light weight pair of binoculars for older eyes? (1 Viewer)

[iseegeorgesstar]

Hello,

I'm looking for a light weight pair of binoculars for an older individual (late 60s) for handheld use with arthritic hands. I was thinking around 30mm objective so they're light and around 8x magnification so the view is stable. It's for general use such as seeing what's out there into the distance. Budget is around $200-300.

I'm currently looking at the Kowa 8x25 pocket binos ($275) which are 10.5oz and the oberwerk 8x32 sport hd ii ($220) which are 18oz -- and seem heavy by comparison, different tools I guess.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/547122-REG/Kowa_BD25_8GR_8x25_BD25_8_Roof_Prism.html/

https://oberwerk.com/product/oberwerk-8x32mm-sport-hd-ii/

Since these binos are for older eyes I was thinking brightness is an important factor so the 32mm seem like they might be the smarter choice. However lighter tends to be better especially with the arthritic hands. I've always been impressed with Kowa's quality of equipment so I'm leaning more towards the Kowas.

Do you think (the potentially) better coatings of the kowa could offset the extra 7mm objective difference of the 32mm? I don't because in the end physics is physics.

Are there any other lightweight budget binos I should be looking at? I was looking at the meosport 8x25 ($200) but those are heavy for a pocket bino at 14oz.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

After making my post I happened to see another post on here

My search for pocket binoculars; the case for the Maven 7x28.

Hi, new to the forum but I found a lot of help here when I started looking for some pocket binoculars so I thought I would post my journey; maybe someone else that is new can learn from it. My entry into modern birding optics started with a desire to bring some binoculars on my bike rides as...

www.birdforum.net

The maven 7x28 binos look very nice. Much better appreciation/conscious design of exit pupil. 12oz and $225.

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

 

[jring]

Hi,

unless you absolutely need the 7x magnification due to not being able to hold an 8x pair stable, I would not take the Maven. The 6.5 deg true field of view is super narrow and correspondingly a 46 deg apparent field of view will make things look like peeping through a straw.

Btw, will you be wearing glasses while using the bins, if yes, eye relief is an issue...

My recommendation for a light and nice 8x30 pair would be the Nikon M7 8x30... it will be around $400 new but it has nice tfov of 8.3 deg and 60 deg afov and is only 4 oz more than the maven 7x28. Eye relief is not great at 15mm - most users with glasses will not see the whole fov.

Another good option would be the Opticron Explorer 8x32 ED - a tad below $300 - tfov a bit narrower at 7.7 deg but eye relief is ok at 17mm.

Joachim

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Hello. Thank you very much for the reply.

I was wondering what the interplay of fov and objective size might be. As often times in my turic 10x42 they feel a little straw-like as you suggest. Though the view/transparency is first-rate besides the CA.

At any rate, I got hyped up on the combination of exit pupil and light weight size so they're already ordered... I could always try and cancel it but I'm not sure I will jump through those hoops just yet. The item is a gift for someone. It's their first pair and they don't normally wear glasses except for non-casual reading sessions.

If the eye relief ends up being insufficient I may return them as you suggest. Thank you for putting the nikon m7 on my radar. I see it available on bhphoto but not at a japanese retailer store (only the monarch m5). I'm only use to thinking of nikon for their $1000+ pair of binos so it's good to hear about a different pair that seem to have such a nice fov.

 

[w.travis]

I think you would do well with Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32. They are light, small, easy to handle and have an optical view comparable to many $300+ binos. I have them and so do others I know. Wide field of view and only 19oz.

Only around $120 currently

Sightron SII Blue Sky 8x32

8x32 SII Blue Sky Series Water Proof Roof Prism Binocular with 8.0 Degree Angle of View, Black

www.adorama.com

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Thank you for the recommendation. They look well reviewed and if they get dropped it won't hurt the penny purse.

Maybe I'll keep the Maven's for myself and get the Sightron SII for the intended person. We'll see. :^)

Jokes aside, I completely forgot about eye relief being a factor for usability. I'm use to using orthos EPs that have 6mm ER but I doubt the person will be as accommodating to the device as I can be since they complain about their sight going with age.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Out of curiousity. Here's an updated spec list of the binoculars under consideration:

kowa bd 8x25	$260	10.5oz	15mm ER	6.3degrees (actual)
oberwerk hd ii 8x32	$220	18oz	15.3mm ER (usuabe)	7.8degrees
maven c2 7x28	$225	12.4oz	16mm ER	6.5degrees
nikon m7 8x30	$427	16.1oz	15.1mm ER	8.5degrees (actual)
opticron explorer 8x32	$330	15.5oz	18mm ER	7.8degrees
sightron sii 8x32	$130	19.8oz	17.5mm ER	?

