I had a pleasant surprise when I ordered a pair of binoculars from my distributor. I ordered a pair of Vanguard 7x50 marine glasses. They came in a nice case and comfortable strap and felt good in the hand when I picked them up...a little weight can assist in keeping them steady at sea in a rocking boat. I love my Fujinon's 7x50 and they are dreadfully expensive even when on sale. I didn't want to use them on my AAB, so I was willing to compromise and get a cheaper center focus style binocular rather than the each eyepiece focus style which are much better to use at sea. For lessor money it usually is center focus style when looking at marine waterproof.
I put them up to my eye and placed my fingers where the focus cam should be and it wasn't! I then checked and they were eyepiece focus. I set them to my settings and they were almost perfect focus. I got them for $69 plus ship. They are bright and feel good in hand, yes the eyepiece lens isn't the biggest but very adequate for using aboard my AAB. So if you are considering a pair of binoculars I think you can't go wrong with these for our smaller boats...yet nothing will beat out my Fuji's.
Tucked away in their place.
Capt PJ
pjay9, I've almost always set my glasses aside while running in the salt as the effort to keep my gullet down while using them in a swell was almost always a loosing battle. I'd try for a while, clench my gut, push against the rail in a beam swell and try to keep some vague image of the horizon or shore before I lost the battle and 'fed the fishes'. The best case was I'd get a sour gut and spend the day in foul mood until the "smoking lamp" was lit that afternoon.
Then I got my Image Stabilized Cannons.
Now I use glasses running in a chop and still see the numbers on a buoy at hundreds of yards in swell or watch the eyes of an eagle as he/she scans for food. When you can stand flat footed, elbows out, and follow a bird at 750 feet up- in focus- an watch the wind shift the feathers as they soar- you're there.
When a man gets IS glasses from Cannon; I doubt they go back. I've found them on eBay for as little as 20cents the dollar and have collected a half dozen pair ranging from 10x30 & up to some that show the Moon and Mars like a Celestron.
There is no better view available in hand held glasses IMHO.
I have to agree about the IS glasses from Canon...surely a fine instrument! I just didn't think of getting a set for this boat or any other actually. I was aboard a vessel that had a pair and found them to be good and do a fine job except when underway with a vibration thru my feet which caused a constant jiggle...very annoying! When still they worked wonders, but then again that was an early set from Canon...so just maybe they have improved the IS system. I'll indeed need to give them another look.
In the meantime these Vanguards are doing a nice job. I am lucky not to have the vision issue stated above. Plus I guess sometimes I am old school. Point in fact, just last night I cleaned, greased, oil and adjusted a pair of vintage Mitchell 302's and a 303, I picked up a few days ago for dirt. They had issues and it was in the crank handle shaft and brass bearing assembly...now they run free. I have old Penn's as well 9, 10,109,209,210,309,350 49, 149,and 349 along with my Mitchell's 300, 410,308, 306, 302 and high speed versions. Gee! am I stuck or what! Again , I think it comes down to liking the feel and the way they handle.
I will be keeping my eye peeled for a good deal on a set of IS...thx for the reminder! Capt PJ
I will have to take a rain check on that, Jim. I probably won't be hitting the water until the end of the month. I still have a couple of projects to wrap up on the boat.
Spending my kids inheritance with them, one adventure at a time.
