Recommendations On Budget Friendly Binoculars

[jonyboy]

If you can afford an Alaskan cruise you can afford to spendmore than $50 on binoculars. Isn’t thata bit presumptuous?

[donaldsc]

I strongly disagree with this statement. If your budget is $50, then the BushnellPermaFocus binoculars are good. However,if you can afford an Alaskan cruise, then you can afford more than $50 forbinoculars. If you are reading thisthread, then you are probably interested in seeing animals and willing to spenda bit more. I suggest that you do spend abit more.

 

Short story…

PermaFocus is not ideal. There isa reason almost all binoculars have manual focus.

Roof prisms are much more compact than porro prisms.

I like 10x50 for Alaska. Mywife does better with 8x42.

Budget binocular = Wingspan 10x42 Voyager/Eagle Scout for $74

Midrange binocular = Hawke 10x50 Endurance ED for $240

 

Long story…

I remember being on the top deck in front of the glaciers in GlacierBay. Someone was pointing out seals onthe ice. I could see them great. The lady next to me complained she could notmake them out clearly. I traded her binocularsand she was surprised how big of a difference they made. Then her husband used my binoculars and was surprisedat the difference. Since we were sittingstill and everyone was standing around, over a dozen people used my binoculars. And I tried theirs. A little more money on better binoculars wenta long way that day, that cruise, and many years later.

 

I remember looking at sea otters at 75 yards and seeing their individualwhiskers. It was evening, heavily overcast,and the ship was moving. You need the10x zoom to enlarge the whiskers and you need 50mm to make the most of the lowlight. More than 10x and I start gettingannoyed holding the binoculars still free handed. More than 50mm and they are too heavy, toobig, and/or too expensive.

 

I remember looking at bald eagles at 30 yards in Ketchikan and seeingthe individual feathers on their face. And looking at a grizzly’s face in the bushes from the Denali bus at 25yards (only his face was visible). Ifyou think a grizzly looks impressive at 25 yards, use binoculars and you will seeamazing details.

 

I remember heading into the Gulf of Alaska and looking at MountFairweather. Then I saw a small glacierunder it. Then I noticed the glacier wasmoving. Then I used my binoculars andrealized the small glacier was a cruise ship many miles away. It really put the size of Mount Fairweatherinto perspective.

 

I would suggest 10x50 binoculars for Alaska. You need the 10x because many things will be faraway. But you have to be good or practiceat handling 10x on close objects. Ithink 12x or higher is too much when looking at close animals or free handingon a moving boat. I like 50mm becauselow light can last for hours in Alaska. However,if you are not good at finding/tracking your target with binoculars, then dropdown to 8x. It is better to see a smallerquality image at 8x than to get frustrated with 10x. If you cannot hold heavy binoculars up long,then drop down to 42mm, maybe 32mm. ButI would never drop down to 20-25mm as your only binocular. Being that small, optics quality is far morecritical and going cheap costs you much more. They can be great as a spur-of-the-moment pocket binocular, but a 10x25 canbe frustrating to use at important times.

 

Good post except I would disagree w you one point. Although you have sort of addressed this issue, I would recommend 8x instead of 10 for 2 reasons.

 

1) 10 x are harder to hold still. You have addressed this issue.

 

2) 10x will tend to have a narrower field of vision which will make it harder to find objects.

 

I have a set of Eagle Optics Golden Eagle HD 8x42 that I bought as a manufacturer refurb on Amazon for ~$450. I bought them mainly because the binocs that I brought with me on a to Costa Rica could not focus to anything closer than maybe 20 - 25 feet. Everyone else could see the birds. I could not. My wife does not like carrying around heavy binocs so she uses a set of excellent Pentax 8x28 that cost me ~ $400 although she borrows mine fairly often. They both focus to about 8 feet which I consider a critical but often overlooked parameter.

 

DON

[Ladyaruba]

I strongly disagree with this statement. If your budget is $50, then the BushnellPermaFocus binoculars are good. However,if you can afford an Alaskan cruise, then you can afford more than $50 forbinoculars. If you are reading thisthread, then you are probably interested in seeing animals and willing to spenda bit more. I suggest that you do spend abit more.