From what I read on here, if one is considering the nikon m7 then one should also look at the maven b.3 8x30 ($525) but those are way past the budget as a gift item.

Based on the above table, the opticrons have really nice eye relief going for them as well as weight.

 

[Ted Y.]

How is the warranty for opticron model? Does Opticron have shops in USA (for repairs or adjustments)?

 

[winginit]

Out of curiousity. Here's an updated spec list of the binoculars under consideration:

kowa bd 8x25	$260	10.5oz	15mm ER	6.3degrees (actual)
oberwerk hd ii 8x32	$220	18oz	15.3mm ER (usuabe)	7.8degrees
maven c2 7x28	$225	12.4oz	16mm ER	6.5degrees
nikon m7 8x30	$427	16.1oz	15.1mm ER	8.5degrees (actual)
opticron explorer 8x32	$330	15.5oz	18mm ER	7.8degrees
sightron sii 8x32	$130	19.8oz	17.5mm ER	?

From what I read on here, if one is considering the nikon m7 then one should also look at the maven b.3 8x30 ($525) but those are way past the budget as a gift item.

Based on the above table, the opticrons have really nice eye relief going for them as well as weight.

How is the warranty for opticron model? Does Opticron have shops in USA (for repairs or adjustments)?

I have the Opticron Explorer 8x32. It has a 5 year warranty in North America. I think there's only one repair facility, in North Carolina. The binoculars are sharp with good color and no CA, but I've experienced occasional glare and ghosting in the late afternoon.

 

[normjackson]

At any rate, I got hyped up on the combination of exit pupil and light weight size so they're already ordered...

Blimey, that was quick. What about allowing time for some leisurely toing and froing? Since it is for an arthritic person, I thought there might be more detailed discussion about the focus wheel : its position and perhaps choice of finger(s) to use on it, how smooth and easy it is to turn, how many turns required...

Also the main grip. The Sightron model suggested has that "open hinge" : would that be a help or a hindrance? I imagine a bulky binocular might be better to hold requiring less closing of fingers? Optically the Pentax/Ricoh Papilio may not be a good fit (FOV, eye relief, EP size etc etc) but maybe its "bulk" combined with light weight, position and smoothness of focuser might be something to aim for? If you've considered the Sightron, presumably pocketability isn't really an issue?

Hopefully the Maven works out. I guess without anything to compare to, the narrow AFOV might not be recognised as something of a shortcoming by the recipient.

 

[winginit]

Blimey, that was quick. What about allowing time for some leisurely toing and froing? Since it is for an arthritic person, I thought there might be more detailed discussion about the focus wheel : its position and perhaps choice of finger(s) to use on it, how smooth and easy it is to turn, how many turns required...

Also the main grip. The Sightron model suggested has that "open hinge" : would that be a help or a hindrance? I imagine a bulky binocular might be better to hold requiring less closing of fingers? Optically the Pentax/Ricoh Papilio may not be a good fit (FOV, eye relief, EP size etc etc) but maybe its "bulk" combined with light weight, position and smoothness of focuser might be something to aim for? If you've considered the Sightron, presumably pocketability isn't really an issue?

Hopefully the Maven works out. I guess without anything to compare to, the narrow AFOV might not be recognised as something of a shortcoming by the recipient.

Some great points. I have the Fuji KF 10x32, same design as the Sightron. Easy to get a good grip, and I can hold and focus with one hand.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

I have the Opticron Explorer 8x32. It has a 5 year warranty in North America. I think there's only one repair facility, in North Carolina. The binoculars are sharp with good color and no CA, but I've experienced occasional glare and ghosting in the late afternoon.

Thanks for the user report.

Blimey, that was quick. What about allowing time for some leisurely toing and froing? Since it is for an arthritic person, I thought there might be more detailed discussion about the focus wheel : its position and perhaps choice of finger(s) to use on it, how smooth and easy it is to turn, how many turns required...

Also the main grip. The Sightron model suggested has that "open hinge" : would that be a help or a hindrance? I imagine a bulky binocular might be better to hold requiring less closing of fingers? Optically the Pentax/Ricoh Papilio may not be a good fit (FOV, eye relief, EP size etc etc) but maybe its "bulk" combined with light weight, position and smoothness of focuser might be something to aim for? If you've considered the Sightron, presumably pocketability isn't really an issue?

