One thing I’ve often noticed with long throwers is that trying to make out detail with the unaided eye can be difficult. A pair of binoculars can be very handy. Seems that you either go with small powerful binoculars that are easy to hold one-handed and then hold the flashlight in your other hand, or… you get a larger pair that can be mounted on a tripod, whereby you lock in your binoculars towards your target and then use the flashlight freehanded to precisely illuminate your target.
At present, I have two small sized binoculars, both Nikon Travelite models (a 9x25 V and a 12x25 VI), which are great for hiking and quick observation. But they’re both lacking in low light detail, not being more advanced with something like ED/UHD lenses. I think for nighttime, it’s probably best to use a larger objective too, like 42 mm or 50 mm.
A young healthy pupil will dilate to a full 7mm in dark adaption. As we age, not quite so much but figure at least a 5mm exit pupil for your binocular to use in low light. That and fully multi-coated optics. It’s easy to calculate the exit pupil size: 7X50 binoculars will have 50 / 7 = 7.14mm exit pupil 7X35 will have a 5mm exit pupil. It’s no accident these are a common size and power.
I have a pair of Fuji 10X70 for astronomical use. Not too handy as a Tripod is mostly mandatory!
Kowa Genesis 8.5x44
Triplet objective — I can’t seem to induce Chromatic Aberration in any conditions.
The msrp was above my budget, but I got them open-box 40% off. Midway pretty regularly has good binocular deals. MidwayUSA, binoculars, sort by “% off”.
I have done the holding a spotlight while using binoculars thing — it’s sort of shocking just how many pairs of eyes you will see shining back at you in the wilderness.
It wouldn’t surprise me if IS binoculars become dominant as time goes on. The tech is pretty magical.
Zeiss Victory Pocket 8x25 as an EDC: light, optically very good and as comfortable as full-sized binoculars like the Leica Ultravid HD 8x32 they replaced.
For dedicated birdwatching trips and the like, Swarovski NL Pure 8x42, pretty much the best you can get.
ED or fluorite lenses will improve the image quality but not the amount of light collected. You need a large objective for that. The better binoculars have higher transmission via better lens coatings and something like Schott HT glass as used in the Zeiss Victory HT 8x54 yields a major improvement but they are not light.
Leupold whatever from costo, 10x42. Best bino’s I’ve ever owned though that doesn’t say much. I’m very pleased. Would love some compact, something like a 10x25 for hiking and such… but cant decide on what.
Bushnell Legend with ED glass are no joke. Side by side with the Zeiss showed little to no difference. They used to go on sale around $100. Been kicking around the bottom of my backpack in a soft case for years with no issue.
Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Compact Folding Roof Prism Binoculars, 10 x 25-mm
Currently just a Nikon Action 10x50 porro prism set that I bought after I started working and had a little bit of discretionary money, but not a lot.
Previously, my grandparents got me a very cheap 8x42 when I was young. In college, I bought a similarly cheap 7x22 set. The Nikon’s were a big step up, but I gradually began to recognize they don’t have the best sharpness, show a little bit of chromatic aberration, and are relatively large. But I think most casual users would be pretty happy with something like these.
If cost were no object, I’d get a good ~8 x 42mm roof prism set to have something more portable for outdoors, and replace my 10x50 with something higher quality for stargazing.
Fujinon Meibo 7x50 for the boat and low light use, and Zeiss 7x25 for portability and general snooping when light is plentiful.
The Fujinons are remarkable. I’ve used them in brutal conditions for more than 30 years and they’re still tight and brilliant, although the rubber exterior is starting to show the effects of weather and sunlight. The exact same binos are still available today, but the price has quadrupled.
Editing to add a third - a couple of years back I stopped at a garage sale where I came across a pair of “Alpen 9x42” that felt surprisingly hefty. I got them for a pittance, thinking they’d merely be ‘knockabouts’.
Boy, was I surprised. Crystal clear coated optics, perfectly aligned tubes, solid, firm individual adjustments - if you ever come across a pair, don’t leave them behind.
It seems they were made by a quality American manufacturer some years back who hasn’t seemed to gain much name recognition. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t because the product was lacking.
I have about 8 more pairs if you include the Zeiss DDR (East German Mfg) Monocular.
My son wanted a pair to go hunting. I offered him up anything I had except for the Swaros. He took his time, looked through all in varying light, and chose the cheapest as the best (to him) it was a pair that cost me $69. Bushnell Trophy XLT Bone Collector in 8x42
Nice to see some optic gear from members here. Swarovskis? That’s some serious money. One day I’d like to take a look at Zeiss, Leica, and Swarovskis in the $2,000+ range just to see what I’m missing.
Meanwhile I’m at a $500 and below budget right now, looking at a few contenders like the Athlon Optics Cronus G2 UHD 10x42 and Nikon Monarch M7 10x42.
Do the high end binocs you guys are rocking have image stabilization? I’ve gotten addicted to that feature on my Canons but I’m looking for a smaller pair in the $2K to $3K range
Nikon 5 x 15mm monocular. I also have a vortex 8 x 25mm monocular, but the nikon is optically better and it is half the size. Unfortunately the nikon isn’t made anymore. Also, even though is has only a 3mm exit pupil, it doesn’t hinder me using it at night; that must reflect my age
