binoculars for aquarium (1 Viewer)

[brhau]

Hi all,

I recently got a pair of Bushnell Custom 7x26 from Ebay. I bought them in order to view some nano fish in one of my aquariums. (If I come too close to the aquarium, they think they're getting fed, so they don't show their normal behavior.). So my use case is indoors in low light, between 8 and 12 feet away. The optics and brightness of the Bushnell 7x26 are great. My problem is that they're out of alignment. I can send them to Siddarth for an overhaul, which would cost about $200.

Question: Is there any other pair of binoculars (available new) that you'd recommend for my use case at this price or under? Or do you think that repairing my current binoculars is the best value?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[exup]

Low light x10 AK prism bins with a 4.3ft / 1.3m focus :

Alpen Teton 10x42 Binoculars Review

A tough, lightweight Magnesium Chassis protects top-notch HD optics, including ED glass lenses and an Abbe-Koenig roof prism system...

www.bestbinocularsreviews.com

More costly, higher magnification, heavier ..... but an option, if it suits your use case.

 

[dries1]

Try a Kowa 6.5X32 BD II they sometimes come up for sale in the $300 range, it also has a close focus. Now it would also depend on what you purchased the Custom for.

 

[brhau]

Try a Kowa 6.5X32 BD II they sometimes come up for sale in the $300 range, it also has a close focus. Now it would also depend on what you purchased the Custom for.

Thanks! The seller refunded me on the Custom, so I have a pair of misaligned ones for "free." Slightly more than $200 cost to overhaul.

 

[dries1]

If they are in good shape/i.e. no fungus, rubber is intact, (they are built well) it would be worth it, cheaper than buying new.

 

[Sky2goflying]

I would try the Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars, they are really good specially in close focus.

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray 27075288911 | eBay

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray.

www.ebay.com

 

[dries1]

I would try the Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars, they are really good specially in close focus.

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray 27075288911 | eBay

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray.

www.ebay.com

I forgot about that one, a very good suggestion.

 

[brhau]

I would try the Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars, they are really good specially in close focus.

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray 27075288911 | eBay

Pentax Papilio II 6.5x21 Binoculars For Watching Close-Up and Far Away, Gray.

www.ebay.com

I read about the Pentax, and reviews suggested they may not be very bright. What do you think about use indoors? The aquarium is illuminated from above, but not strongly.

 

[Sky2goflying]

I read about the Pentax, and reviews suggested they may not be very bright. What do you think about use indoors? The aquarium is illuminated from above, but not strongly.

I have one and they are very bright for their size. They are also very light and you can use them to see insects and flowers.

 

[mwhogue]

Try a Kowa 6.5X32 BD II they sometimes come up for sale in the $300 range, it also has a close focus. Now it would also depend on what you purchased the Custom for.

Big +1 for the Kowa 6.5x32. Much wider FOV, more versatile for other uses, alpha level IQ at close range. Because your fish will not behave normally if you come too close, you wouldn't benefit from the even better CF of the Papillio. YMMV.

Mike

 

[Elkhornsun]

Hi all,

I recently got a pair of Bushnell Custom 7x26 from Ebay. I bought them in order to view some nano fish in one of my aquariums. (If I come too close to the aquarium, they think they're getting fed, so they don't show their normal behavior.). So my use case is indoors in low light, between 8 and 12 feet away. The optics and brightness of the Bushnell 7x26 are great. My problem is that they're out of alignment. I can send them to Siddarth for an overhaul, which would cost about $200.

Question: Is there any other pair of binoculars (available new) that you'd recommend for my use case at this price or under? Or do you think that repairing my current binoculars is the best value?

Thanks,
Ben

Check out the Pentax Papilio II binoculars that sell for$90 and have a close focus distance of 19 inches. Great for small subjects at short viewing distances.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1113227-REG/pentax_62001_6_5x21_papilio_ii_binocular.html/specs

 

[23icon]

I'll recommend the Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 or 8.5x21.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Hi all,

I recently got a pair of Bushnell Custom 7x26 from Ebay. I bought them in order to view some nano fish in one of my aquariums. (If I come too close to the aquarium, they think they're getting fed, so they don't show their normal behavior.). So my use case is indoors in low light, between 8 and 12 feet away. The optics and brightness of the Bushnell 7x26 are great. My problem is that they're out of alignment. I can send them to Siddarth for an overhaul, which would cost about $200.

Question: Is there any other pair of binoculars (available new) that you'd recommend for my use case at this price or under? Or do you think that repairing my current binoculars is the best value?

Thanks,
Ben

I'd say go for the most aperture you can afford since you're indoors.

Maybe the meade masterclass 10x56 though their close focus is 10ft and a little over your budget of $200.

Meade 10x56 MasterClass Pro ED Binocular

Nitrogen purged and waterproof to ensure they stay dry and dust-free for any outdoor viewing condition - Check them out at a Meade dealer near you!

www.meade.com

Or maybe one of the svbony sv202 ed. They go on 25-50% sale occasionally so you could probably pick those up under $200.

Or if you really want to stay in the low aperture domain maybe one of the maven's though their close focus is also 10ft and past your budget. I tried them and they were nice were for what they were though for the price I felt, unless your main goal is portability, I might have well gone for a 30-32mm.

C.2 - 7x28 / 10x28

Buy Maven Outdoor Equipment Company C.2 Binoculars. Our C Series Binoculars are dependable, solid, powerful and will deliver when you need it most.

mavenbuilt.com

Good luck on your search.

