Binoculars

[SeaBird]

I use a pair of Bushnell 7 X 26 Custom Compacts that are ~20 yrs old. Not waterproof or armoured like todays models, but small and effective and they stow easily in my day bag or hang from my neck without much weight.

I think they run about $250 now and I paid $129 back then. I find the optics almost as good as the Euro models without the heavy cost.

I do though have my eyes on one of the stabilized models for even @ 7X things can get a bit shakey on the water.

John

 

[JV II]

I just bought the armored, water proof, floating Raiatea from West Marine. Love them. Won't worry about the crew dropping them on the deck or overboard. The Tahiti is on sale.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...INE)&storeId=10001&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1

 

[Asureyez]

I carry a 15X stablized Canon and they are fantastic. Also have two pair of Fujinon military spec 7X50's one with compass for night use these are unequaled.

 

[comsnark]

STOP TALKING ABOUT COOL BINOCULARS.

You will send me shopping with all this crazy talk. My CC bill was too high last month as it was! I don't need another item to buy for Spring Commissioning!

 

[Sundancer]

If they were stabilized, they were quite a bit more than a hundred bucks.

NorCal you're right. I think I confused a couple of them. They had a stabilized pair that we used while at the dock and another pair that were West Marine. I'm sure West Marine doesn't even make a stabilized binoc, so those must have been the $100 pair. The others with the image stabilization were amazing and definitely a great feature, but I'm sure those had another zero in the $100 price tag!

 

[xplorer]

We have three pair on the boat. West Marines 7x50, Tasco Offshore 7x50 w/compass and light and Cannon IS 7x30. We prefer the offshore and the image stabilized Cannon and use them most of the time. We picked up the Cannon at B&H Photo.com.

 

[wkearney99]

The less you spend on them, the longer they'll last. Spend more and they'll practically LEAP overboard.

 

[water rat]

check out www.binoculars.com they have good prices and pretty much any kind of binoc's you could want.

 

[Good Grief]

Last summer we tested a pair of Steiners (non image stabalized) and the Canon 10x30 IS. The Steiner optics are very good but... w/ very little motion they are almost unusable.:smt009 The image stabalization on the Canon was amazing.:thumbsup: It's not perfect but it works very well, the gyroscopic stabalization is the best but very pricey. While researching I found as much as a $400 difference in the cost of the Canon's so be sure to shop around.

Let us know what you do.:grin:

 

[xravenx]

Let us know what you do.:grin:

Finally got around to getting them.........went with Steiner Marine 7 x 50.

$285 from Amazon, free shipping........didn't want to spring for the stabilized ones, just wanted something better then what I had.

John