No vision in one eye -- what optical solution is best?

[Msgt3227]

I became a member of this club about 2 years ago... I find binoculars work just dandy, and recently bought a new Nikon model that is serving me just fine. I have found that the adjustment was not that terribly difficult to get used to. Distance vision is not a problem, although depth perception is altered, no 3D vision don't you know. Biggest issue...? 3D movies are a waste of time!!!

[meirriba]

I am a member of this club since 1968.
On the boat we have a normal bino's (7 x 42) for the crew.
I have a personal Minox monocular 7 x 42. Has a compass and rangefinder. No one except me is allowed to touch it...
MINOX: Downloads MD 7x42 C

http://www.minox.com/fileadmin/downl...C_0113_en_.pdf

[Kentb]

Maybe it's from cheap Binos, but I usually only use one eye when using them. Seems like the image is sharper and easier to focus on. if i am trying to read numbers on a buoy or sail while the boats moving, for sure I will close my right eye. So a good spotting scope or monocular might make sense even for me with two (now four) eyes.

[barnakiel]

A friend of ours has one eye only. I never knew till he told me. He uses all regular stuff onboard.

b.

[Brob2]

Originally Posted by Msgt3227

Biggest issue...? 3D movies are a waste of time!!!

yup, Friday the 13th in 3d just wasn't scary.

Originally Posted by meirriba

I am a member of this club since 1968.
On the boat we have a normal bino's (7 x 42) for the crew.
I have a personal Minox monocular 7 x 42. Has a compass and rangefinder. No one except me is allowed to touch it...
MINOX: Downloads MD 7x42 C

http://www.minox.com/fileadmin/downl...C_0113_en_.pdf

That's less than a pound, and kind of sexy. Grow the beard, put on the eyepatch, and you'll be the man on the poopdeck. A Formosa ketch would complete the look.

Any of you fellow Cyclops types play racquet sports? I've played some decent tennis in my life but find that if my opponent mishits a ball I can't pick it up the change in speed and am always out in front of it, sometimes foolishly so. Anybody else have that struggle?

[artisanmach]

I am not blind... thou my wife says I am. I have a monocular and binoculars and find it much easier yo keep binoculars stable in use.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Dwejra Bay

Is there anyone here with experience in this? What is the best solution for a sailor with zero vision in one eye? Are binoculars workable at all? Is a spotting scope usable or a better solution?

Spotting scopes are normally too great a magnification. Under way, you only can manage about 7X---- I like 7X50 for the light gathering in low light. This means standard marine waterproof binoculars. Try them out in person & shop on line for the best price. Sometimes the brick & mortar outlets surprise you - even We$t Marine.

[unclemack]

I have a big old Kowa TSN-821 scope - just about usable with the 32X eyepiece if it's not too bouncy and the scope body is well supported.

All you need sometimes is a glimpse at that magnification to identify something.

32X has fabulous resolution, better than the 20-60X even at the 20X end.

Great for inspecting stuff at the masthead before climbing up too.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Brob2

yup, Friday the 13th in 3d just wasn't scary.



...........
Any of you fellow Cyclops types play racquet sports? I've played some decent tennis in my life but find that if my opponent mishits a ball I can't pick it up the change in speed and am always out in front of it, sometimes foolishly so. Anybody else have that struggle?

I have played table tennis as a youngster. Impossible with one eye.
All I can do is to serve... no way to answer the opponent.
As to the optical equipment - although I have and use the Minox described above, there is no problem using normal binocular equipment.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Kentb

Maybe it's from cheap Binos, but I usually only use one eye when using them. Seems like the image is sharper and easier to focus on. if i am trying to read numbers on a buoy or sail while the boats moving, for sure I will close my right eye. So a good spotting scope or monocular might make sense even for me with two (now four) eyes.

Yep, your problem is the cheap bino's. I'm guessing that they're the center focus type? What you want, is the ones with individually focusable eye cups (Diopter adjustments).
Then you can adjust each side of the binos to suit that particular eye.

And like I said before. When you close one eye, your getting a Lot less light, & hence sight picture, to your brain. Which is fairly critical. Even in the daytime.
As you're trying to discern things, through magnification, while moving around pretty erratically. So your brain can use all of the help which it can get in order to make sense of what you're "seeing".

--> Regarding only having vision in one eye. Another option is the KVH Datascope. It's a monocular, with magnifaction, plus a built in ranging scale & compass. And evidently, some even have built in rangefinders as well.
They're handy for one handed navigation, & or for keeping tabs on the competition when racing... if you're not using bino's that is.

[PDScott]

Have the same issue with sight. I have used this for years. One handed operation and you can hang them at the wheel. I do have a pair of high end binocs but use this more. Hope this helps. Peter

http://www.amazon.ca/Carson-Bandit-Q...F8&qid=1460222

[iyamwhatiyam]

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3708.html
Re: Wiley Post
I recall a quote of his to the effect that if they ever changed the height of telephone poles, he'd be in trouble.

In 1926, a serious accident jeopardized Post's dream to be an aviator. A stray chip hit him in his left eye. A massive infection developed and began to affect both eyes. Doctors feared Post would become blind, so they persuaded him to have his left eye removed, in hopes to save the other eye.

Having only one eye, Post had trouble with depth perception, but he trained himself to gauge distances through practice; he learned to land a plane by using the height of telephone poles and two-story buildings.

[barnakiel]

NOTHING beats quality in binnocs. We have 7x50 marine Nikons and I tested smaller Schneiders 600USD a pair: fabulous. You want huge glass for night use, true, when you mostly look for lights and shapes. BUT in daytime and when the boat is everywhere (at times it is, we sail a 26'er) less magnification with same quality glass can be the better choice (esp if you already have a quality 7x50 onboard).

As for not seeing the compass when one eyed: have a look at this. I might be getting one for our backpack trips too - way less bulk and possibly comparable utility.



BTW If you have one, PLS chime in let us know if this is worth the price.

Cheers,
b.

[unclemack]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

NOTHING beats quality in binnocs. We have 7x50 marine Nikons and I tested smaller Schneiders 600USD a pair: fabulous. You want huge glass for night use, true, when you mostly look for lights and shapes. BUT in daytime and when the boat is everywhere (at times it is, we sail a 26'er) less magnification with same quality glass can be the better choice (esp if you already have a quality 7x50 onboard).

As for not seeing the compass when one eyed: have a look at this. I might be getting one for our backpack trips too - way less bulk and possibly comparable utility.



BTW If you have one, PLS chime in let us know if this is worth the price.

Cheers,
b.

Anybody else seeing half a mile of IMG code in the email notification or am I being picked on?

[hellosailor]

Some folks have poor vision, which can be way ore complicated than "2o-whatever" on the Snell tests. And some simply have no "taste" when it comes to visual clarity.


But for others, for the majority, the difference between "Soviet Army Surplus" and exotic expensive Leica, Swarovski, and other top brands is rather obvious and dramatic.


Of course a $50 Barksa and a $2500 Leica each have their own attractions.(G) On the cheaper end of brands, the quality control is usually very loose, so one pair of $50 glasses and the next pair, from the next box in the same shipment, may be VERY different and in that end of the market, you really want to actually try them out before owning them.


If you can get a driver's license with just one eye...why should sailing be any harder? Just have to swivel your neck around a bit more than usual. Good quality binocs might seem like a 50% waste of money, but then again, if others will be aboard and sometimes using them, it might be worth having them anyway.