Binoculars Selection

[triplecrownprincipal]

For our Alaskan Cruise, I am trying to determine whether to buy 8 X42 or 10 x 42 binoculars. I have read that one must have a steady hand for the 10x 42, but one can see more. I also have discovered that there are brands after brands of binoculars so it has becomce a quite confusing purchase. I would appreciate any suggestions.

[Sea Island Lady]

Have you tried asking this on the Alaska board?

 

I have a pair of 7 x 35, so I am not much help, although the binoculars work fine for me. :)

[triplecrownprincipal]

Thanks, I will

[aaklang]

We just bought the Nikon 8 x 40 Action EX for our cruise to Alaska. We haven't taken the trip yet, so I can't say how they'll be, but we took them to a basketball game and they were fantastic.

 

I know there have been previous posts on the Alaska board, so you can do a search (as someone else mentioned) and hopefully get a lot of good info.

[Bruin Steve]

Most amazing binoculars I've ever owned:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Perma-Focus-10x50-Binocular/dp/B00005AXIV

 

http://www.epinions.com/Bushnell_10_x_50_175010_Perma_Focus_Wide_Binocular__Binoculars_175010

 

...and not very expensive at all...

 

The bizarre thing about these is that they have no focus adjustment...By some mysterious principle, they always appear to be in focus...And I normally wear corrective lenses...yet, somehow I need only to hold these up to my eyes...

 

And it saves having to continually refocus as you move from view to view...

 

By the way, the first number in "7x35" or "8x42" or "10x50" is the magnification, the second is a measure of how much light is let in...

 

The more powerful ones also tend to be a little bigger...but, oh, so worth it...

 

I've got 10x50s and they are incredible...

[chasetf]

For our Alaskan Cruise, I am trying to determine whether to buy 8 X42 or 10 x 42 binoculars. I have read that one must have a steady hand for the 10x 42, but one can see more. I also have discovered that there are brands after brands of binoculars so it has become a quite confusing purchase. I would appreciate any suggestions.

It depends what you want to use them for. As an ex-deer hunter the 7X35 were what I used and were good for spotting animals 300-600 yards away. If you want to spot sheep way up on the ridge a mile away then you will need the higher 10 power.

 

Also remember, the higher the power the less "real estate" you will be seeing. So searching a hillside with the 10 power will see less of the hill and require longer to thoroughly search.

[Pontius Navigator]

I am not sure of the exact optics of mine (at home) but they are zoom from 10 to 50. I think they are 10-50 x 35. Shake was not a problem when using them on the ship. The biggest problem at max zoom is the light loss. In low light conditions you cannot get max zoom.

 

While a 35 will be smaller than a 42 which, in turn is smaller than a 50, the bigger the optic the better light transmission. Some optics also have better light transmission properties than others.

[bouhunter]

8X40 or 42 is a good overall choice. Many people will indeed have trouble with far off images shaking at 10 power. Personally I'd avoid the 10X. The larger number is the millimeter size of the objective lens. It's a primary factor in how much light is transmitted (affecting performance at dusk and dawn for example). But the magnification number is also a factor in light transmission. For example a 7X42 will transmit more light than an 8X42.

 

You're really best off going to a good local sporting goods store and actually using before you buy. If you find some you like you might want to look around on the internet and see if you can find a better price.

 

Optics are one product where you truly get what you pay for. Spend 50.00 and you'll likely be disappointed. If you can, plan on spending 2-300.00. Look at Nikon, better grade Bushnell, Pentax, Steiner, Burris. At Cabela's online, also consider Cabela's Alaskan Guide models, and Leupold Wind River. Look for FULLY MULTI-COATED lenses, and if possilbe Phase Coated Prisms. Both are factors in the quality of image and light transmission. For smaller ovarall size, look at roof prism ("straight tube") models. To get equal quality performance at a lower price but a larger size to tote around, look at porro prism (the traditional "offset" tubes).

 

A good pair of binoc's will last forever and are an investment you'll never regret. Good luck and have fun shopping!

 

I have Wind River 8X42's and Burris Landmark II 8X32's for hunting. For our cruises I take Steiner 8X24 compacts because they're so much smaller and easy to put in my carry-on shoulder bag. Keep your binoc's handy in your room and you'll use them off that balcony all the time!:)

[woody14h]

We had an 11 x 80 on our Alaskan trip. But you need to bring a tripod as well. Everyone on the ship wanted to have a look as we saw incredible wildlife close up. Larger binocs are heavy and difficult to steady w/o a tripod. Ours was worth it. BTW, we also took a standard 7 x 35 pair for some sightings. Either will serve a good purpose. Enjoy your trip.