 

Short story…

PermaFocus is not ideal. There isa reason almost all binoculars have manual focus.

Roof prisms are much more compact than porro prisms.

I like 10x50 for Alaska. Mywife does better with 8x42.

Budget binocular = Wingspan 10x42 Voyager/Eagle Scout for $74

Midrange binocular = Hawke 10x50 Endurance ED for $240

 

Long story…

I remember being on the top deck in front of the glaciers in GlacierBay. Someone was pointing out seals onthe ice. I could see them great. The lady next to me complained she could notmake them out clearly. I traded her binocularsand she was surprised how big of a difference they made. Then her husband used my binoculars and was surprisedat the difference. Since we were sittingstill and everyone was standing around, over a dozen people used my binoculars. And I tried theirs. A little more money on better binoculars wenta long way that day, that cruise, and many years later.

 

I remember looking at sea otters at 75 yards and seeing their individualwhiskers. It was evening, heavily overcast,and the ship was moving. You need the10x zoom to enlarge the whiskers and you need 50mm to make the most of the lowlight. More than 10x and I start gettingannoyed holding the binoculars still free handed. More than 50mm and they are too heavy, toobig, and/or too expensive.

 

I remember looking at bald eagles at 30 yards in Ketchikan and seeingthe individual feathers on their face. And looking at a grizzly’s face in the bushes from the Denali bus at 25yards (only his face was visible). Ifyou think a grizzly looks impressive at 25 yards, use binoculars and you will seeamazing details.

 

I remember heading into the Gulf of Alaska and looking at MountFairweather. Then I saw a small glacierunder it. Then I noticed the glacier wasmoving. Then I used my binoculars andrealized the small glacier was a cruise ship many miles away. It really put the size of Mount Fairweatherinto perspective.

 

I would suggest 10x50 binoculars for Alaska. You need the 10x because many things will be faraway. But you have to be good or practiceat handling 10x on close objects. Ithink 12x or higher is too much when looking at close animals or free handingon a moving boat. I like 50mm becauselow light can last for hours in Alaska. However,if you are not good at finding/tracking your target with binoculars, then dropdown to 8x. It is better to see a smallerquality image at 8x than to get frustrated with 10x. If you cannot hold heavy binoculars up long,then drop down to 42mm, maybe 32mm. ButI would never drop down to 20-25mm as your only binocular. Being that small, optics quality is far morecritical and going cheap costs you much more. They can be great as a spur-of-the-moment pocket binocular, but a 10x25 canbe frustrating to use at important times.

 

The Busnell's ARE 10x50 or is it the auto focus you don't like!

Mine are arriving today and I will head down to the ocean and see how they work here at home.

Going to Cabela's next week and will look around. May want to get 8X42 for myself and the 10x50 for hubby!

[Ladyaruba]

:loudcry:

If you can afford an Alaskan cruise you can afford to spendmore than $50 on binoculars. Isn’t thata bit presumptuous?

 

I agree! Why spend a ton of money on something you may never use again.

At least with your trip, you are taking photos and making memories!

[rd3]

The Busnell's ARE 10x50 or is it the auto focus you don't like!

Mine are arriving today and I will head down to the ocean and see how they work here at home.

 

Personally, I do not care for the PermaFocus. But it has its place and its advantages. But it also has disadvantages. If you are someone that has a hard time findingsubjects with binoculars, then PermaFocus may make the experience moreenjoyable because it is one less thing to deal with. But you may be better off going with lowerzoom and/or wider field-of-view. Maybenot. Everyone is different.

 

When you go to Cabela’s, take your Bushnells with you. Get some high-end binoculars and go look outa window into the distance. Findsomething small and detailed like tree branches, leaves, or bushes. Immediately swap to your Bushnells and youwill probably notice a difference. Perhaps thatdifference is worth the upcharge to you? Perhaps not. I think a lot of itis based on how good you are at holding binoculars and how interested you arein seeing the animals closer up. If youare unsteady with binoculars, better optics may not be noticeable. Again, everyone is different.

