They mostly use marine binoculars at sea for vessel safety and to check the surrounding area. Some people use marine binoculars to inspect subjects at a significant distance. Even on dry land, the help of marine binoculars for magnification is essential.
Best Marine Binoculars Reviews
What is Marine Binocular?
7 magnification is needed when at sea or when you are in a vessel in motion. The shake and movement will also contribute to the image if there is over 7 binocular magnification. The 50mm large opening helps in viewing larger objects and making the user see the bigger picture instead.
Marine Binocular and how they are used?
Marine binoculars are used to help those who are navigating the sea or any body of water. The binoculars will help to see objects that cannot be easily seen by the naked eye. With the help of binoculars, you can see the surrounding area, which is below, on the side, further objects and distance. It also helps to see dry land when you are navigating the ocean or the sea.
PROS
- Marine binoculars can help the user see from a distance.
- It can also help you focus on a certain place you are looking for if you are exploring or navigating the sea, ocean, or any bodies of water.
- A marine binocular is perfect in giving a steady image as there is a decreased movement while using the binoculars.
- Waterproof is another edge when using marine binoculars which is convenient when near bodies of water.
- Fog proof is a highly needed feature since these binoculars are exposed to splashes of water and sometimes it can penetrate inside which causes fogging.
CONS
- Most of the marine binoculars are bulkier compared to other types of binoculars.
- Some are not waterproof but only have the water-resistant feature which is less prone to water damage if submerged or soaked in water for a lengthy period.
- It may be expensive if you are for a high-quality and durable product which may cost you a thousand or up.
What types of Marine Binocular are there?
Types are according to the following
Magnification
7×50 classic size of marine binoculars, 7×35 used for smaller hands and smaller craft but there is lesser light compared to the 50mm, 8×25 has a wider field of view and wider magnification.
Focus
Center focus – with the use of a knob on the center of the binoculars you can change the focus on both eyepieces. This can help you adjust to how much focus you want to have to see an object.
Individual focus – most of the binoculars out in the market have an individual focus feature. This is easy to use because there is no need to always adjust the focusing every time you are using it.
Field of View – Where each view is equal to 52.5ft at 1000 yards or 17.5m at 1,000m. Where magnification affects the FOV if there are low magnification it expands FOV and high magnification narrows your FOV.
Waterproof/Fog-proof
Where each opening of the binoculars is sealed using an O-rings. This prevents dust and moisture from seeping through inside. This feature also takes some splash of water and minimal submersion, but not for a longer period.
Be wary of marking such as water-resistant instead of waterproof and stickers that say weatherproof instead of waterproof, waterproof is what you should be after.
Fog-proof binoculars make it possible to move from cold weather to warmer weather without the lenses fogging up, which can damage the inside of the binoculars.
This is what we check in Marine Binocular Reviews.
When we buy any product, we should always be after the quality that even after many uses, we are ensured that we can still use it for many more. We have to check some significant factors like what we did with this product. Here are the crucial elements we look at in our review.
Material
We have reviewed the materials used for the marine binoculars and we found out that there are many materials such as the aluminum, silicon, leather, glass, and some optics
Longevity
There are the waterproof type and fog proof which makes an enormous difference in the longevity of this product. Once water and moisture creep inside the product, Low- quality products will show erosion in its parts. Some that are made with high-quality materials can be enjoyed for many years.
Price
The price of this product differs because of the optics used where low-quality optics result in cheaper prices, while others that have such top of the line optics can reach thousands of dollars and up.
Cleaning
Buying the Best Marine Binocular
Buying this product requires some comparison and review. As each product have their own sets of features while other brands do not. Although, you will immediately notice the difference because of the price factor.
Instore
Buying the marine binoculars in-store can allow you to check different brand, design, and style, and the opportunity to check the magnification and other features are there.
- Compare. Once you are at the store, it is best to compare 3 to 4 types of marine binoculars of a different brand.
- Review. Inspect each with the magnification, focus, design, and how the binoculars are made from the materials used, and inspecting the product very well can give you an idea if the product will last for long.
