MacGregorSailors.com

Probably a prior topic but did not turn up anything special on my initial search, the board could use some activity/participation anyway.

I have no idea what the use requirements might be but i'm pretty sure that we would find binoculars very useful onboard, and i have a couple of quite old land binoculars but don't think they are well suited to boat use.

So i come to the vast experience of our group for suggestions/comments/concerns/thoughts that might influence a purchasing decision(besides the birthday is coming in a very few months and what a great gift idea).


Cheers, Bill

eg.???

This may be of assistance? Excellent advice about binoculars, especially marine type.
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/ ... Binoculars

If the magnification is too great, it will be hard to train your eyes on a particular object because of movement while on a boat. If the pocket book allows, there are auto stabilizer binoculars.

Binoculars Two types Porro prism and roof prism We would only buy roof prism
8 X 42 or 10 X 42 First number is power either 8 or 10 Second number is size of objective lens. Size matters as the larger the lens the more light it can bring in to your eye. Bigger than 42 the weight goes up. Some like 32 mm as they are lighter
Get lens with coatings to help with removing harsh light and the spectrum of light that your eye cannot see anyway
Get Water Proof Binocs
You get what you pay for. We have a pair like the Celestron–Nature DX ED 8x42 Premium Binoculars –Extra-Low Dispersion Objective Lenses. These are decent binocs we have a pair over 20 years old and are still nice. But since we are also birders we have a pair like the Fujifilm Fujinon Hyper Clarity HC 10x42 Which were over $650 15 years ago
The site below explains binocs really well.
https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/gear/ ... r-birders/

Check out optics planet and celestron for info on their binocs
Amazon has good prices sometimes once you decide what to buy. Go someplace and try a few sets out if you can before buying.
Don't drop them and be careful when cleaning lenses and they will last 20+ years. If you use them around salt water on the boat rinse well with fresh water every week. (you need water proof if you rinse them ) We use binocs a lot when boating.
Richard

Buy the best you can afford. It’s an important piece of gear.

Ix

I’m not a binocular expert, but after some research I bought a pair of these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07J4R11V2



In general I’m very pleased with them - the price was a good value for what I got. They have a decent field of vision, gather a nice amount of light at night, and I like the built-in compass (of course you need to calculate your own declination). They are reasonably lightweight, waterproof and will float. The case is nice as well.

As with any battery powered device, always remember to remove the batteries at the end of the season and store them in a plastic bag (in case they leak) and keep one set of spares aboard.

Well thanks everyone! Lots to think about however since this is just the beginning price is a priority and the kmclemore seems a great starter! - should have the Q Mary bearing down on us covered off.

Might have to create a decision matrix for infinite wants limited resources. Ok, at very least a prioritized list


Cheers all, this forum is awesome as always for boating ideas, concepts and suggestions.

I have a pair of these Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 binocular that work well. It's a rubber armored binoculars with roof prism, fully multi-coated lens and 15-mm eye relief. FoV of 330ft at 1000yds. HD Optical System.

Just ordered a pair. Thx

kmclemore wrote: ↑Tue May 10, 2022 5:41 am I’m not a binocular expert, but after some research I bought a pair of these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07J4R11V2



In general I’m very pleased with them - the price was a good value for what I got. They have a decent field of vision, gather a nice amount of light at night, and I like the built-in compass (of course you need to calculate your own declination). They are reasonably lightweight, waterproof and will float. The case is nice as well.

As with any battery powered device, always remember to remove the batteries at the end of the season and store them in a plastic bag (in case they leak) and keep one set of spares aboard.

dlandersson wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 8:51 am Just ordered a pair. Thx

Great! Hey, if you like yours half as much as I like mine, then I'll like mine twice as much as you like yours.

So there.

I found these om amazon.ca, I like that the button for night scale light is off to the right rather than center easier to reach with right hand but center position is better for either hand !

also
I like these as they come with a shoulder harness as well as a neck harness if u r ok with black


I have no Idea why these one,s Kevin has r so much more money up in Canada ?


as for these above bic floating I was reading up on that & apparently they only float for approx 30mins , for me I,d go for the first pair for $109.
as they r also nitro filled , altho they do not appear to have the green anti-glare coating lens ? , maybe Kev can pitch in & say whether that really makes a big diff ?
Ah apparently they do have the green anti-glare, but 7x50 is suppose to b the optimum choice for sailing & rough sea,s on the water use
J

Which brings up the age-old question - does time fly when you're havin' fun? Or does fun fly when you're doin' time?

kmclemore wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 9:00 am

dlandersson wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 8:51 am Just ordered a pair. Thx

Great! Hey, if you like yours half as much as I like mine, then I'll like mine twice as much as you like yours.

So there.

Our Canadian "peso's" are worth as much as US Doll-Hairs.


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