Binoculars

Loving my bushnell stabilized binos. Everyone loves to use them. They get so much more use than the regular type, because they allow you to see more than brief glimpses of your subject. Well worth the extra cost, and a lovely relatively inexpensive way of living the life of a millionaire.

Steve

I've got a lovely old pair, which came with the boat. No idea what magnification....but when I want to identify something, I get my Canon Eos out, it's always on the console with a 250mm lens. I take a quick look, and snap it if it looks interesting.

MV Content said:

I've got a lovely old pair, which came with the boat. No idea what magnification....but when I want to identify something, I get my Canon Eos out, it's always on the console with a 250mm lens. I take a quick look, and snap it if it looks interesting.

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Great idea. If that's not the best way now to get the details on buoys or "wild life" it likely will be in the future. Post-capture digital stabilization and enhancement is pretty amazing these days and is only getting better. You've just got to have the patience to wait a moment for the camera to do its stuff. Am going to try this.

Howesounder said:

Loving my bushnell stabilized binos. Everyone loves to use them. They get so much more use than the regular type, because they allow you to see more than brief glimpses of your subject. Well worth the extra cost, and a lovely relatively inexpensive way of living the life of a millionaire.

Steve

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I love my simple Bushnell 7× 35 Permafocus.
I'm amazed how well it works.
Also I find them good to use at night.

I'm reading all the above, I think I will look at getting a stabilized pair.

We bought a nice pair of Canon binoculars (forget the power level) for an Alaskan cruise on a big cruise ship. We loved them as they worked great. Let lots of light in and offered a pretty wide field of view. These were purchased before I bought our boat 6 months ago.

Fast forward to using them on our boat for the first time, and they sucked. The movement of our 44 foot boat made it nearly impossible to clearly see objects at a reasonable distance. Sure, at a quiet anchorage they would be fine. But when we were out in seas where the boat was moving around even a little bit, it was frustrating trying to use them.

At some point I'd invest in stabilized.

Okay, so the people who have used stabilized binoculars all seem to consider them to be worth the price. What about a built-in compass? Are those worth the extra that they cost? Are there even any stabilized binoculars that include a compass? Quick search on Amazon didn't turn up any.

denverd0n said:

Okay, so the people who have used stabilized binoculars all seem to consider them to be worth the price. What about a built-in compass? Are those worth the extra that they cost? Are there even any stabilized binoculars that include a compass? Quick search on Amazon didn't turn up any.

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I'd agree with this too! Stabilization is nice but compass would be an unbeatable combination. Last pair I had included the compass but no stabilization, so both would be much better!

psneeld said:

Check out Fujinon.....rated with the best, usually less expensive.

Bought mine when they first came out , half the price but jumped up when popularity and tests showed them as equals.

Even with all the binocs I used in the military and commercial marine work, the Fujinons hang with or better the best.

Only ones better but way more expensive were the Fujinon stabilized.

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We carry Fujinon stabilized. First stabilized that I ever used. They spoil you. I wouldn't want to be without them.

We have the Weems & Plath 7x50 Explorer binocs and really like them. Excellent in low light, and are not a big heavy binocular. They float, are waterproof, and have a compass and range finder. At $299 they are not necessarily cheap, but not too expensive, either.

Weems EXPLORER 7 x 50 Binocular w/ Compass

Moonfish said:

We have the Weems & Plath 7x50 Explorer binocs and really like them. Excellent in low light, and are not a big heavy binocular. They float, are waterproof, and have a compass and range finder. At $299 they are not necessarily cheap, but not too expensive, either.

Weems EXPLORER 7 x 50 Binocular w/ Compass

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While I do boat at night, more in the winter than summer, I don't recall using binoculars all that much at night. I recall using them at night in a sailboat trying to spot the channel markers going into Olympia one night, and Poulsbo last year, but that is about it. How often do you take advantage of the light gathering ability of the 7x50?

OTOH, I use the stabilization all the time.

Stabilized binocs are the cat's meow, and I''ll likely own a pair one day. In the interim my 7x50 Steiners are fine. I just ordered an inexpensive monocular 16x52 for the bridge when you really need to get in there to see what's happening.

I'm still using the Fuji 7X50 that my sons gifted me with in 1989. I've never seen a better low/no light set of binos. No compass, stabiization, etc. Does the job (for me) well.

dhays said:

While I do boat at night, more in the winter than summer, I don't recall using binoculars all that much at night. I recall using them at night in a sailboat trying to spot the channel markers going into Olympia one night, and Poulsbo last year, but that is about it. How often do you take advantage of the light gathering ability of the 7x50?

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I realize your question was for Moonfish, but...

FWIW, I use our 7x50s at night at least as much as I use them during daylight hours. A lot.

-Chris

sbu22 said:

I'm still using the Fuji 7X50 that my sons gifted me with in 1989. I've never seen a better low/no light set of binos. No compass, stabiization, etc. Does the job (for me) well.

