Binoculars Blog

Binocular tip:both eyes open

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:04:00 +0000

Joanie's binocular tip of the day. Did you know that most people have one eye that is stronger than the other? It's actually uncommon to have two eyes that are exactly equal. That's way all binoculars, with the exception of inexpensive "no focus" models, have a diopter (strength) adjustment. When making the initial diopter adjustment for your eyes, don't make the mistake of closing one eye and then the other. You'll get the most comfortable setting, with the least amount of eye fatigue, if you keep both eyes open when you make a diopter adjustment on a binocular. After all, both eyes open is the way you will be using a binocular. If you find it difficult to use both eyes, simply hold your hand over the other side, but do not close your eyes.

Premium binocular torture

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:53:00 +0000

If you need a way to torture a binocular addict like me, here's a good one. Ask me to choose between a Swarovski EL 8x32 or the new Nikon 8x32EDG. I've always loved the Swarovski EL form the very first time I had one in my hand at a birding festival. It was new, it was revolutionary and so perfectly balanced. The EL was so hard to put down, folks in line got angry from waiting. Haven't had a chance to hold the 8x32 EDG, but I have tested the Nikon 7x42 EDG prototype and, well, wow! The way to a mans' heart may be his stomach, but the way to this girl's heart is a premium binocular. Either will do, nicely, thank-you.

Widlife and more binoculars

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:44:00 +0000

Mid summer and warm muggy days are upon us. Unlike most folks, I really enjoy this weather. Just something about these lazy days that makes me want to sit by a lake or pond with binocular in hand and watch, not only birds, but insects, butterflies, bullfrogs, turtles and anything else moving about. I even use binoculars to observe distant wildflowers, grasses and aquatic plants and all form the comfort of a folding camp chair I strap to the back of my bicycle rack. Best of all, I often have the pond to myself, since most folks have retreated to their air-conditioned sanctuaries. Not this girl. I love all seasons and all weather. Don't look for me indoors.

8x binocular versus 10x binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:35:00 +0000

Starting to get customers shopping for hunting binoculars. Guess it's about that time. Where has the summer gone? Many of my hunters automatically choose a 10x binocular, but I'd like to remind them that an 8x binocular will do everything a 10x will do and, if carrying a lot of gear and using a binocular with one hand, an 8x is much easier to steady and it also provides a wider field of view. Hate to say it, but the steadiness thing becomes more important as we age. Sure has for me, anyway. Getting harder all the time for me to steady some of my 10x binoculars, even with two hands.

Steiner binocular durability

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:43:00 +0000

One of the things I've always admired about Steiner binoculars is their durability. Steiner is one of the leaders in supplying military binoculars around the world and they know how to make a tough binocular. Even the Steiner birding binoculars have an extra heavy armor coating and, yet, they are still reasonable in weight. Don't let the word birding fool you, either. Steiner roof prism binoculars also make great hunting binoculars and have received a number of awards from outdoor magazines.

Buying a binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:40:00 +0000

Will you identify more birds with a $1500 binocular than a $300 binocular? Fair question and the answer is, probably not. These days, you can get a lot of binocular for $300. Will you enjoy birding more with a $1500 binocular. Oh yeah, I guarantee it. Nothing quite as thrilling as seeing a beautiful bird in a premium grade binocular and, the way I see it, the more you enjoy birding, the more likely you are to keep doing it. You don't have to become an optics addict, like me, but I never heard of anyone complaining about buying too good a birding binocular.

Mountain bikes for birding

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:59:00 +0000

Picked up an old friend of mine - used bicycle that is - off of Craigslist. It's '95 steel Kona mountain bike which I actually owned back in '95, but later sold in a pinch. To this day, that oldie but goodie remains my favorite ride of all time in terms of comfort and feel. Absolutely thrilled to get one in near mint condition. I will be using this bike with wide smooth tread tires during bad weather in the warmer months and studded snows this winter, but I also love the low gearing for slowly moving along Forest Preserves trails for birding. That and the upright position makes a mountain bike a better choice for birding than my beloved cyclocross bikes. See you on the trail. Bring a binocular, your bird guide and let's ride.

Binocular plus monocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:30:00 +0000

One of the stunts - and it is a stunt - that I pull with a tripod mounted astronomy binocular, now and then, is to place a low power monocular over the eyepiece to boost magnification. It's a long, long way from turning a binocular into a telescope and optics are less than ideal, even when using high grade binoculars and monoculars. About the only time I rate this as useful, rather than silly, is to check for detail in some open clusters or do a check on the position of double stars. Silly is what I did the other night to try to see the Ring Nebula with my 10x Nikon Astroluxe 10x70 and my Nikon 5x monocular. Did it work? Actually, yes, I did detect the nebula, but the view was hardly worth the effort and it was an effort. I think I will leave telescope work to telescopes.