 

Also, try some other budget binoculars. You may like them better only because theyare roof prism and fit your hands better. Look at one of their stuffed birds from 25 yards with the PermaFocusbinoculars. It will be blurry. How blurry depends on your eyes. Some folks will be fine with that becausethey would rather look at something that close without binoculars. But I would encourage everyone to do both ifsomething sits still long enough. Afteryou have seen your 20th bald eagle of the day, seeing one at 25 yardswith binoculars is an interesting experience.

 

 

But back to the OP’s topic. Ido not disagree that the Bushnell PermaFocus are good budget binocular for $50. You cannot go wrong with them at that price. But I think for $24 more, the manuallyfocused Wingspans are a better value and more versatile. Ionly disagree that the Bushnell PermaFocus “…are the best Binoculars for aAlaska Cruise.” I guarantee a $1000 pairof Swarovski binoculars are noticeably better. In other words, I do not want people to get the impression that BushnellPermaFocus have some kind of magic that makes them “the best”. “The best for $50”? For most people, sure. But not “the best”.

[new_cruiser]

I did a lot of review-reading on Amazon and initially ordered birding favorite Wingspan Optics Wingcatcher 8x42 weighing 1.5 lbs. for @ $130. When it arrived, I loved the clarity and functions, but, compared to my husband’s older, more-compact binoculars, I knew these were too heavy for me. I returned the Wingcatcher for the lighter Wingspan Spectator (8 x 32) at .94 lbs. who knew that 1/2 lb could make such a difference around my neck? These lighter ones are highly-rated, fog & waterproof, with a lifetime guarantee - and $35 cheaper. For me, the best reasonable binoculars are the ones light enough to effortlessly carry.

For me too, the right trade-off is a good quality 8 x 32. I tried out a couple of 8x40s along with the 8x32. That extra half pound makes a difference in how long I can hold them steady. I was able to use the 8x32 for as long as I wanted.

 

I chose Celestron Trailseeker - it has a very good field of view. (In the lower priced model, Celestron Nature DX, dropping from 42 to 32 gave up more.)

 

The Trailseeker 8x32 is $189 and came with a harness that made it easy to have them handy. Nature DX is a good choice if you want cheaper and are willing to get the 8x42. It's a bit over $100.

 

It never felt like I needed the larger lens for low light in Alaska. The 32 had a bright enough view.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Forums mobile app

[donaldsc]

The Busnell's ARE 10x50 or is it the auto focus you don't like!

Mine are arriving today and I will head down to the ocean and see how they work here at home.

Going to Cabela's next week and will look around. May want to get 8X42 for myself and the 10x50 for hubby!

 

Both. One other quick point. Don't ever buy binoculars for someone else. Everyone has to pick their own to make sure that they work for them.

 

DON

[Robinhill]

Will be in Alaska next month and I'm looking for recommendations on budget Friendly, small, lightweight binoculars.

 

I'm well aware that you get what you pay for with optics, but quite frankly I'm not looking to spend $$$ on something I'll maybe use for a week on the cruise and then never again.

Hoping to keep it under $50. Just a basic pair of Bushnell's? Seems like a lot of choices on Amazon. Any recommendations?

 

 

I think pretty much any 10X, waterproof, fog proof will suffice for your purposes. I have a Bushnell and a Zen Ray which both did a great job.

[Saman]

Hi i'm looking to buy some compact binoculars for our Norway cruise , can anyone give me any tips i have been looking on amazon but i am in Europe so availability could vary , would these be any good, i have been looking for some of the above and not found them. TIA

 

Bushnell Powerview-Roof 10x 42mm Prismáticos, Unisex, Negro, 10 x 42 mm

 

[wolfie11]

On 4/25/2018 at 2:23 PM, cheone said:

Let us know how you like the binoculars purchased on Walmart.com. The Bushnell Perma Focus 10X 50 are the best Binoculars for a Alaska Cruise.

