Monoculars?

There is no doubt that binoculars are better. But a monocular is less than half the size and weight and there's a lot to be said for that. My litttle Zeiss is not the greatest thing; there are in it obviously a lot of compromises to size and weight. But sometimes it's better the little Zeiss that I have in my briefcase with me than the fancy binoculars I left at home because I don't care to carry them around all of the time. I have several monoculars which I like because they are small and easy to carry so you will have one with you. Owning the fanciest, best, most expensive pair of binoculars in the world will do you no good if they're fifty miles away at home when you find yourself wanting a bit closer look at something.
 
These are very good if you can find them. They are about the size of a keychain fob (about 3 inches oal)

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/t1533.html

They were sold by a number of brands. My copy is a Tasco, which since I am into astronomy, I just had to take out and test it; and, I am happy to say that, although anything with such a tiny objective is a poor choice for astronomy, the star field resolved itself into very sharp pinpoints, and that is far better then most binoculars.


n2s
 
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I have 4 Zeiss monoculars. 5X10 roof, 8X20 porro, 8X20 roof, and 8X30 roof prism. I carry item 3 all the time. It has a fiberglass barrel and is very light (69gm). I feel that the extra cost is justified by the frequency of use.
 
The handy things about a monocular are that they're small and easy to carry and store, and that, used backwards, they turn into a nifty microscope. I use my little Zeiss as a microscope more than as a telescope.

How does this work. I have an inexpensive mono and when I turned it around everything looked much smaller than when viewed without the glass. Aren't microscopes very powerful magnifiers? Just curious.
 
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I have a tiny Luger monocular which I use for scouting landing sites and a Swallow (Japan) 25x30 Hand Telescope which collapses to 138mm.

The Swallow is pretty amazing and takes up little space.
 
How does this work. I have an inexpensive mono and when I turned it around everything looked much smaller than when viewed without the glass. Aren't microscopes very powerful magnifiers? Just curious.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
 
Turn it around and place an object VERY close to the small lens.

Exactly! The scope will typically have to be less than 1/2" from the object. This can make the image a little dark. So, I usually use mine as a microscope by holding the scope in one hand and a penlight flashlight in the other.

By the way, if you've ever used a laboratory microscope, it's much the same. The lense almost touches the slide and every microscope you'll see in a lab will have a bright light right next to it because it's challenging to get enough light onto the subject when the lense is that close.
 
UZI makes a good 8x22.
I keep it in my tackle box to spy on guys bringing fish in so I know what they are using!
My family and I do 6 or 8 fishing tournaments a year and guys don't like being glassed so with the monocular they can't tell.
Good for the odd birdwatch when the fishing is slow.
 
Exactly! The scope will typically have to be less than 1/2" from the object. This can make the image a little dark. So, I usually use mine as a microscope by holding the scope in one hand and a penlight flashlight in the other.

By the way, if you've ever used a laboratory microscope, it's much the same. The lense almost touches the slide and every microscope you'll see in a lab will have a bright light right next to it because it's challenging to get enough light onto the subject when the lense is that close.

Very cool! Good info. Learn something new everyday. :thumbup:
 
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