Binoculars? Which ones? Heeeellllpppp!

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I'll test the Steiners and the Fujinons side by side.

Then check the price side by side...

[NewMoon]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Those Fijinon milspec ones with a compass in them are $618 so 'mortgaging the house' is a bit bloody spot on... but as a livvaboard they get used every day and at sea every hour.
I do like it when there's multiple recommendations for the one brand and series
I will look at image stabilization too as have a mate with them and they are great but good waterproof ones will be quite expensive.

No experience with the Steiners or image stabilzed ones, but I think it would be hard to beat these for un-stabilized ones: Fujinon 7x50 FMTR-SX Polaris

Ours have 24 years and maybe 48,000 nm under their belt, and are just as fabulous as when they were new. Low light performance and image clarity are terrific.

[ImaginaryNumber]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Just a note with the compass equipped models. The regular one's won't work world wide which is something to consider if venturing far afield.The models that work world wide are a lot more $$$ then the regular versions.

Could you explain why the compass won't work world wide? Thanks

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by travellerw

I bought these ones.. They were affordable and work very well on the water. The lenses seem to be well filtered for ocean use.

Fujinon 7x50 WPC-XL Mariner Binocular with Compass 7107751 B&H

I have a pair of those which fell apart quite quickly. I was not pleased with them. I was expecting much better having had an ancient brick-like pair of Fuji binocs which were magnificent.

I'm in the market myself.

[ImaginaryNumber]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

The Binocular Buyer's "Tome" (the abridged version):

...There's more, but I'm sure you're sick of my babling by now.

Thanks for your post. I've now recovered. What other advice do you have?

[wrwakefield]

Mark,

The Steiner 7x50 with compass [and range/size reticule] matched our price point a few years ago, and we still love them. [One is the West Marine branded version, the other Steiner; they are identical.]

They are excellent in low light as well.

Have fun spending your bino bucks!

Cheers!

Bill

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

In my experience these:

...But most importantly they have an almost supernaturally deep field of focus. Basically once adjusted simply to your eye quirks, they never need to be refocussed! It is like looking with the eyes of an eagle, as your eye naturally refocusses near and far instantly just as is the case when looking with only the Mark I eyeball. All round fantastic...

Great point that I also usually emphasize.

Using the [infinite focus] Steiners at sea, you never have to wonder if you missed something because your depth of manual focus was not set properly... You will clearly see anything in view when scanning the horizon.

The trade-off for this infinite focus with our Steiner 7x50s is they won't focus closer than ~20 meters, so we use the designated 'guest' binoculars [with manual focus] when inspecting the rig from the deck.

Cheers!

Bill

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

Great point that I also usually emphasize.

Using the [infinite focus] Steiners at sea, you never have to wonder if you missed something because your depth of manual focus was not set properly... You will clearly see anything in view when scanning the horizon.

The trade-off for this infinite focus with our Steiner 7x50s is they won't focus closer than ~20 meters, so we use the designated 'guest' binoculars [with manual focus] when inspecting the rig from the deck.

Cheers!

Bill

Can anyone explain the differences between:

Steiner Commander
Steiner Commander XP
Steiner Commander C

Steiner Navigator

?

[Amapola]

We like our Fujinon 7x50's, been using them for years. We bought Fujinon expensive stabilized and sold them. Didn't use them or like them.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Can anyone explain the differences between:

Steiner Commander
Steiner Commander XP
Steiner Commander C

Steiner Navigator

?

Hi Dockhead,

Here is the link to the Steiner binocular comparison worksheet that I used a while back when faced with the same conundrum...

Cheers!

Bill

[wrwakefield]

Also, for any of you focusing in on Steiner binos, we did business with this company which sells discounted Steiner binos that are factory refurbushed, factory sealed, and open box [demo] units- all with factory warranties.

They were good to work with, and we wouldn't hesitate to do so again. [No incentives; we are just customers...]

FYI

Bill

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

Hi Dockhead,

Here is the link to the Steiner binocular comparison worksheet that I used a while back when faced with the same conundrum...

Cheers!

Bill

The XP is an obsolete model, so not shown there.

Does anyone know the differences between the XP and current model Commander?

The XP is a bargain, with the 7x30 with compass going for about $550 in Europe. Might be what I am (and maybe the OP) looking for. Less than half of the price of the new model. All I can find out from crawling the web is that the XP was a marinized and thus better version of the original Commander.


The 7x30 is much lighter and more compact than the 7x50. For really dark conditions, I have Soviet night vision glasses which work really well.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The XP is an obsolete model, so not shown there.

Does anyone know the differences between the XP and current model Commander?

The XP is a bargain, with the 7x30 with compass going for about $550 in Europe. Might be what I am (and maybe the OP) looking for. Less than half of the price of the new model. All I can find out from crawling the web is that the XP was a marinized and thus better version of the original Commander.


The 7x30 is much lighter and more compact than the 7x50. For really dark conditions, I have Soviet night vision glasses which work really well.

Dockhead,

This needs to be confirmed, but if I remember correctly when we were shopping binos. XP was the version without a compass.

RE: Weight of 7x50: We actually find them nicely balanced. Even the Admiral [who admits to having less upper body strength and stamina than I do...] has no issue using her pair for long periods of time.

EDIT: Correction: my memory about XP and no compass is incorrect.

I found this listing on the Steiner site:

The military-grade, porro prism Commander XP Series is the marine binocular choice for anyone who makes their living on the water – fishing guides, ship captains, tug boat operators, marine patrol and law enforcement. These binoculars are also for those who live aboard or spend weeks on the water - yacht owners, blue water sailors and racers - who need the best in marine optics. The Commander XP Series has every feature and all the performance serious watermen demand, backed by Steiner’s unrivaled reputation for total performance on land and sea.

Carries the illuminated, HD stabilized compass and ranging reticle for exceptional viewing and navigation performance in a more compact frame

Cheers!

Bill

[CarlF]

A strong vote for the Fujinon Techno-Stabi Jr. 12x32 stabilized binocular.

While I also have a Fujinon 7x50, I only use them at night. Even in low light weather, the Techno-Stabi is plenty bright and the stabilization is simply amazing on a small boat.

Great optics, rubber coated, waterproof, no-fog. I've compared the Canon and find the Fujinon stabilization technology to be much better on a boat. I've had them for four years and they've survived drops and rough use without problem.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujinon-12x32-...N%3DB0002GTTHC


Carl

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

Oh and one more thing, don't bother with night vision systems unless they are truly high end Gen II + or above. The Gen I sets commonly costing a few hundred dollars are little more than toys. Basically useless in a marine environment. If you have around 7 grand $$$ to spare your best bet would be a handheld FLIR thermal scope… but I don' t have one either!

I have a couple of old Soviet night vision glasses, a binocular and a monocular with split eyepieces. They must be approximately Gen 0, but they work great! They turn night into day.

They don't have any DSP, however, so you are blinded if there is any bright light. This means I have to turn off nav lights to see over the bow. Small price to pay.