From: "William Lloyd" <lloyd_at_execpc.com> > He said that truly good > binoculars don't have to cost a fortune BUT inexpensive ones have poor > quality optics. In general, this is true. However, years ago there were Russian made binocs that were a very good value and popular with astonomy buffs. They were sold under the Tento (?) name IIRC. I won't say that recent models under this name are any good (if they exist), but the stuff from the Soviet era were the ones that were good. If you find them second hand, they may be a bargain. > From him I learned for example of the wonderful Pentax 8 X 40 DCF WP model, [...] > I use a Leica 8 X 20 Trinovid; plentibucks but well worth it, useful for Names like Leica, Swarowski, Carton Alderblick and others make my wallet want to hide. If you compare these to run-of-the-mill brands like Tasco or Bushnell, the difference is obvious - the expensive ones are generally superb. I guess it comes down to the intended use. If you see yourself using them a lot for many things (birding, astronomy, nature in general etc), it's worth investing in quality and protecting the binocs when paddling. My use is occasional and I prefer to go with lower priced, waterproof and ruggedized models (mine's a Bushnell 8x21 or so) and not worry so much about loss or damage. It may be worth it for some to buy two pair - good ones that are protected and come out when it's safe and cheaper ones that sit on the deck or under the PFD for navigation and similar use. If that's the case, small cheap ones and larger good ones are my advice. 50mm objective lenses are great for low light use such as astronomy or under heavy forest canopies. My comments are just to those who may interpret the comments on quality as meaning that the cheap ones are worthless. Many are poor but some are good and more than adequate for occasional use. Check them out and try them outside the store with the glasses/contacts/sunglasses you use when paddling. As usual, it's just a case of caveat emptor. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jan 17 2003 - 06:18:59 PST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:31:03 PDT