Binoculars and @#%%$ Glasses

[waksupi]

I find glasses real annoying when trying to use binoculars. Leave them on, and the field of view is greatly reduced. Taking them off is not always the handiest thing. What to do?

[oneokie]

Contact lens or Lasik.

[Larry Gibson]

waksupi

It was a sad day when i had to give up on my military Leica made 6x30s. They were the handiest binos for still hunting......

Contact lens don't work when you need trifocals and Lasik won't work for me either. I thus shopped around for a quality set of binos some years back. I settled on the 10x40 Zeiss Victory's but that was before the price increases really hit. I paid $1000 for the Victory model back then. They have longer eye relif and the lens have cups that turn down so you can use them with glasses. I use them all the time when hunting and scouting. However, I really wanted a pair I could leave in the PU and not worry about them. I'd lose sleep if I left my Zeiss in the PU........

Recently when I retired from my military contract job the company ask what I wanted as a parting gift. I jokingly said Leupold Cascade 8x42 binoculars as I had recented checked them out at a local gunshop. Darned if they didn't get me them! They have very good optics for the price range ($300- $400) and have long eye relief and turn down eye cups so they can be used with glasses. I really like them, leave them in the PU and use them quite a bit when I can get them away from my wife........

Granted the Leupold Cascades are not Zeiss Victory's but then they aren't near as expensive as what my Zeiss Victory would cost today ($2,000). With optics you get what you pay for. I suggest you check out the Leupold Cascade 8x42s and see if they work for you with glasses.

Larry Gibson

[13Echo]

Eye relief is the answer. With about 17mm of eye relief you should be able to get full field of view with glasses. Works with my 20 year old Zeiss Classics. Most binoculars that work with glasses will advertise it. Like Larry said you get what you paid for but there are some excellent optics out there in the $300 to $500 range. If you can afford it then Leitz, Zeiss, Swarovski, and Nikon make some incredible binoculars.

Jerry Liles

[canyon-ghost]

Found a cheap set of Nikon 10X binos at Walmart for $50 with roll-back eyecups for glasses. Everyone loves them, including me and my bifocals.

[waksupi]

Well, I have zero money to spend and already own some Swiss Kern binoculars, so am looking for some other solution. I thought someone may have a trick they use to get around the problem, without throwing money at it.

[excess650]

Eye relief is the answer. Better binoculars have eye cups that can be moved to allow the eye piece closer to the eye. My Kerns have rubber, roll/fold down eyecups, but not nearly as much eye relief as my Zeiss Jena 7x40 EDFs.

A friend of mine flips his glasses up and adjusts his binos to his eyes.

[zuke]

Walmart $20 pair of mini's. Roll the rubber eye cup's down.
I carry a set on my hunting pack at all time's.
If they break I'm out $20, if I can't make it out it's out of range :)

[Doc Highwall]

13Echo nailed it. You need at least 17mm of eye relief and longer is even better.

The distance from the front of your glasses to your eye is approx. 17mm.

[BD]

Eye relief is the issue, and there is no set answer. The eye relief you need is determined by your eye glass prescription along with the size and configuration of your eyeglass lenses. I've found the best answer is to travel to a big box outdoor store, (Cabelas, Bass Proshops, LL bean, Kittery Tading Post), find the longest available view and try as many as you can. Somewhere out there is a pair with an ocular lense that can be held the correct distance from your eyeglass lense to keep you in focus without eye strain. I have a good hunting buddy who swears by his Zweiss, and they're excellant glass, but they drive me nuts in under 10 minutes as I have to hold them just the right distance off my glasses. On the other hand I can take my Leupolds for an hour or more at a time as with the diopter adjusted to my right eye the rubber eyecups are "just right" for the distance needed from the face of my glasses for a coherent image from both eyes. If you're wearing trifocals, (as I am), choosing a pair that will work takes some time, and will annoy the sales clerk to no end. so pick the clerk that's not really getting anything done anyway.
Unfortunately as we get older, the range of focus our eyes are capable of gets narrower, which makes the focal length of any additional lense we use more critical.
BD

[rmcc]

I am afraid the old saying you get what you pay for applies here more than just about anywhere else!! I have always had to wear glasses so grew up either using binoculars with just one eye or if I could ever get them adjusted for my glasses put up with a VERY narrow field of veiw. Then it got worse when I had to go to bifocals!! The only solution I found was high grade bincoulars. I bought Leica 8 x 42 Trinovids. Have never looked back. Economy being an issue, my only other choice would be Minox. I have other binoculars but there is just no comparison to form an argument with against what is stated in earlier posts. This is just my opinion on my experience with my eyes. I do not mean to offend anyone about their choice of binoculars.


Rich

[Rick Hodges]

I too use the Leupold Cascade 8x42's. With the eycups down they are very usable with glasses.

[Doc Highwall]

I have a pair of Leupold Pinnacles that I like.

[Jon K]

I just bought a pair of Nikon Monarch 3 8x42. Eye relief is 25.4mm with click adjustable eye cups to adjust the eye relief. Cost is reasonable($229) and optics are great. Made for those who wear glasses.

Levergun .22 & Pistol ctg match today. Worked great...my old binoculars were just not cutting it with the cateracs. I checked the specs and compared with other optics costing more. I believe this is an introductory price because the monarch ATB is priced $299. These are NOT Retail prices.

I know money is an issue...but sometimes in order to keep doing what we enjoy...shooting....you have to reset your priorities, even if it means selling a gun or something to continue to shoot.

Have Fun Shooting,
Jon

[waksupi]

Still following the thread.

Can't see selling more stuff for new binoculars. At the time, I am selling stuff for food, and property taxes. Next stuff I sell, will be for more food, and propane for heat. Not sure what happens when I run out of stuff to sell.
Oh, forgot doctors visit on Monday. No stuff to sell for binoculars, for a long, long time.

[shovel80]

I guess i'm just lucky?? I use Nikon 10x50's....I just take my glasses off when looking through them without any trouble...I've not come across any Modern "Glasses" that were not adjustable for each eye!...I'd love to have some of the Expensive Ones..but..Rather have More bullets, powder, Primers..and of course....GUns!..;-)

Terry

[atr]

Like most "older" guys my eyes are an issue too....
Last summer I bought Vanguard Venture Plus 8x42 binoculars
VERY clean sharp optics and great light gathering capabilities,,,decent price,,,,adjustable... waterproof etc....they also have good eye relief and turn-down eye cups so they can be used with glasses.
Best binoculars for the money in my opinion

[Multigunner]

I more often use my pocket spyglass.
Its brass and wood so I scribed a line in the brass tube at the focus point that suits my right eye with glasses off. Faster and more precise than binoculars.

I've been wondering where I put my Walmart mini binoculars. I think I stashed them in a coat pocket and don't remember where I hung that coat.
The antique Dupont 8X25 glasses I restored are much better in every way but weight, so I keep them handy.

I found a midway focus point on my scopes that allows equally good use with or without glasses. Should I need a finer focus its just a small adjustment either way.

PS
as you get older the same factors that turn good vision into farsightedness can work to improve the vision of the near sighted.
Lately vision in one eye can suddenly become near perfect for up to two weeks at a time, so I can't wear glasses until the vision in that eye returns to its normal nearsighted condition.