Binoculars?

Monofletch

Monofletch

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We are going on a sightseeing horseback ride in the Canadian Rockies.
My wife had something pulled up on her phone… “what do you think of these?” Vortex Diamondback HD 15x56 binoculars.
My first thought was… wow! That’s powerful! Her current binos are Leopold 8x42 green ring. Mine are 12x42 (not sure the brand).

You guys that know binoculars more than I do please help. I don’t know much about binoculars and rifle scopes. How will the 15x56 be vs the 8x42?
 
One thing lots of people don't consider about higher magnification binoculars or scope is that it accentuates any shaking quite a bit. And they can be considerably heavier which lends to more shakes. I've seen several people get what you could describe as "sea sick" from the appearance of movement it gives your eyes.

Some people use tripods or even a telescoping monopod to help steady them. If you can, it might be a good idea to go try a similar magnification set of binos or a scope and see what you think.

Another thing to consider is your field of view can be smaller on higher magnifications which can make it a bit more difficult to find an animal or object when you put them to your eyes. Or at least you can generally aquire objects slightly faster on a lower power with a wider field of view. It's not such a big deal on inanimate objects, but on wildlife it can be.

It's has advantages and disadvantages, but if possible to try a similar powered set and how they work for you compared to what you're used to.

Have a great trip. You'll be in some beautiful country for sure.
 
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Also, try them out when you receive them. Optics on binoculars can vary, even on the same model. Just take them out at night and focus them on a star. It should resolve to a small point of light. Too much distortion can cause eye fatigue.

N2s
 
The 15x56 are not a good choice, you'll need to mount them on a tripod or they'll shake too much. 8x42 are a really good choice, we carry two pair with us when out exploring. They're comfortable to carry, you might look into a good harness. I have 10x50 that are older and don't get any use, I wouldn't carry these on a ride. For home I have a decent set of 10x42, great for backyard birding but are a little harder to hold steady than 8x42s.
 
Win Heger said:
The 15x56 are not a good choice, you'll need to mount them on a tripod or they'll shake too much. 8x42 are a really good choice, we carry two pair with us when out exploring. They're comfortable to carry, you might look into a good harness. I have 10x50 that are older and don't get any use, I wouldn't carry these on a ride. For home I have a decent set of 10x42, great for backyard birding but are a little harder to hold steady than 8x42s.
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I figured that. She found that out today. The guy at the store was talking about a 4:1 ratio works best. Or close to that. The Diamondback 10x50 HDs are crystal clear and probably what we will go with for her.

Most of my rifle scopes are fixed 4x or 3-9 and rarely move from 3x. I have a Bushnell Elite on my AR10 that goes to 12x and it’s only used to spot rounds. 🤣🤣
 
Monofletch said:
I figured that. She found that out today. The guy at the store was talking about a 4:1 ratio works best. Or close to that. The Diamondback 10x50 HDs are crystal clear and probably what we will go with for her.

Most of my rifle scopes are fixed 4x or 3-9 and rarely move from 3x. I have a Bushnell Elite on my AR10 that goes to 12x and it’s only used to spot rounds. 🤣🤣
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My wife also has a pair of 10X50 that she likes real well.
I really can’t tell the difference between the 42s and 50s myself. 🤔😉
John 😁
 
jmh33 said:
My wife also has a pair of 10X50 that she likes real well.
I really can’t tell the difference between the 42s and 50s myself. 🤔😉
John 😁
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The 50mm lens should gather more light to provide a brighter image, which could be useful at dusk. Btw, light gathering ability is the primary currency for astronomy instruments, where the challenge is to see and photograph very distant and consequently very dim objects. For outdoor daytime use there is not much difference between 42 and 50mm.

N2s
 
not2sharp said:
50mm lens should gather more light to provide a brighter image, which could be useful at dusk
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Yes, and the way this works is simply by providing a larger cone of light to your eye

in low light conditions, your pupil might dilate to 4 or 5mm, and you want to provide the same (or larger) diameter cone of light from the binocular to match your eye dilation

10x50 binoculars will have an exit pupil of 5mm (50÷10), which provides for a 5mm exit pupil, fully filling your dilated pupil with light
8x42 are even more comfortable, with a 5.25mm exit pupil

a lower ratio, whether with high power 15x56 or pocket-size 8x24, gives only about a 3mm exit pupil, which is fine when it's bright outside, but in the evening the small cone of light will be uncomfortably dark.


there's another unrelated phenomenon regarding the light transmission of the lenses. Each time the light passes into or out of a lens element or prism, some of the light is reflected back and lost. The lens material itself also is measurably lossy. Antireflective coatings can help reduce reflections, but add to the cost. Of course in low light scenarios, you would want high transmission and large exit pupils, but the latter is more easily measured and achieved.
 
I purchased Vortex binoculars, partly because of the glowing reviews. They didn't impress me at all, and sold them. I really looked around, and ended up buying Nikon Monarch M511 10×42 binoculars. These I like a lot, and can use them for hours without any eye strain at all.
 
I looked at a lot of binocs a couple of years ago. Everything from cheapies to Leica and Zeiss. The Nikon Monarchs 8x42 stood out as best for the money. Around $300 at the time. Vortex makes good binos for the money also. Diamondbacks are a good value.
 
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We too have the Nikon Monarchs as well as a pair of Zeiss. The wife likes the Zeiss, I prefer the Nikons. If its primary purpose is horseback use, compact enough to use one handed could be key. That ol cowpony may or may not stay put when ya drop the reins. Ya may need one hand on the reins and one on the binocs. That tuft of green grass over there could be plenty enticing despite what my training might say about standing still. I too would recommend a chest harness of some kind. Keep them from banging around with the movement of the horse. What did we carry horseback when ranching? Nada. They were in the truck, somewhere, just saw em a couple of weeks ago. They were under that pile of stuff over there on the floorboards. That was our partners truck. Our two trucks had a pair in each center console.

Kinda funny folks would come out to help ya and they’d have all this “stuff’, to carry horseback. Saddlebags, canteens, binos, sandwiches, this and that. They come back next time and they’d pared that down to pretty much nada. Ya know what a working cowboy has in his pockets? Matches and a lil TP just in case. Anyhoo I understand you’re not chasing bovines. So my recommendations after a lifetime horseback, compact, one handed operation and securement.

Sounds like a great trip!
 
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I wouldn’t go higher than 10x for anything I plan to hand hold. 8x42 are a good all around choice. 7x35’s are my favorite but there not a lot of options for them out there that aren’t used. Vortex’s DB line is great for the budget sector.
 
I get paid to bird. I use Leica 8x42's.
When I was younger I carried 10x50's.

In my opinion 15x56 are way too powerful for handheld optics.

In the not-too-distant past Eagle Optics were a great field binocluar at a cheap price. Vortex consumed them.
 
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