- Question. You should be ready with your question for the seller so you will have an easier way of deciding. Some sellers will tell you which one to buy such as buy a certain brand because they receive no product return with that brand or they do not receive any complaints with another product and such.
- Price. As always, price is another important factor when you are trying to decide what to buy. Some products normally will cause you more to purchase if it has prime quality materials used and they are well known, etc. If you can find another product at a lower price with the same features, this may help you decide. The thing is when you buy the well-known product; you know that if it will last long, unlike rookie manufacturers promising you heavens but you have no idea about its longevity.
- Warranty. We must clear warranty for this product with the seller, double-check what warranty the product includes and a lifetime warranty has the edge over other products that have a limited warranty.
Online
- You must first make an online search for the product you will purchase. What we are preventing when buying online is returning it to the seller because it is not up to our specification, which can be an inconvenience on your part and to the seller. Here are some tips when buying online.
- Read online. Online reviews help buyers a lot. There are reviews available about the usability of the product and vice versa, knowing this beforehand will prevent you from a lot of headaches.
- Inquire or be ready with your questions. Sellers are almost always helpful to a buyer, they can tell you which is the best buy among their products which can easily lessen your choices (especially if you have 6 items in mind) with the help of the seller, you can trim down your options to 2 or 3 and then from there ask questions you have.
- Price. What budget do you have? If you have a certain budget, you can ask the seller for their line up for a certain amount and they can also tell you which product you can buy just by adding a few dollars to get the better feature among the rest.
- Warranty. You cannot miss asking about the warranty. This is important when you need to have the product replaced or repaired.
- Return policy and Delivery. Make sure they have a return policy for every delivered product, you cannot be having issues with a product you can’t use and cannot return. Delivery of the product is important, like how long will they deliver the product and if you will wait for some time? Will you be waiting for a long time or is the item available? Ask if it will be delivered for free or not so forth and so on.
FAQ about the Best Marine Binocular
What are the samples of the best marine binocular brands?
There are brands such as Leica and Zeiss brand that is high end and has top quality. The High-quality brand includes Steiner, Minox, Nikon, Bushnell, and Bresser.
What are the features that I should look for marine binoculars?
It should have a durable construction with lenses of high quality. There should be enough rubber covering for easy handling, less the slipping while you are navigating bodies of water in a boat or other vessel. There should be enough nitrogen to avoid steaming and keeps moisture from getting inside. A strap that is made of neoprene makes sure that the binoculars will stay above water if ever it slips in your hands.
What to do if I have unsteady hands?
You can have a pair of marine binoculars with image stabilization which is important especially when you are navigating the water double it with unsteady hands and it this feature should be on top of your list. You may also mount your binoculars in a tripod for good stability.
What are the top picks for marine binoculars?
- Steiner Marine 7×50 – German-made, sturdy, tough, and shock-resistant.
- Byfield Optics Recon Polarised 10×42 – High quality, great for both land and sea use. Nitrogen purged, Waterproof, fog proof, and lightweight.
- Bushnell Marine 7×50 – waterproof and can be fully submerged in water, shockproof with anti-slip rubber armoring features.
- Bushnell H20 8×25 Roof Prism – compact with all the impressive features. Waterproof with O-ring seal and nitrogen purged. Shock absorbent body.
- Saxon Oceanfront – available in 7×50 and 10×50 with high-quality bak-4 prism. Both for land and sea use and is also waterproof.
Should I buy the high-priced binoculars to ensure a durable and high-quality product?
How to buy marine binoculars?
You must inspect focusing, and see if you are comfortable holding the binoculars, inspect the optical clarity including the brightness since this is the top features you should look for. You can ask the seller for a test chart that you can view and if it is not available, you can just focus on any object on the store to see the sharpness, brightness, clarity in front, side, and above.
Conclusion
Marine binoculars create a unique world for users, where a mere object can be magnified by seeing the overall view of the object. This binocular can also prevent accidents in bodies of water because it gives you an immediate look at your surroundings and nearby area at a certain distance even before you get there.
The above review can give you a simple introduction about marine binoculars and what you have to look for when you purchase.