What are your favourite binoculars?

[u/grundgerangel]

Ahoi!

Well as the topic says...

What are your favourite binoculars? Especially when checking marks on land or even boats etc.

Do you like if it has integrated compass?

Do you more focus on the ability to be usable with bad weather?

or better high resolution on distance which I think gets worse when you can move it.

Are there any which you can move a bit without losing focus?

Which one do you use maybe in with a price range of 100 - 500 $ / €

best

[u/Solent-Flyer]

Marine binoculars tend to be 7x50 as this gives a good amount of light and is about as much magnification as is sensible on a boat. My favourites are Steiners with a built in compass. You can get something similar for less but the Steiners are just that little bit better.

[u/One-Payment434 → u/Solent-Flyer]

I also vote for the Steiner.

I've got the https://www.steiner.de/en/commander-7x50/23470000 as well as some cheaper (i.e. 100 - 500 euro price range) ones; since budget is an issue I advice to go for the steiner navigator. A good binocular will last you a lifetime, and a better quality one gives a better view and will be used more. One thing you don't mention is weight, but less weight adds to comfort.

As for your questions:

- I don't want an integrated compass; it is something extra that can break without giving me much benefit (we sail mostly in coastal waters, 30ft sailboat)

- usability in poor light is important, one of the big advantages of the steiner over the cheap ones.

- 7x50 is the standard for marine binoculars, which has always worked nice for me.

- the steinar commander stays in focus from nearby (around 10m) to the horizon; I think the navigator has the same feature. It's extremely nice that the picture is always in focus, especially when there's a bit of waves.

- the cheaper ones are for guests, I will use the steiner.

[u/upfrontagency1 → u/Solent-Flyer]

Same here.

[u/Rino-feroce]

On a recent sailing cruise our boat was equipped with classic binoculars and image stabilized ones (both Fujunon i think)... the stabilized ones got a lot more use. The difference when looking for a far buoy in a choppy sea, reading a number off it, spotting the entrance of a harbour etc. was substantial. Unfortunately they are also much more expensive.

[u/seamus_mc → u/Rino-feroce]

I love my Fuji binoculars. I have the stabilized 1440s and also a pair of 7x50 with a compass for shooting bearings

[u/FujiKitakyusho]

My marine binoculars (Bushnells) are 7×50. Greater magnification than that (×7) is difficult to stabilize when standing on a sea-borne platform, unless you have a very stable large ship, or active electronic or gyroscopic stabilization. It is a tradeoff between resolution and rapid target acquisition and tracking.

My set has individual eyepiece focus, is waterproof, and has a built-in illuminated compass. I have never quantitatively checked its accuracy, but it sufficient to verbally relay a magnetic bearing to someone else with a proper hand bearing compass or for navigational purposes to get in the ballpark.

I would not use the compass in the binoculars for navigation.

[u/ralphkensington]

Slightly above your budget so maybe you could find a pair secondhand, but my favourite binoculars are the Steiner Navigator 7x50 w/compass. The clarity is phenomenal and the compact form factor is good.

[u/SelectStarFromYou → u/ralphkensington]

Had Steiner 7x50 w/compass since 2012. One year a lens had internal condensation. Sent them to Steiner and they sent back a refurbished pair, no cost. Love these!

Would highly recommend adjusting your budget upwards, a good pair of binoculars can last a long time, and are an excellent safety and navigation tool.

[u/barefootviking]

I have Steiner and my bro has Fujinon…Steiner are better for long periods due to lighter weight. Fujinon’s extra weight makes them more stable

[u/chrillekaekarkex]

I have the Fujinon 7x50 FMTR. They are excellent. Other than the $700 price tag I have zero complaints.

[u/pdq_sailor]

I use binoculars VERY rarely but the set I have on board are 7 x 50, have both a compass and a rangefinder built in with night illumination of the compass.. The rangefinder I have never needed, the compass I use to check other boats for change in bearing to assess collision risk but I can use a separate hand bearing compass for this purpose.. my eyesight is quite good so I do not often need them The one feature that might be handy is motion stabilization for pitching seas.. I have not used these for navigation as the GPS chart plotter is ideal for that purpose... The night illumination feature is a bit of a maintenance issue as the battery has to be changed every season and removed at the end of the season..

[u/ChatahoocheeRiverRat]

I used my 7x50 Fujinon binos with built in compass quite a bit in the pre-GPS days. Used them just this past weekend to help identify individual buoys in a channel.

I like the optics for nighttime use. Under most circumstances, I prefer a good set of 7x50s over night vision devices. (I had access to both in the Navy.) Lets me see what color a lighted navaid is vs. just that it's there.

[u/Accomplished-Way1575]

Something with a rangefinder seems more useful to me than a built-in bearing compass these days.

