Binoculars with compass

I have a decent nitrogen sealed 7 by 50 marine binoculars but without the compass. Occasionally I convince myself I would find the compass useful, other times I think I'd probably never really use the compass option. I also have a decent hand held marine compass which I could use instead of a compass in the binoculars.

Do those who own binoculars with a compass actually use the compass option?

A way more useful thing to have is a pair of stabilized binoculars. We have both stabilized and unstabilized binoculars but find we never use the unstabilized ones.

I have a pair of stabilized with compass heading. Other than just playing I have never found the compass useful.

I have found the compass useful on occasion, but agree that stabilization is much more valuable, and will serve you every time you use the binocs.

rsn48 said:

Do those who own binoculars with a compass actually use the compass option?

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Yes, sometimes.

Others have mentioned stabilization; wifey's current binoc has that, with higher magnification. She finds that useful. In fact, I find it useful that she finds it useful.

Her older unit has a compass, and we could use compass headings to point out various things of interest to each other. Can't really do that as easily, now...

-Chris

We had a compass in an old pair and rarely used it.
We now use the "o'clock" system and find it easier and just as effective.
YMMV

rsn48 said:

Do those who own binoculars with a compass actually use the compass option?

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We have both: with compass & stabilized. Never use the compass feature but we fight one another for the stabilized binocs!

I have a pair of binoculars with a distance sight and compass. If you don't navigate with paper charts or use dead reckoning, then no, these features aren't useful. I look it at it like "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

IF electronics go down, I'm going to reach for any and all 'arrows in my quiver'.

Shrew said:

If you don't navigate with paper charts or use dead reckoning, then no, these features aren't useful.

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Or electronic raster charts?

-Chris

Bearing to crashing airplanes and distant flares are one good reason for the compass.

agree with Shrew in #8

I guess I am unusual in that I use my compass in my binoculars all the time for taking bearings on objects. You could do the same with any compass, it just would not be as convenient. Given the cost of good binoculars, I don't think I would buy a new pair just for this feature. If I was buying a pair anyway, it would certainly be on my want list.

Shrew said:

I have a pair of binoculars with a distance sight and compass. If you don't navigate with paper charts or use dead reckoning, then no, these features aren't useful. I look it at it like "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

IF electronics go down, I'm going to reach for any and all 'arrows in my quiver'.

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But surely those arrows would be along the lines of backup electronics.
Laptop with opencpn
Tablet with navionics
2nd tablet with navionics
Mobile phone to at least provide lat long if getting desperate

Never used stabilised bins so I guess I don't know what I am missing.
Still using my 30 year old tasco in focus 7x50s held together with gaffer tape.
Saying that, they desperately need replacing

Yes, we've had a pair of Fujinon Polaris with compass for the past 15 years or so that we love. I use the compass function all the time to take bearings, plus you can use it to "swing" your own main compasses since you can determine where things are that are affecting accuracy.

Have compass, never use. Has nightlight but will never use so batteries are removed.

Never had a pair with a compass so I would not miss the compass either. But we do love our stabilized pair. We have had them since 2003 so there may be better ones on the market now. We have a pair of 7X50s also. When we brought our boat home from Virginia the first couple of days we would take both pairs up to the flybridge. My wife said she didn’t want to use the stabilized pair because they were to much trouble, etc. After the second day she stopped bring the unstabilized pair up to the bridge, when I asked her why she said why would I use the regular pair when these work so much better. The stabilized binoculars became our most valuable navigation tool since our eyes are not what they used to be.

When two guys are glassing for fish / signs of life, especially if one guy is in the tower and the other not (but even when they are side by side), the compass feature is very useful for telling the other guy where to look when you see something of interest. There is also an elevation indicator that allows two dimensional direction. We use it alot. We also have two pairs of gyros (one Rusian and the other Fuji), and the sheer weight gets to be fatiguing, especially on calm days when the boat really isn't rocking anyway. So, often, two guys are looking in compass-equipped 7x50's until one finds something, directs the other two it, then one (sometimes both) take a peek through the 14x stabilized binos. But that is all for fishing, if not for fishing we wouldn't use much, at least not on the west coast where the details of bouys and channel markers are rarely important.

Simi 60 said:

Never used stabilised bins so I guess I don't know what I am missing.

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Wifey can make out nav aids with her 12x28 stabilized binoc (seems like) about 2x further away than I can with normal 7x50s. I can see 'em, but she can tell me the numbers on 'em...

If that would be a benefit for you.

-Chris

Greetings,
Mr. 42. HAH! She not only looks better, she's better looking!

I absolutely LOVE my Steiners, 7X50. Wanted the compass model but didn't feel like plunking down $600 for them so did some research and found the Cabella brand 7X50 with compass and bought a pair. I really like taking bearings and then sharing the info with the admiral. We can spot cans, lights, points of interest, etc. The Cabella binocs cost $350 and the optics are excellent, probably near as good as the Steiners. Two drawbacks though. They are quite heavy and both eyepieces can not be adjusted with a common adjuster. This is really not a problem for us since both the admiral and I have eyesight that is about the same. We pass the binocs back and forth and rarely need to make an adjustment.

pete

We have both. We never use the compass binocs. Stabilization is wonderful.

before i bought my 7/50 glasses, i talked to people with them, went to local stores and tried them, etc, etc...came to the conclusion the compass is`nt worth it! their compasses are`nt even close to acurate, just give a relative direction, plus when looking at something, the compass is in the way!! save your money!...clyde

I use my Fujinon 7x50 binocular compass every time we go out. I'm the navigator so it comes in handy to point something out to the captain. Yes, we have a large compass at the helm plus 2 Garmin chartplotters.

Like any tool.... not for everyone and possibly you either rarely use it or find uses for the compass all the time.


Have it...you might like it...if you don't wind up using it, it was a little extra money and I never thought mine was in the way...even when the compass broke after 25 years.

ranger42c said:

Wifey can make out nav aids with her 12x28 stabilized binoc (seems like) about 2x further away than I can with normal 7x50s. I can see 'em, but she can tell me the numbers on 'em...

If that would be a benefit for you.

-Chris

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Thanks for the reply.

At $800+ in oz its not high on the priority list.
As for spotting marks at a distance the plotter does a fantastic job at that.
I can even see the ones on the other side of the world

Yeah, with the plotter I can tell what a marker SHOULD be. With her binoc, she can tell what it IS.

-Chris

ranger42c said:

Yeah, with the plotter I can tell what a marker SHOULD be. With her binoc, she can tell what it IS.

-Chris

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Yep....I was taught by the best that this is the very basic premise of what navigation is all about.... you should always know your estimated position.(EP)...and VERIFY it every chance you get (fix)...

ranger42c said:

Yeah, with the plotter I can tell what a marker SHOULD be. With her binoc, she can tell what it IS.

-Chris

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We have no issue checking with 7x50.
Our slower approach speed of 8 knots probably gives us a lot more time than you and our markers over here are very rarely numbered so no real need to see much more than colour.

It's not really a big deal. We often travel at 7-8 kts, too. But my main point was that the higher power 14x stabilized binoc let's her resolve actual details -- usually numbers, sometimes letters -- at much longer distances than I can with the 7x50s.

I do almost always know where we are before that, though...

-Chris

ranger42c said:

But my main point was that the higher power 14x stabilized binoc let's her resolve actual details -- usually numbers, sometimes letters -- at much longer distances than I can with the 7x50s.

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I have what the doctor calls an "essential tremor." If I didn't have stabilized binocs I would miss all the sunbathing in San Diego Bay!