Binoculars

[kathyemma]

Should everyone have their own pair of binoculars - or does sharing work?

[SuperCrewBear]

We shared a pair, no problem. BUT, if both (or more) want a look at the same time, everyone needs their own pair. We had a mini suite and kept our binoculars on the shelf just inside the door to the balcony. If we saw something of interest we could grab the binoculars and get a look pretty quickly. I never carried them anywhere else, but some might want them at all times.

 

Good luck! :)

[new_cruiser]

I wouldn't share them. Animal sightings can be brief - the bear can move out of view, the eagle flies past, the whale dives. You can miss seeing the animal - even more so if adjustments are needed between people.

 

Plus you can both be scanning for animals at the same time.

 

If it was just to look at the mountain, sharing could work, but for Alaska, I expect that wildlife viewing is a priority.

 

With your own pair, they are always adjusted to your eyes. The strap is secured around your neck so there is no worry about dropping them. Or even better for comfort over hours of use (e.g.: Glacier Bay day, whale or wildlife boat trip, Denali bus), you are wearing them on a harness always secure & in easy reach.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Forums mobile app

[donaldsc]

I agree with the non-share people. Both of you will want to grab their binocs when something interesting flies or swims by. My wife and I have different focus and inter-occular settings and I do not want to have to reset the binoculars if I grab them after she has used them.

 

Also, occasionally I am on deck or at a scenic spot and someone asks if they can borrow mine to see something. I am tempted to ask them why they did not bring their own but I am polite and I just say "no".

 

DON

[kathyemma]

I agree with the non-share people. Both of you will want to grab their binocs when something interesting flies or swims by. My wife and I have different focus and inter-occular settings and I do not want to have to reset the binoculars if I grab them after she has used them.

 

Also, occasionally I am on deck or at a scenic spot and someone asks if they can borrow mine to see something. I am tempted to ask them why they did not bring their own but I am polite and I just say "no".

 

DON

 

I would never ask a stranger to borrow binoculars. How strange! Of course, I am also totally paranoid about getting pink eye.

 

Kathy

[Budget Queen]

Mine are - always with me. :) I will never be without them in Alaska. Yep that's me, on the rare times in the dining room, with them around my neck. ;) Actually, I do freely lend mine. A lot of people, do not bring them, and binocular sales are probably strong, since I pretty much always see customers, at the Canada Place kiosk to start with, then on the ship. :)

 

Mine get a lot of use, multiple times every year, so in my case, quality was essential. I've seen a lot of crappy binoculars out there, so depends on the priority. But, overall, you "need" wide angle for marine wildlife, you need that extra field of view. And for scenery, birds, land animals- Denali as example etc, you need power, at least 10 in my opinion.

 

Yep, everyone having their own is ideal. Sightings can be a few seconds- then over. :)

[kathyemma]

Mine are - always with me. :) I will never be without them in Alaska. Yep that's me, on the rare times in the dining room, with them around my neck. ;) Actually, I do freely lend mine. A lot of people, do not bring them, and binocular sales are probably strong, since I pretty much always see customers, at the Canada Place kiosk to start with, then on the ship. :)

 

Mine get a lot of use, multiple times every year, so in my case, quality was essential. I've seen a lot of crappy binoculars out there, so depends on the priority. But, overall, you "need" wide angle for marine wildlife, you need that extra field of view. And for scenery, birds, land animals- Denali as example etc, you need power, at least 10 in my opinion.

 

Yep, everyone having their own is ideal. Sightings can be a few seconds- then over. :)

 

Would these be okay?

Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051ZOA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Budget Queen]

Would these be okay?

Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051ZOA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

you need to try them out.

[new_cruiser]

Would these be okay?

Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051ZOA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The cost of good optics has come down a lot over the years, but not enough that I would expect a great view at that price point. That pair also doesn't provide enough eye relief for a glasses wearer. If you wear glasses, you should aim for an eye relief of 15 or more.

 

Also, I would go with a magnification of 8 rather than 10 for viewing in Alaska. 8 will provide a wider field of view to make it easier to get and keep what you want to see in view. Budget Queen recommends 10, but most sources and my own experience say that 8 is more suitable.

 

For something that provides very good optics at a reasonable price point, consider Celestron Nature DX 8x42.

https://smile.amazon.com/Celestron-71332-Nature-Binocular-Green/dp/B00B73JONS/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1522785734&sr=1-3&keywords=Nature+DX+binoculars&dpID=31nZj10RfxL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

They have an angular field of view of 7.4, enough eye relief for glasses, and coatings that provide a sharp, clear view. My husband has them and was happy with them in Alaska.

 

I have Celestron Trailseeker 8x32 (the next line up in Celestron binoculars from Nature DX). I got them because the lighter weight makes them easier to use for extended viewing. The better specs in the Trailseeker line allows going to the smaller 8x32s while giving up very little in performance. They have a wider angular field of view (7.8) that the Nature DX 8x42 though not quite as wide as the Trailseeker 8x42.

[cheone]

Would these be okay?

Bushnell Falcon 10x50 Wide Angle Binoculars

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051ZOA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

I bought Bushnell Perma Focus 10x50 Wide Angle Binocular on Walmart.com 2 years ago for my Alaska Cruise. The Cost was around $30 more than the Busnell Falcon. The advantage of this it automatically focuses for any distant objects. Since the binocular is wide angle, you can scan the water for whales or other wildlife. Take a look at this as an alternative to the Bushnell Falcon.

