Binoculars for work

[z7]

I didn't know where to ask so I asked under general discussion

I need to purchase somewhere between 5 and 10 pairs of binoculars for work. they will see regular use and be carried 24 hours a day when out to sea which is about 6 months a year. they would have occasional saltwater/weather exposure but no dust/dirt to speak of. i am looking for 8x or 10x range.

i need them to be durable, we eat binoculars somehow. they need to be able to withstand being dropped a few times before the tubes become misaligned or the glass cracks or breaks loose (we have been using cheap ones)

i need them to have good optical clarity and light transmission. we use them at night to distinguish between little tiny lights at several miles distance.

i need them to cost $600 or less to be able to afford it the number I want.


i emailed vortex and they gave me a great quote on some options and I know they have a great warranty, but I do not think us abusing equipment would be a ethical reason to send something in for repair. has anyone used/abused the Viper HD 10x50 binoculars? how do they hold up?

i am going contact leopold and others, but do you all have any suggestions. they don't need to be tacticoool or fancy, i want function, nice glass and durable construction.


anyone with experience with lower cost, higher function binoculars please provide feedback or PM. if you have had a bad experience please do the same. i am trying to get my boss to OK spending a few thousand and what i don't need is to start breaking $500 binoculars vice $60, i can afford to replace the $60 at a rate of one or two per month, not so much $500.


thanks again,

 

[jaytex1969]

We used Steiner's in the Army and they were pretty tough.

Here's an option to consider at half your target price. I didn't shop around, just googled and grabbed first link I saw, so you might find better deal.

http://www.hayneedle.com/product/st...sku=BCO131-1&gclid=CIS_tY-GisECFSRp7AodQ2gA4w


Jay

 

[Kernel]

The classic naval binoculars were typically porro prism 7x50's with individual eye piece focus. The action of the waves makes high magnification images jumpy, and the big objective lenses pull in light for night viewing. Nikon makes a great version. Fuji and Pentax also offer marine binos. These are all binoculars specifically made for commercial marine use.

http://nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/binoculars/marine/ifwp_x50/index.htm

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

This really doesn't belong here, but I'll move it to Firearms Accessories and see if it's a fit there.

 

[redneck2]

I have some Leupold Mojave 3's in 10x50. Quality of the glass is outstanding. Leupold has a lifetime warranty for repair. I compared them against some mid priced Steiners and it wasn't even close. In all fairness, these are Leupol's best

As noted, I would try something in the 10x range before making a bulk purchase. I can't imagine trying to use that much magnification on a ship. They are difficult to hold steady on land if you're not supported

High quality 7x would be better than cheaper 10x IMO. For detail, I take optical quality over power. Higher power magnifies the flaws

HTH

 

[Nom de Forum]

I didn't know where to ask so I asked under general discussion

I need to purchase somewhere between 5 and 10 pairs of binoculars for work. they will see regular use and be carried 24 hours a day when out to sea which is about 6 months a year. they would have occasional saltwater/weather exposure but no dust/dirt to speak of. i am looking for 8x or 10x range.

i need them to be durable, we eat binoculars somehow. they need to be able to withstand being dropped a few times before the tubes become misaligned or the glass cracks or breaks loose (we have been using cheap ones)

i need them to have good optical clarity and light transmission. we use them at night to distinguish between little tiny lights at several miles distance.

i need them to cost $600 or less to be able to afford it the number I want.


i emailed vortex and they gave me a great quote on some options and I know they have a great warranty, but I do not think us abusing equipment would be a ethical reason to send something in for repair. has anyone used/abused the Viper HD 10x50 binoculars? how do they hold up?

i am going contact leopold and others, but do you all have any suggestions. they don't need to be tacticoool or fancy, i want function, nice glass and durable construction.


anyone with experience with lower cost, higher function binoculars please provide feedback or PM. if you have had a bad experience please do the same. i am trying to get my boss to OK spending a few thousand and what i don't need is to start breaking $500 binoculars vice $60, i can afford to replace the $60 at a rate of one or two per month, not so much $500.


thanks again,

Sounds like what ever you buy you will be eating binoculars. Time for you and your boss to face reality, binoculars are a consumable for you guys and you need to budget accordingly for replacements. You cannot buy a binocular that you will not be able to damage or destroy. Here are some suggestions.

