Quote:

---

Quote:

---

3) The real players start at about $250- $300

---

Ok, so what are the real players?

Tom T.

---

Thank you all for the kind words.

Yes, I do know something about binos. However, always be leery of those who seem to know too much. Often they KNOW more than they UNDERSTAND. That can get everyone in trouble. When it comes to spending money for binoculars, the laws of common sense can mean more than a degree in engineering.

Also, what I know has NOTHING to do with smarts. With a pocket full of degrees, I’m still “hawking ‘nocklars” at Captain’s, and still planning to live on ALPO Helper as I get older, knowing that I have no retirement. Smart people do not find themselves in such situations. It’s just that I have been doing what I do for so long, it would be impossible not to have learned something along the way.

As for Tom’s question:

It would be foolish for me to discuss the “players” because while I have 150 models in my cabinets, that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what’s available. And, for EVERY good buy I might mention, there would be dozens just as good—or better—that I have never seen. That, of course, would lead to endless email messages from disgruntled people wanting to know: “Well, what about my this?” or “What about my that?” I just can’t afford to go there, right now.

Besides, I would undoubtedly wind up talking to people who were comparing apples to apples, thinking they were comparing apples to oranges. Case in point: find an old Swift Storm King and compare it to the Tamaya BIFR. Then compare that to the Simmons 1170. Then, compare that to the Celestron “waterproof.” Then compare that to the TASCO . . . Well, you get the picture.

In 1996, when S & T asked me to discuss my eight favorite binos for astronomy, I saw problems coming. However, as a writer, I weighed the ramifications against the size of the check. The check won. Then, before the ink was dry, people were calling me at work to complain about THEIR favorite binocular not making MY cut. I stressed to everyone that I KNEW there were hundreds of binoculars that could have filled the bill, but that my assignment was to discuss eight—not 80 or 800.

I do have a right to discuss what I own or use.

My primary birding glass is the Nikon Superior E 8x32 (That’s not a slam on Zeiss, Leica, or Swarovski. I just don’t have that kind of money.) I still have my Swift 8.5x44’s and 10x50’s at the ready. Another killer in this arena is the Nikon E II. This is a fantastic binocular for the money. It also has an 8.8-degree field of view.

For astronomy, I use a Nikon ProStar 7x50 (which I got at a great price, otherwise I would be using a Fujinon FMT-SX), a Fujinon 10x70, and a Celestron 25x100. I would love to have a Myauchi, but when Swift stopped importing them, we stopped carrying them.

Well, that’s enough rambling for now.

Cheers,

Bill

--------------------
William J. Cook, Chief Opticalman, USNR-Ret.
Founding Editor, Amateur Telescope Making Journal
20-year vet. of Captain's Nautical Supplies, Optics Dept. Mgr.
Optics Machanic, WG11-3306, Ft. Lewis, Tacoma,WA
Yata, Yata, Yata . . .

Post Extras