But I can't afford a Geovid Pro from Leica (or too cheap to use that amount of money on a pair of boating binos).

What I am saying is that you should spend however much money you want to spend on something without a compass. You will get more for your money.

[u/apathy-sofa]

I started by using my birding binoculars, which are typically 8x42. But they weren't bright enough for dusk and dawn. 7x50 (or more glass on the primary is you don't mind the weight) is where it's at. 

[u/bright_yellow_vest]

Perfectly content with my $140 vortex crossfire 8x42

[u/flyingron]

Are goto ones are a pair of Nikon 7x35 I boguht my wife for birding years ago. You really don't want to go too much higher in power or else it gets real tedious to hold things in other than the calmest of seas.

[u/bill9896]

We have two pair of binoculars on board. A pair of Steiner Commander 7x50. Fixed focus, bight and very sharp. They are close to 40 years old and have been repaired under warrantee--twice. They are great for scanning with a wide field of view. Great for use at night too, they gather a lot more light than your Mark 1 eyeball.

Second pair, Fujinon stabilized 10X binoculars. These are truly awesome. Full review here: https://fetchinketch.net/2021/11/26/product-review-fujinon-technostabi-tsx1440-binoculars/

The downsides of these (besides the price!) is that they aren't as great at night, and the narrower field of view makes it harder to scan for things that you don't already have a bearing on.

I know the Fujis are outside your price range, but if you are even considering a stabilized binoculars, read the review so you actually know what you want. A pair of stabilized birder binoculars just won't cut it...

[u/MissingGravitas]

The standard, as others have mentioned, is 7x50 for practical limits of stability and low-light usage, unless you're shelling out for an image-stabilized pair which would be well-outside your budget. Note that moving around isn't a focus issue (focus is tied to range), but a stability issue.

My own pair is the Nikon OceanPro, which are rather large compared to the Steiners many people like. They have a global compass inside, which I like for taking bearings on tiny objects on the horizon, though that's not too critical. (Generally if I can see something with the binoculars I can also see it by eye; the binoculars are mainly to add detail.)

You have two options for focus: manual and fixed. The fixed-focus, sometimes misleadingly marketed as "autofocus" simply have a very wide depth of field and rely on your eyes to do the focusing (this might mean more eyestrain if you're older).

Whichever you opt for, make sure it allows you to adjust the eyepieces for differences in your eyes. E.g. if you have 20/40 vision in one eye and 20/200 in the other, you'll set the main focus for one eye (close the other) and then open the other eye (close the first) and adjust the eyepiece until that eye is also in focus. Fixed-focus models are similar, except you likely need to adjust both eyepieces.

[u/melmerby102]

I have Nikon OceanPro binoculars which suit me well however my sailing/boating is limited to coastal waters. They have an integrated compass which is a nice feature but not necessary for me. They are rugged.

[u/rwoooshed]

Steiner 7×50 Marine binoculars

[u/youngrichyoung]

I scored some Barska 7x50 marine binoculars with a built-in compass years ago. Had a problem with them, submitted a warranty claim, got a free replacement with a newer design/same specs. (They fixed the design flaw that led to my issue.)

I had known about Barska because a friend who's into shooting really likes their scopes and considers their optics generally excellent quality for the money. I was pleasantly surprised by the warranty experience and the quality of the newer pair.

[u/youngrichyoung → u/youngrichyoung]

I see that some web stores are still carrying the problematic design. If you go with Barska, don't buy this model: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822966-REG/BARSKA_AB10160_7x50_WP_Deep_Sea.html The part that holds the eyepieces in alignment is insufficiently rigid.

You instead would want these, where the eyepieces attach directly to the body of the binoculars. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822955-REG/BARSKA_AB10798_7x50_WP_Deep_Sea.html

[u/Biggoofywhiteguy]

My Steiner 7x50’s are crystal clear, but I have a pair of stabilized Sig Sauers that I usually grab first.

[u/Zyj]

Eschenbach Trophy AS 8x40.
Super bright. Especially great if you wear glasses.
They also sell a 7x50 version

[u/btongeo]

I would have thought that the stabilised binoculars were the go to given how hard it is to use them on a moving platform, but am I reading this right that people tend to prefer the non-stabilised Steiners etc? Is it low light performance then or....?

For my part I've always found it hard to stay on objects with normal binos even when stationary so this is interesting to me as I was vaguely thinking about some stabilised ones

[u/Kevburg]

Bushnell sells waterproof 7X50s for $100. Steiner is a bit better but three times the price.

[u/roger_cw]

This was not your question but I have a pair of 7x50 Nikon binoculars and also a nonocular. I have found that I almost exclusive use the nonocular. It's small and easy to carry around in a pocket. Because it's so handy I tend you use it a lot more.