Binoculars / monocular

A

addictedtosteel

Joined
Sep 30, 2007
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I'm looking for a high quality, high magnification, small [as small as possible] pair of binoculars. I am also considering a monocular to save space / weight.

Variable zoom would be nice, although small size and big magnification are the top priorities.

What recommendation can you guys give?

Thanks!
 
What is your budget like? Zoom isn't going to happen in a high quality compact but there are plenty to choose from.
 
I am not an optics expert, so I'll refrain from much advice. However, know that small/light and high magnification is not a good combination. If the binocular or monocular is high magnification, you will need mass in order to hold it steady. Also, magnification isn't everything. Sharp glass can make the difference. I have a Zeiss Miniquick that is only 5x, but the amount of detail you can see is amazing. A sharp low magnification image beats fuzzy (or wobbly) high magnification every time.

The Miniquick is almost the exact same size and weight of a Sharpy marker, so is incredibly easy to carry. (BTW— it ain't cheap.)
 
Suveges is correct about the zoom. True, you can get decent dual magnification bins but those aren't zooms. And in principle there isn't an engineering reason why an excellent zoom pair shouldn't exist, but it would be a great deal of effort for the returns and cost prohibitive. Zoom monoculars are different. You don't have the problem of keeping two lots of moving parts in step, as after all, in the simplest terms, binoculars are merely two telescopes bolted together.

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It's worth noting what Scott Free said about magnification too and the “fuzzy (or wobbly)”. Many people can't hand hold 10* sufficiently still to get a good picture and many quit at 8*. I don't mind 10* hand held but few people would go over that without a mount or beanbag under them.

You also have the related thing that, in real simple terms, the more you crank up the magnification the bigger the lens you want at the front. This defeats your requirement for compact. If you violate it and get high power tiny bins you'll need to throw a lot of money them to get something that works well in other than optimal daylight. For example; I think 10*42 is a great size for me. It doesn't give away much to be compact enough for me. 10*50 would likely work better for me in principle but the size is just too big. Going the other way 8*30 is probably the smallest I'd go. Many still prefer to go with 8* with 42 as a versatile size. I see merit there. In sum, suppose you came across some compact 20*30 for a tool budget price, I'd expect them to be a consummate POS.

Apparently Minox makes some useful and well regarded monocular. I've never seen one in the flesh so dunno.

Competition for the ED2
 
I'm not really a monocular guy, but a friend of mine has the Minox 8x25 Makroskop and it seems like a very capable monocular for the price.
 
hoopster said:
Go for whatever you can afford with the widest field of view (FOV). It makes viewing much easier instead of feeling like you're looking through a paper towel tube.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_of_view
Click to expand...

+1. With the high power binocs, the field of view can be so small that you either can't find what you're looking for or you have no idea what you're looking at. What's your plans for these binos? Birding? Sporting events? Hiking, etc.
 
For a mini glass, Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica are the places to start. For a mid-sized glass you can add Steiner and the Cannon Image Stabilized series.

I traded into a Swarovski mini 10X25 and it's a very sharp glass. I've also looked at (through) the Cannon stabilized glasses and they would work great from a boat.
 
I am very pleased with the optics of the Bausch & Lomb 10 x 25 Discoverer. Nikon also has good glass.

Much depends on how you intend to use the glass. If for hunting-how many points on that buck?-then a 10 may make sense. Some of the best ornithologists in the country prefer a 7 x 35 for the wider field of view which is also useful for watching sporting events. My personal preference for most applications is an 8x40.
 
For binoculars I go Pentax because it's the best I can/choose to afford. Their warrantee is totally awesome, I sent them an old used pair to be refurbished... expecting to get a bill for the refurbishing and I got a brand new pair back NO CHARGE at all! As far as monoculars go..... they almost all suck because they're so small, bad field of view etc. Recently a friend of mine picked up a new Vortex mono in 8x32 and man...... they totally rock. Definitely looking to get a pair, my advice is to check them all out in person.... usually you can look across a large sporting goods store or out into the parking lot of a smaller one and get a pretty good idea of what you like/need.
 
If budget is not a consideration, I wouldn't go past Zeiss or Leica.

They are the benchmark in high quality optics, but be prepared to spend a lot of money. As a counterpoint, your binos will last for decades provided they are reasonably well looked after (don't throw them around or leave them out in rain all day etc.).

Look up some of the birdwatchers forums on the net and get their opinions. Good optics are their stock in trade, and IMO they are the "go-to guys" for recommendations, hints and reviews.
 
Since no budget has yet been mentioned, I will throw my 2 cents in and suggest to look into Zeiss Victory Compact 8x20. I have a pair and love them for situations where a heavier binocular might be too much. They will fold up and store in a pocket.
 
Although monoculars are great for super light weight, most people see considerably more detail with binocular vision. Most folks also experience a lot less eye fatigue during prolonged viewing.

Nikon used to make some polymer frame binos around 8x25 size for about a hundred bucks ("Travelite"?). There were sharp, light, and won a Consumer Reports Best Buy rating.

I have some older 9x30 Nikons that are still quite good. In the $200-500 range I went with the 10 x 42 Pentax model. A bit better resolution and color transmission but heavier and more expensive.

DancesWithKnives
 
For the money it's hard to beat the Nikon Monarch ATB binoculars. I really like the 10x42. Not to big, but plenty of power. I've held them next to others that cost 3 to 4 times more and I can't see a whole lot of difference. Yea, they might be a little better but I can't warrant the price difference. Nikon seems to have an excellent warranty also. Go to a store that carries all brands and check them out. You maybe able too find them cheaper online but you can't compare them this way. Goodluck!
 
One thing I have noticed is that you wanna stay in the 8x magnification range. Otherwise, you'll need to rest against something while using them to steady the image.
 
Thanks for all the replies! Sorry I went away for s while after posting this thread. I'll try to look at the largest field of view, vs smallest size - noted.

With regards to price, less than USD3000.oo

Thanks.
 
VA27 said:
For a mini glass, Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica are the places to start. For a mid-sized glass you can add Steiner and the Cannon Image Stabilized series.
Click to expand...

I have a pair of Leica 10 x 25 mini rubber armored.
Awesome glasses.
Just realize one thing; with the higher mag glasses (10 and higher) stable hands are a requirement.
As a matter of fact, 10X is probably the highest mag I'd want to hand hold.
Lenny
 
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