quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I used the 7x50 Steiner Marine on my boat in NJ for almost 20 years. They're all I can recommend.

quote:

Originally posted by BOATTRASH1:
^^^^What Trapper said above.
I am boat people and I’m telling you Fujinon. I have the same ones he has with the compass. They are good enough to spot longline sticks on a dark night as I found out headed to Nantucket from Atlantic City years ago.
The first year I went up there I didn’t have them. My owner had Steiners. I ordered my Fujinons. When they were delivered he asked what that was and I told him. He said his Steiners were the best. I told him to wait until late that night.
Then later that evening we went out on deck with the Steiners and the Fujinons. He would look out at the mooring field with each one several times, each time spending more time with the Fujinon. Finally he asked what they cost. I told him and he said to order a pair, no, order 2 pairs. We gave one of them to the dock master at Nantucket Boat Basin. He wouldn’t take tips but he accepted those for the office.

I was using mine just last night on a boat ride.
As I said before, we also have the stabilized Fujinons on the boat but I always use mine. Just don’t care for the stabilized.
I got mine in 1988.
The only issue I had with my Fujinons is I had to replace the lens covers a few years ago. And a guest dropped them on the deck once and pushed the compass into the body a little bit but it is still readable. I don’t let anyone use my binoculars anymore except the boss if he asks and my wife when she helps me take the boat across the Gulf at night.

Fujinon is the way to go!

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
The deeper the dive, the more complicated, marker spotting is critical as well.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
The deeper the dive, the more complicated, marker spotting is critical as well.

It can be as complicated as you want to make it, or it can be fairly easy. You can learn the why things work or just accept that they do work. I find myself in the why column way to often.

What you want is a pair of solidly constructed, waterproof, fog proof 7x50 binoculars with a strap. You want good glass and good light transmission. You want a built in compass if you plan on plotting bearings on charts.

Light transmission and gathering are actually separate, but related. Transmission refers to how much of the light that enters the objective end the binoculars actually reaches your eyes at the other end. It’s determined by fancy, well made glass and coatings. The size of the objective lense has nothing to do with it.

Light gathering is how much light can physically enter the objective end and is determined by the size of the objective lenses. The natural question is then why not 7x100? The short answer is: because the image that combination creates is beyond the human eye’s ability to see. The long answer is really sciencey and I really don’t remember because I read it a long time ago. Basically, the human pupil can only get so big and thus there’s a physical limit as to how much light it will let in. With optics, there’s a ratio between power and the objective lens that creates an image the human eye can take advantage of and beyond that provides no benefit.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I used the 7x50 Steiner Marine on my boat in NJ for almost 20 years. They're all I can recommend.

so you like 7x more than 10x?

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
An above poster gave some credit to IS binoc's. About 10 years ago I bought a set of 10x just to try them. I was amazed at how good they were. Then over about 5 or so years the covers just gave up working. No impact on the mechanics, they just looked awful. So maybe 3 years ago I bought a set of 15x IS. Gawd the difference was just outstanding.

I've found that they're battery hogs. They almost require Lithium AA batteries. I don't like changing batteries, especialy when I'm using them. With new batteries they're great.

So what it comes down to is if you want to use 7x binoc's, any brand will do. Once you get up to the 15's, regular one's don't let you see much. If you're old and wobble, regular binoc's just don't work well. With the IS, it becomes rock solid when you push the button. No, I don't know how it works, but it does.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Transmission refers to how much of the light that enters the objective end the binoculars actually reaches your eyes at the other end. … The size of the objective lense has nothing to do with it.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I vaguely recall the human eye limit gets worse as you get older.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I used the 7x50 Steiner Marine on my boat in NJ for almost 20 years. They're all I can recommend.

so you like 7x more than 10x?

_ _______________________________

"Nature scares me" a quote by my friend Bob after a rough day at sea.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
I think we got a winner....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...=ALAQLAKJ574UN&psc=1