Binocular recommendation?

I often find myself wishing I had a small telescope or pair of binoculars in the PA with me, in order to scout out shoreline conditions without pedaling over, see who is catching what, etc. Nothing fancy, but hopefully lightweight and capable of taking the occasional fresh water splash without getting fogged-up inside. Any recommendations?

Don't waste money on junk. I use a pair of Leopold from Cabela's for everything outdoors. Once you have a good pair, you take 'em every where. A crummy pair will give you a headache with the parallax that they can produce. Don't get anything stronger than an 8X because you can't hold them still enough standing on dry land, let alone bobbing on the water. Get at least a 42mm lens to gather good light, have a BIG picture and less eye strain.
One thing about Leopold; they have a lifetime warranty. I had a 3 year old set that started leaking first week of duck season. I called them, mailed back and they sent me a new pair within 2 days. Then they fixed mine and sent them back too. Yes, they are that good.



Get a roof prism because they are compact and light. A porro prism is heavier but less expensive if you want to compromise weight for price.
You won't be sorry getting a good quality pair and be sure to read user reviews.

In general, skipro's comments are good. He's wrong about a large objective lens giving a "big picture" however. The objective (front) lens has nothing to do with field of view. That's controlled by the REAR lens (ocular), all else being equal. The larger the rear lens, the wider the view.

For all-around use, a magnification to objective diameter ratio of five is perfect. (The ratio gives you the exit pupil diameter - the size of the shaft of light coming out of the rear lens.) That's why the classic bino offerings have always been 7x35, 8x40 and 10x50. For daylight only use, you can go to a slightly smaller objective and still get an exit pupil size of 4 or even 3.5mm. A 8x30 bino is an example.

Everybody has different visual acuity. That's why you need to test-drive binos and not just order online. What looks good to me might look terrible to you. But you really do get what you pay for in optics.

_________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Pro Angler-14 owner

I stand corrected. The field of view is determined by the ocular design. Usually a larger magnification results in a smaller field of view.

A large field of view gives you better ability to spot a small object in a large area. Especially if that object is moving, like a duck flying.

I have found that for "on the water" a 10x50 has always proven very serviceable. If I can find them, I will usually purchase ex military (surplus) binos. The optics are great and the price is too!!

Regards....

Shimanoman - I am surprised that you are able to get a good stable image with a 10x objective. Can't say I have any experience one way or another, but from comments others have made, I assumed that the wave action would seriously compromise that. Are you fishing mostly flat water?

Jim,
I have never had any problems with image or stability. But, then again, I have also been able to observe people on the ground for lengthy periods through binoculars without getting sick. My fun loving pilot used to do "nose overs" in a futile effort to make me use "the bag". If, once your binos are adjusted, you only use one eyepiece, you may not get vertigo from the movement. (Some folks I know who get it use this trick.)
Regards......

4 years ago I bought a pair of waterproof Bushnell Binocs for 20 bucks at Gander Mountain. I think they were on sale, but even retail would have been cheap. I treat them badly. I usually just drop them in the bottom of the kayak sitting in salt water. They get splashed, left for weeks sitting wet in the hull and never get cleaned until I have to wipe off the crusty stuff to see out of them. They have remained watertight and never fog.

For a $5 per year investment, I couldn't be happier. Also, Karma has taught me that if I had bought expensive ones, they would be at the bottom of the ocean by now!

_________________

Hey Shimanoman, I also watched people on the ground with 10x50s. Except I WAS the pilot! Doing both flying and looking was gaurandamnteed to make you a bit queasy after a while - unless you flew into something first...

I have an old pair of Pentax minis that I'll probably use in my PA. They've long since passed their paid-off date. If I damage or lose those, I'll find some bargain glass. I believe in quality optics, but wouldn't risk a grand's worth of glass in a kayak...

_________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Pro Angler-14 owner