Binoculars with built-in compasses

C

colobear

New member
Hi all,

I'm considering buying another set of binoculars for C-Cakes and would like to get a set with a built in compass. I looked at a few during the Seattle boat show and discovered that some compasses were much better placed, better lit, etc. I understand the importance of quality optics, light gathering ability, etc. Right now I am leaning towards the Steiner 7x30 navigator and would appreciate recommendations from the group.

Thanks.
 
While shopping, take a look at image stabilized binoculars. My wife gave me a pair of Cannon 15x50 and it is unreal the difference in river cruising to read mile markers, bouy markers and general viewing.
Ron
 
Agree that Steiner and Fujinon are the top line binoculars. I have 7 x 50 Fujinon with the compass, and it uses a slip on light source. I just use a small LED light clipped to my cap if necessary, but I find it rare to need the bearing compass at night. West Marine's are good value for the $$. The Steiner XP C Commander in 7 x 50 (built in illuminator) is probably the best recreational marine binocular with the convience of a built in compass and an illuminator.

The problem with the 7 x 30 is that they don't have the light gathering property of the 50 mm diameter objective. My daytime binoculars are 8 x 30 Steiner Marine. The 7 x 50 have considerably more light gathering ability.

But When you get in that price range, you are getting close to the cost of Fujinon Technistable 14 x 40--not really night glasses, but they work well at night, and have the stability which is definately an advantage. (but no compass) For the $$ these binoculars are hard to beat! But they are expensive.
 
As Bob mentions, stabilized binoculars are great on a boat. Judy cruises with a pair of binoculars, and I bought her a pair of (set of?) Cannon image stabilized 10x30 binocs for Valentines Day, romantic that I am. They were the cheapest, though not cheap. Greatest thing going. Certainly, I would have liked to get a bigger pair, but I got beat up enough over these. Still whenever we go, we take these, if we remember. I'm not saying that the brand is the best, just that image stabilizing is the way to go. If you need a compass, get a hand bearing compass. As we get older, everything helps.

At the other end of the scale, try Harbour Freight. This last trip we forgot ALL binoculars, among many other things, and went to HF around Marysville. I got a 7x50 for $15, though they had a 10x50 for $25. Better than I had hoped, got us through the summer, and now they go along with the Cannon's. No compass though.

Boris

Happy Valentines Day
 
I have a pair of the Canon 10x42L image stabilized binoculars. Quite spendy at $1100 (2008) but magnificently clear and sharp wide-angle image (the L, low dispersion lens, refers to the same type of glass used in Canon's high end camera lenses.) They now have a waterproof version for $1200 on Amazon. They also have a 15x50 non-L version that is cheaper and heavier.

The IS is good, perhaps not as good as the Fujinon, but I felt the quality of the L-glass image outweighed the better IS. BTW I understand that the Fujinons the Coasties use are not the retail ones but mil-spec versions that are much more expensive. Can anyone from the USCG Aux verify this?

Warren
 
A few months ago I bought the WM 7x50 with the compass, good optics and they were on sale for $100 off at the time. Now the Steiner stabilized, that would be on my with list, but then again I could buy the radar for that price.
 
thataway":2o6q9vaj said:
Agree that Steiner and Fujinon are the top line binoculars.
Click to expand...

Hey, hey...don't be tossing Leica under the bus. :mrgreen:

I looked through a ton of glass before getting my 10x42's. Yes, they cost an appendage or two - but I found nothing that compared for my needs, and decided they fell into that "buy once for life" category. The smaller Leicas are one of the top choices amongst serious birders and hunters, given their excellent low-light performance and clarity - something which is a huge benefit on the boat as well.

They're relatively compact and light, with enough magnification for 90% of my needs, and low enough magnification to eliminate the need for image stabilization. IS is great in a camera lense - but adds unwanted complexity in binoculars, IMO. For something I'll be depending on for navigation assistance and that will get bounced around in a small boat, I prefer simplicity.

I certainly see the appeal of integrated compasses and range finders in binoculars, but they're a distant second to me compared to optical quality. Regardless, the best nugget of wisdom I can toss out for those wanting to expend significant $$ on binoculars, with or without integrated goodies - try them first, in as many lighting conditions as possible prior to purchase. If loaners or rentals are not available, purchase them from somewhere with a liberal return policy. You simply can't get a proper feel for them in a showroom, exhibit hall or parking lot.
 
Bill brings up some good points about checking them out in real conditions, also the simplicity, if I had to do it over again would I get the compass/rangefinder version, no I would not as I find I just don't use the feature. Sounded nice before I made the purchase, just don't use it. I would spend the money on optics
 
I have a pair of the Fujinon Techno-Stabi 14x40's and they're the best binocular I've owned, even though I have owned Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, and many others. Their Image Stabilization can correct for up to 5 degrees of handshake/binocular motion, much more than the one degree of the Canon binoculars, of which I also have a pair, the 10x30's. They're both much better than non-stabilized binoculars for viewing distant objects from a moving platform, hand-held. The Fujinons produce the sharpest, most stable images of stars and planets at night, a true test of their optical qualities and IS systems.