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Great binocs, aren't they? I still have the Fuji 7x50 binoculars that I bought back in 1983. The rubber coating is a little dried and cracked, but they work perfectly.

ranger42c said:

I realize your question was for Moonfish, but...



FWIW, I use our 7x50s at night at least as much as I use them during daylight hours. A lot.



-Chris

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Thanks Chris. Given my use of our boat, we just don't do that much night traveling. Certainly far less than I did as a kid on sailboats with balky outboard engines, predictably poor wind, and large currents.

Still I need to replace/repair my binoculars. I love the stabilization but am feeling a bit poor at the moment.

firstbase said:

Wifey wants her own set of binoculars. Any particular favored rand and power suggested by you folks? I have a bigger pair, Steiner 7 X 50's I believe purchased for astronomy purposes but now reside on the boat as we needed something and I already had them. They are a little big/heavy for her but I like them ok. Not sure if narrow or wider field is preferred on a boat...???

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I have a pair of $80 Nikon's from Defenders. They are okay. The problem is weight. Holding them for any length of time hurts my wrists.

Then I was in a thrift store and found a pair of Bushnell sport view 7x35's. I appreciate the lightness. What is best however is the rocker gizmo between the lenses for adjustments. It is easy to focus.

My Nikon is only aboard until I can find a second small pair of binoculars. Then I'll find someone who wants them. They have not been out of the case for at least two or three years! Too heavy won't work for me anymore.

A friend had a pair of stabilized Steiner's. They were wonderful however unless you have the strength, need or desire for them I would opt for small and lightweight.

Good luck first base, and definitely have your wife select what suits her best.

janice142 said:

I have a pair of $80 Nikon's from Defenders. They are okay. The problem is weight. Holding them for any length of time hurts my wrists.

Then I was in a thrift store and found a pair of Bushnell sport view 7x35's. I appreciate the lightness. What is best however is the rocker gizmo between the lenses for adjustments. It is easy to focus.

My Nikon is only aboard until I can find a second small pair of binoculars. Then I'll find someone who wants them. They have not been out of the case for at least two or three years! Too heavy won't work for me anymore.

A friend had a pair of stabilized Steiner's. They were wonderful however unless you have the strength, need or desire for them I would opt for small and lightweight.

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Weight is a good issue to highlight. Wifey's smaller Steiners are mostly because she prefers to not have to deal with the weight of the 7x50s all the time.

Another good point you've brought up is about focusing. Good that you like it, but I have to admit, I'm not fond of a center focus wheel, and having to futz with something like that all the time. My lighter weight binoc for hunting is like that, and I find it a pain in the neck. Much prefer individual "always" focused approach.

Steiner makes stabilized binocs? Hadn't realized. Closest I've seen is where the compass is stabilized in some models...

-Chris

ranger42c said:

Weight is a good issue to highlight. Wifey's smaller Steiners are mostly because she prefers to not have to deal with the weight of the 7x50s all the time.

Another good point you've brought up is about focusing. Good that you like it, but I have to admit, I'm not fond of a center focus wheel, and having to futz with something like that all the time. My lighter weight binoc for hunting is like that, and I find it a pain in the neck. Much prefer individual "always" focused approach.

Steiner makes stabilized binocs? Hadn't realized. Closest I've seen is where the compass is stabilized in some models...

-Chris

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It has been so long Chris that I might be mistaken about my friend's brand of stabilized binocs.

The Bushnell's I use have a rocker gizmo, not a wheel for adjustment. The wheel on my Nikon's is a pain to focus. Part of that may be supporting while trying to get the focus correct. I would encourage you to look at Bushnell brand and see if the rocker is a better fit for you.

Mother had a wonderful pair that she let go when she sold the boat. Hers had red lens and i do not recall the brand. I did keep daddy's pair and kidlet now has them. They are long and heavy. WWII era...

It is a trade off. Great visuals often equals too heavy, at least for me.

Weight is a good issue to highlight.

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That's the reason I avoid my Fujinon stabilized in favor of the Zeiss..the Fujinon is large, heavy & bulky. The Zeiss quick & easy.

We have Nikon 7X50 as standard helm binocs. However, our Canon 10X stabilized are amazing and are preferred for reading a distant boat name or watching wildlife. Also, look at Eagle Optics for some excellent glass quality at reasonable prices.

I purchased Steiner's from Defender some 20+ years ago at a Newport Boat Show and at that time paid about $500 for them. Heck, as I type I don't recall if they are 7-30 or 7-50s other than they are green rubberized, heavy and have a floatations strap.

If I was purchasing another pair I would again want quality but next time I would not purchase anything that was not stabilized and a compass is a must.

twistedtree said:

So if you just want to spot boats and markers, 7x is fine. But if you want to identify them, or identify wildlife, 10x or even 14x is the ticket, but they MUST be stabilized to be usable. We each have Fujinon 14x 40 stabilized and don't use anything else. Expensive, but well worth it.

