving or vibrating ship.

 

High end binoculars (unlike high end cameras or electronics) do not go obsolete. My 30 year old pair of Zeiss dialyts are still a pleasure to use, and in retrospect were one of the best purchases I even made. If money is no object, my all around favorite pair of binoculars, hands down, are the Swarovski swarovision 8x32. One look through these and you will be spoiled for life.

[TanTien]

I actually bring two pairs of binoculars for cruising: a larger pair that I use when I am on wildlife viewing excursions or on the deck or balcony scanning for wildlife, and a compact pair that I keep with me at all other times, even in the dining room on formal night (you never know...).

 

I personally feel that you should buy the best quality bins that you can afford. High-end 8x32 binoculars can offer superior clarity and brightness and better sharpness as resolotion than larger but lower quality optics, but are much ligher and more comfortable to use. For compact binoculars (8x20) this is even more important (I prefer the compact Leica ultravids).

 

Exit pupil size can be important for twilight or dense shade situations, but for most wildlife viewing on the open ocean a larger exit pupil does not always translate into superior image. Lens and coating quality is just as important (if not more so).

 

I have done a lot of pelagic birding, and prefer 8x bins to 10x bins for wildlife viewing from a moving or vibrating ship.

 

High end binoculars (unlike high end cameras or electronics) do not go obsolete. My 30 year old pair of Zeiss dialyts are still a pleasure to use, and in retrospect were one of the best purchases I even made. If money is no object, my all around favorite pair of binoculars, hands down, are the Swarovski swarovision 8x32. One look through these and you will be spoiled for life.

 

Very well said whale-watcher! And you would bring up my dream pair of binos, the Swarovision 8x32s, but I'm not ready to spring over $2,100 for a pair *yet* ;)

 

I am going to try the Nikon SE 8x32s (as soon as they are off back-order) to see what kind of quality the Swaro's would bring me over my Vipers and see if the difference is in my future!

[whale-watcher]

Very well said whale-watcher! And you would bring up my dream pair of binos, the Swarovision 8x32s, but I'm not ready to spring over $2,100 for a pair *yet* ;)

 

I am going to try the Nikon SE 8x32s (as soon as they are off back-order) to see what kind of quality the Swaro's would bring me over my Vipers and see if the difference is in my future!

 

I have a number of birding friends who actually prever the Nikon SE's to the swarovskis. I am using a pair of Zeiss FL that I found on eBay for less then half of retail; not as good as some of the alternatives, but good enough that I cannot justify the huge pricetag of the SW's.

[Jdfireman]

I have a number of birding friends who actually prever the Nikon SE's to the swarovskis. I am using a pair of Zeiss FL that I found on eBay for less then half of retail; not as good as some of the alternatives, but good enough that I cannot justify the huge pricetag of the SW's.

The Nikon's are a good pair also the Bushnell 10x42 Hd weather proof are very good they came with a carrying strap that is very nice and may other extras... I am bring my set to Alaska

[TanTien]

deleted

Edited June 27, 2013 by TanTien
dupe post

[Putterdude]

With all due respect there is a huge difference between birding glasses and marine glasses. During my lifetime I have spent a great deal of time on the waters of British Columbia and Alaska. On the water you want a 7X and not greater than a 8X to go stronger then that the motion of the ship can make it awkward to look out of them and can even lead to motion sickness.

I have a very expensive pair of marine Fujinons and a couple of pairs of Bushnels...is there a difference ....sure there is. However, before a cruiser runs out and purchases new binoculars they may want to consider how much they are going to use these glasses, unless you are a boater, birder, go to football games or a hiker most binoculars just sit in the closet unused. Even in my case where I live on the Strait of Georgia and watch cruise ships from May thru September, I have two pair of binoculars that hang from armchairs and may get used 2 or 3 times a month. Where I am going with this is that I have a pair of 8X Bushnell's in my car that are perfectly adequate for most cruisers.

So my advice would be stick with 7 x or 8 x and consider how much you are likely to use the binoculars post cruise before mortgaging the farm.

[TanTien]

With all due respect there is a huge difference between birding glasses and marine glasses. During my lifetime I have spent a great deal of time on the waters of British Columbia and Alaska. On the water you want a 7X and not greater than a 8X to go stronger then that the motion of the ship can make it awkward to look out of them and can even lead to motion sickness.

I have a very expensive pair of marine Fujinons and a couple of pairs of Bushnels...is there a difference ....sure there is. However, before a cruiser runs out and purchases new binoculars they may want to consider how much they are going to use these glasses, unless you are a boater, birder, go to football games or a hiker most binoculars just sit in the closet unused. Even in my case where I live on the Strait of Georgia and watch cruise ships from May thru September, I have two pair of binoculars that hang from armchairs and may get used 2 or 3 times a month. Where I am going with this is that I have a pair of 8X Bushnell's in my car that are perfectly adequate for most cruisers.

So my advice would be stick with 7 x or 8 x and consider how much you are likely to use the binoculars post cruise before mortgaging the farm.

 

I agree: you need to assess your overall need. If all you're going to be doing is taking these binoculars on ship 2-3x per year, then you might have a very different budget than someone who birds year round, with daily use of a pair.