The IS technology was developed for video cameras to eliminate hand-shake and camera motion, but applied to binoculars for obvious reasons. The US Military uses a $5000+ version of the 14x40 called the Stabiliscope. According to Ken Rockwell, an independent optical reviewer, the military version is no better than the civilian model, it just meets the mil specifications already written.

The Fujinon Techno-Stabi 14x40's list for $2000, but sell at $1200 from internet outlets, and can be had used for $600-$800. As for any binocular, be absolutely sure they're coluimated properly and don't produce double images, and therefore headaches when viewing for extended periods. Nikon also sells the Funinon IS binoculars under it's own name, but they're about the same price, etc.

I also have a pair of Canon 10x30' IS's, and they're great for the same reasons, they just don have as much magnification, and are not quite as sharp. (Has to do with how the prisms are controlled in the IS process.) However, they much lighter, and I keep them in my traveling/hiking backpack wherever I go.

I've also owned Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski, and many other binoculars. The first three are renowned for their optical sharpness and brilliance. For hand-held viewing for up to 10X, they're wonderful and generally unmatched, though Nikon makes some very fine optics at much more affordable prices.

I've also owned, then re-sold several pairs of Steiners. They're very good optically, and probably the most rugged binocular built. They have very thick armoring, as binoculars go. The ones with the compasses and rangefinders perform as good or better as any made.

However, if you don't need the compass, or want to use a hand-held model compass, the compass and rangefinder reticle are just in the way when viewing for normal uses. I'd consider a hand-held bearing compass and a regular pair of binoculars as an alternative. I don't like leaving a $500-$1,000 pair of binoculars behind on a boat when I leave, so why not just use a very good "regular" pair and leave the $100 hand-bearing compass behind?

Believe it or not, Tasco makes a 7X50 Offshore 54 Model binocular with a lighted compass and rangefinder that is very good, IMHO, for about $200 at discount internet outlets. I owned a pair once, and was very satisfied with their performance. $ for $, they're hard to beat. Tasco, like Bushnell and several others, makes a wide variety of binoculars and other optics from really inexpensive ones to some that are very good optically, and especially a good buy when the price is considered.

One more thing: I had a pair of Fujinon non-IS 7X50 Marine binoculars with compass and rangefinder, and found they would only open up to a 70 mm Inter-Ocular Distance (distance between the centers of the observer's pupils). I'm closer to 72 mm (most binos adjust for about 58-72 mm). What is more, when the Fijinon's were swung open as far as they would go, the compass on top of the barrels wasn't level, and wouldn't swing (actually float) level and move freely to give an accurate reading.

I could write for hours on this, but time moves on.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
We have the Tasco OS-54 (with a built in compass) that Joe mentioned; have had them for a decade or more and they have held up well. Joan's favorite binoculars are the IS Canon that Boris spoke about. The Image Stabilization is really nice when you're bouncing around and trying to find the identifier on a marker... or find the marker itself. The more expensive models offer even better stabilization, but some is better than none.

Even in familiar waters, the binoculars get used daily for check out the birds, looking ahead for dolphins, or looking for the name on a tug or ship. An essential bit of boat equipment.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
One of the quotes I've heard about the Fujinon IS Stabiliscope Military Binoculars used in Iraq from one of our boys on patrol for insurgents setting IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) along the streets and highways was that with the Image Stabilization they were much better able to tell the good guys from the bad guys and had fewer incidental miss-identifications and casualties of peaceful Iraquis from friendly fire.

One retired Coastie working the Tourboat Fleet in Sitka told me that when he was with the Coast Guard and using IS binoculars for long periods, the "floating" nature of the images, which didn't match what his inner ear or sense of balance was telling him, made him nauseous. Kind of a "motion sickness" in reverse, so to speak.

Still love the IS binos!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Da Nag's points are well made. However in different parts of the world we need our binoculars for different things. In the ICW it is extremely important to correctly ID navigational markers, and I can do this at 25 knots in the TOM Cat, where with any other binocular I cannot (the person looking may not be the one driving, so the Admiral often does the spotting).

I have noticed that floating feeling, but only with fairly large motions, which the OS does not compensate for. I also have some fairly expensive "L" glass in Camera Lenses (as I am sure many others do) some of the better lenses have both bi axis and vertical stabalization only (for panning)--and the mechanism is signifcantly different than the techno stable. Canon is able to put IS in some of their lesser expensive lenses, so I suspect it must not be as expensive a system which is used in these lenses.

