Binocular advice or reviews.

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I'm in the market for a good binocular. Always had cheap'os. Price range is $150 Max. Searched on net for Nikon's and they have a ton of models and there are a ton of mfg's to where you just give up searching. What am I wanting in a binocular? I just want a good pair that doesn't fog up and view something about 1/4 mile away. No night visions. It's mostly cloudy here so light enhancement would be good. Thanks in advance.
 
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Joe, try the search function on this forum. There was a pretty thorough discussion on this topic a ways back.
 
I have owned at least 7 pair of Binoculars over the years including a pair of Zeiss. My all time favorite pair and best of the bunch (by FAR) is my Canon Image Stabilizer 10 x 30 IS. They blow the others away, and the gyroscope makes it possible to follow a Bee in flight with perfect clarity. I like them so much I have sold the Zeiss and have not touched the Minolta's, Pentax, Nikon, etc. in years. I bought them on line about 8 years ago and paid under $300 delivered. They are awesome!!

Chief38
 
A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Nikon Action 10x50's from binoculars.com for about $100 and I am very happy with them.
 
Best binoculars I ever had were old Bushnell Rangemasters. They're only a 7x35 but have a VERY wide field of view and outstanding clarity. I've spotted elk with them as far as 8 miles away. They haven't been made in years, but still turn up now and again on ebay. I had one pair that I used for 35 years, and I used them hard! Then I bought a second pair as backups. A friend of mine had a very expensive pair of Zeiss binocs and these were every bit as good as the expensive ones. You can usually get them for around $150 - $200 on ebay.
 
The ideal binocular is a 7X50. This is what the military uses.

Its a 7X binocular. They will always give you the magnification followed by the diameter of the lens, so a 7X50 is 7X with a 50mm lens.
This is very important, because when you divide 50 by the 7X, to get the exit pupil of the binoculars, you come up with 7.1mm as the answer. The exit pupil is essentially the diameter of the channel through which light, or the image you see through your binoculars, travels through.
The pupil of the human eyeball, when it dilates in darkness, can open up to about 7mm. Thus the 7X50 has an exit pupil that is equal to your pupil diameter in darkness. This greatly aids you when you use your binoculars at dawn or dusk, or in darkness.

But if you have, say 8X35, when you divide 35 by the 8, you immediately see the binocular has an exit pupil diameter of 4.375mm, which limits the amount of light getting through to your eye in the dawn or dusk. Quite a lot. This set of binoculars will be dark, and hard to see with, in the dawn or dusk light. I hope I have written this in a way that is easy to follow. I wouldn't shop for anything but a 7X50 as your 1 and only set of binoculars.
 
Your stated desire for quality and price limit are mutually exclusive. The last I looked at genuinely high-quality binoculars in hand-held magnification ranges, you're looking at +/- $2K for high quality European glass, all else are "also ran" inferior offerings. Depending on your requirements, you may find that some inexpensive optics will adequately serve your purposes, and I'm sure that many members will chime in with suggestions. I'll repeat what I've often said before, here and elsewhere: "Whomever said 'money can't buy happiness' never spent it on high-quality optics." The difference between expensive German or Austrian glass and the alternatives is orders of magnitude. Do yourself a favor --- sell a few guns, a child or two, some acres, etc., and get the best glass you can afford...
 
geoff40 said:
The ideal binocular is a 7X50. This is what the military uses.

Its a 7X binocular. They will always give you the magnification followed by the diameter of the lens, so a 7X50 is 7X with a 50mm lens.
This is very important, because when you divide 50 by the 7X, to get the exit pupil of the binoculars, you come up with 7.1mm as the answer. The exit pupil is essentially the diameter of the channel through which light, or the image you see through your binoculars, travels through.
The pupil of the human eyeball, when it dilates in darkness, can open up to about 7mm. Thus the 7X50 has an exit pupil that is equal to your pupil diameter in darkness. This greatly aids you when you use your binoculars at dawn or dusk, or in darkness.

Can you give me a few Mfg suggestions to help my decision? I'm not sure what all you just said but I'm convenced you know what you are talking about.
Click to expand...
 
Had many thru the years. First was 8x30 Japanese [1953] then a series of 7x35's then a Tasco 7-15x35 I think. Now a Leopold 10x50. The first was 35 bucks, the last was 300. Don't really know because these 80 YO eyes can't see as well as before. LOL. Buy what you can afford & hunt close.
 
I am fond of Celestron but use them mainly for astronomy. Telescope.com has a very good range of binoculars that cover everything from near-telescope to birder to general purpose at ALL price ranges.
 
I'm kinda fond of my 10x40 Nikon Monarchs. I don't know if they make the model any more. Very clear, good exit pupil, great edge sharpness. The downside is they don't focus much closer than 25 feet, which limit them for birding, but they are waterproof and armored, so they are great for hunting and other field work.
 
Just bought a pair of Leupold 10x23 compacts (reverse Porto prisms). They were $103.00. Really nice. 100% waterproof and armored.
 
Do an online search for Sightron Blue Sky 8x32 binoculars. They are getting a lot of discussion on birdwatching sites (www.birdforums binocular section).
I bought a pair for my wife and they are very good, sharp images, open bridge design, armored and waterproof for $170.
 
I've had a few pair over the years, and for me the best on the market (for the money) is Nikon. I currently have a Nikon Monarch 10X42. List about $285. When I started shooting Prairie dogs I got them. You can look through them all day without your eye's getting tired. You can spot little 12" dogs out past 600 yards with out difficulty.
 
For the money, the Nikon Action series binos are pretty decent. I have the 12x50 and they have proven clear and sharp for both terrestrial and wide field astronomical use. They are easily within your price range.

Also good are the Pentax PCF WPii series. They get great comments on the astronomy forums for inexpensive binos, with good objective light gathering and exit pupil. I have the 20x60 PCF WPii that are clear, precise and will easily resolve the rings of Saturn, the Galilean moons of Jupiter, and 22 caliber holes at 300 yards. But they require a tripod, because shake in a 20x binocular is difficult to control. A 10x or 12x pair would be good for most needs.

Neither of these two recommendations are light field carry binos. If you want comparable top quality there in a lightweight bino, you will stray out of your price range.
 
I buy sell and trade binoculars all the time and in my book the best VALUE for your money is the Nikon Monarch ATB 10x42....sometimes you can find them in the price range you are looking at.

Another fabulous value is the Pentax DCF WP 10x42 binoculars....incredible clarity and well worth the search.

If you are up to spending a bit more the Burris Signature Series of binoculars are fantastic in all regards.

Randy
 
I distinguish between inexpensive and cheapos. I have bought several pairs of 1960-1980s vintage Japanese made binoculars at thrift shops in recent years, optical quality fine, solid mechanically, usually pay $20 a pair, get a padded carrying case at the local camera store. I figure if one gets lost or damaged I'm only out $30-40 plus I have found when you have more than one you never lose one.
 
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