Fall warblers for the binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:32:00 +0000

If you are a warbler fan, as I am, right now is the time to brush up on fall warblers. Get that field guide out and start reviewing. Hey, spring warblers are fun and easy - anyone with a binocular can identify a spring warbler - it's the fall warblers that are a challenge for a die-hard birder. The late summer and early fall woods are also one of my favorite times to be out with a binocular. The atmosphere is so different than in spring. Despite the green foliage, I can sense the coming of winter, another great season for birding. See you out in the woods. Don't forget your binocular.

Coathanger for binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:21:00 +0000

Most of the things up in the night sky that have names - constellations, for example - bear little resemblance to their namesake. There are a few notable exceptions, however. One of my favorite binocular objects that really does look like its name is called the Coathanger. It's an open star cluster in the obscure constellation Vulpecula (the Fox) and it looks exactly like a common coathanger. Of course, the name "Coathanger" is not its real name. Officially, it is known as Collinder 399 or sometimes Borccchi's cluster for an astronomer who mapped it for the purpose of calibrating photometers, but most binocular astronomers just call it the Coathanger. Don't look for the coathanger with a telescope, though. You will need the wider field of view of an ordinary binocular to see it as a coathanger.

Summer binocular pick

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Asking me to pick my favorite open cluster for an astronomy binocular is like asking me to pick my favorite chocolate! What few brain cells I have left would fry in the attempt. Not going to happen. What I am willing to do, however, is pick my favorite open star clusters for binocular by season. With that in mind, my favorite summer open star cluster for a binocular (drum roll, please) is M7 in Sagittarius. To me, it is the epitome of summer binocular astronomy. Only way it could be better is if it was higher in the sky for our northern latitudes. Even close to the horizon, even under my light polluted sky, though, this open cluster is a grand sight and, like many of the great binocular open clusters, it is a better sight in a binocular than it is a telescope.

Using a tripod for astronomy binoculars

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:11:00 +0000

One of the headaches we astronomy binocular users suffer is using a binocular on a standard photo tripod. Usually means you have to scrunch down under the binocular when looking at objects high overhead - definitely not comfortable or convenient.

Here's one of Joanie's tips. Set the binocular on your tripod, sit in a chair, then place the tripod so that one leg is pointing straight out in front of you and the other two are straddling your legs as you sit in the chair. Raise the center column on the tripod as needed, then grab the tripod center column and tilt the tripod back on the two legs that straddle your chair. You can get your giant binocular nearly straight overhead with little discomfort using this technique. Won't be quite as stable as using all three tripod legs, but for most objects, more than stable enough.

Light polluted astronomy

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I did it again - I fell asleep in bed reading a book and then awoke around midnight to discover the sky was clear and full of stars. What a great night with the astronomy binocular! To all my friends out west who pity me for lack of a good sky, just want you to know that I am still able to some binocular astronomy, here in the light polluted city. Just a matter of selecting objects that are available, even under conditions of heavy light pollution. Open star clusters and double stars have been my mainstay deep-sky objects for binoculars, here in the Chicago suburbs. Had fun last night with both. Hope you all got out and did some astronomy, too.

Binocular edge sharpness

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:21:00 +0000

Always amazes me just how picky we optics addicts can be when it comes to certain features on a binocular. Take edge sharpness, for instance. Does anyone really need a binocular that is sharp nearly to the edge of the field of view, compared to the usual 70 or 80% of the FOV? No, probably not, but "need" is a funny word. I just plain enjoy a binocular that has great edge sharpness more than a binocular with just average edge sharpness. I won't identify more birds because of it or really miss anything important, but, then again, I am more likely to use a binocular for birding that I enjoy more and that can translate to more birds seen. Of course, that kind of a binocular can make a very real dent in my checkbook, too.

Nikon EDG binocular coming ...

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:12:00 +0000

June is almost over and no sign of the new Nikon EDG binocular. We had been told that it would be sometime in June for this new super binocular to become available, give or take. I can tell you that the 7x42 Nikon EDG prototype I tried and the 10x42 EDG prototype that our own Steve Ledin tried were as good as any premium binocular I have ever had in my hands. My next binocular could very well be the Nikon 8x32 EDG. Will definitely blog when I can get my hot little hands on one. This is one binocular well worth the wait.

Grab and go binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:08:00 +0000

Approaching the dark of the moon and, for an astronomer, that's good news. Weather has kept my astronomy binocular indoors these last few weeks, so I anxiously watch the weather report and check my skies every time I get up at night. The Nikon 10x70 sits on the tripod, just waiting for some action. For me, it's less than a two minute drill to be out on the patio observing with my binocular. It's one of the things I most appreciate about binocular astronomy. No equipment hassles or set up time. Just grab the binocular and go.

