Re: [Paddlewise] Tasco Binoculars

I may have tried to reply to this before but if so I guess [?] it didn't go
through, so forgive me if this "repeats":

I've been through this business of trying to find good inexpensive
binoculars for YEARS, and I finally [after wasting more money on that
fruitless quest than I'd have spent if  I'd plunked down for a truly good
pair in the first place] took the advice of a photographer friend of mine
who told me to bite the bullet and spend the $$$ necessary to get a REALLY
GOOD pair of binoculars.  He told me that the reason so many inexpensive
binoculars cause eye fatigue is poor optics.  He said that truly good
binoculars don't have to cost a fortune BUT inexpensive ones have poor
quality optics.

>From him I learned for example of the wonderful Pentax 8 X 40 DCF WP model,
with superb optics for far less than German equivalents but, nonetheless,
several hundred dollars.  They are roof-prisms [someone here suggested that
most roof-prism designs are waterproof; don't bet on it!] but not small and
not waterproof.  I use other binoculars when in my boats, a small waterproof
roof-prism model from Brunton called the "Eterna," not great but OK optics
and fairly inexpensive.  When I want miniature binoculars with great optics
I use a Leica 8 X 20 Trinovid; plentibucks but well worth it, useful for
almost all purposes (but of course lacking the light-gathering ability of
the Pentax) [it even comes in a waterproof model!].

All the ones I've mentioned have long eye relief as well.

- Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Edelman" <mje_at_spamcop.net>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Tasco Binoculars


> Peter Staehling writes:
>
>  > Boat US has a nice pair of Tasco Binoculars for a
>  > great price right now.
>
> I used to recommend these (Tasco Offshore 7x50) but I'm tempering my
> recommendation now.


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