What do we think about binoculars? Anyone have any recommendations for durable compact binoculars around $100?
>>2783978>What do we think about binoculars?trinoculars are better
>>2783978Pentax Papillon 2. Poroprism construction gives a good quality image at a cheaper price point. My favorite feature is it has an incredibly close focus. Meaning you can use it as a sort of magnifying lens to look up close at bugs and flowers and things. Highly recommended if you want a good general purpose bino for $100
>>2783978Vortex diamondbacks
>>2784033Thanks for the rec they actually look promising but looking more for distance
>>2784060Looking at these right now
>>2784139Looking at them? *Ahem* I'm looking through them right now.
>>2784033I tested a pair of these. They have bad CA when focused close.
I've been looking at monoculars to take /out/. Haven't used binos in years but I always found them annoying and cumbersome.Having a monocular in my pack for birdwatching and whatnot seems like it would be better. Lighter and less faff.
What you need to know:Binos are listed as 8x32 where 8x represents the magnification and 32 is the size of the objective lens in mm.For optimum light transmission you want at least a 1:4 ratio between the magnification and the objective lens size to get a decent picture i.e 8X32 or 10X40. You want them to be sealed and nitrogen filled so they don't fog.12x magnification is the maximum you can use handheld, it is usually better to stick with 10x. Anything over 12X magnification will require stabilization, either built-in electronic or with a monopod/tripod.Nice to haves:Coatings on the lenses to reduce glare and improve light transmission.Tripod mount.The highest quality glass technology (usually some marketing scam in this).The largest objective lens for your given magnification, as it will increase your field of view.From my criteria, and yours (compact <=30mm lens, <$100) there really is only meets all these specs and that is the Vortex Bantam "youth" bino.
>>2784310But I would rather look on ebay for a used pair of Nikon Prostaff / Monarch binos in 8x32, or wait till there is a sale on Vortex binos and buy their cheapest 8x32 model.This is from my experience from Bird watching.
>>2783978binoculars are one of the things you get from aliexpress for cheap and actually get something unreasonably good value. i have some celestron outland x binos i got for maybe 45ish usd on sale 3 years ago and they are still going strong
>>278431015x and 18x can be handheld if you have something to rest against, like putting your backpack on the ground or on a rock and using it as a rest. They're usually much bigger and heavier too which helps keep them stable. I am a big advocate for 15x and 18x binos if you do any long range shooting and they're actually a great replacement for spotting scopes because of the much superior glass and your eyes being able to gleam a lot more information from stereoscopic visionreally as long as the exit pupil diameter is 3mm or bigger you're fine (focal length divided by focal ratio)
>>2784313>aliexpressWhat other cool /out/ stuff could you get on aliexpress?
>>2784426titanium cookware, comically cheap compasses, firestarting lenses, telescopesthere was a reoccurring thread on the topic, maybe its still up
>>2784310>For optimum light transmission you want at least a 1:4 ratio between the magnification and the objective lens size That depends. It's not just a ratio. The objective diameter divided by the magnification gives you the exit pupil, which isn't just a number. It's the physical diameter of the image coming out of the eyepiece. For the brightest image, you want it to be the same diameter as the pupil of your eye. If it's larger, your eye becomes the aperture stop of the optical system and you could have gotten the same brightness with smaller objectives or higher magnification. On the other hand, if the exit pupil is smaller than your eye pupil, the brightness of the image will be reduced. Rule of thumb,night/astronomy: 7 mmdawn/dusk: 5 mmfull daylight: 2-3 mm
>>2784310>The largest objective lens for your given magnification, as it will increase your field of view.Objective diameter has nothing to do with FOV. For wider FOV you need wide field eyepieces and big prisms. The market keeps moving toward smaller binos which means smaller FOV. A few decades ago, big heavy 7x35s with 10 degree FOVs were not uncommon.
>>2784402>15x and 18x can be handheld if you have something to rest against,Then it's not handheld, and why I suggested using a monopod or a tripod. >like putting your backpack on the ground or on a rock and using it as a rest.Are you going to move that rock around if you want to look upwards in a different area?>I am a big advocate for 15x and 18x binos.So? Do you think you can get quality pair of 15-18x binos in a compact size for $100?>>2784501You eyes can easily dilate to a pupil size of 4mm. I specifically suggested that exit pupil size as it give a good balance of lighting conditions in which the binos can be used in.>>2784502It can. See pic for the difference between the Nikon prostaff in 10X30 vs 10X42.
