Binoculars

[thomsonjd]

While I appreciate the choice of binoculars may be primarirly driven by personal choice and price I''d be grateful for any advice on the following:

Is it worth paying the additional $500 on the Fujinon Polaris w/compass vs the Fujinon Mariner w/compass? (or other "budget" binoculars - see below)

If I was to limit my budget to around $200, which brand of binoculars would you recommend / not recomend for coastal sailing. Choices seem to be Fujinon Mariner w/compass, Bushnell Marine w/compass, Steiner Navigator (no compass) Tasco Offshore w/compass. Are there others that I should look at?

Jonathan

[SHIMSHON]

If you are going to buy only one pair of binoculors in your life time make them Fujinon Polaris. First of all the optics are without compare and they are built to withstand just about everything. Make sure you get a floatation strap when you buy them.

[Benesail]

The Fuji sound very good but more pricey. If your budget is around $200, I was surprisingly impressed with the Tasco Offshore 54 model. Good coatings, surprising good light gathering at night, and integral compass. I have a pair but notice that somebody was having a sale this spring that got the price down to about $200.
Good luck and good sailing.

[WATERNUT]

I own and use both the Fuji7x50wc''s and the Tasco7x54WC.
These have both been workhorses and have held up well for over 5 years.
The Fujis are lightweight and optics seem fine for coastal work. They are especially nice when wearing for long periods due to their light weight.
I like the optics and the armoring on the Tascos. For some, the fact that the compass'' are on differing sides makes the choice easy.
"Blind in one eye?"
The Fujis are a little less$ but the Tascos come with a nice bag.
$160-$240 is the going rate.
Waternut

[dan.hayes]

I just bought a pair of Bushnell Marine binoculars with a compass. They are amazingly bright. Compare the brightness with even Steiners - you will be amazed.

They are individual eye focus, which I like, but I understand they are coming out with a center focus model in a month or so.

I like the feel of the Bushnell and Tasco binoculars compared to the Fuji''s - but see what you think. Boat US sells Bushnells, they''re hard to find anywhere else.

[colehankins]

Try some pawn shops in big boating areas. I latched on to a great pair and they were only $25

[dbg]

any thoughts on the fujinon polarizer filters that go on the polaris 7x50 ordered some with my glasses today looked like a nice accessory

[Fran49829]

I was in the same position last year. I bought a $200 pair of waterproof 7x50 Nikons which have good resolution but not great resolution. If you can focus Jupiter into a round object and Venus into a crescent shape you have super resolution. The Nikons almost do this. That last bit of resolution is very expensive. Are the Polaris worth more than twice the money? Probably not, but then again maybe they are. I still want the Polaris binos.