Hello to all. My wife bought me a set of compact, rubber-armoured leicas, 8x20 I thereabouts, some 30 yrs ago. Objects 30ft or so, to infinity are crisp and clear. Now that we are hunting more together, and she has hand arthritis I am searching for a good set of higher end binos like it for her They need to be compact, 8-10x20-30, and focus free. I've done a search, and it seems non-existent. Surprising, as it makes glassing a real treat! Anybody know if theres a reason for the scarcity? Were they prone to defect or something? appreciated!
"focus-free", or "fixed-focus" Binocs...who makes good ones?
- Thread starter Sako300v2
- Start date
Have you actually looked at the Steiner 8x30? They are relatively compact, not exactly cigarette package sized but reasonably compact and not that heavy. I use them at concerts and for hunting. Im not aware of anyone else making a tiny fixed focus binocular so your choices are very limited.
I concur with Hunter7 regarding the Steiner 8x30s - they are a fantastic, smaller-framed and very lightweight option in a very limited field of focus-free binoculars. On top of their compact size and lightweight they are incredibly durable, my own set having lasted two tours in Afghanistan where I put them to frequent use. I recommend the 8x30 Steiners new for around $400, without hesitation.
All the binoculars being discussed here are not actually "fixed focus" or "focus-free". They are simply built without the central focus system that most binoculars have. With a center-focus binocular, you turn the wheel located between the barrels and both left and right barrels are focused at the same time. Usually, one barrel has a diopter arrangement that allows you to fine tune the focus so that both eyes get a perfectly focused image at the same time even if your eyes are not quite perfectly matched as most aren't.
That diopter adjustment is something you only need to do once to suit your eyes; after that, all further focusing for various distances is done with the central knob.
The binoculars the OP is asking for have individual focusing eyepieces. The idea is that you shut one eye, then focus the other barrel for the eye that is open. Then you reverse the procedure and you end up with two separate focus settings for your individual eyes. For stuff anywhere between maybe 40 feet and infinity, the depth of field is sufficient to give you a sharp image without fiddling with focus unless you are sharing the binocular with somebody else, which requires re-setting it for their eyes. The eyepieces usually have numbered scales on them so that once you know your settings, you can instantly return to them if they get changed.
I love the Steiners I have...an 8x30 and a 10x50...for cold-weather stuff like coyote hunting, where I don't want to play with focus knobs. Really, the only disadvantage of the system is that you have a binocular which won't let you observe something very close to you, which is why birders don't use them. Birders are the ultimate optics nerds, and a birding binocular needs to focus as close as possible while offering fast center focus. All the elite birding models focus down into the single digits range in feet; I have a specialized pair of Pentax 6x30's that focus down to about 30 inches! Hunters don't need that, so an individual-focus binocular works for hunting use. And you can get them to focus much closer if you want, but that means re-focusing the eyepieces individually for the close distance and then returning them to your regular setting for general use.
And, surprise! Any regular centerfocus binocular can be used in much the same way as the individual focus ones. Focus on something maybe 40 or 50 feet away, and then look at the horizon. Odds are good that it will be in acceptable focus as well, might take a bit of fine-tuning, then look back at the 40-feet item to see if it's still good. Might turn out that 50 or 60 feet is your closest clear image. Plenty good enough for virtually any hunting use. Tape the focus knob so that it doesn't get knocked out of whack, or just make a mark on it that you can look at to confirm that it's still set. Congrats, you now have almost the same thing as a Steiner "auto-focus" binocular. It might not have quite the same depth of field, but it will definitely be a quick convenient solution to the PITA of stiff-fingered and/or cold-weather focusing.
That diopter adjustment is something you only need to do once to suit your eyes; after that, all further focusing for various distances is done with the central knob.
The binoculars the OP is asking for have individual focusing eyepieces. The idea is that you shut one eye, then focus the other barrel for the eye that is open. Then you reverse the procedure and you end up with two separate focus settings for your individual eyes. For stuff anywhere between maybe 40 feet and infinity, the depth of field is sufficient to give you a sharp image without fiddling with focus unless you are sharing the binocular with somebody else, which requires re-setting it for their eyes. The eyepieces usually have numbered scales on them so that once you know your settings, you can instantly return to them if they get changed.
I love the Steiners I have...an 8x30 and a 10x50...for cold-weather stuff like coyote hunting, where I don't want to play with focus knobs. Really, the only disadvantage of the system is that you have a binocular which won't let you observe something very close to you, which is why birders don't use them. Birders are the ultimate optics nerds, and a birding binocular needs to focus as close as possible while offering fast center focus. All the elite birding models focus down into the single digits range in feet; I have a specialized pair of Pentax 6x30's that focus down to about 30 inches! Hunters don't need that, so an individual-focus binocular works for hunting use. And you can get them to focus much closer if you want, but that means re-focusing the eyepieces individually for the close distance and then returning them to your regular setting for general use.
And, surprise! Any regular centerfocus binocular can be used in much the same way as the individual focus ones. Focus on something maybe 40 or 50 feet away, and then look at the horizon. Odds are good that it will be in acceptable focus as well, might take a bit of fine-tuning, then look back at the 40-feet item to see if it's still good. Might turn out that 50 or 60 feet is your closest clear image. Plenty good enough for virtually any hunting use. Tape the focus knob so that it doesn't get knocked out of whack, or just make a mark on it that you can look at to confirm that it's still set. Congrats, you now have almost the same thing as a Steiner "auto-focus" binocular. It might not have quite the same depth of field, but it will definitely be a quick convenient solution to the PITA of stiff-fingered and/or cold-weather focusing.
