Binoculars - with or without built-in compass

[Icarus]

You probably find most boat people are totally addicted to electronics and some of the bloggers therefore have "no use" for a compass.
Compass bearings are very helpful to verify the position when coastal navigating.
So yes a hand bearing compass is a good idea.

[tellesio]

I know this is an older post but may be useful for others using these Fujinon binoculars (I have the mariner 7x50 with compass). Wrap a cloth wrap with a sticky back around the lens body exterior. I used hockey stick tape and with my wife’s newer pair she cut down body tape (that our granddaughter colored pink).

These tapes help tremendously with grip on the binoculars and help extend the life of the binocular structure. You can find body tape that UV protected, or spray on UV protection after wrapping the binoculars with tape.

Originally Posted by StoneCrab

Which model of stabilization binoculars did you buy? These are more available now and at cheaper price points.

I'd say that eye relief is as important as stabilization and having a compass.
A large or long eye relief allows me to see the entire field of view with my glasses on. I have a Fujinon Polaris with compass. The light gathering is great, so I see a full bright view at dusk, which is when I find myself pulling them out most often. The only downside is that the rubber coating on these isn't UV proof. The casing is aging badly, but the metal, glass and gasketing are all holding up well.

Regular binoculars force me to take my glasses off to use them which means that I have to turn the diopter adjustments to bring the image into focus for my eyes, leaving them out of adjustment for anyone else. Long eye relief also means that I can find what I am trying to view quicker since I can see a wider view.

I use the compass for range line fixes when coastal cruising and like that I don't have to carry another object with me for navigating, but agree that a handheld compass is almost as good. I say almost since when reading through the binoc's you get a more accurate line due to magnification... assuming the compass is calibrated.