Need new Binoculars

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Hi, I am looking to get a pair of binoculars for when my wife and I travel. my requirements are that they are compact and could fit in regular size pants pockets. I would like to be able to see maybe 500 or so feet, looking at nature, City skylines, boats on the water, and houses in the distance.
my question is magnification, I have been reading and looked at the 8 x 42 vs 10 x 42, sounds like increased magnification is better however for larger objects it may be too sharp. Any suggestions?
Thank you
 
Not sure glass can be too sharp- especially on the edges.

Whats your budget?

For a budget pair its hard to beat the nikons.

IF you have the money the zeiss, leicas and swarovskis are spectacular.

I always like the higher magnification pieces myself but its a tradeoff between light, magnification and sharpness.

UD
 
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Agree... the smaller pocket Nikon binos are good.
Checkout Redfield binos, specifically the respected Redfield Rebel 8x32mm Compact Roof Prism Binoculars.
Also checkout the Vortex Optics' Vanquish binocs. Also highly rated...
 
Originally Posted by FirstNissan
sounds like increased magnification is better however for larger objects it may be too sharp.


Too sharp.. how is that possible? The difference between 8X and 10X isn't much but it's something. A deer at 500 feet will look like it's standing at 62 feet with the 8X and 50 feet with the 10X. 42mm is a nice size but certainly won't fit into regular pants pockets. Objective lens diameter from 20 - 30mm will fit depending on construction, roof prism will be smaller. 10X is 10X whether you spend $50 or $500, you're buying better edge sharpness, overall sharpness, and color accuracy as you go higher. I'd look for reviews at birding or hunting sites where people are critical about performance, not on places like Amazon.
 
This type of roof prism fold in and probably fit in a pocket. These are 10x25 Bushnells, $150 on Amazon. Not endorsing them just showing the design.

[Linked Image]
 
Your not getting any 42mm binos in pants pockets, maybe some of the huge carpenter cargo pants but not regular pants. You want something in the 20-30mm range, 8x will give you a wider field of view and is preferred by most bird watchers over the 10x, 8x is also easier to hold steady.

How much do you want to spend? I've found that most binos under $150 aren't good for much more than making farther away things look closer and making vague details larger, more expensive ones will give you nice sharp views with minimal distortion and actually allow you to see fine details and colors in what you are looking at.
 
Originally Posted by Astro14
I have a compact set of Leupold binoculars for travel. 10x30. I've had them for a while. Very nice. Similar to these: https://www.leupold.com/binoculars/bx-1-yosemite-10x30mm

No way they'll fit in a pants pocket, though...they're small and light, but...

Leupold makes decent ones. I paid around $60 for these:
https://www.leupold.com/binoculars/bx-1-rogue-10x25mm

And yeah, while they are relatively small, there is no way I could fit them in a pants pocket, unless I wore clown pants.
 
Originally Posted by FirstNissan
Hi, I am looking to get a pair of binoculars for when my wife and I travel. my requirements are that they are compact and could fit in regular size pants pockets. I would like to be able to see maybe 500 or so feet, looking at nature, City skylines, boats on the water, and houses in the distance.
my question is magnification, I have been reading and looked at the 8 x 42 vs 10 x 42, sounds like increased magnification is better however for larger objects it may be too sharp. Any suggestions?
Thank you



I think when you say that it may be too sharp, you likely mean that that there's a decreased field of view, making it harder or impossible to see a larger object at once.

I have a Leupold BX-1 Yosemite 6x30 that I really like. It's fairly small, but I don't think they'd fit in most pant pockets. I was very impressed with the sharpness. I have a similarly priced Redfield 10x36 that just isn't nearly as sharp. Another option could be to get a monocular. I have something like an 8x42 that is actually fairly small.
 
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