Binoculars - with or without built-in compass

[FabioC]

Definitely a binocular with the compass.
Very useful for navigation, especially as others have said, to find a mark or a buoy from a distance: "it should be at xyz degrees..." you look in the binocular, and the mark is there! and viceversa, if you find a mark from afar, you can immediately (and correctly!) locate it on a chart, since you have the bearing.

[drester228]

Steiner 7x50 with compass Great bargain for the money...

[Paul Howard]

Nikon makes some waterproof and rubber jacketed marine binoculars.
I bought a pair about 2001 and used them extensively during 7years of full time cruising and some years of local cruising. They began to get some mildew inside the lenses and I called the local Nikon factory repair facility.
They told me to bring them in, they do not repair, but have a lifetime warranty.
I brought in the battered and well used nearly 15 year old binoculars and handed them to the person behind the service desk.
They went to the back storage room and brought out the next more expensive model, including compass and handed them to me. No charge!

[jlb]

I would never buy a pair, for marine use, without a compass. For all the reasons mentioned above. People understand “Whales at 327 degrees” unambiguously. 3 o’clock seems to cover about 120 degrees, often on opposite sides on the boat.

[StoneCrab]

Originally Posted by djousset

I don't know that I would make good use of a compass feature but I LOVE the image stabilization of my marine binoculars.

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.

[Mlp48]

Like all others have said, "if not lots more.. why not ?" I have used Steiner binocs with compass on delivery yachts and liked them alot. I generally don't like the idea of buying a camera that is really a phone but I'm this way as the "old-fool'. I once bought a pair of Fujinon 7x50s for a boat I was captaining because any others aboard were nothing but junk. Everyone wanted to use my gear ! They called out, "Hey, where are those GOOD glasses ?" I guarded them, hid them, because anyone who grabbed them would change the adjustments and also not want to wear the strap. Stabilization is very desirable, I've found, because my dear now-antique Fujinons were hard to use in a very lumpy sea. I'd really say in a very lumpy sea, anyone's binocs will be hard to use. I've seen some inexpensive West Marine models that were pretty darned good but then I've seen some in their line also, that were terrible. HAVE FUN

[motion]

I've had my Steiner Binoculars for over 20years. Great
Product. There service center is located in Greeley Colo. Have the compass on mine but would buy them again with or with out the compass.

[Thumbs Up]

I use a hand bearing compass but would much rather have a set of binos with compass especially at night. Whenever I see another vessel on the horizon I start taking bearings. If those bearings don't change, someone needs to change course. Whoever said no is an idiot.

[michaelratinter]

I like my West Marine binoculars with compass for coastal DR.

[contrail]

For all the reasons listed above, I can't imagine not getting a pair with a compass. It saves messing around with a separate hand bearing compass, and can be used for lots of other things. I have a pair of 35 year old Fujinons which were my bread and butter until a guest, predictably dropped them. They have never quite been the same, since. I have the Steiners, to replace the Fujinons and a pair of West Marine binocs for everyone else. I learned that lesson the hard way with the guest who dropped the Fujinons, and I now have a small cache of gear that NO ONE, under any circumstances, uses, except me. I have back-ups for other people. I would add that eye relief is very important, as someone said, and finally, it is my experience that some binoculars just work better than others, for some peoples' eyes. Doesn't have anything to do with price. Don't know why, but it is true, so I would never buy a pair without personally trying them. A good pair of 7X50's vastly improves your vision after dark, not too far short of an old Version 1 Night Scope, if there is any starlight or moonlight. So you will be using them a lot for maneuvering in the dark and it's a hassle to also be using the hand bearing compass. Finally, a good pair of binocs is going to set you back several hundred dollars, maybe quite a few hundred dollars! But they last almost forever. So, if you amortize the cost of the compass over the life of the binocs, it's a no brainer.

[michaelratinter]

+1 to Thumbs Up

[s/v Jedi]

The Steiner we had was very expensive and warranty service was refused in the USA because they were bought in Holland. The eye cups came off, protective caps broke and lots of corrosion around the battery compartment. Now we have Nikon for 1/3rd of the price and we like them much better. Time will tell how they hold up but for now I do recommend them.
https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-OceanPr...ag=googhydr-20

[Cruthin]

Originally Posted by NaClyDog

I've been looking at getting some actual "marine" binoculars and the most interesting model I've found comes with or without "built-in compass".


Is that a gimmicky thing or something that is truly useful to have for a bluewater / liveaboard cruiser?


Cheers.

I had a hand-held-compass, and then bought Binos that had a built-in compass. Guess which one got put in a cupboard? I used to ask my wife to triangulate our position visually, for practice, and as a backup to our chart-plotter. I wouldn't say that you NEED a compass in your Binos, but being able to ACCURATELY line up with a physical feature on land and get the compass heading at the same time, using the Binos, made physical plotting on the chart a lot easier

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

We use the compass all the time and yes it works on steel boats as well! The main use for the compass is to take a bearing on the ships you see at night and detect collision course or not that way. Or to find land features on the map. Or to know where to look for the buoy. You really need the compass.

The compass on my Steiner does not work on my steel boat.

[dannc]

Another "vote" for the Nikon marine binoculars with a compass.


Later,
Dan