Telescope Reviews: binocular strap failures

Last night while I was using my 8x42, suddenly one of the plastic loops that connected it to the binocular broke! Fortunately either because I had a hand on one barrel or because the strap has a pad that makes it sort of a "non-slip" strap (or both), the binocular didn't fall to the ground -- or the concrete, that is.

I was very glad it didn't fall because just a few weeks ago my cheapo $30 10x42 roof prism model did not come out so well from a comparable failure. I was using it outside my apartment when suddenly the strap simply released and the binocular fell to the concrete, hitting on the objective end of the right barrel. I caught it on the bounce. My eyes could still merge its images, but only with difficulty. I noticed especially that when I would quit looking though it, my eyes would tell me they had been working hard to keep the images merged. So, I gave the 10x42 a friend who has a condition that prevents him from ever merging the two images. He's used it at a couple of sports events already and found it useful. So I had to remove that one from my signature.

So the moral of these two stories is to make sure that your straps are firmly connected and also not about to break or otherwise fail.

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Ed Cannon - Austin, Texas, USA

As of 23 August 2008 - Celestron Skymaster 12x60

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