Nocturnal binoculars

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:45:00 +0000

Nocturnal birding? If you've never done this before, you are missing some great opportunities to add birds to your yearly or monthly bird list, if you keep such things. Even if you don't, it's a thrill to hear birds that you seldom, if ever, see by day. That's right; nocturnal birding is mostly by ear - no binocular needed. I always carry one, though. Now and then, especially on a moonlit night, you might get to see one of these night singers or callers in the binocular. As for locations, just check for the preferred habitat for the nocturnal bird you want to hear and head out after dark. In my area, we have dense woodlands, so will be seeking Whip-poor-wills and several species of owls.

Binocular scouting

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:30:00 +0000

Been tough getting an Indigo Bunting in my binocular, this year, even in places I used to see them. Not sure the reason, but I have been carrying my binocular more than usual this time of year, in the hopes that I can still add one to my birding year list. Seems to be one or two bird species every year that escape my list and this year it is the Indigo. Best chance to see this bird will now be later, during migration. Of course, I could ride my bicycle out into new areas and do some heavy scouting with the binocular, but that seems a long shot. Still, I believe in the old birding adage, "Same area, same birds."

Summertime binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:39:00 +0000

Summertime, summertime! For birders, summer is something of a mixed blessing. Migration is over, for the most part, so in terms of variety, we're down to resident nesting birds. Some birders see that as a negative, but I see it as a positive. I have a couple of bluebird boxes and one spectacular martin house along my bike route, all well in range of my 8x compact binocular. Also have an Oriole nest in progress just down the street. Nothing beats a pleasant summer afternoon with a good binocular and watching these birds raise their young.

Binocular parallelogram mount

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Had a customer ask if we had any Apogee right angle binoculars left to sell. Had to tell her, no, unfortunately, since Apogee is no longer in business and our remaining stock on Apogee binoculars is sold out. I can understand why she wants a right angle binocular, given the many years I've spent behind an astronomy binocular, but, in my opinion, a better solution is a parallelogram mount. Unfortunately, a good one is hard to find (we don't offer one). The ones I've used were custom made and a marvel to use. Kind of hard to go back to a conventional tripod after you've used one of these.

Lunar oberving phase

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:07:00 +0000

As we approach full moon, this week, I am reminded that many beginners with telescopes and binoculars tend to think full moon is the time to do some lunar astronomy. Full moon is actually the worst phase for astronomy, as most of the detail is lost in the glare. Moon filters do help, but serious lunar astronomers wait for a partially lit moon and observe at the edge of the shadow where the lighted and dark meet. This is the area of best contrast and most detail. Next week, not this week, will be a better week. I will have my astronomy binocular, mounted on a tripod, ready to go.

The binocular vote

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:26:00 +0000

I will never vote for any presidential candidate: ... who uses zoom binoculars … who shops for a roof prism at a home improvement store … who gets the words astrology and astronomy mixed up … who picks up a binocular and uses it backwards … who thinks you are supposed to see two circles when looking through a binocular, just like in the movies … who thinks eye relief is a medicine ... who has ever been intentionally mean or hurtful to a binocular, even a zoom.

Am I being too picky, here?

Birding compact binoculars

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Didn't have the opportunity to use my larger birding binoculars during this spring migration,given all my bicycling, but can't say I missed full size binoculars this spring. My compact binoculars did just fine and were a much better choice for birding from my bicycle. In fact, I can't think of a single instance where I felt one of my premium compact binocular let me down, even deep in the woods for warblers. I would still recommend a full-size binocular for beginning birders, but a good compact binocular, in the hands of an experienced birder, can be a serious birding tool.

Astronomy binocular summer

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Summer astronomy for me centers on the summer traingle, that trio of bright stars - Vega, Altair and Deneb. Fortunately, these stellar beauties are siutuated, perfectly, from my apartment patio on summer nights and I spend many evenings with the binocular enjoying all the open clusters and double stars in the area. If you are new to binocular astronomy, this is a great time to get out that binocular and put it to use. Sure, it helps to have an astronomy binocular, but any binocular, even a compact binocular, will show you a wealth of stars. Get out and take a look.

Steady compact binocular

noreply@blogger.com (Joanie K) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:36:00 +0000

Can a compact binocular be too lightweight? Yes, I think so, at least as far as steadiness is concerned. Compact binoculars, due to their lighter weight, are generally harder to steady than mid-size and full size binoculars, as it is. A little heft in a compact binocular tends to steady it in the hand. One of the best in this regard is the Swarovski Pocket binocular. Though not at all heavy at 7.6 ounces for the 8x20, it does have the feel of something a bit heavier and more substantial. Probably one of the easiest to steady compact binoculars I have used, yet.