Binoculars for Kids

[morrisos]

My 11 year-old needs some decent bins. She is a small eleven without glasses. I am considering Nikon Monarchs 8x, Nikon Action 7x, Leupold Katmai 6x. Any suggestions, testimonials or other advice?

Thanks,
Morrisos

[Otto McDiesel]

Leupold Yosemite 8x30. I "ga-ron-tee" that she will like them. They are small and light, have a small inter pupilary distance, sharp and bright, inexpensive, optically superior to the Monarchs or Actions, comfortable eyecups. Very little distortion at the edges, no halo, image is very pleasing. Very very nice binoculars.

Let me put it this way: i've been using a Swarovski EL 8x32 for more than a year now. When i opened the box and got the Yosemite 8x30 out on the porch, not only that I was not disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised.
I usually go: “what the hell…”

[APSmith]

Action 7x: Never really tried. Just quickly handling in a store, they felt big and bulky, especially for a kid.

Yosemite 8x30: I second Luca. I recently tested a pair and gave as a gift, over the Monarchs (price not an issue). Additional point: They are fairly light according to the specs. But, they feel much lighter than they are - very comfortable in the hands.

Yosemite 6x30: Tried these against the 8x - Unfortunately, there was something wrong with them - probably misaligned. I would definitely try a different specimen of these if looking for kids bino.

Monarch - good, but not as good as cheaper Yosemites

Katmai - I preferred the 8x over the Monarchs optically, except for the narrow FOV. They are very small - but ideal for a compact unit. I'm considering the 6x currently, which has a better FOV. If they're comparable to the 8x, but with the advantages of 6x, they could be the ULTIMATE kids bino (although the Yosemite is a better deal).


In that price range, the EO Ranger 6x has gotten good reviews.

[Nick-on]

My 11 year-old needs some decent bins. She is a small eleven without glasses. I am considering Nikon Monarchs 8x, Nikon Action 7x, Leupold Katmai 6x. Any suggestions, testimonials or other advice?

Thanks,
Morrisos

Hello,
Don't know anything about the Yosemites but my 11 year old has a pair of 8x36 Monarchs and thinks they are excellent! At 11yrs they are more interested in what they are looking at than whether there is chromatic aberration or various types of distortion. I'm sure she'll be pleased with any of the recommended bins..... IMHO of course.

Nick

[oleaf]

I got the 6x30 Yosemite for my daughter and I end up using them in tight woods as well.

light, bright, $79 at B&H... these are very nice and the 6x allows you to pick up birds quicker. And would be more stable for as very young person.

Cheers

[Tero]

Kids are usually OK with some reverse porros. I like the ProStaffs, 8x25 would be fine here. The eye cups are screw out kind and give you a big binocular feel. The 8x36 Monarchs may be a bit more resistant to damage, dropping etc. Roof prisms usually are. Other than dropping, the ProStaffs are pretty rugged.

Other reverse porros are OK too, see what your store has. Pentax 8.5x Papilio is pretty cute.

The Yosemites are apparently pretty good, but don't know how much abuse they will withstand.

[Otto McDiesel]

Kids are usually OK with some reverse porros.
Other reverse porros are OK too, see what your store has.

No, they are not. Nothing discourages kids from birding more than a lousy binocular. Most reverse porros are bad.

[Alexis Powell]

I hate to always be the one to bring this up (see older threads on the subject of binos for kids), but with kids, the most important thing to know up-front is their interpupillary distance because nearly all (non pocket-model) roof-prism, reverse-porro compact, and many porros have a minimum setting of 56 mm. Many kids have an IPD significantly below this until they are in their late teens, though there is much individual variation.

When a kid's IPD is under about 50 mm, there are few binos that work other than pocket (double-hinged) roof-prism models.

Since your daughter is 11, her IPD is probably above 50 mm but it could be below 56 mm. In that case, the only model mentioned above that would fit her is the Leupold Yosemite (either 6x30 or 8x30).

If her IPD is 56 mm or more, she could use almost any bino. The Yosemites would still be a great choice given their optical quality. Many kids (and adults too!), especially if they aren't obscessed with birds in particular, enjoy using binos to look at close-up objects (insects, rocks, moss) in which case the Pentax 6.5x21 Papilio would be my choice. It is a great bino. I disagree with Luca about reverse-porros, at least in part--I find most are optically excellent (in the $75+ range) but that their FOV is too narrow (frustrating for kids). The 6.5x Papilio has a wide true field.
--AP

[APSmith]

No, they are not. Nothing discourages kids from birding more than a lousy binocular. Most reverse porros are bad.

Again, I agree with Luca here. My nine year old twin daughters occasionally find my Travelite 9x25s lying around. Even with my assistance, they usually lose patience before they ever even get on anything. And even if they do, they can't hold it steady. Even with my quality 8x, they complain that "everything is bouncing around". They also have a tough time with focusing. At only nine years old, they probably will struggle with any pair. But steadiness, easy-view, and easy focusing are much more of an issue for the shorter attention spans of youth.

I'm consdering their growing interest in using binos as I ponder the Katmai 6x for a backup/ close quarters/ packable pair. The large DOF and FOV are big positives.

But, would a quality (if there is such a thing) perma-focus/IF (ie Minox 6.5) be a good candidate for kids? Is the close focus a problem?

[Tero]

I have a 12 year old that wears glasses. She has no problem using 8x32 and holding it steady. It is the Eagle Optics current model.