$100 small/"travel" binocular recommendations for eyeglass wearers? (1 Viewer)

sub-$150 small/"travel" binocular recommendations for eyeglass wearers?

Any recommendations for lightweight, general purpose (not birding-specific) "travel" binoculars that work for eyeglass wearers in the under $150 range?

I was thinking maybe Nikon Prostaff 8x25 ATB?

Hi,

the idea of getting a porro bin is good in that price range. I'd probably go for a normal porro instead of a reverse one and sth slightly larger like 8x30. A normal porro will give a nice 3d image and a slightly larger bin will be brighter in bad light, easier to hold still and have a wider field of view.

Kowa YF 8x30 or the very similar Leupold Yosemite 8x30 both fit the bill and are water- and fogproof too.

Joachim

The Nikon ProStaff 8x25 is a nice compact reverse Porro prism binocular. It has eye relief of 15.5 mm. You probably should try one if you can to see if you will get a full field of view while wearing your glasses.

Another one you could consider is the Vortex 8x28 Diamondback Roof Prism with a single hinge. It has long 19mm eye relief and a wide FOV. I suggest you read the user reports on it in the Eagle Optics website. The price is right for you and if all goes well it should be just what you are looking for if you are going to use it while wearing glasses. Eagle Optics has a generous 30 day return policy you can inquire about and Vortex has one of the best warranties in the industry.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vortex/vortex-diamondback-8x28-binocular

You might also want to look at the Vortex 8x26 Vanquish, a reverse Porro prism which costs less than $100.00 and is water proof.

Bob

ceasar said:

Another one you could consider is the Vortex 8x28 Diamondback Roof Prism with a single hinge. It has long 19mm eye relief and a wide FOV. I suggest you read the user reports on it in the Eagle Optics website. The price is right for you and if all goes well it should be just what you are looking for if you are going to use it while wearing glasses. Eagle Optics has a generous 30 day return policy you can inquire about and Vortex has one of the best warranties in the industry.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/vortex/vortex-diamondback-8x28-binocular

Click to expand...

I can endorse that recommendation. Despite having a problem with mine, it was far from a deal-breaker and I've found the Diamondback 8x28s a very good fit for my intended purpose. Note, though, that while fairly compact and light-weight, they are not truly "pocket" binoculars (unless you're wearing a big winter coat). That, I think, is both an advantage in performance (they're quite nice to look through) and a possible detriment if you're really after something smaller.

...Mike

P.S. My only real caveat on the Diamondback 8x28s would be for those who don't wear glasses (I do). The eye relief is so long that it may cause problems. Best to check for yourself in those circumstances.

Walter,

I have owned a Pentax AD9x28WP for many years. My son carried it around the Andes Mountains with him a few years back in his shirt pocket when he backpacked into Machu Picchu, Peru and around the Lake Titicaca area of Bolivia into Northern Chile. It even fell into the Lake and suffered no damage. My son saw an Andean Condor with it among many other interesting sights.

It costs $199.00 which is more than you want to pay and it has a narrow FOV and some glare problems when looking in the general location of a low rising or setting sun (most binoculars do) but it is very tough and reliable. It has 18mm eye relief and is very easy to use and is small enough to fit into the pockets of a heavy cotton flannel Filson Alaska Guide shirt, as I noted above.

Here is a link from Camera Land on it. This is the newest model, which I also have, and it is brighter than my old one and actually cost me $20.00 less than the old one did.

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/pentax.pl?page=pentax_62831

Bob

The "Nikon ProStaff 8x25" is a very good candidate. I'm quite happy with mine although I did replace them for heavy use outings with the Swarovski Pocket CL 8x25 at 4 times the price, and I got a deal. So I don't know if you can find a better bang for the buck without going to a bigger binocular. I have the Vortex Vanquish, and prefer the ProStaff. I use them with eye glasses, but I think if at all possible it's prudent to test them before buying.

Thanks to all for the replies - looks like there are a number of good options to consider.

The Bushnell/LL.Bean "Discovery" 8x25
is rather remarkable for $50, even having 15mm eye relief,
and very sharp view. I LOVE the slow focuser.

I had one main complaint: the thick fleshy silicone grips.
They make them big and heavier.
I had to laugh the other day, though: I saw some
where somebody tore off the silicone grips.
Results were not too bad....I am tempted to do
a little careful razor work.