 

That said, Putterdude is correct about the keeping the magnification reasonable to account for ship movement. There are a few very nice pairs that are under $140 (not at all expensive for decent optics), have lifetime warranties, are packable and comfortable level of quality of both image and eye placement. Not bad either if you decide you want to use them after/in between cruising! :)

 

In short there are many that would serve as good quality all around binoculars that would not need to break the bank and scare you off.

 

I "shop" (look more than buy actually ;)) at two online dealers: Eagle Optics and like their Atlas Optics line, which is very similar to the Zen Rays. They have really great service which keeps me coming back. You might also check out their own highly regarded binos where they have binos for just about every budget.

 

The other place is Optics Planet where they have decent sales and a price guarantee as well.

[Firehunter]

Any magnification greater than 10x will not work very well without a tripod. Any shaking gets magnified so much that you can't really see a nice image.

 

8x or 10x wide angle would be good. To check the angle look for the field of view at at 1000yards or 1000 meters. That is the width of the field of view for something 1000yards away. Anything around 300ft/1000yards or 100m/1000m will be standard field of view, something larger will give a wider field of view but still magnify a good amount with stability.

 

Look for waterproof and/or antifog.

 

For use with glasses you may want to read this:

http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/long-eye-relief-binoculars.php

 

I recently bought a pair of these (8x42) when there was a $25 rebate but the rebate has ended.

http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Waterproof-Fogproof-Prism-Binocular/dp/B006U0Z3BA/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371999892&sr=8-4&keywords=bushnell+binoculars

 

They have a long close focus (they can't focus on anything closer than 18 feet) but have a nice wide field of view (410ft at 1000 yards).

 

I was bummed when I bought the Bushnells that I missed out on a earlier rebate, but the price was still nice on them. One of the reasons I bought them was for the 410' field of view at 1000 yards (listed on Bushnells website and Amazon's) but when I received them the box said it only had 365' at 1000 yards. I'm curious what your box said for yours. I have to wait until Monday when Bushnell customer service opens to ask them about it.

[TanTien]

I was bummed when I bought the Bushnells that I missed out on a earlier rebate, but the price was still nice on them. One of the reasons I bought them was for the 410' field of view at 1000 yards (listed on Bushnells website and Amazon's) but when I received them the box said it only had 365' at 1000 yards. I'm curious what your box said for yours. I have to wait until Monday when Bushnell customer service opens to ask them about it.

 

Optics Planet has them for $95 and Eagle Optics for $110 so the price on Amazon or binoculars.com is pretty decent at just under $80. but their Field of View is listed on all three of these sites at 325' at 1000 yards, which is quite narrow for an 8X bino and 18 feet close focus is way too far away unless you are looking from the ship at whales or birds far off.

 

So somewhere between the Bushnell site, your box, and these three sites, is the truth. In general, the less you pay for binos the farther the close focus and the narrower the FOV. You do get what you pay for.

 

Here are some other budget (<$100) options for you to consider:

 

• Bushnell http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/bushnell/bushnell-legacy-wp-8x42-binocular
   
  
• Atlas Optics http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/atlas-optics/atlas-optics-black-eagle-8x42-binocular
  

 

In general, you get more bang for your buck by choosing Porro Prisms over roof prisms: wider FOV [e.g. 430 feet/1000 yards for the Bushnell's vs. 330 feet for the Atlas model], more 3D images, and a comfortable design to hold.

 

Finally, I heard this from a birding friend: when comparing two similar binos the closer the closest focus, generally the higher the quality. The Bushnell porros listed above have a 12 foot close focus and the Atlas is 9.8 Feet but read the reviews (if they have any) to get a user's perspective and notice that the actual use vs. the Mfr. marketing hype is many times quite revealing .

 

The Bushnell Legacy's have lots of stuff going for them for the price.

[JustThinking23]

I just saw that Amazon has a pair of Vanguard Endeavor ED 8 x 42 for sale for $210, today only.

 

I am not one of the experts here. I am just learning. Since I will be outfitting a family, these are out of my price range, but thought I would share.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[rachelfran]

I just saw that Amazon has a pair of Vanguard Endeavor ED 8 x 42 for sale for $210, today only.

 

I am not one of the experts here. I am just learning. Since I will be outfitting a family, these are out of my price range, but thought I would share.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

 

There is a $50 rebate making them actually $159.99 - reviews look very positive.

[TanTien]

There is a $50 rebate making them actually $159.99 - reviews look very positive.

 

I've not used this brand before but there are 21 reviews here with a very high rating for these (and this place has it normally for $350) so with that rebate, this is indeed a good buy). This is a relatively new brand that has been getting high marks where-ever I see them reviewed:

 

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vanguard/vanguard-endeavor-ed-8x42-binocular

 

The Field of view is decent, not really wide but good at 367 feet/1000 yards and there is a good 19 mm of eye relief for those wearing glasses. It's a touch heavy at almost 26 ounces, so a shoulder harness would be a good replacement for the standard neck strap. Decent close focus at 8.2 feet and it is ED (Extra Low Dispersion) Glass which means better quality optics.

 

If I were looking for my first pair of binos on a budget, these would be among my top choices, especially since you cannot get ED glass at much under $300.

 

I suggest that if you cannot wait (they probably are not carried by local sporting goods stores) get them while you can and make sure that the store has a good return policy!