[new_cruiser]

I bought Bushnell Perma Focus 10x50 Wide Angle Binocular on Walmart.com 2 years ago for my Alaska Cruise. The Cost was around $30 more than the Busnell Falcon. The advantage of this it automatically focuses for any distant objects. Since the binocular is wide angle, you can scan the water for whales or other wildlife. Take a look at this as an alternative to the Bushnell Falcon.

 

"Automatically focuses" isn't accurate. That makes it sound like they are doing something to adjust the focus. They aren't. They are fixed focal length binoculars so you can't adjust the focus. They are focused all the time for something in the far distance

[donaldsc]

The cost of good optics has come down a lot over the years, but not enough that I would expect a great view at that price point. That pair also doesn't provide enough eye relief for a glasses wearer. If you wear glasses, you should aim for an eye relief of 15 or more.

 

Also, I would go with a magnification of 8 rather than 10 for viewing in Alaska. 8 will provide a wider field of view to make it easier to get and keep what you want to see in view. Budget Queen recommends 10, but most sources and my own experience say that 8 is more suitable.

 

For something that provides very good optics at a reasonable price point, consider Celestron Nature DX 8x42.

https://smile.amazon.com/Celestron-71332-Nature-Binocular-Green/dp/B00B73JONS/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1522785734&sr=1-3&keywords=Nature+DX+binoculars&dpID=31nZj10RfxL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

They have an angular field of view of 7.4, enough eye relief for glasses, and coatings that provide a sharp, clear view. My husband has them and was happy with them in Alaska.

 

I have Celestron Trailseeker 8x32 (the next line up in Celestron binoculars from Nature DX). I got them because the lighter weight makes them easier to use for extended viewing. The better specs in the Trailseeker line allows going to the smaller 8x32s while giving up very little in performance. They have a wider angular field of view (7.8) that the Nature DX 8x42 though not quite as wide as the Trailseeker 8x42.

 

Another thing that people forget to check is their close focusing ability. Some years ago, I bought a fairly expensive set of binoculars but forgot to check how close they focus. The first time I used them for birding, I realized my mistake. I still use them and they have good optics but I had to go out and sink a bunch of money into a new set that I use for birding.

 

DON

[4x4bob]

On our Cruise/Land Tour we were riding the bus into Denali Park. Bus held 30 passengers and only 8 had either a camera or Binoculars. The wife asked me if we should share our Binoculars and I said no. Something would come up we wanted to see and our Binoculars would be up front of the bus being used by someone else.

 

We watched a herd of elk laying on a patch of snow to stay cool in the heat of the day. Other passengers over heard us talking about what we were watching.

 

Last May while going into Glacier Bay the Park Ranger, who had come on board, called out a herd of mountain goats on the far side of the bay. Watched several passengers run to rail and try to get a photo with their cell phones. Me, I used the Binoculars hanging around my neck along with my camera. Then I took a photo using the telephoto lens. Did not hold out much hope for those using a cell phone.

 

Alaska is one cruise where everyone should bring both a good camera and a pair of Binoculars. Mine are rubber coated, water proof, Nikon Monarch, 10x42.

 

Bob

[whitsmom]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKNDJHP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

This is the one that I got for us. I hope I can figure it out before we go.

[Herfnerd]

Have everyone bring their own - I brought a 10x50 and my wife didn't want anything that big so she brought a compact 8x25. Guess who got to use which one most of the time, LOL!

[kathyemma]

Have everyone bring their own - I brought a 10x50 and my wife didn't want anything that big so she brought a compact 8x25. Guess who got to use which one most of the time, LOL!

 

You are a good husband!!!

[Northern Aurora]

I also am of the opinion that everyone should have their own pair of binoculars.

 

But for those who need to purchase a pair -- it may be a slight exaggeration, but it seems that every birdwatching magazine has a review of either binoculars or some type of photography equipment in every issue. Checking birding magazines either at your local library or on the particular magazine's website could be informative. But you really do need to actually hold a particular pair in your own hands before deciding if that particular model is good for you.

[mytime53]

Add me to the voices saying one pair/person, and my vote is for 10 power.

[bob brown]

How about zoom binocular's...how do they compare? I would imagine that like anything that tries to fulfill different roles, it doesn't excel at either (wide angle or telescopic)....but it sure would be handy to first find an object and then zoom in on it...

[candctroll]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKNDJHP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

This is the one that I got for us. I hope I can figure it out before we go.

 

Thank you for posting. I think I am going to look into this for my phone. It looks like it has great reviews and may keep me from having to take the DSLR

[Haboob]

How about zoom binocular's...how do they compare? I would imagine that like anything that tries to fulfill different roles, it doesn't excel at either (wide angle or telescopic)....but it sure would be handy to first find an object and then zoom in on it...

 

Since we're apparently allowed to recommend specific binoculars, here's what we're taking to Alaska:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01022OVBO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

8~25 x 50. Decent optics (they've arrived and I've looked through them). Inexpensive enough to buy 2 and not

cry if one gets dropped, goes overboard, or gets left on a bus.

 

As for sharing any binoculars, by the time the other person re-dials them in whatever it is has stopped happening

(unless they can wear your glasses, too :rolleyes:). The zoom feature, however, is a thumb lever that works well while

you're looking through these.

[Dancing Shoes]

I read a past thread where the actual name/model of the binocular was mentioned by more than one person. Not sure why it is against policy?

[jonyboy]

I actually bring two pair, neither too big and bulky. 8X42 Nikon is the primary but I also bring 8X23 Bushnell which are still ok and can actually fit in a pocket (not a small pocket, but most jackets). The Bushnell's are with me almost always on vacation and the Nikon's on any trek that will involve wildlife viewing