Of coures trying the various glasses is the way to find out--and perhaps a trip to one of the big optical stores would be worth while.
 
Barry, We have

"A few months ago I bought the WM 7x50 with the compass, good optics and they were on sale..."
Click to expand...

these same binocs, and for the price, they are pretty descent. No IS, but good magnification, and reasonable in marginal light.

I do like the built in compass, doubles as a hand bearing, and though we have not used it for this yet, I think perfect for doing triangulation readings for anchoring. And BTW, we don't use them much at 25 knots :wink

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
For over 60 years I have been collecting and using optics - binoculars, monoculars, and spotting scopes. At one time or another the most prestigious, expensive, etc., optics have passed through my hands, sold, traded, etc. Only a couple of C-Dory purchases have slowed down my optics passion. I mentioned this only as a prelude to the following comments and recommendations.

Naval binoculars traditionally have followed the 7x50 configuration. They were and are called night glasses because of the 7.1 mm exit pupil.
The navy use to put their teen age sailors on watch because their pupils would expand to 7 mm utilizing all the light a 7x50 would give. The 7x50 are big and awkward to use. But the large exit pupil is an asset for rough water viewing.

Our pupils are subject to shrinking with age. Many of us probably can't enlarge our pupils beyond 4mm at dark. It is a mistake to use a binocular
of high power. The tendency today is to buy 8 or 10 power binoculars.
These are fine for terrestial viewing, but not for boating where things seem always to be in motion.

Stabilized binoculars have become popular. They are effective but rely upon battery power. And they are much more delicate than traditional
binoculars. I had a pair of Zeiss stabilized binoculars. Wonderful instruments but at 20 power much too large and powerful (not to mention cost) for boating.

Celestron and Nikon make good 7x50s - relatively inexpensive and optically good. Most boating binoculars are individual focus to aid in waterproofing, but not as convenient as center focus binoculars.

Keeping things simple when boating is an asset. Built-in compasses
add to the complexity and are just something to go wrong. I find it difficult to believe a C_Dory user wouldn't have a mounted compass on the helm, anyway.

My recommendation. Buy the lowest power, rubber covered, center focus, waterproof, quality optics you can find. I use a 6x30 CF Leupold when I boat. With its 5mm exit pupil and superior coatings, it is surprisingly bright, has a wide field of view, light, compact, and handy. It also has incredible optics considering it can be purchased for under $90. Anyone who thinks 6 power is not enough should take one aboard and use it. It will surprise them. A few years back Zeiss made a 6 power roof prism binocular for boaters. I had one. But it lacked phase coating and is optically inferior to the Leupold. Porro prisms will out perform roof prisms. The Leupold also comes with a good guarantee. I've used mine in rain, snow, and below freezing temperatures, and it performs without a problem. Also, in the event it should be stolen, you haven't taken a big hit. John
 
I just went through the drill... Looked up all the binocular reviews... Coveted Steiners and Nikons and Zeiss... Drooled over the stabilized, lebenty zillion power stuff...
Then sat down and thought it through and realized that I needed two pair of binoculars...
One, relatively inexpensive for now for cruising the Great lakes... I want 50mm objectives for light gathering, and limited magnification power for my shaky hands..
And an ego boosting set of stabilized, gee whiz, binoculars, for later when I am retired and needing to read markers on the ICW from a mile away...
Last year cruising the ICW I used a pair of West Marine binoculars and found that I liked them, good eye relief... For the money there is nothing wrong with them...

Anyway, long story short just took delivery this week on a pair of "Pro Mariner Binoculars 7x50 RC Waterproof Compass/Rangefinder"... Found em on sale for 179 delivered... So far I am happy... I do note that my pupils don't open enough anymore and I have to slide the eyepieces slightly across my eye glasses to read the compass, but a bit of playing around with multiple compass bearings across the fields to the buildings a mile away showed me that this is not a problem and I can take repeatable bearings easily... So far I am happy with them...
 
You have found what you need, and at a reasonable price. Coatings on optics have improved so much that even inexpensive porro binoculars today equal the high end stuff in what you see. Most of us pay far more for our eye glasses than $179. My recommendation was really for the older boater who doesn't want to invest in a truly costly binocular yet wants a good image at a bargain price. Happy boating. John
 
Yellowstone, Great post. Just to clarify, the use of a compass in binoculars is to take bearings on markers in navigation, and often is easier to use than a true hand bearing compass. Of course today, we all have GPS, so navigation by triangulation seems to be a bit of a lost art. But bearings can still be useful. Frankly I only have one pair of binoculars with a built in compass.

This brings up another subject. I keep relitatitavely in-expensive binoculars for guests to use. The only people who use my good binoculars are Marie and my self. If some one asks, I just explain that these are navigational tools and that they are welcome to use my "West Marine" branded binocs.
 
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