Edit: The Hawke 7x32 Marine have a close focus of 6.5ft. All the others above are closer to 10ft.

Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars 36500, Color: Blue, Prism System: Roof, $29.01 Off w/ Free S&H

Shop Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars | $29.01 Off Be The First To Review Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars + Free Shipping...

shop.opticsplanet.com

There's also something fitting about using marine binoculars for an aquarium. just make sure to deploy the flotation strap first.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Hi all,

I recently got a pair of Bushnell Custom 7x26 from Ebay. I bought them in order to view some nano fish in one of my aquariums. (If I come too close to the aquarium, they think they're getting fed, so they don't show their normal behavior.). So my use case is indoors in low light, between 8 and 12 feet away. The optics and brightness of the Bushnell 7x26 are great. My problem is that they're out of alignment. I can send them to Siddarth for an overhaul, which would cost about $200.

Question: Is there any other pair of binoculars (available new) that you'd recommend for my use case at this price or under? Or do you think that repairing my current binoculars is the best value?

Thanks,
Ben

I know what 'nano' means but what are 'nano fish', are they young or just a very small species, marine, freshwater?

 

[dries1]

What fish are nano fish?


NANO FISH are fish that grow less than two inches and are suitable for aquariums as small as 10 gallons. The amount of fish that an aquarium can safely support is relative to the level of filtration, maintenance, and feeding.

 

[brhau]

I'd say go for the most aperture you can afford since you're indoors.

Maybe the meade masterclass 10x56 though their close focus is 10ft and a little over your budget of $200.

Meade 10x56 MasterClass Pro ED Binocular

Nitrogen purged and waterproof to ensure they stay dry and dust-free for any outdoor viewing condition - Check them out at a Meade dealer near you!

www.meade.com

Or maybe one of the svbony sv202 ed. They go on 25-50% sale occasionally so you could probably pick those up under $200.

Or if you really want to stay in the low aperture domain maybe one of the maven's though their close focus is also 10ft and past your budget. I tried them and they were nice were for what they were though for the price I felt, unless your main goal is portability, I might have well gone for a 30-32mm.

C.2 - 7x28 / 10x28

Buy Maven Outdoor Equipment Company C.2 Binoculars. Our C Series Binoculars are dependable, solid, powerful and will deliver when you need it most.

mavenbuilt.com

Good luck on your search.

Edit: The Hawke 7x32 Marine have a close focus of 6.5ft. All the others above are closer to 10ft.

Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars 36500, Color: Blue, Prism System: Roof, $29.01 Off w/ Free S&H

Shop Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars | $29.01 Off Be The First To Review Hawke Sport Optics Endurance ED Marine 7x32mm Roof Prism Binoculars + Free Shipping...

shop.opticsplanet.com

There's also something fitting about using marine binoculars for an aquarium. just make sure to deploy the flotation strap first.

I like your reasoning. I'll take a look at the svbony, which sells for around $180. That said, the 26mm objective on my misaligned Bushnells seems plenty bright. 10 ft close focus is fine for the tanks I'm most interested in. To view the other tanks in my room, I'd need to stand pretty much against the opposite wall. Not the most convenient, but could work.

 

[brhau]

I know what 'nano' means but what are 'nano fish', are they young or just a very small species, marine, freshwater?

The ones I'm referring to are Dario tigris, which are freshwater fish. They max out at about 35mm in length for adults.

 

[Mark9473]

For short-range viewing, field overlap is a consideration. I would rank from best to worst:
monocular > Pentax Papilio > any other reverse porro > roof prism binoculars > porro prism binoculars.
The Pentax Papilio is really special since at close distance the objectives move closer together just like your eyes do.

 

[richard866945]

Hi all,

I recently got a pair of Bushnell Custom 7x26 from Ebay. I bought them in order to view some nano fish in one of my aquariums. (If I come too close to the aquarium, they think they're getting fed, so they don't show their normal behavior.). So my use case is indoors in low light, between 8 and 12 feet away. The optics and brightness of the Bushnell 7x26 are great. My problem is that they're out of alignment. I can send them to Siddarth for an overhaul, which would cost about $200.

Question: Is there any other pair of binoculars (available new) that you'd recommend for my use case at this price or under? Or do you think that repairing my current binoculars is the best value?

Thanks,
Ben

Is that really what it costs in the USA to get a binocular aligned? I wish my customers would pay £157.

 

[yarrellii]

Since the original poster wants to view fish at around 8 - 12 feet away (2,4 - 3,6 m) I actually think there is no need for extreme close up binoculars like the Papilio (which I own and like very much, such a fun device). In fact, given that there is an express desire to be a little further away while being able to observe detail, I think a 10x could be a good idea, since you are actually indoors and you won't have many problems with shake (you can sit down, even rest the binoculars on the top rail of a chair for example. As for brightness, most aquariums have lamps (artificial light), so I don't think you would have any problems with the optics feeling dim, because there will be plenty of light. So even a 10x32 could be a great idea: it is compact yet powerful, and there are some models with a very respectable field of view. Else, the tried and tested 8x32 format should serve you well.
The Svbony is a great choice, provided you have a good return option in case you get a faulty unit (buy from Amazon, not directly from China, for example).

I don't know about your preferences, but I find 10x56 too bulky and cumbersome, even 10x42 to some extent, I think a more compact device could be less tiring, so 32 mm offers a good compromise in my opinion.