 

As a wildlife biologist and naturalist, I totally disagree.  After trying numerous binoculars I generally stick with Nikon.  My latest binoculars are the Prostaff 8x42, which run a little over $100.  The 10x50 are ok on a big ship, but if you go out on a smaller boat, e.g. whale watch, they are too “bouncy.”  I generally own 3-4 binoculars at any given time and seldom leave home without one (there’s a set permanently under the seat of my car).  I don’t buy the pricey ones because I have....knocked them off the railing of a boat, dropped them off a cliff, left them in a rental car in Iceland, had them chewed by the dog, etc.

 

i would never buy the Perma Focus for birding, but I suppose they might be ok for hunting.

 

Many small animals in Denali (and some big ones) are within 65 feet of the bus...

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, Saman said:

Hi i'm looking to buy some compact binoculars for our Norway cruise , can anyone give me any tips i have been looking on amazon but i am in Europe so availability could vary , would these be any good, i have been looking for some of the above and not found them. TIA

 

Bushnell Powerview-Roof 10x 42mm Prismáticos, Unisex, Negro, 10 x 42 mm

 

For general use at sea, most of the ship supplied binoculars I used were 7x35 or 7x50. The first number is the magnification number and for use at sea, 7 is generally considered as being the best compromise between magnification and vibration.

 

However, on cruise ships, if binoculars are held carefully you can get acceptable results with 10x optics. Bushnell are a budget friendly binocular that provide reasonable results. However, in my experience, they are more susceptible to damaged optics from dropping or banging, than more expensive brands.

 

In 40 years at sea, with both European & N/American shipping lines, most of my ships were provided with Bushnell binoculars. 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Heidi13

[GolfMommy17]

On 4/13/2018 at 1:30 PM, Tyskie said:

Buying binoculars was so confusing-we bought this thru Amazon, I believe about $50.

 

They state they are waterproof, fog proof & can be used with glasses-we don’t go until June but DH has been using them in FL -so far so good.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

how did your binoculars work out?  i am looking for some for my cruise in 2019 summer.  thanks!

 

[masterdrago]

They are now $64.99 @AMZN. The reviews are very good. I just sent a question to our 3 astronomy list servers to see if anyone might have looked thru a pair. The specs make them look really good but I don't know how well they are corrected for sharp viewing. 10x might, in my opinion be too much power to easily hand hold on a small whale watch boat. I'm taking Nikon Action 7x35 w/10 degree field of view. Joy is taking a set of Steiner 10x42. Both are sharp but I think the wider field of the 7x is an advantage. If they can be held still (not likely on a moving boat) I'll take 10x any day, especially Joy's Steiners.

[GolfMommy17]

38 minutes ago, masterdrago said:

They are now $64.99 @AMZN. The reviews are very good. I just sent a question to our 3 astronomy list servers to see if anyone might have looked thru a pair. The specs make them look really good but I don't know how well they are corrected for sharp viewing. 10x might, in my opinion be too much power to easily hand hold on a small whale watch boat. I'm taking Nikon Action 7x35 w/10 degree field of view. Joy is taking a set of Steiner 10x42. Both are sharp but I think the wider field of the 7x is an advantage. If they can be held still (not likely on a moving boat) I'll take 10x any day, especially Joy's Steiners.

which  $64.99 binoculars are you referencing Masterdrago?  i think i personally am leaning to the Wingspan 8x32 b/c they are lighter than the Celestron 8x42 but welcome any thoughts.  thanks.

Edited March 11, 2019 by GolfMommy17

[masterdrago]

2 hours ago, GolfMommy17 said:

which  $64.99 binoculars are you referencing Masterdrago?  i think i personally am leaning to the Wingspan 8x32 b/c they are lighter than the Celestron 8x42 but welcome any thoughts.  thanks.

The 10x42 Celestron Outland mentioned by Tyskie from AMZN. Those Wingspan 8x32 look to have very good reviews and light gathering is really not so much the issue with what we will be looking at in Alaska.