Option 1. Since you are bouncing around on a boat get inexpensive image stabilized binoculars. The small 8x and 10x Cannons in this link,

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/binoculars/image_stabilizer

are a very good value for the price and most of the reviews on various sites rate them very high in performance and price. Some sites rate them as well as other brands costing twice and more their price. I bought the little 8x and it does work well. It is small enough and light weight enough that most people will not mind having them hang from a strap around their neck. I am going to guess most of your binocular breakage happens when people people drop them while setting them down and picking them up because they find them too uncomfortable to wear on a neck strap.

Option 2. Buy Redfield's Rebel, porro prism, waterproof 10x42s. I also have a pair of these and the performance is outstanding for binoculars costing much more. These are also rated very highly on most sites. Here is a link.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/redfield-rebel-10x42mm-binocular.html

 

[bikerdoc]

I have some Simmons that were inexpensive, rubberized 10 x 50 and 8 x 21. The grand kids mishandle them and they have held up.
Probably too low end to fit your needs but the do work well.

 

[z7]

thanks for all of the responses. i didn't really think about 10x being too powerful, we currently have very cheap 7x50's, the glass is mostly usable, but some show up misaligned so you have two images from the start.

i will do some more shopping and perhaps try buying a pair here and there to get a variety to see which ones we like best

 

[Nom de Forum]

thanks for all of the responses. i didn't really think about 10x being too powerful, we currently have very cheap 7x50's, the glass is mostly usable, but some show up misaligned so you have two images from the start.

i will do some more shopping and perhaps try buying a pair here and there to get a variety to see which ones we like best

Here's the thing, 10x is not necessarily too powerful for your needs. There is so much more to binocular performance than magnification and objective lens size. With the way even low cost binocular lens are made now with regard to lens and lens coatings makes them very good compared to the low cost binoculars of the past. How much light reaches your eye is not just a factor of magnification and objective lens size, what the exit diameter of the image is can vary greatly and affects how much light your pupil can see. The same is true with field of view as how the binocular is constructed, not just size, influences field of view. If you are concerned with field of view and low light gathering don't make your decision solely based on large objective lens in comparison to magnification. You really should check out the small Cannon image stabilized binoculars as you may find they are easier to distinguish those tiny lights in comparison to the 7x50s you are using now and they are well within your price range. Before you go shopping find an online tutorial on how to evaluate a binocular you are holding in you hand. You will find lemons that someone not knowing what to look for will not detect.

 

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

I bought a pair of Canon image stabilized 8x binoculars for the 2000 Olympics and they are the greatest optical device I've ever used. I would never buy a pair of binoculars without image stabilization. You can purchase greater magnification with IS and for a given level of magnification, the image is far better.
Other vendors make them (high-end german brands, Nikon) and I'm sure they are all excellent but I have no experience with any other models. At the time (2000) the technology was a bit leading edge but today many optical devices have it - though why it's not in ALL binoculars I don't know.
B

 

[X-Rap]

The problem you'll have is with the multiple handlers scratching the lenses, I doubt you will be able to stop that from happening so I wouldn't even think of buying Top Shelf European glass, buy something good and toss it when it becomes useless from abuse and neglect.
The Vortec is hard to beat and I seriously doubt that I will ever again buy Austrian. 15 yrs ago they had a big edge on making quality glass but not so today.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

stiener makes a dedicated marine binoc. It is supposidly coated to help with the glare off the water. Something other binocular manfactures dont figure in. Most normal binoculars are coated to bring in all the light they can.

 

[788Ham]

I work part time at Cabela's in Colorado. In the time I've worked there, since last mid June, I've personally sold 10 pair of Vortex Viper 10 X 50 binos, never had a pair returned. I've sold approx. 25 pairs of binos, one pair of Luepold, all others are Vortex, my personal opinion? Go with the Vortex brand, even guys that have had Leica bins have bought Vortex because of the warranty. YOMV I personally own a pair of the Vortex Viper 10 X 50's, can't go wrong !

 

[hso]

http://www.hayneedle.com/product/leupold10x50roguebinoculars.cfm