[Lsimon]

Binoculars are a tough question as the options and price ranges are so wide. Some think more expensive binoculars (several hundred dollars) are a waste and some think the cheap ones (under $100) are terrible. If you could afford more expensive ones then go into a camera, sporting goods, or bird watching store that has a nice selection and check them out.

 

Unless your hands are very steady I'd stick with the 8x binoculars. Overall you'll be happier with them. If you can spend a little more and really want the higher power consider some image stabilizing binoculars. We bought some Canon 10X image stabilized binoculars (10x30) that are fantastic. The way they steady a view is amazing but they do run around $300. Google Canon 8x30 IS and you'll find lots of info on them.

 

By the way - Bruin Steve's info on the second number is half right. The second number is the size of the objective lens (the one furthest from your eyes). The larger (higher) this number is then theoretically the more light it lets in (brighter image) and the wider the field of view. But this is also very dependant on the quality of the optics in the binoculars. A pair of very high quality binoculars with a smaller objective number (like 8x20) could have a brighter image than a low quality higher second number (8x42) binoculars. And field of view can vary a little between brands and models.

 

Another consideration is size and weight. The best binoculars may be the ones that you use the most and have with you when you need them and for many people this might be a very small pair. A pair of fantastic quality and optic binoculars that are large and weigh a lot might look nice when you look through them but be a big pain to carry around or to hold for more than a few seconds.

 

For our Alaska trip for four of us we had a pair of older binoculars, a mid price pair of binoculars (Nikon 8x42) the Canon 10x30IS binoculars I mentioned above and a very small pair of 8x20 binoculars. The ones we used and liked the most were the image stabilized Canon binoculars and the smaller 8x20 binoculars. The small 8x20 were a very high quality - so the view was much brighter than the 8x42 binoculars (let lots of light through) although the field of vision was pretty narrow. But they were one of our favorites as they were very easy to carry and hold due to their small size and weight. They are Leica binoculars which are very expensive but I was lucky to find a fantastic price on a pair in an unusual color being closed out on eBay.

 

A great site for lots of info is binoculars.com - look at their FAQ on binoculars which has lots of good information. Selection is fantastic - but you can find better prices if you look a lot.

 

Hope this helps and doesn't just confuse things more.

[wvufan]

Binoculars certainly are a must-not jsut for wildlife, but at the glacier, etc.

 

Obviously, the "bigger" they are, the more they weigh, so there's a trade off. We opted for smaller ones, as we usually haved cameras with us too. We got a pair (on line from Modell's) of Cstar, 8 x 25, waterproof, nitrogen filled, BAK 4 prism which we just love. Use them at football games etc. They even float. We liked them so much that we got a second pair so we wouldn't have to share.

 

It WILL rain while you are on your cruise, so the waterproof feature may be important.

 

We are going back for our second Alaska cruise in September, and are so anxious-it was our favorite of all our cruises.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE:D :D Bob and Phyl

[jackdiamond]

As I am certain you are aware, binocs are provided on the M class ships in CC and above. They are probably not as powerful as those that have been suggested, but sometimes any port in a storm. Please forgive the methaphor.

[reklawr]

As I am certain you are aware, binocs are provided on the M class ships in CC and above. They are probably not as powerful as those that have been suggested, but sometimes any port in a storm. Please forgive the methaphor.

 

 

 

Great information here! thanks everyone!

I found the binoculars provided in the suites are very close to useless.

[triplecrownprincipal]

Thanks everyone for all of your advice. I have learned a bit from each of you and I have done some homework on the web. The Eagle Optics site is quite good; I called for some questions and they were most helpful. I also emailed Zen-Ray and they were most helpful also. I have narrowed my purchase down to the Nikon Monarch 8x42 and the Zen-Ray Summit 8x42. Here is and excerpt from Zen-Ray in regard to my question:

"8x42 SUMMIT is much better product than 8x42 VISTA. It uses 6 groups/8 Optic Elements on each barrel, vs 4 groups/6 elements for VISTA. This results in an almost distortion free wide field of view (388 ft @ 1000 yards vs 356ft @1000 yards for Vista). SUMMIT also uses Phase-coating on the prism to maintain the color spetrum fidelity." I still will probably go with the Monarch.

 

I hope my research helps someone and thanks for all of your input.

[Cracker Ken]

I like 10x50's.

 

Ken