Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Uneducated bino ?: what makes a bino "easy" to look through

I've got a couple binos moved down the road and I'm searching for the next and hopefully last I'll buy, for a few years at least, as I mentioned in my Nikon Premier post.

My question is around the fact that some binos come right to your eye with little adjustment and snap right to focus, opening a very large unobstructed view of what looks like a new and vibrant world. The problem is that I have looked at some very high end glasses and not gotten that impression. In fact the best I've ever experienced was a pair of now discontinued Trivod's that made the world come to life with no fuss at all. Even what are regarded as the world's best (Swaro EL, SLC) and best value (Zeiss Conquest) seem to leave me moving my eyes about to get interpupillary distance and eye relief correct to avoid large black spots.

Do I have wierd eyes? Are there some models that do tend to be more forgiving, especially as eye relief and IP is concerned? For those of you with experience with the most recent generation of Trinovid is there another model that seem to mirror the ease of viewing? Most recently I've had the 8x32 Euro HD's and while the view was amazing and they may have been the best all around hunting bino I could have imagined I just couldn't get used to the thin, short, eye cups. I wear contacts most of the time but glasses could come into play for what it's worth.

Looking primarily at the used market because I can get alot for the money though with my $500-700 budget most recent alphas are still out of the question.

Nick

What has helped me the most was simply getting the eye cups adjusted properly for my eyes. If I don't have the eye cups out far enough, my eyelashes hit the lenses, and I see black spots. I find all the alphas pretty easy to look through, the EL's have the most of any I believe.

Usually blackouts happen due to being too close to the eyepiece (eye cups not extended far enough out). Perhaps the structure of your eye sockets is such that even when fully extended, the eye cups let the EP get too close to your eye. Leica tends to have fairly short eye relief, which makes sense that they work for you if the above is true.

You may also want to try binos with a larger exit pupil as this also makes them more user friendly in regards to eye placement.

I've noticed the same things. I really need user friendly binoculars. Otherwise I suffer from eye fatigue and tend not to glass as much or as well I should.
So what helps ? I believe it's a number of factors.
Weight helps. Nobody wants to carry much weight around their neck. But the more magnification I have, the more the binocular needs to weigh. I bought the heavier Leica BN's and not the Ultravid when i bought my 12X50, for instance.
Lots of depth of focus. This is one reason why I really like my Leupold Yosemite, 6X30 and my old 6.5X32IF Nikon. If I know I'm going to be glassing standing, one of those is my around the neck choice. My Nikon 8X32 is a great glass, but it works alot better if I sit when using it.
If I know I'm going to be glassing alot from standing and need plenty of magnification, nothing beats my old, very heavy 8X42 Leica BA. Like looking through a big bay window. If I know I'm going to sitting and glassing for an hour or more at a time, and not using a tripod, this is what I choose.
While I can and have used the above 8X32 or the 12X50 from sitting, both work alot better, i.e. easier on the eyes as well as showing me more, if I put them on a tripod. E

I had a pair of Nikon's that gave me headaches everytime I looked through them. I finally gave them to a BIL that I don't much like.

I have a pair of 6x30 Steiner Hunting binos that I absolutely love. With or without glasses, I am able to focus each eyepiece one time and get clear, headache free sight pictures at almost any range.

BH63

Besides eyes relief, IPD, lower power binoculars also are easier on the eyes, as it reduces the effects of handshake. Also, just better glass has fewer distortions and glare, and thus easier to look through for longer periods of time. Another good alpha bino is the Leica Ultravid HD 7 x 42, if you have the cash. I also use the Leupold Yosemite 6 x 30's for woodlands or closer in hunting. Eyecups are also important. I tried the Cabelas Euro 8 x 30, and the eyecups are so small that they fall into the eye socket and prevented me from holding the binos steady and getting a good view, they were more tiring because of this.

Step one, of course, would be to remove all of the lens covers. LOL

Problem solved! A friend I with had apparently been trying to sell a Leupold GR 10x42. I borrowed a Nikon LXL from another co worker along with some new Conquest HD's. I spent a couple days with all three fully expecting the Conquests to win hands down, the Nikon to come a close second and the Leupold to be nice but too heavy and visually uninspiring(this opinion coming from the guy trying to sell them).

In the end the Nikon's just didn't present a real picture of the world from a color standpoint. Resolution was good but everything was washed out and looked hazy. The conquest I liked and was great overall but they're short eyecups had me fighting blackspots unless I floated them away from my eye. The definitive winner were the Leupold, super resolution and the large cups fit me perfect. I may have overpaid a bit at $500 but I couldn't be happier. I can't imagine the views the Gold Ring HD's must deliver...
Thanks for the help!
Nick

Nah, you did quite well and you're happy with the purchase. Congrats on the new bino.

Agree, same thing here. Steiner 8 x 30 Marine are effortless, Nikon Monarch 7 take a lot of work. Was wondering if it was me or the binoculars.

If there is one thing I learned in 6 months of looking it was this. Unless you have the money to buy brand new alpha glass look used. If you're on a budget you will have options in glass far higher quality than new.
Nick

I've had zero problems with my SLC 8x30 binos. Clear, lightweight, no eye fatigue at all.....I've used them to scout and hunt with, my only complaint would be that I didn't buy some earlier....
I've seen them sold on here for 500 to 800

When the collimation is spot on the world is right.