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An update on this thread.

I have a pair of Canon 10x30 stabilized binoculars that my parents bought years ago and I inherited. They have worked remarkably well for a couple of decades. However, they just recently have started to fail. The stabilization system sometimes doesn't work and when it does work the image becomes soft. This softness has been a complain of the Canon in some quarters but I have never seen it with my pair until the stabilization system started to fail.

I tried to find out if they could be repaired and serviced. As near as I could tell, the cost to do so would approach the cost of replacement. So I started to look for a replacement.

After doing a lot of looking, I decided to spend the big bucks and buy that Fujinon 14x40 stabilized. This was a lot more than I wanted to spend but I decided to do it anyway. They arrived this last week and I had the opportunity to use them this weekend.

Simply put, the stabilization is amazing. It makes identifying buoys, boat names etc so much easier. I am used to the Canon which is good. The Canon will eliminate hand shake very well. The Fujinon goes a step further and all but eliminates the motion of the boat as well. The Fujinon uses a gyro gimbal based stabilization system which is different than what Canon uses. The Fujinon 14x40 has a stabilization range of 5 degrees. The way I think of this is that I can move the binoculars 5 degrees and the system will hold it steady. In contrast, the Canon's range is .7 degrees. This is the difference between stabilizing vibration vs stabilizing movement.

At first, the stabilization gives a swimming type of motion to the object being viewed. I can imagine that those that are very sensitive to visual motion may experience some vertigo. That doesn't happen with the Canon. The 14x magnification of the Fuji is significantly greater than the Canon, with the accompanying reduction in field of view.

The Fujinon is much heavier and bulkier than the Canon. The Canon is very nice for quickly grabbing and looking and is better ergonomically. On the Canon, at least my old Canon, to activate the stabilization you press a button on the top of the binoculars. As long as the button is depressed, the stabilization is active. The Fujinon is a bit more involved. There are two buttons. You first have to hit power button to put the binoculars into a power-on stand-by mode. You then hit the power button again to activate the stabilization. If you hit the power button again, it goes back to stand-by mode. Pressing the power off button then turns them off altogether. I think I will get used to using them quickly, but it will take some getting used to.

My guess is that I will go through batteries much more rapidly than I ever have with the Canon. The Canon uses 2 AA batteries and I think I have only replaced them a couple times in the last 10 years. The Fujinon uses 4AA batteries and I think I better have spares available.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the Fujinon are waterproof as well. The Canon were/are not. They won't float however, so I really don't want to drop them overboard.

Our stabilized Fujinon use batteries about every two months when using them everyday.

fryedaze said:

Our stabilized Fujinon use batteries about every two months when using them everyday.

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Thanks, I'll pack some batteries.

We carry a pair of Swarovski 10 x 42 Binos. They are super sharp, and the 10 x helps to stretch way out. 10X are quite powerful for boating, but if you take a rest while viewing, everything will be fine...

Thought I'd bring this thread up again....

Question re stabilized binoculars:

I'm seeing the 8x25 and 8x30 Cannon in the $300 to $500 range NEW, and the 10x42 new in the $1000 plus range or occasionally $600 used.

Is the 10x42 worth more than double than the 8x30?

There's a FUJIFILM Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS 1440 for $700 locally. A lot of $ but worth it?

Use is just for seeing markers primarily.

Seevee said:

Thought I'd bring this thread up again....

Question re stabilized binoculars:

I'm seeing the 8x25 and 8x30 Cannon in the $300 to $500 range NEW, and the 10x42 new in the $1000 plus range or occasionally $600 used.

Is the 10x42 worth more than double than the 8x30?

There's a FUJIFILM Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS 1440 for $700 locally. A lot of $ but worth it?

Use is just for seeing markers primarily.

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If these are the only binocs at the helm, then I'd want the biggest exit diopter, which is the 10X42. However, if you have another pair with good low-light visibility, then I'd go with the 8X30. I have the Canon 8X30 and Nikon 8X50 nearby.

Defender has the Canon IS 8X25 on sale now.

Canon IS Image Stabilized Binocular - 8x25

Waterford said:

If these are the only binocs at the helm, then I'd want the biggest exit diopter, which is the 10X42. However, if you have another pair with good low-light visibility, then I'd go with the 8X30. I have the Canon 8X30 and Nikon 8X50 nearby.

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Waterford,

I've got a 10x50 Bushnell, which are fair to ok. They do help.

Now, here's the question:
Would you buy the Defender 8x25 for $350
or a used FUJIFILM Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS 1440 for $700

Seevee said:

Waterford,

I've got a 10x50 Bushnell, which are fair to ok. They do help.

Now, here's the question:
Would you buy the Defender 8x25 for $350
or a used FUJIFILM Fujinon Techno-Stabi TS 1440 for $700

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That's a GREAT deal on the Fujis if they are in perfect condition. I have these and they are amazing.