[donaldsc]

On 1/13/2019 at 9:54 AM, Saman said:

Hi i'm looking to buy some compact binoculars for our Norway cruise , can anyone give me any tips i have been looking on amazon but i am in Europe so availability could vary , would these be any good, i have been looking for some of the above and not found them. TIA

 

Bushnell Powerview-Roof 10x 42mm Prismáticos, Unisex, Negro, 10 x 42 mm

 

 

How could binoculars not be unisex.  Does anyone know the difference between male and female binoculars?

 

BTW - when I bought my last set of about $400 binoculars, I made a mistake of trying out some really expensive ones - $1500 and up.  Major mistake as they were worth the money.  Never try optics that you can afford.

 

DON

Edited March 12, 2019 by donaldsc

[GolfMommy17]

8 hours ago, masterdrago said:

The 10x42 Celestron Outland mentioned by Tyskie from AMZN. Those Wingspan 8x32 look to have very good reviews and light gathering is really not so much the issue with what we will be looking at in Alaska.

thanks for clarifying.  i think i personally want to stay down from the 10x due to motion as i am sensitive to it.

[Saman]

On 1/13/2019 at 6:54 PM, Saman said:

 

I decided on these ones in the end , have used them a couple of times here when we go out walking and seem to be fine , i hope they are suitable for our cruise as have read mixed reports on the 10x or 8 x being better.

Bushnell 10X42 H2O Roof FULLSIZE 2012 Prismático, Unisex, Azul, Talla Única

Edited March 12, 2019 by Saman

[GolfMommy17]

5 minutes ago, Saman said:

I decided on these ones in the end , have used them a couple of times here when we go out walking and seem to be fine , i hope they are suitable for our cruise as have read mixed reports on the 10x or 8 x being better.

i hope you enjoy your cruise and your binoculars!  

[Magnetchief]

My wife will tell you that i'm cheap. I can't disagree so I'm always on the lookout for a bargain.

 

I picked up a very nice pair of Nikon Prostaf 5 binoculars. I know nothing about them except from research.

They are very well made. Best of all they were $32 inclusive of shipping from www.shopgoodwill.com

 

Presently there are 333 for sale there. But do your research first.

 

 

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Listings?st=binoculars&sg=&c=&s=&lp=0&hp=999999&sbn=False&spo=False&snpo=False&socs=False&sd=False&sca=False&caed=3/12/2019 12:00:00 AM&cadb=7&scs=False&sis=False&col=4&p=1&ps=40&desc=true&ss=0&UseBuyerPrefs=true

Edited March 12, 2019 by Magnetchief

[Tyskie]

On ‎3‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 6:08 PM, GolfMommy17 said:

how did your binoculars work out?  i am looking for some for my cruise in 2019 summer.  thanks!

 

 

 

They worked very well - DH used them the most and mostly on our DIY land.  I very often just used the zoom on the camera.  We did have another pair of binoculars with us (old) that were never used.  Truthfully, they were great to have but also, just taking in the scenery with the "naked eye" was just as great!  Enjoy your trip!

[donaldsc]

21 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

How could binoculars not be unisex.  Does anyone know the difference between male and female binoculars?

 

BTW - when I bought my last set of about $400 binoculars, I made a mistake of trying out some really expensive ones - $1500 and up.  Major mistake as they were worth the money.  Never try optics that you can afford.

 

DON

 

Meant to say "can't afford".

 

DON

[GolfMommy17]

8 hours ago, Tyskie said:

 

 

They worked very well - DH used them the most and mostly on our DIY land.  I very often just used the zoom on the camera.  We did have another pair of binoculars with us (old) that were never used.  Truthfully, they were great to have but also, just taking in the scenery with the "naked eye" was just as great!  Enjoy your trip!

Glad it was all great - thank you!

[masterdrago]

 

5 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Meant to say "can't afford".

 

DON

We have a similar saying in amateur astronomy: Don't look through more aperture than you can afford!

[Tourist1292]

After reading many reviews, I am going to get the one at Harbor Freight. Can't beat that price (particularly after 20% off coupon) with the quality reported on the reviews.