Hopefully the Maven works out. I guess without anything to compare to, the narrow AFOV might not be recognised as something of a shortcoming by the recipient.

Yeah that was the intended idea... then I somehow got caught in the rabbit hole of an impulse buy -- which I know better than to do but here we are. Shipping was expensive around $15 and taxes for my state a similar amount so it ended up costing $260 total.

I guess the Maven's caught my eye because they're so light yet close to a 30mm objective. You make a great point about focus wheel usability but as I figured they would only use it for short sessions, I didn't factor that in either.

The bulk as a holding aid is interesting but to me, I would think adds to the ache of arthritic hands as one can't put their hands at rest but has to extend them. But I don't know.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Forgot to mention that the two maven binoculars look different on the inside besides just price.

c.2 7x28 - $225 - lens obj. 3groups 2elements (ed) - transmission 90% - lens EP 2groups 3elements - weight 12.4oz - ER 16mm
b.3 8x30 - $525 - lens obj. 3groups 4elements (ed) - transmission 95.2% - lens EP 4groups 5elements - weight 16.25oz - ER 15.1mm

The pocket one's have simpler EPs but also less ED glass it seems in the objective.

 

[Binastro]

There cannot be 3 groups with only two elements.

Unless it means 2 ED glass elements and another glass element.

B.

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

I was just quoting their comparison chart:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0494/7185/files/Binocular_Specifications.pdf?v=1671493361

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

Found this review

Maven 7x28 review

my travel pocket binoculars were stolen and very Very few manufacturers make 7x binoculars anymore so I thought I try the maven 7x28. So far I’m impressed -These have a feel of really well built binoculars and I owned a lot of binoculars over the years. these are very comfortable to look...

www.birdforum.net

Focus wheel seems to be problem free for that sample.

 

[edwincjones]

Just a general response

I would suggest 30-32mms
less maybe harder to use, more gets heavy
8x unless you have trouble holding steady

but above all go to a dealer who has a good supply and try for yourself
what works for me, or any BF member, may not work or bond with you.

edj

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

The maven's arrived this evening. Just wanted to give a small first impression. The quality seems nice. They come with a very nice soft drawstring back. No objective covers on the binos unless they're somewhere inside the box I didn't see.

One of the eyecups wasn't screwed in all the way so when I tried to raise the eyecup it would unscrew. After screwing it in completely the eyecup raised.

I first tried the Mavens indoor looking out through the window and compared them to a 8x21 Opticron Explorer I recently got for fun. Indoors there wasn't that much difference though the color did seem better in the Mavens and the mini 21mm do have a slight glare and milky view to them (though I still enjoy the latter.)

Then I took the Mavens outside to the balcony and there was a small "wow" at how impactful the image was. Very nice solid view. The solidness of the view reminded me of the mini 21mm I've been using the last view days but more rich, vivid, and slightly contrasty'er. No detectable CA on first use for the Mavens but I didn't look for it. The 21mm. which I had used earlier int he day outside, there is a slight amount of CA but otherwise the baby binos are pretty good as well.

With the Maven's, however from the start there was slight blackouts. Not full on. But partial. I used the diopter adjustment which felt good and helped bring out the image. But the proclivity towards blackouts still seemed to be there a little. The focuser wheel seems smooth-ish. I wouldn't say that I feel like I have to slog through with it. I tried using the bino one handed and adjusting the focuser wheel with the same hand and it seemed do-able. The bino does have some heft to it but does feel light. Lastly I find the eyecups slightly uncomfortable or thin. It feels like I'm resting my eyes against a fence, and if there is a drawback on these binos on the first impression, it would be the eyecups.

This item is intended for someone else so I'm going to let them decide and see what they say about the eyecups, weight, and focuser wheel.

Also I realized why I got these in the first place besides the design towards exit pupil. It's for the weight. I wanted the lightest binos I could find because I want the person (late 60s) to be able to use them for the next 10-20 years no matter how old they get. Something that would be a non-inconvenience to use.

 

[Maljunulo]

I think for the blackouts you need to fiddle the IPD

 

[iseegeorgesstar]

I think for the blackouts you need to fiddle the IPD

Thank you. I will see if I can give it another go. Overall I give them a positive rating. Also I'm curious to further test if I can provoke any CA.