>>2784520An average young person's eyes can dilate to 7 mm. That's why the most common astronomy and nautical binos are 7x50. For me, anything less than 5 mm pupil noticably darkens the image at dawn and dusk when I do a lot of hunting and animal watching. That's part of why 7x35s and 10x50s are so popular.TFOV depends on focal length, field stop diameter, and eyepiece AFOV. Not objective diameter.
>>2784426the real problem with aliexpress is that its too cheap for you to trust it. logically you know that its made in mass on cheap machines to tolerance just barely good enough, and stored and shipped using cheapest chink service you can imaginereally its the difference between >the reassuringly expensive product>the worryingly cheap productif you can get over the mental barrier aliexpress is incredibly powerful
>>2784855Wow the chud opinion 15 years ago.I don't want an actual apology because I know that will never happen. But you could just say that some people said it was happening 30 years ago and maybe other people were wrong.
>>2784857what? i have no idea what you are talking about, and why would i apologise?
>>2783978Vortex Vanquish
Are these 10x50 from Harbor Freight for $17 any good, disregarding the weight? It's supposed to be a BARSKA CO10672 clone, which is like $35.
>>2785704at 17 dollars you might as well just fuck it and buy them to test for yourself. Worst case you can return them, best case you have a decent starter and/or beater pair
are rando no name 50s jap binoculars worth using? i have a pair from my gramps and theyre very clear but idk if theyll fog up or not
Does anyone have experiences on monoculars? I was planning on getting myself a Vortex Solo 8x36 RT Tactical for general outdoors use and to be used in reservist activities as a squad leader. (They don't issue us with too many binoculars, but having a monocular with MRAD reticle for estimating distances to possible enemy troops or whatever positions would be quite usefull.)>>2786461Sure, bring them out with you and experiment with them.
>>2786777The reticle looks like this. The quick ranging reticles are what interest me quite a lot.
>>2783978I've had those exact Nikons forever. I haven't found a better option for the same size and price. I actually recently compared them side by side with the Nocs ones that the outdoor stores are all pushing lately and it was no contest, the Nikons are way clearer.
Just get some cheap Nikon binoculars, they are nice quality. Prostaff are good but Aculon are fine.
>>2786777>>2786778Post your opinion about it if you get it.
>>2786777I just purchased the 10x version of that on sale for $60 but it won't be here for like a week. If this thread is still up and I remember I'll let you know how vortex monoculars are.
>>2783978A few years ago I bought two pairs of Leopold BX-1 Marksman 10×42 binoculars from Cabelas during a good Black Friday sale. They're a Cabelas exclusive, so I think that's the only place they're sold. Regular price is like $150. The Black Friday sale had them on sale for $100. I used a "gift card hack" by buying gift cards from a reseller to bring my cost down to about $75 each, so I bought two and gave one pair to a friend for Christmas.They're very clear and feel like they're built well. I've used them for a few seasons in all sorts of weather (I live in Wisconsin). Personally, I find any magnification under 10x to be barely useful - 10x is powerful enough to spot and ID things I can't see with the naked eye, while 8x and lower just let's me see things I've already spotted/ID'd more clearly. They're good binos, and on sale they're a good deal.Leopold also makes the non-exclusive BX-1 McKenzie HD. I assume the glass is slightly better than in the Marksman model. While Cabelas sells the McKenzie for like $200, Natchez currently has them on sale for $140 and Sportsman's Warehouse has them for $145. If you could find a Black Friday sale on a pair of the McKenzie model to bring the cost down even lower, that would be an awesome deal.
>>2786777>Does anyone have experiences on monoculars?difficult to hold while jacking off.
>>2784855>if you can get over the mental barrier aliexpress is incredibly powerfulI got over that barrier years ago because chink shit has really come a long way in recent years + amazon stuff is often the exact same chinkshit with a markup
>>2784310I love this site. Thanks anon
